10 Greatest Hip Hop Concept Albums

A focussed and tight release in a genre prone to excess, Ka’s 2016 album is a real auteur effort and a fantastic showcase for the critically beloved but often underrated artist,

Honor Killed The Samura’s protagonist is a young man hustling on the streets but doing his best to conduct himself according to a code of principles. Ka’s production is stripped back, utilising booming drums and sparse keys on the relatively hooky “Mourn At Night”. He has a distinctive vocal delivery, rarely raising his voice, demanding that the listener lean in closer to catch his meaning.

The samurai theme is best realised on tracks like “Conflicted”. It’s built around Asian melodies and a hypnotic bassline as Ka gives his treatise on life in the mean streets: “be a body or catch one”. The tough talk on the record is delivered starkly and without machismo - he’s not showing off his credentials, just calling it as he sees it.

This is a knowingly atypical rap album with a fleshed out central protagonist. Even the clips of samurai philosophy actually work here - a rare skit that actually adds to the production.