Turn on your television set, switch to the world news, and topics like gentrification, genocide, and racism are likely to fill your eyes balls. A lot of musical artists choose to avoid issues such as those, which is fine because the majority of people want to have a good time instead of discussing the disparities that happen throughout the planet.

The few that choose to talk about the subjects that usually get swept under the preverbal rug do so in a manner that is bound to get your attention in one way or another—but no one attacks the plight of the unheard with the ferocity as Immortal Technique does. The radical revolutionary rapper has been righting the wrongs with his lyricism for almost a decade, and now returns with his third album, The 3rd World.

With the help of DJ Green Lantern, the activist MC fills the CD with political injustices that basically affects everyone whether you’re living in America or a country that doesn’t have the basic necessities like running water. ‘Death March’ starts the album off, and behind a marching drum roll beat, Immortal Technique lets loose clever metaphors like, “So I’m like the legs of a paraplegic really/cause I’m still part of you, even if you can’t feel me.” The crusader for human rights shows his versatility on ‘Golpe De Estado,’ which features Temperamento y Veneo with the entire song being sun g in Spanish.

On ‘Harlem Renaissance,’ he addresses the immanent domain problem that is pushing long time residents of Harlem out of their homes to make way for luxury condominiums that average families could never afford. Crooked I and Chino XL are recruited on ‘Lick Shots.’ All three lyricists share their point of views with Immortal Technique starting off first: “F*ck that n*gga, Hip-Hop is not Republican/that’s just the white mothaf*ckas that own the publishing.” Crooked I: “I’m black as the Ancient Egyptians/before European historians went and changed the description.” Chino XL: “These pigs wanna see us dead inside a jail cell/turn us from Shawn Carters, to Sean Combs, to Shaun Bell.”

The title track, ‘The 3rd World’ is one of the standout tracks on the album where the MC describes just how he’s from a 3rd world environment. ‘Hollywood Driveby’ featuring Psycho Realm and Sick Symphonies includes an organ sample that sounds similar to one Beanie Sigel used for his song ‘The Truth’ on his first album with the same name. It also comes equipped with a low blow (no pun intended) towards the newly acquitted R. Kelly.

Immortal Technique keeps his legal woes fresh in people’s minds with lines like, “I got bullets that will rip through your ribs/more painful then watching R. Kelly piss on your kids.” Instead of unleashing another lyrical barrage on ‘Open Your Eyes,’ Immortal Technique opts to drop food for thought through speech and not rhyme. ‘Payback’ comes with a DJ Khaled intro followed with verses by Diabolic and the elusive Ras Kass. The slow production and drawn out horns are more than adequate for the trio to discuss subjects like the CIA, the Iran Contra Scandal, and other types of conspiracy theories.       

The rest of the album contains songs like ‘Stronghold Grip’ (feat. Poison Pen and Swave Sevah), ‘Mistakes,’ and ‘Parole’ which all continue the mood of the album. The 3rd World is basically a political landscape where Immortal Technique shares his opinions and his dislikes on how certain situations in or out of this country are handled. His content mirrors the teachings of the historical leaders that came before him, and his authentic passion lets listeners know that he’s no gimmick. If you’re looking to shake and dance, this is probably not an album for you, but if you want to actually learn something about today’s society through the words of rhyme and intensity, then this is the best purchase you could ever make.