Sacramento, California veteran X-Raided starting October with his 19th album. Exploding onto the scene in 1992 off the strength of his full-length debut Psycho Active, he was shortly after sentenced to 31 years in prison on murder charges, only to be granted parole in the fall of 2018 & continued to build his discography by dropping a little over a dozen more albums whilst incarcerated. The Nefarious Loc surprisingly signed to Strange Music in 2022 & his debut for the label A Prayer in Hell was a true blue return to form, picking up where A Sin in Heaven left off for A Prophecy in Purgatory.
The title track works in some synthesizers from Matt Phoenix to talk about being barred from the pearly gates for committing a sin up there & after the “3 Days in Hades” skit, “Ecclesiastes” takes on a more orchestral vibe instrumentally calling for retaliation since God’s distracted. “Harrowing of Hell” talks about people he used to fuck with considering him dead over a g-funk beat while “HeLA Cells” featuring Kurupt maintains that same vibe referring to themselves as the blueprint.
“Queen of Hearts” puts a much deeper meaning to the concept of The Nefarious being superior to all these wack rappers out just before “Outside (3 Kings)” featuring Strange alumni Brotha Lynch Hung & C-Bo unites the trio for an increasing tribute to their hometown. “What’s My Name?” featuring Luni Coleone & Marvaless suggest to be respectful when speaking of them leading into “Bacc Outside” featuring Big Meek, Liq & T-Nutty brings the quartet together for a decent hardcore hip hop track.
Bleezo & King Infent both appear for the Wyshmaster-produced “Def Defying” to moderately get in their gangsta rap bag is while “Damnation” featuring Tech N9ne after the “Crucifixion” skit has to be another favorite collaboration of mine talking about death coming for us all. “Acidic Disposition” addresses the sickness of America deteriorating within the last 9 months while “Soldier” featuring C-Bo links back up over a piano trap instrumental talking about growing up during the Reaganomics era.
“Youthanized” incorporates some synthesizers to explain that he never asked to see this war his mother forced him in while “Thug Psalms” talks about speaking for the ghetto since he comes from the ghetto. “Measure of Wealth” thanks God in Heaven for his sons & “A Song for Grandparents” talks about being a grandfather a lot like WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg did last winter.
“Hail Mary” starts the final moments of A Prophecy in Purgatory with a piano heavy stoner’s anthem & not only would I consider “Still Outside” featuring Mozzy to be perfect choice of an outro, but an outro that I found myself enjoying more than “Bacc Outside” earlier at the halfway point of the album itself as somebody who enjoys Psycho Active & X’s material since signing to Strange and a fan of Mozzy since the soundtrack to The Walt Disney Company subsidiary Marvel Entertainment superhero film Black Panther.
Putting aside the fact that I enjoyed A Sin in Heaven only slightly less than A Prayer in Hell, the most personal & powerful opus that X-Raided has ever created fulfills a prophecy by landing right behind the latter for the best of the 3 full-lengths since signing to Strange Music. The production mostly handled by in-house producer & It Goes Up Entertainment subsidiary Project Be Well Inc. recording artist Matt Phoenix is amongst his greatest soundtracking a representation of the years The Nefarious Loc spent trapped between who he was & who he would become.
Score: 9/10