Beats, Rhymes & Christ: Lecrae - 'Gravity' (album review)

Have just found this post half-finished and thought I should complete it and post it:

Check out my review of one of the year's biggest releases - Lecrae's Gravity. I wrote it for the Grace For Sinners blog (who I reviewed Timothy Brindle's 'The Restoration' for). I really enjoyed getting to grips with the theme of this concept album, and I hope that I understood it correctly. The 'gravity' illustration is one which holds up really well, and I've already found myself using it to aid explanation in a bible study!

"It is a hard hitting body of work, which, with the position Lecrae has found himself in, has the potential to truly reach those who do not yet know that they are a sinner in need of a Savior. It also will certainly edify the body as it contains many truths which we need to remind ourselves of daily. Sing with me now: “Lead me higher, lead me higher, and lift my eyes up… Oh lead me higher into Your fire, Burn away all other desires, and let my heart beat again”"

Beats, Rhymes & Christ: KJ52 - 'They Like Me' ft. Lecrae

Not my usual cup of tea, but I'm loving these lyrics from Lecrae explaining, with much panache, why race doesn't matter when it comes to the need of salvation:

"I don’t do black music, I don’t do white music,
I do fight music, unified in Christ music,
Lets get right to it, hear the music write to it,
From the context of a black kid fighting through it,
Some folks said it was worldly; it was too good,
Some folks was scared of it; it was too hood.
So I took it to the places who would embrace it,
And sometimes believe it or not it was white faces.
Am I a sellout assimilating what’s in my head?
No I am cyclops homie 'cause all I see is red;
People covered in the blood are my fam,
And we don’t just relate we all related through the Lamb,
My family tree is a lower case 't',
And we are all the same cause you need him like me,
We different but the same and it’s likely,
They just like me that’s probably why they like me"

I also likes the fact that he addresses his haters with the 5th and 6th lines - he's got a point.

'The Rock Is Steady' - Theory Hazit (album review)

Just this: Theory Hazit 'The Rock Is Steady' review over at Sphere of Hip Hop.

Loved this release, as you may be able to tell from the review, and you should too (you being no-one because no-one reads this blog!).

Have also submitted reviews of PRo's 'Dying To Live', Lecrae's 'Hallelujah' single and Odd Thomas's 'The Divine Use of Animosity and Ridicule'.

I've also been listening a lot to Macho's 'Remember' which has prompted me to go back again to New Breed's 'Stop The Music' and Tunnel Rats' 'Tunnel Vision'. Also on deck has been 'One' by The Battery (ex-Tunnel Rats Jurny Big and Peace 586). I've also been listening to Wit and Dre Murray's 'Hell's Paradise Part 2' EPs - very good stuff.

'Rehab: The Overdose' - Lecrae (review)

As promised, here is my review of Lecrae's 'Rehab: The Overdose'.

Again, despite the fact that I'm not really a fan of the dirty south sound, nor the commercial, poppy sound (which is much less prevalent here), I appreciated this album for the way Lecrae consistently lays truth wide open on the table.

He explores less-covered issues, issues which come from the heart (see 'Anger Management') and are honest and open. In this way, I feel as a listener it was easy to relate to Lecrae as a human being - he is humble and down to earth.

Christian Hip Hop #1 @ Amazon.com

What's currently number one on Amazon.com's most downloaded Hip Hop and Rap charts? Eminem? Beastie Boys? Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa? You'da thought so wouldn't you?

Currently sitting in that number one spot is Illect Recordings' Mind The Rap Vol. 1' compilation. Not far behind it at number four is 'Mind The Rap Vol. 2'. It's also worth noting that This'l's 'Beautiful Monster' is there in third place and Lecrae's almost-year-old 'Rehab' is still on the first page at number 22. All Christian Hip Hop releases.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

- Matthew 28:18-20

The Great Commission; CHH is doing it. God is using these artists. Let's pray that with these prominent positions unbelievers will download these projects (the Illect ones are free!) and hear God's name glorified and Christ preached. Pray also that if people are touched by this music that they will seek further guidance from the Bible and Church. Pray that the Spirit of God will work in their lives.

'Mind The Rap Vol. 1' features music from Scribbling Idiots, Deepspace5, JustMe, Peace 586, Cas Metah, Sintax The Terrific, Ajax Starglider and Freddie Bruno among others.

Now, would just love to see this happen in the UK too! If you're not in the US and can't get those downloads for free then check out Illect's Bandcamp page where you can get them for 99 cents each (about 62p in the UK).

'Rehab' - Lecrae (Review)

My latest review for Sphere of Hip Hop is of Lecrae's 'Rehab' - click here to read it.

Once again the scoring might need explaining and once again I would say the overall score out of 10 is fitting.

We discussed the fact that this is a very commercial sounding release (which has its plus points as I pointed out in the review) and that although topically it's rich in the message of the Gospel, lyrically it is more simplistic than a lot of other Christian Hip Hop releases.

Part of it is probably a preference thing too. This style of Hip Hop is not what I'd choose to listen to (which is why I hadn't picked it up before) but I was blessed, encouraged and reminded of some important truths whilst listening to this album. Also, as I said in the review, some of the songs are very catchy and I still find myself singing them now!

One of the tracks that really caught my attention was 'Used To Do It Too'. The lyrics from the last verse are really relevant to me:

"You see Satan uses guilt to strip away our hope,
He shows us our mistakes and tells us we're a joke,
I used to sit and mope like what's the point in all,
If I'm a Christian how come everyday I seem to fall,
But I ain't know that all my sins were nailed upon the cross,
I found this out in chapter 2 in the Book of Colossians,
See the devil's a liar, yeah he's an accuser,
He tells me I'm worthless, he says I'm a loser,
But now I refuse to let him lead me wrong,
Reading the Word in the morn got me feeling strong,
I found my worth in Christ and I'm pursuing truth,
A living testimony so you can do it too."

My next review will be of Lecrae's follow up album 'Rehab: The Overdose'.