Beats, Rhymes & Christ: Shai Linne & The Collective Reviews

I've merged one of my other blogs (Beats, Rhymes & Christ) with this one as I've decided I'd rather just blog generally about all the things that interest me as they come and go and that seems to go quite well under the 'creator' banner.

Here are links to a couple of reviews I wrote of Christian Hip Hop albums for the website Sphere of  Hip Hop:

Shai Linne - Lyrical Theology
The Collective - The Collective
Sivion - Butterfly Sessions (Remixed by Freddie Bruno)

Beats, Rhymes & Christ: Japhia Life - 'Westside Pharmacy' Album Review

Looks like I forgot to post on here about my review of Japhia Life's 'Westside Pharmacy' album. It's a really moody piece of work - a real tussle between light and dark but it has a certain quality to it which is really hard to pin down; I listened to it so many times because I really liked it. Have a read, have a listen - see what you think!

"This could never be said to be a preachy album, yet it is drenched in spirituality: is the line “I’m already trading my comfort zone for a war zone and ducking a pitchfork” (from opener Japhia’s Lyric) not just the best street-poetic way to describe the spiritual battle we enter when we become believers?"

Beats, Rhymes & Christ: W.L.A.K. & P.H.I.L.T.H.Y. Album Reviews

Couple of new reviews from myself, both posted over at Sphere of Hip Hop: P.H.I.L.T.H.Y.'s 'A Little Light For You' and W.L.A.K's 'We Live As Kings'. Two totally different styles, sounds and messages, but both I was really into.

From the W.L.A.K album I can't stop listening to 'Long Way Down' by Christon Gray and Dre Murray - awesome.

Coming next are reviews of Lampmode's The Collective (Stephen The Levite, Zae Da Blacksmith and Timothy Brindle) and Freddie Bruno's remix of Sivion's 'Butterfly Sessions'.

Beats, Rhymes & Christ: God's Servant 'Simple Love' (album review)

My latest review is of God's Servant's 'Simple Love' album. It's a Lamp Mode release so you can be sure that there's plenty of theology, although not quite on the same level as Shai Linne, for example. In fact both style and content is pretty different; what God's Servant actually does really well is the application of real core truths.

This is an album, although not entirely to my usual tastes, that I'll definitely keep listening to. Check out my words over at Sphere of Hip Hop. Here's an excerpt about my favourite track on the album:

Not many albums these days truly contain original-sounding material, but this one does.

"'Oh the Deep' is the stand-out track on this album, perhaps simply because it’s like nothing I’ve heard in Hip Hop before. Kicking off with only a Eye of the Tiger-style monotone muted guitar rhythm and Lauren Monique singing “Oh The Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus” it’s clear that it’s something quite special. Then you realize it features Timothy Brindle and Shai Linne and you know nothing else on the record will top it. Taking a song from 1875 and making it relevant and dope in 2012 is a real skill – hats off."

...and here's the track and the Bandcamp link:

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: Zae Da Blacksmith and Arrested Development Album Reviews

Sphere of Hip Hop have a refreshed site and a couple of my recent reviews are up there now. The main one I'd like to highlight is Zae Da Blacksmith's 'The Mosaic Mixtape' (click for my review):

 "On his drop Mac The Doulos sums up this project well: ‘repping the game and repping His name, all at the same time’. Zae brings together true, pure Hip Hop with a timeless aesthetic with a real, no-nonsense witness to Christ. It’s clear that Zae really tries to practice what he preaches in His music; ‘The Holy Scriptures’ is about how the Bible can speak for itself (listen to that track for a great Spurgeon illustration involving a tiger) and throughout this project scriptures are referenced to the verse to back up Zae’s claims and statements."

I like an album that references Spurgeon and tigers. Two tracks that really stood out to me were 'Virtuous Sister' and 'Excellent Wife' - they really made me consider my wife and how amazing she is as both tracks Biblically explore womanhood.

The other review is of the veteran group Arrested Development's latest free download album 'Standing At The Crossroad' (click for the review). Theologically it's very hard to tell where they're at and the themes of the album are more moral and socially-driven than most of the albums I review for Sphere of Hip Hop.

I've just written a review of one of Lamp Mode's latest releases, 'Simple Love' by God's Servant, so look out for that one soon.

Beats, Rhymes & Christ: 'The Restoration' - Timothy Brindle (album review)

A new review, this time not for Sphere of Hip Hop but for the Grace For Sinners blog.

Click here to read my review.

Mathew asked me to review Timothy Brindle's latest album for his blog and I readily accepted. It was an album I was looking forward to anyway (it's a Lamp Mode release!) so it was good to be able to summarise my thoughts in writing with the added bonus of a new, wider audience to read it.

