Big R - Rated R (2009)

01. Intro
02. Rated R
03. What's It Gon' Be
04. Re Up
05. I Tried
06. I Wanna Win
07. Love You Better (feat. Rossi)
08. Fast R
09. Mr. Secular
10. Hold It Down (feat. Knine)
11. Where Would I Go
12. On Fire (feat. Readywriter & Brinson)
13. Go Off
14. The Set Finale
15. Call To Salvation

REVIEW:

When you think of R ratings you probably think of explicit, graphic content and heavy restrictions. But what is interesting is that, in today's culture, Christianity is often viewed and treated the same way as an R rated movie, and even worse. It is, in a way, restricted from the hearts and minds of the general public. Christian content is often excluded, ignored, or shamed on public mediums. People don't want to hear about it, people don't want to talk about it. All the while, actual explicit and graphic content seems to be growing in acceptance over TV, radio, film, etc.

Big R, Godchaserz Entertainment's newest member, has decided to illustrate and address this secular worldview of Christianity through his latest and most anticipated album, Rated R. This is made evident right from the intro where a scenario is painted of Big R as an actor on the set of a film reciting Bible verses. Making the obvious statement that the verses are the "R rated" content. This theme is continued in two other similar interludes throughout the album and then concluded near the end with "The Set Finale" in which the imaginary crew celebrate the film's last day of shooting. While these interludes are cheesy, they do their job in conveying the album's central message.

Rated R has an overall dirty south flavor to it. And that's why I was surprised to see two tracks with West Coast, gangsta funk type feels going on. There is nothing wrong with either of them, they both are solidly produced. But it was definitly a surprise and an interesting addition.

One of these is the title track, Rated R, which follows on from the intro and further unpacks the theme of the album over a West Coast, gangsta-funk vibe beat. The other, Hold it Down, features West Coast rapper Knine and has a similar feel. These are some of those "bump in your low-ride" type tracks.

Other interesting diversions include musically-diverse, old school style "I Tried", which describes the pitfalls in trusting in the things of the world; and the rolling, R&B laced "Love Me Better" containing a moving message about forgiveness despite rejection. In a way, this track is similar to "I Tried" in that it also teaches to put our reliance in God and his love, and not rely on the love of man.

First up to bring dirty south into the mix is "What's It Gon' Be". It's expertly produced and easily one of the best songs on the album. It brings the tried-and-true message of materialism verses a life with Christ. And Big R's swag on the mic really complements the overall feel of the track.

"Fast R" and "Mr Secular" both show off the best of Big R's lyrcism. The first being more a display of his lyrical fluidity and flow and the latter, where Big R really shines, displays slightly more depth.

Big R shows reverance for his Saviour in "Where Would I Go", slowing down the pace a little bit and serving almost as a dirty south style worship song.

The heart of Rated R is dispayed in the last track, "Call To Salvation", which is just that. Big R makes a simple call to salvation to his listeners even giving out his personal cell phone number and email address. It is clear that Big R is personally interested and cares for his audience. He doesn't go to any lengths to water-down his calling. The fact alone that he includes this track on his album is proof that neither money nor fame is his priority.

Overall, there isn't anything lyrically spectacular about Rated R. But wherever Big R is lacking lyrically he makes up for with his presentation and swag on the mic. The way he holds himself, rugged, raw and bold on each track makes him hard to ignore. Which is always an advantage, especially on an album such as Rated R where the sole purpose is to catch the ears of the lost.

The production also, while not exactly mind-blowing, is still very solid . The dirty south flavours are handled very well and are commercially competitive. There are a few tracks that add some nice variety to the mix and the organizng of the tracklisting helps to diversy and keeps things fresh as well. Well known producers Tony Stone and Wit of Frontlynaz fame lend their skills as well as labelmate Brinson and D.J. Don Christ'on of Genuine Life Productions.

