"Pray IV Me" opens with Monk's woodwind melody and subtle piano layered over a slow boom-bap beat. Fahim's heavy lyrics paint a vivid picture of internal and external conflict: "I pray to lord, my soul to keep. While I'm steady, loading up this heat." His introspective, yet calmly violent verse sets a high standard for the rest of this project.
"Kings Skit" is a very brief four second interlude, barely worth mentioning, which leads directly into the next track, "Twin Towers." Monk speeds up the beat from the previous track, Fahim's delivery matches the uptick. His hook line in the chorus, "extended clips long as the Twin Towers, " continues blending themes of urban violence with feudal warfare, referencing "swinging swords." While neither of his two verses carry as much weight as the chorus, the track fits in with his overall sound to this point.
"Showdown in LittleTokyo" is another brief interlude which I assume is a snippet from the 1991 Dolph Lundgren film of the same name. The clip is fifteen seconds of punching sound effects, while it fits the kung-fu vibe, it's non-essential and barely worth noting.
The title track, "Blvk Pearl," features silky smooth production by Camouflage Monk, using a light guitar chord over the simple boom-bap beat. Fahim shows off his laidback flow, delivering a pair of verses on top of the lush riff. The chorus echoes his self-reflective nature, acknowledging the duality of love and hatred for being himself: "They love you when you rich, hate you when you broke, envy when you alive, pray when you get smoked."
"Worst Enemy" utilizes a multi-layered instrumental, switching up the typical boom-bap drum we've come to expect thus far. Monk's production paints a picture of a foggy urban night, before any words are spoken. Fahim's wordplay is both rhythmic and intricate, connecting urban violence with a feudal Japan backdrop through rhyme. The beat rides out longer than usual, allowing it to resonate further after the chorus ends.
"Tha God Speaks" is an interlude using a famous quote spoken by Bruce Lee. Referring to Bruce Lee as "Tha God" shows how highly influential the legendary martial artist is to Fahim and his style. The quote perfectly sums up themes of the last few tracks: "Be always yourself."
"Divine Mind" uses another smooth guitar sample over a boom-bap beat, similar to the title track. Fahim delivers yet again with two potent verses along with his catchiest chorus so far on this project: "Cash flow steady on the rise, all I can think is gettin' by, gettin' high, to waste time."
"Shanghai" uses another abstract, multi-layered beat, similar to "Worst Enemy." Fahim spits his most aggressive and violent bars thus far, going in for just over 100 seconds. Bars such as, "liftin' a .45 the only time I ever benchpress," and "keep more bullets than friends," clearly illustrates the prevalent violence he's been exposed to.
"$$$$" is an interlude that uses an iconic quote from season one of The Wire. In episode 9, titled "Game Day", Detective Lester Freamon says, "You follow drugs, you get drug addicts and drug dealers. But you start to follow the money, and you don't know where the fuck it's gonna take you."
"Spirit of the Shogunn" uses a low-key, subtle beat with a touch of woodwind that is consistent with Monk's production style. Fahim plays off the previous interlude, exploring the paranoia of anticipating cops and rival gangs coming for him. He reminds us: "There's always somebody watchin', so watch your back and proceed with caution."
"Lord Speaks Interlude" repeats the same Bruce Lee quote from before, emphasizing just how meaningful this message to Fahim's self-identity and artistic persona.
"I Can't Breathe" continues the trend of using soft, layered production that matches a similar vibe to previous tracks by Camouflage Monk. Fahim delivers a single verse, spitting intricate wordplay and rhyme schemes we've come to expect. He shouts out, "Nas told us It Was Written, written," revealing a foundational influence for most conscious hip-hop artists.
"Shinobi Ninjas" concludes the album with a delicate piano scheme layered over a hard-hitting boom-bap beat. Fahim delivers the most impressive verse of the entire project. For nearly two-minutes, he rapid fires bar after bar, weaving together samurai war stories with urban crime. Highlighting a few lines, "I keep it real to the follicle, to every last diabolical molecule, to the very last Tylenol," and "I'm from a place where gunshots rock babies to sleep." The chorus is interluded and proceeded by two short clips from the anime Berserk, appropriately wrapping up the album.
From start to finish, Camouflage Monk orchestrates instrumentals perfectly tailored for Fahim's dark and gritty, yet enlightened essence. Some of the beats sound similar and blend together, but after many repeat listens, Fahim's wordplay shines through on each and every track. Fahim has established such a high floor, he consistently delivers without dipping below the standard he's set for himself. Blvk Pearl is an early Fahim release that shouldn't be overlooked.
