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A.O.K. - If You Don't Buy This CD The Terrorists Win (Ill-Legitimate Productions)
By: Thomas Quinlan

Diversity is the name of the game on If You Don't Buy This CD The Terrorists Win, the debut album from Edmonton rapper A.O.K. (an acronym for Assault of Knowledge). The album starts strong with aggressive battle track “Walk Like a Man,” where A.O.K. proudly proclaims, “Fuck the intro, go right into the L.P. / Release my blue balls all over the streets...” Unfortunately, the bad-ass swagger is gone by the second verse, making for an easier transition into the oddball “Tales From Planet Grolic,” where, over minimal production of drums and keys, A.O.K. castigates the current state of hip hop from the point of view of future alien archeologists examining our Earthly recordings. He also attacks current rap trends (read: gangsta rap) with the funky “Fake I.D.” Then there's the ballads “Miss Greenlay,” an ode to the much older woman who taught him many great things, and “Coffee Shop Girl,” a love song for an unnamed, uhm, coffee shop girl that has cross-over appeal written all over it. Also on the smooth side, even if it is a little more uptempo, is “Hip Hop a la Mode,” a skills-flexing track about himself. A.O.K. attempts a few laughs midway through the album with an homage to Ol' Dirty Bastard on the interlude “The Hood Samaritans,” saving the controversy for the end with politics and religion discussed on “Unintelligent Redesign,” “You Are a God,” and “Freedom is a State of Mind.” The final two bonus tracks are the only collaborations on the album: The Filthy Varmint joins A.O.K. to give thanks on the fun, banging “Thank You Dot Com” while Cousin Moe and Spinning Truth join A.O.K. for some serious Arabic politics over a Middle East-inspired beat. Diverse, dope and definitely Canadian, I can think of no better way to support the War on Terror.

For more on A.O.K. check out http://www.myspace.com/assaultofknowledge