Rated R shows itself solid on all fronts. While its theme may seem cheesy to some, the point being made is still very clear and it does what it sets out to do. Big R's sincerity and heart is very evident throughout the entirety of the project. Due for release on March 31st, Rated R is definitly worth the purchase.




Big R Myspace

Godchaserz Entertainment

Hip Hope 2009 - Various Artists

01. One World (Liquid Remix) - tobyMac feat Siti Monroe & KJ-52
02. Reminds Me - GRITS
03. I Call Him G.O.D. - Canton Jones
04. When It Feels Right - Speech (of Arrested Development)
05. What You Want - KJ-52 feat. Bonafide of GRITS
06. Calculator Watch - Pigeon John
07. Future - Verbs
08. Come Back To Me - Washington Projects
09. Be Myself - Jade feat. Coffee of GRITS
10. Walking Loud - Braille
11. Gimme Dapp - Pettidee
12. Avert - Shonlock feat. Canton Jones & V3
13. Bottom of the 9th - Knine feat. B. Reith
14. Higher - Stefan the Scientist
15. Feel It Now - Flynn Adam
16. Cut Me - J Remy
17. MY - Proxy feat. Verbs & Stefan the Scientist
18. Chimpanzee (Digital Bonus) - Rootbeer

REVIEW:

The Hip Hope compilation series released annually over the past 5 years has largely failed to do its job. To showcase the best (or in their words, "hottest") of Christian Hip-Hop. Instead, all it has done is bring together a mediocre selection of music that does more to put Christian hip-hop to shame than bring out its best. Release after release of these bland titles have been extensively promoted by the well-known Gotee Records label and in so have caught the eye of various secular critics only to be looked down upon as yet another title to prove that Christians just can't do hip-hop like the big boys.

What is so heartbreaking about this is that Christian hip-hop can do so much better than what has been showcased for the most part on the Hip Hope series so far. There is a lot of talent to be heard from the genre, but it seems like so far Hip Hope has either been unaware of this or simply ignored it in favour of dumbed-down, crowd-pleasing "hits" for better sales.

Well I'm proud to say that with the 2009 volume, the Hip Hope series has made a dramatic change for the better. In fact, after my first playthrough I was left pleasantly suprised at the unexpected difference that had been made, even after looking at the playlist, which is interesting in itself.

The first thing you notice is that this edition feels much more free-spirited than the previous ones. In a good way, that is. A lot of the tracks have a fresh experimental sound to them and flavors of music seem more diverse with not just hip-hop, but also some R&B, Electronica, Dance, and reggae thrown into the mix. This may seem contradictory at first, but nevertheless, for the most part the tracks have an urban/hip-hop vibe to them.

Hip Hope 2009's artist selection this time round is as diverse as it is musically. The Hip Hope series has always had a reasonably well-spread list of artists, but never as diverse and as large as this. The usual big names you'd expect are still there. Such as KJ-52, tobymac, GRITS, Pigeon John, Canton Jones and Pettidee. But there are a bunch of newcomers such as Jade, V Three, Stefan the Scientist and Proxy as well as more underground or lesser-known artists like Braiile, Verbs, The Washington Projects, B. Reith, Knine, Flynn and Rootbeer (on the digital download version only).

This isn't even including the multiple underground and up-and-coming artists that make appearances in short hidden tracks between some of the songs. These include Pro, Braille, Othello, Freddie Bruno and Propaganda which was very suprising. These small snippets are done well and manage to show off the artists talents adequatly even in the short amount of time they are done in.

Overall the song selection, unlike the rest of the series, is actually quite good. In fact, 12 of the 17 songs are exlusives, which is another big suprise. The non-exclusives include the experimental "Reminds Me" off the largely exprimental album, Reiterate, by GRITS. The mellow, soulfull "Future" off the Groundwork Theory which is an excellent piece and one of Verbs' best. Then there's "Bottom of the 9th" from the UnderDogg album by Knine featuring B. Reith where the latter shows off not only his lyrical skill but his singing talent, evident in the backing vocals throughout and towards the end of the song. ("Bottom of the 9th" is marked as an exlusive on the album but it actually isn't. I'm guessing the only reason it was marked exclusive is because of the slight reworking of the drums and vocals, which make little difference anyway).

