Not giving this record as much critical acclaim as everyone else, but is still definitely worth your time for one of the best new talents of the genre.
Next up.. gah, need more time for Spoon and Dilated Peoples. Need another debut album... okay, stay tuned!
Hey Spectrum Pulse! I love how honest your reviews are. I was wondering if you have any thoughts on supposed Christian rap. I say supposed because many are trying to break out of that stigma and just be seen as normal artists and not make "worship music." There are many talented artists that have little to no mainstream appeal because of this label. The artist Lecrae has dropped a new single called "All I need is You" about his wife, for example. It's refreshing because it's not about how many chicks he can get, but about his dedication to his wife.
ReplyDeleteLast thing, there's one more guy I would be happy if you checked out. He is an amazing lyricist, up there with Kendrick Lamar, his stage name is Gemstones. He used to be part of Lupe Fiasco's label. His song "Fire in my Heart" (Which is rapped over Adele's "Rolling in the Deep") is an amazing song about his rage about modern rap and how fake it is. No hook, no featured artist, just him rapping for three minutes.
Thanks for reading this in advance!
I listen to a fair bit of Gemstones - I met him in person in Chicago in November of 2012, cool guy, picked up an album from him, and while he can get a little preachy at points, I can't deny his hard-edged honesty and really down-to-earth wordplay. Talk about an honest MC in the same vein of an act like Sage Francis, and he can definitely hold his own behind the mic.
DeleteChristian rap... in principle, I have nothing against it, just like I have no established prejudice against any Christian music. The problem tends to be the lack of drama that occurs in a lot of that genre or when it develops a hard-edged evangelical bent, which really sours me against it. It doesn't help matters that a lot of Christian acts I've heard tend to have substandard production that can make their music come across as flat and chintzy. If I find some time, I might take a look at Lecrae - heard the guy's name before, might check him out.
Thanks for replying! I'm glad to hear you giving theses guys a shot. If you check out Lecrae, I suggest his album "Gravity," and his two mixtapes, "Church Clothes," and "Church Clothes 2." The production on these is really a step up from his earlier stuff, and he isn't as preachy.
DeleteHe also has a new album coming called "Anomaly" coming out soon which the single I mentioned is on.
Thanks for actually replying! You're an awesome reviewer.