Big Pokey - Sensei (Album)

The legendary SUC powerhouse Big Pokey released his anticipated 6th album "Sensei" at the end of May that's seeing a copious amount of deserved praise & support on the charts of streaming services in the last week. This accomplishment is warranted for the hard work he's put in to perfect this album. As I mentioned before in my previous post, he's had the proper leadership behind him in Sidney Walker to help bring him back to the forefronts of rap. They have spent countless hours in the studios to make sure the album sits superior on the rest of his catalog and effortlessly becoming his latest magnum opus. It's been about 14 years since his last album "Evacuation Notice," and now to have this project surface in 2021 shows that he still got it's after all these years.

Before the album was released, he had dropped the self-titled track with a visual to go along with it that I believe was giving us a taste of what's to expect from the project, but I'm here to say now that it didn't do that at all exactly. It only provided a hit single for the project, but the album is much more than that. Take the intro, for example, "Piped Up," it has an excellent, gritty sound to it with bass in the production where you expect to see Big Pokey just ravage through with tough wordplays like he's done in the past, but he does something different here. He provides more heart to the record, not afraid to show his emotions behind the bars that he lays down on the track. It's more of a venting session with his signature laid-back demeanor spilling out truth and growth in his words. Throughout my time listening to the project, I was expecting to get only block bleeders and bangers, which I did in some records like the Lil Keke & D-Bando assisted track "Mind Made Up" & "Stacks" with Lil O. Still, I got more soulful tunes that shared the years of wisdom that Pokey has gotten in his career which made me feel more attached to him as a person instead of his rap persona. "Diamond In The Sky" is a hefty-featured record with the likes of Chamillionaire, Killa Kyleon, Kirko Bangz & Lisa Lee sharing their flawless execution to the record that perfectly symbolizes what I mean. He speaks of himself forming into a diamond which, instead of being pressured with the changes the world provides, he's the one that's applying it now to make his surroundings his own paradise. The grind doesn't stop when the day is finished, and he understands that better. Be your own boss and get it the way you know-how; time waits for no one, and it's something that Pokey stands behind. The night skies love this project; you can sense the wind blowing in the air in this Texas weather with the stars above and the cities light glowing when the album is playing. I love seeing an artist who's had a significant impact on me growing up continue to be successful. I remember hearing his star-studded voice through my headphones and being fascinated with everything Big Pokey had to say. Then, hearing him again in 2021 with the ability to bring back those memories decades later is a monumental talent that he graciously claims. I genuinely enjoyed this album from beginning to end; it gave me a superior listening experience to enjoy this timeless album repeatedly.

Shoutout to Sidney Walker & Win or Regret Music Group. Including anyone else who had a hand in making this album such an enormous success. Of course, we can't forget about Big Pokey, who came back and reigned supreme in the rap game once again. Thank you isn't enough at this point; the album is constructed with soul and heart, not to give it the time of day. I recommend that if you haven't heard this album yet, then you need to stop what your doing and get to your preferred streaming services and take a listen today. When you do that, you share it around on all social media avenues to introduce someone else to it.