As well as non-exclusive there are also never-before-heard (apparently not exclusives, but this is the first time they have been released) tracks. Such as "Be Myself" by Jade which could have been incredible, and for the most part it was great, had not it been for the overly short feature by Bonafide of GRITS and the overall shortness of the entire track. It's one of those tracks that feels like it could have been so good but just missed the mark. There's the reggae song by Stefan the Scientist, "Higher", which includes a beautiful chorus with breezy backing vocals over an incredibly catchy reggae beat. After one listen to this song you will know that Stefan the Scientist is an artist to look out for in the near future. I have high hopes for his upcoming work.

But, for the most part, the exclusives are where the compilation really shines. "I Call Him G.O.D." is an R&B club-banger that, while it does feature the overly-used Autotune software every now and then, is hard to resist getting up and vibing to. The hardcore street heads out there don't miss out this time with Speech's (from two-time Grammy Award-winning hip-hop group Arrested Development) "When it Feels Right". Pigeon John steps in to represent the lighter side of Christian Hip Hop with the hilarious "Calculation Watch". Pigeon John is a genius on the mic, and he never fails in the comedic area either. "Come Back To Me" is yet another R&B-infused experimental hip-hop single from The Washington Projects, but hey, I don't think anyone's going to be tiring of them anytime soon. It features a message on the forgiveness and redemptive quality of God. "Walking Loud" by Braille talks about living a "loud" life as Christians and to put our passiveness behind, accompanied by an apt loud and rowdy beat. Pettidee brings in something for the Dirty South on "Gimme Dapp". "Cut Me" by Jean-Luc Remy comes with a powerful message but is so graphic it's cringe-worthy, for those strong enough to handle it it's ok, but others may want to skip the track. Especially since the song is written to a very specific audience.

Reggae gets more exposure than ever before in the Hip Hope series with two songs. "Higher" being one, and the other entitled "My". The latter features Stefan the Scientist and another newcomer named Proxy, as well as Verbs. It's nicely constructed with an evangelistic message over a mixture of reggae and hip-hop. Then comes one of the most interesting songs on the album, "Avert". It starts off as a thumping party track and then, just over 1 minute in, completely switches into a rock-infused anthem for the rest of the track. All the while there is so much musical detail happening throughout with multiple effects and sounds while Canton Jones and Shonlock swap mics. The mixture of Canton Jones' smooth vocals and Shonlock's rapid fire spitting is very, very nice and adds to the overall diversity and depth of the entire song. It's really quite amazing how much was packed into it. Avert's message is one of repentance and turning away, or averting from sin. And really, it couldn't be conveyed any better.

Out of the entire compilation the only big problems I had were the two tracks that featured KJ-52. Yes, I said it. Stone me.

But seriously now. Despite the fact that the "One World" remix is not incredibly different from the original, the addition of KJ-52 was a bad idea. On both "One World" and "What You Want" KJ-52 is as boring as he has been as of late. Honestly, I'm tiring of his lyrcally-lacking and basic stye he has sunken into. Hip Hope should be showcasing the best of Christian Hip-Hop and while KJ-52 might be quite popular, he certainly is far from the best, especially in comparison to just about all the other artists featured on the compilation. Then again, I can imagine the outcry from his hoards of fans if he was ever excluded from a Hip Hope CD.

To sum it all up, I must say, DJ Maj has finally compiled something worthwhile this time around on Hip Hope 2009. I applaud his effort. There is a diverse selection both in the artists and musically. The content is, for the most part, of a higher quality than ever before in the series and actually does a good job towards showcasing good Christian Hip-Hop. Don't get me wrong though. This isn't the best compilation HHH album out there (check out DJ Morphiziz - International) but it is a big improvement and step foward for the Hip Hope series. If Hip Hope continues to move foward in the fashion it has here and, even improve on it, the series will be at the very least a respectable one.