I did really enjoy the album - production-wise it's one of Lamp Mode's very best yet with Wit taking on the role of executive producer. Timothy's lyrics are finely crafted and delivered and as you'd expect full of clearly explained theology.

My only disappointment was the overall mood of the album - it focuses on pre-restoration more than post-restoration and as a result the album feels quite dark. I'm really hoping that Brindle's next album is a real joyful affair as he rejoices and praises the Lord for all He has done in his life. This aspect of the album was also picked up on by LaRosa in his review for SOHH.

Beats, Rhymes & Christ: 'Thunderspeak' - Manchild (Album Review)

I reviewed Manchild's 'Thunderspeak' album for Sphere of Hip Hop. Pretty tired right now so I don't have much to say, and I can't go to bed because the baby is crying so thought I'd pop on here and post this quickly.

Click here to read the post.

"...the question is “Is this the new Mars ILL record?” Well, no, it’s not – there’s not a Dust beat in earshot. Second question then; “Will Thunderspeak keep me satisfied until Dust and Manchild combine forces again?” The answer’s..."

Beats, Rhymes & Christ: 'Slave Trade' - J. Miles (of iSix:5) (EP Review)

I picked up on iSix:5 after Shai Linne tweeted about them – enough of a cosign for me. Shai’s recommendation didn’t disappoint as the group’s music is rich in hermeneutical, theological exegesis of the bible.

On ‘Slave Trade’ iSix:5 member J. Miles continues in the group’s groove as he explores biblical ideas of slavery. The EP’s concept is adhered to closely throughout its 7 tracks and the project avoids the pitfall of becoming repetitive. Whilst the title may conjure up thoughts of civil rights movements, parliamentary reform and ongoing worldwide oppression, the material here delves beyond things of this world into the spiritual realm – everyone is a slave to one thing or another, when one stops being a slave to sin, they become a slave to Christ – a trade takes place. Romans chapter 6 presents the grounding for the teaching of J. Miles and his ‘Slave Trade’ EP:

“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey —whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Closely linked to the concept of slavery is that of adoption. ‘Adoption’ (featuring Barabbas Da Rebel and J. Paul) explains very adeptly how the first readers of the letter to the Romans would have understood the concept of slavery and sonship. J. Miles and Barabbas present a concise history lessons on Roman citizenship and in the process they explain how these words in Romans 8:15 apply to us:

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

‘Identical Strangers’ starkly discusses sin and atonement before the summery beat of ‘Keep Your Heart’ (featuring Omri) catches the listener’s ear with its conversation on guarding one’s heart – the fact that J. Miles uses his last verse as an opportunity to reference scripture verses is heartening – here is a rapper striving to be faithful to God’s word, encouraging his listeners follow in the footsteps of the Bereans by testing what he is saying by scripture.

‘Love Letters’ (featuring Leah Smith) is a beautiful track which explains to 3 people (one being J. Miles’ then unborn son) that Jesus loves them and wants to make them new. ‘Kill It For His Glory’ (featuring JG) is a great last song as it encourages us, as slaves to righteousness, to do a good job of it. ‘Why?’ is a spoken word piece which draws together the ideas presented on the EP using scripture; J. Miles explains the gospel clearly and simply without watering down the message.

For what it’s worth, I will continue to champion music of this caliber. As my pastor explained this week, Hip Hop has the potential to convey a great many truths as it is a culture which revolves around using many words to convey meaning – this is why music such as J. Mile’s ‘Slave Trade’ EP must be made and why it should be heard.

Visit the iSix:5 website for more information.

Follow J. Miles on Twitter

Get Slave Trade on iTunes

Beats, Rhymes & Christ: 'Sinderblock' - Sev Statik & Vinylcologist (EP review)

Another review from yours truly:

"There’s depth to the production and depth to the vocals. Maybe it’s the still-scratchy, warm and familiar-sounding samples of guitar riffs, organ loops and funk breaks. Maybe it’s the un-Boom Bap drum rhythm of the “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” sample on lead single “Right and Exact.” Maybe it’s Sev’s instantly-likeable tone and precise but laid back flow. Maybe it’s the Beastie Boys vocal samples on “Represent ‘Chall.” I don’t know what it is, but in a short space of time Sev Statik takes things way beyond the shallows, wading through layers of pure Hip Hop components."

Go to SOHH.com for the full review.

Go to Sev Statik's Bandcamp page for the free download!

'American Idolatry' - Jeremiah Bonds (album review)

Another review at SOHH. It's pretty much all I have time for these days, which renders this blog pretty useless (but then I only get about one visit a week), but at least I'm doing something.

