Mixerr Album Reviews #2,243

MC Overlord - A Better Funk is a coagulation of funk and hip hop combined together. On this album, he raps with a fierce East Coast style flow and cadence. Take Can You Hear Me?, Who’s Got Your Back?, Alright, and Put ‘Em Up for instance. Those are the most East Coast sounding songs on the album. Each of these are funk driven and backed by a live band playing the instrumentation. 90s rap at its best here.


MC Overlord makes sure his listeners can hear him on the opener Can You Hear Me?. His loud presence and vocals are what make this song lively. Rapping is what he does best. The harmonica and shakers give this song a groove. Blues and funk meet hip hop/rap on this song.

It’s another song by the large one name MC Overlord. Here he comes. He stands strong and not alone in this rat race. Poor advice is something he is tired of. Hard but not condescending. Hear him out. He is hoping for a little praise for all the work and effort he puts forth into his music. Overlord does things his own way. He doesn’t need any help unless he asks for it.

Overlord has come a long way. He no longer depends on others and is self-sufficient. He can think for himself. Life ain’t easy and is unfair. Haters will knock you down. That is a part of life.


A Better World served as MC Overlord’s desire and wish for a better world. The song seeks a solution for a better world. He wants world piece. It’s alright to spread a little love around. Overlord images how things would be in a better world.

Things starts to calm down on the album since this song is a song about world peace. Overlord does not rap in such a fierce or loud manner as he does on the opening song for this album. Charlie Redd plays a mean guitar on the song as well. The guitar is what also gives this song a calm vibe.


Things start to pick up again as the tempo gets much faster on the song Down for Whatever. Down for Whatever has that 90s upbeat New Jack Swing sound backed by live instrumentation in the studio. Ter’ell provides those soulful vocals you hear in the background.


Who's Got Yo Back? is about who has your back and who doesn’t. The ones who will have your back even during all those times when you couldn’t get things to fall into place. The song teaches us to rely on ourselves and not rely on other people. Who's Got Yo Back? has a sad yet funky vibe.

Overlord tells us to rely on ourselves and the ones in our corner. Count on yourself. It’s alright to have friends. Staying strong is the real key to being successful in life. That is how you pull through. No matter what things will get better.

These words and lyrics are what make this song stand out. “Who needs an enemy with friends that don’t help?/No, I don’t need a hand/I can do it my damn self” The lyrics represent MC Overlord’s drive for self-sufficiency and independence.

“Who needs an enemy with friends that don’t help?/No, I don’t need a hand/I can do it my damn self” are the lyrics to the chorus and hook.


Now the lyrics for Alright are copied from the song Stand which came from his 1993 EP called October. One could say the song Alright is a hip hop/rap cover of Stand. The lyrics share many similarities. Here is an example below.:

I wouldn’t call it a favor to trade to stand where you stood
To spare you the pain that I do what I could, yo
Who’s to blame? It’s a shame where you wonder
Days you played and you got dragged under
Remember the playground friends and your teacher
An innocent child in the arms of his keeper
Stories they read that resulted in laughter
And said in the end we’d live happily after

What of the trap doors that nobody mentioned?
What of your dreams and childhood intentions?
Take it away in a matter of seconds
A critical break
They’ve forgotten your lesson

We all have strengths but I’m just one man
You’re all the friend that I need for a stand

Those lyrics were used on the song Stand. Those were the lyrics to Verse 1 of that song.


MC Overlord reminds that somebody loves us on the song Somebody Loves You. You are not alone in this life. Someone will love you.

Black Panther is one of the more politically charged songs on the album. That is why you can hear and feel those Afrocentric themes. The song has similarities to A Better World. The song Black Panther was inspired by the Robert Wolf poem Black Panther.

I rate this album 5/5*****!!