DORIAN GEIGER
Sports Editor

Saskatoon’s rhymeminister, indie hip-hop artist Kay the Aquanaut, is set to release his full-length album Waterloo on March 31 at Amigos Cantina.

The show features performances by local artists Factor, Nolto, Township Rebellion and Chaps.

Aquanaut sought out French producer Zoen to work on the majority of the album but the disc contains some local production as well in the form of two Factor-produced tracks. Sideroad fans need not be alarmed — Zoen lives up to the beat standard Factor has set on previous Aquanaut productions.

The album’s title, Waterloo, is indicative of the album’s politically driven content. However, the album makes a slight departure in theme from Aquanaut’s last album, Nickelodeon Ethics, whose material was largely drawn from the rapper’s overseas experience in Asia.

The album is a mixture of anti-establishment, political and religious commentary, featuring Kay at his most lyrically advanced phase thus far in his career. Aquanaut juxtaposes his album beautifully, striking a good dynamic between complex themes and simple but clever wordplay.

Over the guitar-infused Zoen-produced track “Different World,” Kay spits, “My name is Kristian but I ain’t fucking with religion.” Witty wordplay such as this accompanied by Aquanaut’s ferocious delivery make this album an unquestionable winner.

If Aquanaut wasn’t already the most prominent rapper in Saskatoon’s hip-hop community, Waterloo will surely propel him to such heights.

UPDATE: Article amended for clarity and accuracy.