Loved this 'Street Album' by Jeremiah Bonds:

"The well-executed concept and the excellent musical selection make this project hard to knock. The serious subject matter is made palatable, no, more than that, entertaining..."

Click here to read the full review and click here to download 'American Idolatry' for free!

In other news: due to the fact that I'm a serial blog starter I have created a new blog, possibly a sister blog to this one, called Clean Cuts. Clean Cuts is dedicated to finding positive Hip Hop music which contains no swearing, derogatory terms or reference to negative themes such as sex, violence and drug use. The URL is:

www.cleancutshiphop.blogspot.com

'T.H.E. O.N.E.S' - N.I.F.T.Y. (review)

Another review, this time of N.I.F.T.Y.'s 'T.H.E. O.N.E.S.' (glad I don't have to type that again for a while!).

Here are a few samples of what I had to say:

"T.H.E. O.N.E.S stands for “Through His Example, Our Numbers Enter Salvation” and it’s an intensely gospel-centered album. N.I.F.T.Y.’s content is encouraging, challenging and true to the word of God."

"N.I.F.T.Y. has an authoritative voice and presence on this record. His vocals hold the strange ability to evoke the sound of Hip Hop legends... he has a mainstream but credible and classic voice."

Anyway, check it out for yourself - this will be one that gets iPod rotations from me, that's if my iPod stops acting a fool.

'Mending' - Paradox & DJ Sean P (review)

My latest review on Sphere of Hip Hop and an album I really enjoyed. The beats are spectacular and Paradox's rhymes never get tired. Check out 'Mending' by Paradox and DJ Sean P.

'He'll Come Back' is a fun reminder of something that believers should be so joyful about - our future hope - Christ's return. It features some of the album's great guests - MotionPlus, Freddie Bruno and Braille.

'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.

'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'.

'The Forerunner EP' - Stephen the Levite (Review)

Click the link to read my review of Stephen the Levite's 'The Forerunner EP' over at Sphere of Hip Hop.

Now you've read it, let me explain my ratings. At SOHH releases are given marks out of 5 for both lyrics and production, they are then added to give an overall score out of 10. I gave 4 for production and 3.5 for lyrics. The production score needs no explanation however the lyrics score might seem a little stingy.

I personally did not like the track 'Shrink Me' although I appreciate its sentiment and that it is pretty well written in terms of spoken word poetry. I also don't agree with the pre-trib stand point that Stephen adopts on the track 'Slept In?'. For me, although lyrically both were good, these were things that meant I couldn't give fuller marks in the category of lyrics (obviously the production score remains unscathed as a result of these two points).

An overall score of 7.5 out of 10 I think is a good assessment of the EP because it is pretty good - all the other tracks are very solid in content and style. If I had assessed just the four other tracks I would honestly say that for lyrics I would give 9 or even 10 out of 10.

Going back to the theme of 'Slept In?' Stephen the Levite writes humbly about his views on the track and its content on his blog here.

'TSOL' - Shad (review)

Not here but at Sphere of Hip Hop. Click to read my review of Shad's 'TSOL'.

Keep your eye on that most excellent site for more reviews by yours truly and for general news about all things Christian Hip Hop.

"Music is a great way to heal, And a safe place to feel,

Trapped in this fake world, A gateway to real...

Listenin' to sounds in a space that's vacant, Profound and deep, underground as basements,

And quiet as kept but i found it sacred,

A sage said silence is the sound of patience, Listen"

'No Freedom Without Sacrifice' - Homecut (review)

‘No Freedom Without Sacrifice’: never has a more beautiful flower sprung up from the dirt of UK Hip Hop.

The album opens slowly over the course of three tracks and by the end of the opening trilogy the flower is in full bloom. Homecut’s debut album is one to set aside an hour for – sit back and relax… and listen. This LP is relaxing and calming in a way that only instrumental Hip Hop achieves, although there are exceptions – ‘Innovators’ is funky and ‘Night At The Fair’ has a rock edge to it. Homecut sings and raps his way through 14 tracks and is joined by many talented musicians along the way. And that’s what this album is; musical – these are proper songs.

Jazz, funk and disco all provide an influence for Homecut’s production and ‘No Freedom Without Sacrifice’ is a melting pot of musical styles. Homecut (AKA Testament) is an accomplished rapper with a laidback style and introspective lyrics – prepare for your thoughts to be provoked on subjects such as mixed-race relationships, modern escapism, financial woes and crime. But don’t prepare to be depressed – that’s just not Homecut’s style – positivity is the way. Listen out for Homecut’s playful lyricism (“I breath in the analogue and breath out the digital” or “I appreciate the feedback…”).

‘No Freedom Without Sacrifice’ is out now on First Word Records and is available at itunes, Amazon and First Word's shop.