Magneto Was Right: Series Dossier

File page 1 of 15

WAS RIGHT

A nine-part case file on power, persecution & self-determination — the complete series, by RAZ FRESCO.

SERIES DOSSIER / 2020 – 2021 / ISSUES 01–09 + MAGNETIC

File page 2 of 15

The Origin

around a single question: what becomes of the ones born gifted, born different, into a world unwilling to make room for them? The title borrows its central metaphor from Marvel's Magneto — a man shaped by persecution who chose power and self-determination over assimilation — and casts that allegory across Black history, the Five Percent Nation's teachings on knowledge of self, and Raz Fresco's own account of his rise as an artist and businessman.

Released in nine chapters between 2020 and 2021, each issue stands as a complete work on its own while

The series is also a historical physical artifact. Each of the nine issues was pressed as a limited, hand-numbered vinyl release through BKRSCLB and Tuff Kong Records, and the back-cover artwork of every issue was designed as one fragment of a single larger composition. No individual issue revealed the whole picture — only by collecting all nine could a fan assemble the complete image, known as the MAGNETIC artwork, ultimately unveiled in full on the cover of the series' closing statement, Magnetic.

File page 3 of 15

EVIDENCE BOARD — BACK-COVER FRAGMENTS 01–09 — ASSEMBLE T O REVEAL “MAGNETIC”

As recognition for the truest collectors, the first one hundred people to prove ownership of all nine Magneto Was Right vinyl issues received a complimentary exclusive variant pressing of Magnetic, bundled with a bonus seven-inch of unreleased material never issued in any other format — knowledge and reward reserved for those who did the work to earn it.

File page 4 of 15

Issue #1

YEAR 2020 LABEL BKRSCLB / TUFF KONG CREDITS Feat. Vast Aire (Cannibal Ox), Funk Lo, Born King M Allah

I “Defending your rights and resources isn't villainous — it's self-

Released in 2020, Magneto Was Right Issue #1 launched what would become one of the most defining multi-part series in Raz Fresco's entire catalog.

Framing the album through the lens of X-Men's anti-hero Magneto, Raz uses the comic book archetype to explore themes of self-preservation, anti-establishment views, and unapologetic self-sovereignty.

Heavy, raw, and atmospheric boom-bap production pairs dark sample chops with Raz's signature slick, laid-back yet calculated delivery. The album features appearances from underground legend Vast Aire (of Cannibal Ox), Funk Lo, and Born King M Allah.

Magneto is a character who believes peaceful integration with a corrupt system is impossible and that mutants must protect their own kind. Raz translates this directly into hip-hop: rejecting mainstream industry machine tactics in favor of true independent self-reliance and artistic preservation. Raz Fresco uses the Magneto vs. Professor X dynamic as a direct allegory for Malcolm X vs. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., translating Civil Rights history into a framework for modern independent hip-hop. Just as Magneto argued mutants shouldn't beg humans for acceptance, Raz uses Malcolm X's philosophy to argue that artists shouldn't beg major record labels for validation. True freedom requires total independence, not assimilation into a corrupt system.

Flipping the “villain” narrative: historically, mainstream media vilified Malcolm X as a radical for refusing to compromise, just as humans branded Magneto a villain. Raz subverts this on tracks like “Autobiography of Slave” and

“They Still Shot Martin,” asserting that defending your rights and resources isn't villainous — it's self-preservation.

Issue #1 was not a standalone release — it was the catalyst for a massive 9-issue album saga (Issues #1–#9) released across 2020–2021. It established the structural format, comic book aesthetic, and thematic foundation that defined a multi-year era of Raz's career, and set the standard for how Raz and BKRSCLB handle physical media — pressing limited-edition runs via boutique European labels like Tuff Kong Records and Elephant Artillery that became instant grail items for underground collectors.

Demonstrating his knack for fan engagement and gamification, Raz created an incentive where fans who collected all physical issues unlocked a secret 10th album. While many artists rely on corporate distribution networks, Issue #1 reaffirmed Raz's position as a self-sustaining powerhouse — bridging his earlier mixtape days with his later high-profile collaborative run, and proving he could anchor a world-building franchise completely on his own terms.

File page 5 of 15

Issue #2

“Self-reliant production, tight crew features, and physical ownership over DSP

Released in 2020, Magneto Was Right Issue #2 is the 15-track follow-up to Raz Fresco's seminal first entry. It acts as a crucial bridge that proved the Magneto Was Right saga was an active, high-volume franchise rather than a one-off gimmick. Dropping quickly after Issue #1, Issue #2 validated that Raz could sustain a massive 9-issue conceptual album run completely on his own terms.

The album contains raw, dusty, self-produced boom-bap built on chopped soul and street samples. It features fellow BKRSCLB crew member The 6th Letter on the standout track “Splash Bros.” Raz's lyricism blends street narratives, pop-culture nods, and high-frequency knowledge of self — balancing gritty tracks like “Buckshot Flow” and “Hit The Curb” with reflective cuts like “Analyze Life” and “Caught Up In Euphoria.”

Pressed in strict, limited vinyl/cassette quantities through boutique European labels like Tuff Kong Records and Elephant Artillery, it cemented the series as high-demand grail pieces for physical media collectors. It firmly established the release pattern that defined this era of Raz's career — self-reliant production, tight crew features, and physical ownership over DSP reliance.