DMV hip-hop trio The Package is now known as A.R.K. (Anthony, Richard, and Keeyon, the government names of group members: Dimensions [on rhymes], Theory [on beats] and Noyeek [on rhymes]). After garnering thousands of views with (Hot 97's own) Peter Rosenberg-directed video for "Making Waves" (the lead single from their last album "New Golden Era"), followed by Theory successfully placing beats on projects for emcees such as Dungeon Family's own Backbone (ATL), the A.R.K. has returned with their sophomore album "Trials, Tribulations, and Triumph", released August 2015.
"You were my lifeline/Never left/when I wasn't in my right mind" is the type of polysyllabic bar with emotional resonance and wordplay that exemplifies the level of lyricism present throughout this entire album. The production is equally potent throughout the record, including amazing chops of D'angelo's "How Does It Feel" ["Lady (remix)"] and The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" ["Don't Start"], along with interpolations of Paul McCartney's "Great Day" ["Mosaic"] and a range of other beats crafted on Theory's vintage instrument collection.
Besides the eleven A.R.K.-only records representing the bulk of the project, the album features three collaborative cuts: "Frontlines" featuring Rhymesayers affiliate Quadir Lateef, Beat Konductaz' own L-Betta, and Dimensions' teenaged son Infinite, in addition to two posse cuts with The A.R.K.'s old crew, veteran DC hip-hop collective Infinite Loop [the aforementioned "Don't Start" and "Fall Back"].
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