Lecrae - Rebel (2008)

01. Rebel Intro
02. Don't Waste Your Life (feat. Cam & Dwayne Tryumf)
03. Go Hard (feat. Tedashii)
04. Identity (feat. Da T.R.U.T.H. & J.R.)
05. Indwelling Sin
06. Breathin' To Death
07. Truth
08. Desperate (feat. Cam)
09. Change
10. Fall Back (feat. Trip Lee)
11. Live Free (feat. Sho Baraka & Jai)
12. Got Paper
13. I'm a Saint
14. The Bride
15. Beautiful Feet (feat. Dawntoya)

REVIEW:

One of the most highly anticipated Christian rap albums of the year is finally here. And just like when Reach Records label-mate Trip Lee came out with 20/20, Rebel is already topping charts. Currently the album is #22 on the top selling albums list and #4 on the top selling hip hop/rap list on iTunes. Rebel is selling like hotcakes. Which is great, because people shouldn't be passing on this masterpiece of an album.

Rebel is all about not conforming to the ways of the world. Rebelling against the culture. A culture filled with sin. And in doing so, following Christ and his teachings. All the way from track 1 to 15 the album takes a radical stand against popular ways and beliefs. You can feel the passion behind Lecrae's words as they sink in deep. It's very in-your-face, and at times, even fanatical. Lecrae has always been this way, only this time, more so. Which is great, because it helps push the message and the theme across effectively.

Another reason Rebel really hits home is because there is so much focus on personal, everyday life issues most people can relate to. Often times Christian rap artists can get so caught up with theology in their lyrics that they tend to get lost on the listener. It can get too deep, and generally if a person can't relate to the lyrics, they won't get much, if anything, out of them. And they'll get zilch if they can't understand a word of what is being said. Lecrae, however, doesn't have that problem. Anyone can relate to these lyrics. They hit hard. They stay in your mind. They leave you blown away. Rebel is a fine example of the way songs should be written to get a point across.

Rebel is also so relatable because it is very sin-conscience. There is a focus on sin, on almost every track. Everyone knows they've done wrong. People deal with their wrongdoing every day. Because sin is so deeply-rooted in today's culture. The culture itself is sin. Of course, this is where the album's theme comes in. Rebellion. Rebellion against sin. And every time sin is focused on in a track, a way out is always shown - a way to rebel.

The album starts of with a bang, with the two tracks "Don't Waste Your Life" and "Go Hard" bringing encouragement to stay strong in the faith and not to live a watered down, lukewarm life. "Don't Waste Your Life" blew my mind. It's an up-beat club banger complete with synths and even, if you listen closely, electronic background vocals. The rapid fire lyrical action from both Lecrae and Dwayne Tryumf was just outstanding. Cam glides in on a smoothed R&B chorus and one of the biggest hits of the year is born. "Go Hard" has a more darker, grimy sound. A classic Dirty South track which features Tedashii shouting out the chorus and providing a verse. "Identity" deals with the identity people place in materialistic things and how our real identity is only found in Christ. CMR label-mates J.R. and Da T.R.U.T.H. both feature on the song.
And then we have "Indwelling Sin", which is scarily similar to a song by Knine (released in 2005) called "I Don't Love You", in that both of the songs depict a conversation between the rapper and Satan, with the voice of Satan being played by the modified voice of the rapper. Satan tries to deceive Knine into following him, while Knine rebutts with reasons why he won't. The same thing happens in Lecrae's song. The tempos of the songs are different but they are still quite alike. I don't know if Lecrae borrowed the idea from Knine or whether it's all just a coincidence, but personally, I liked Knine's better.

