Yo! Majesty

Kryptonite Pussy EP (Domino)

By Niema Jordan
Published: July 31st, 2008 | 9:00am

After rocking crowds with their hip hop/club/experimental sound, Tampa-based rap group Yo! Majesty has released another EP titled Kryptonite Pussy. Like much of the group's previous work, it is packed with tracks that initially seem to blur the lines between female empowerment and women playing into misogynistic patterns. As soon as you think you know what a song is about, a lyric throws you off and makes you hit repeat. When you listen carefully through the techno-tinged beats, you realize that each song carries a message — without being preachy.

The song “Hit It and Quit It” is a perfect example. What seems to be a song about fun and quick unattached sex is really a commentary about safe sex and HIV/AIDS. Then there is the unapologetically lesbian title track where the group rhymes about having and wanting “Kryptonite Pussy.” But the standout track is “Break Bread,” its lyrical content and concise flow over a thumping bass line is the album’s most traditionally hip hop track. The song serves as an empowering anthem encouraging entrepreneurship, discussing reparations, and the state of rap music.

Jwl.B and Shunda K’s Kryptonite Pussy EP is a compilation of high-energy tracks that should ideally be played at loud volume in a club or party, maybe even with a slight level of intoxication. Just five songs deep, the latest from the dynamic duo manages to be as complex as female sexuality — it will whet your palate just enough to leave you hungry for a taste this fall.

—