''The Unusual'' is the second album by Artifacts member

El Da Sensei William E. Williams, also known as El Da Sensei is an American rapper from Newark, New Jersey. During the 1990s he was a member of the hip hop duo, Artifacts. Since then he has released several solo albums. In 2015, at The 14th Annual Indepen ...

. It was released on February 28, 2006 under Fat Beats Records.

Background

Tame and El's graf-rap was well received by underground audiences and continued in the

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

rap tradition of Redman and

Lords of the Underground The Lords of the Underground (L.O.T.U.G.) is an American hip-hop trio based in Newark, New Jersey. The group is composed of Dupré Kelly (professionally known as DoItAll) (born January 14, 1971), Al'Terik Wardrick (professionally known as Mr. F ...

. The group developed a fan base of hardcore hip-hoppers, being

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

artists and hip-hop purists. El Da Sensei latest album is a continuation of the first two Artifacts albums. According to El, the album "stands for true hip hop." El has said that the possibility of an Artifacts reunion are low, considering the relative success he and

Tame One Rahem Ross Brown (March 20, 1970 – November 6, 2022), better known by his stage name Tame One, was an American hip hop recording artist and graffiti artist from New Jersey. He was a member of Artifacts, Leak Bros, and the hip-hop supergroup ...

have had since both going solo.

Reception

Reviews were very positive, considering the El's lengthy hiatus:

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

says: "He manages to present his album with intelligent proportions, and like a fine wine, he will only get better with time."El Da Sensei: The Unusual - PopMatters Music Review
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Track listing

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unusual, The 2006 albums El Da Sensei albums Albums produced by K-Def Albums produced by J. Rawls Albums produced by Jake One