"Breathin' to Death", "Desperate", "Change" and "Live Free" all show man's struggle with sin and how we can Rebel against it with the power Christ gives us. An interesting note on "Change" though: I was suprised to hear Lecrae actually singing on the chorus. He did have the assistance of backing vocals, but you can definitly hear his low tones over the beat. And though he probably won't be releasing any R&B albums, he did a good job. "Truth" breaks down popular theological and philosophical ideas and provides plain answers in layman's terms. It leaves you feeling well-fed because it all makes so much sense.

"Got Paper" has both positives and negatives. On the positive side Lecrae conveys a message against materialism and the love of money effortlessly over a nicely constructed dirty south beat by K-Drama. On the negative side the song consists of yet another chopped & screwed chorus. Chopped & screwed is fine, but recently it has been way over used in christian rap, to the point where it's just not original anymore. In just about every album Reach Records has released there has been at least one song with a chopped & screwed chorus. It's tired. It's had its day.

The production on Rebel can easily compete with any mainstream secular release out there. The usual Dirty South sounds you'd expect from a Lecrae album are all there. But this time the bar is set even higher musically. Real Talk's production was great, After the Music Stops was even better, but Rebel tops them all easily. You can be sure that a lot of people will buy the album for the music alone.

Rebel features all the usual artists from the CMR/Reach circle. Every one of them brought their A game. But it would've been nice to see different artists featured for once; let some other labels or independent artists get in on the action. Dwayne Tryumf was at least a start (although it has been rumored that he may sign with Reach Records soon).

With Rebel, Lecrae has really shown he is one of the best in the game. The theme of rebellion suits Lecrae's passionate spirit. And every lyric on the album is heartfelt. Lecrae confronts the listener with the issues of a sinful culture and shows us the way out. Positioning himself with talented producers will help to get these messages out into the hip hop community very effectively since the music is so competetive. Rebel is a masterpiece sure to remain in CD and mp3 players for a long time, and the impact it has on its listeners will last for eternity.

Street Pastor - The UnderdoG's Anthem (2008)

01. The UnderdoG's Anthem
02. Go Harder
03. Turn Me Up (feat KamBINO)
04. Rid'n Clean (Skit)
05. Forgotten (feat. Matthew Seward II)
06. The Box (feat. Richard Jordan)
07. My Lady
08. Fresh
09. Got to Run (feat. J-Flue)
10. The Getaway
11. For Family (feat. LaShae Bonne)
12. I Know (feat. Christian Gray)
13. Don't Cha?
14. Duck Down
15. Men Lose
16. Rejoicing
17. I Got It (feat. K-Drama)
18. Choose This Day
19. Non-Fiction
20. Goodbye World

REVIEW:

The name "Street Pastor" may not ring any bells for a lot of Christian Rap fans, but if this album is anything to go by he deserves a lot more recognition. The 20 year-old midwest MC from Ohio produces and writes his own music and is not new to the game, already having 4 releases under his belt. But his 5th album is something special and stands out far above the rest.

True to his name, the Street Pastor has a heart for the streets, and it clearly shows throughout the album. Every track has content designed to minister and relate to those living in the hood. And every time Christ is glorified. Which makes this album such a great evangelism tool.

The Street Pastor's ability to minister is further enhanced by his incredible lyrical skill and his metaphors are just classic. Right from the first song this is evident, which starts off in accapella, keeping all focus on the ridiculously smart similes and just when you're getting comfortable the instrumental suddenly kicks in and things really get popping. Even though it's more of an intro, the track is absolutely excellent.

It doesn't stop there though. The UnderdoG's Anthem is full to the brim with 19 other songs, making up a total of 80 minutes, and they are all outstanding. Never once will you get bored. Because even though this is definitly an album for the streets, the music hasn't been locked down into a set street-sounding vibe. It absolutely smashes open the box of what a street album is meant to look like, blending in a variety of different sounds. For example, the song "The Box" has a beat including live drums, bass guitar and acoustic guitar with a rock chorus. "Duck Down" mixes in strange sci-fi sounds. And there are more unique combinations and styles amid the whole joint. There are, of course, some good ol' bangers in there as well.

The UnderdoG's Anthem is a standout album. It's groundbreaking, bold, entertaining and has a heart for the streets at the same time. The Street Pastor is one of the most talented Christian rappers in the industry. Do not sleep on him.

AppleJaxx - Databass Mixtape (2008)

01. Dangerous
02. Red Hacker feat. Gibraan
03. U.N.I.T.E. Greeting
04. Databass
05. U.N.I.T.E. Ending
06. The Answer feat. Mr Coldstone
07. Hybrid feat. Mr. Coldstone & Stro the Dean
08. Barcode feat. Brinson & Omega
09. Pomegranate feat Jekob (of the Washington Projects), & Trini
10. Hustlin' feat. Soul P.
11. Apple Drops
12. SupaStarz feat. Nuncio
13. Get Ready feat. A1

REVIEW:

Everything you thought you knew about what a mixtape sounds like is about to be changed. Databass is only Applejaxx's second release, but with the talent he brings on it you'd think he was a veteran.

Databass is based around a futuristic and end-times theme, which is especially evident in the first few tracks. Red Hacker, the second track on the mixtape featuring Gibraan, uses technological terms as metaphors to get the message of the song across. Databass is an eerie and very atmospheric song that serves as a prophecy of the last days and technology's influence in them. Alongside these tracks are two creepy interludes of computerized voices that illustrate the theme of Databass further.

There are also some street-thumpers. The Answer, Hybrid and Hustlin' are thrown in the mix along with the breezy sounding Barcode (which again uses technological metaphors, in this case the chorus seems to describes how we should live our life - the barcode - as a good example to others because we are always being "scanned"). And if you're feeling like a party, the club-banger, Pomegranate, which features Jekob of the Washington Projects and Trini, is sure to get you on and popping. Apple Drops is interesting because it incorporates electric guitar sounds and background vocals by the controversial rapper/singer Tonex, who also produced the track. It's quite entertaining and refreshingly different. SuperStarz speaks on having integrity in the music industry and how God should always be the main focus. Get Ready, the last track, is another hot street-banger that you may have heard off AppleJaxx's previous album, Apple Tree. I'm not sure why he re-released it but nevertheless it's a great song and deserved to be heard multiple times.

The production on all of the tracks is excellent. And it's probably some of the best you'll hear all year. There's a lot of diversity too, so you won't get bored easily.

But Databass could possibly be a bit hard for some people to get into due to the deep lyrics. They can get so poetic and metaphorical at times that they seem almost completely cryptic. While there isn't anything wrong with them message-wise or artistically, some may find the lyrics too overwhelming to understand. But that is AppleJaxx's unique style and what he's known for. He is quite clever in how he illustrates the message he is trying to convey.

AppleJaxx has done a great job with Databass. The idea for the theme is brilliant, the production is outstanding and Jaxx's unique lyrical style tops it all off nicely. This is one of the best releases I have heard all year.

Pro - Jackin' For Hits Mixtape

01. Intro
02. Boy Looka Here ft Rich Boy, BC

03. Umma Do Me ft Rocko

04. Breathe ft Fabolous

05. Flashing Lights ft Dwele

06. DJ I Rock Jesus

07. Jesus Musik Unofficial Remix

08. Random Thoughts ft Ron G

09. Superstar ft Matthew Santos, Brothatone

10. Brothatone

11. Cake ft Midnyte Sun

12. Lost Ones ft Jay Z

13. Pass the Rock

14. Canon ft Mystery, Vizzy Adot
15. DJ Sean Blu

16. Side of Ya Neck ft Dem Franchise Boys, eYe-Q, Ron G

17. The Light

18. Pettidee

19. Runaway Love ft Mary J Blige

20. No Matter What ft TI

www.mynameispro.com

www.myspace.com/pro20

DOWNLOAD

REVIEW:

Jackin' For Hits is basically a bootleg mixtape. A bootleg mixtape is where an artist takes often well-known beats and music and puts his or her own lyrics over them instead of the original. Because the album is bootlegged they are always given out for free and are usually used to promote the artist and encourage listeners to buy an upcoming retail release of theirs.
Christian MCs have been doing this for a while now and there's no shortage of bootleg releases out there. But I can tell you, after listening to hundreds of them this is one of the best (other than No Excuses Vol. 1 by J. Johnson, I'd pay for that album).

Jackin' For Hits seems much more proffesional than other mixtapes similar to it. The audio quality is just about the same as what you would get if you bought a retail album. But not just audio wise, Pro's flow on the mic is on point as well.

Pro has done a great job of changing the secular tracks into positive and God-centered, and often times i found the verses sounding and feeling much better than the originals. This is what makes Jackin' For Hits a great evangelical tool to use on your hip hop-interested friends. The beats will catch peoples ears and get them listening to the new lyrics.
There are some battle raps on the album, as you'd expect, but at the same time they are laced with God-centered lyrics. Several topics are tackled including materialism (Flashing Lights), fame and selling out (Superstar), redemption (The Light), etc.
As you listen through each song you'll see most of them are similarly-themed to the originals but with a positive or God-centered or inspired twist. This makes the message hit home harder as well as sounding professional.

You can pick this up right now for free so there's nothing holding you back. Download, burn hundreds of discs and hand them out to everyone you know and promote this up-and-coming cat. He definitly has what it takes to go all the way and hopefully we see more releases by him in the future.

Trip Lee - 20/20 (2008)

01. 20/20 Intro
02. Superstar (Eyes Off Me)
03. Real Vision (feat. Tedashii)
04. Inexhaustible
05. Who Is Like Him?
06. We Told Em
07. Cling To You (feat. Shai Linne)
08. Relief
09. Behold the Spirit
10. Satisfaction (Hedonist)
11. Come Close (feat. Flame & Sho Baraka)
12. Who He Is (feat. Lecrae & Cam)
13. Intimacy
14. True Security
15. Eyes Open (feat. J.R.)
16. Hip Hop

PURCHASE: iTunes, Amazon, and everywhere else.

REVIEW:

There's no doubt about it, this was an incredibly-hyped album. Ever since listeners heard Trip Lee's previous release, "If They Only Knew", they have been longing for more. Being a member of the extremely popular rap group, the 116 Clique, helps a lot as well. Already 20/20 is making a mighty splash only a week after release; especially on iTunes where it is currently sitting at 10th position in the top rap/hip hop albums list with an average score of 5/5 from 70 customer reviews, at the time of writing this, as well as rave customer reviews on other cd/mp3 sites. But is the album really worth all the hype? Let's take a look...

The first thing noticed when listening through 20/20 is that Trip Lee has really improved as an artist since If They Only Knew. His voice sounds more contained and his flow is tighter. His lyricism isn't the best I've heard, but it certainly is well done. It's as good as it can be when rapping from a theological standpoint anyway. And on the theology, whether you agree with it or not, I'm not sure if it works entirely. Now I know I might get shot down for the things I'm about to say but I've been wrestling with this for a long while now, so I'll just get it over with. The thing about Trip Lee's albums (and perhaps several, if not all, albums by 116 Clique artists) is that they can get too deep at times, theologically. What I mean to say is, sometimes the content of songs can get a little to complex for listeners of rap/hip-hop. 116 Clique is all about evangelizing and spreading the gospel yet the terms they talk about sometimes will probably not be understood by most secular listeners. I think more "milk" is needed in Trip Lee's rapping, less "meat". There's no need to go over the top and start speaking like a biblical scholar, especially in the rap/hip-hop genre. That's what I feel anyway.

20/20 covers various topics, most of which only really relate to those who are already Christians, such as, learning to rest in God (Relief), testing things you hear by the Word (Real Vision), the attributes and greatness of God (Inexhaustible, Who Is Like Him?, Who He Is), devotion to God (Who He Is), persuing God (Intimacy), giving glory to God alone (Superstar), and a lot more. One thing is definitely clear, 20/20 is about God, God and more God.


Musically the album is suprisingly diverse with not only the diry south and southern rap you'd expect but also some east coast, soulful and even experimental flavors. Who He Is is an absoulte hit. It's a smashing club-banger with an R&B hook by Cam and features Lecrae who flows through the song smoothly as does Trip himself. Superstar, is basically the first single off the album as it was released to the public before the rest of the album came out, through Trip's myspace, and had been cirulating the net, stirring up quite a buzz. In Superstar Trip Lee conveys the message to all of his fans that the glory shouldn't be going to him but to God, "take your eyes off me, i'm just dust in the mud". It's a grimy, dirty-south sounding track that would be comfortable banging loudly out your car speakers. There are softer songs as well, such as Eyes Open, in which J.R. contributes his melodius voice to the chorus, and Intimacy, a catchy R&B style song featuring Diamone for the chorus. Every track's production is solid and enjoyable.

Overall, Trip Lee has done a great job with this latest project. While it may be a bit too "meaty" for non-believers at times, there's no argument that Trip Lee has a passion for what he does, and the God he serves. This is a great leap above If They Only Knew, so if you enjoyed that you will definitely like this one. I'd recommend 20/20 to any Christian rap fans, but it's probably not a good idea to buy it for your unsaved friends in hopes of reaching out to them.

(If you're looking for evangelical music that non-believers can relate to I'd suggest anything by the Frontlynaz, J. Johnson, Japhia Life, Rob Hodge, etc.. )

Falling Tsar - Falling Tsar (2007)

01. Valley With No Name (prod. by Theory Hazit)
02. Table of Content (feat. Cas Metah)
03. Medusa (prod. by Theory Hazit)
04. Cob Webs (prod. by Theory Hazit)
05. Brotherly Love (prod. by Mattman)
06. Heart of the Song (prod. by Theory Hazit)
07. What We Are (prod. by Theory Hazit)
08. Argue Believe (feat. Mouth Warren)
09. Fools Gold (feat. Lefty Grove)
10. King For A Day (prod. by Theory Hazit)

PURCHASE

REVIEW:

If you enjoyed any music by underground Christian rap group Scribbling Idiots then it's pretty likely you will like this release. Falling Tsar is a new rap crew comprised of Theory Hazit, Sev Statik, JustMe and Wonder Brown, three of which (Theory Hazit, JustMe and Wonder Brown) are also part of Scribbling Idiots. It seems like there is quite a bit of this "joint membership" going on in underground Christian hip hop these days, but I don't really know what's up with that.

The group's unique and clever name came from JustMe's friend, Eric Place who died suffering of a disease called Fibromylagia. According to JustMe, Eric always wanted to name a band "Falling Tsar". So in Eric Place's dedication the group was named. Also all the proceeds from the sale of the album go to Eric Place's son, Mason Place to help pay for medical expenses caused by his bone condition. You can really see the heart of Falling Tsar. This is not yet another rap clique out to top the charts and become the next big thing. These are just a group of young men who have gotten together and decided to make a positive difference in a particular person's life, and who happen to rap. And if you listen to the album you'll realize they are trying to make a difference in the lives of their listeners as well.

Throughout the record you will hear tracks filled with timely truths and words of wisdom fused with Christian messages. The uniquely excellent musical production to be expected from Theory Hazit and Mattman is also included for your listening pleasure.

As I said, if you enjoy music by Scribbiling Idiots you will definitly enjoy this album. It's basically more of the same SI goodness, only this time for a great cause.

Please support the artists.