#32 J. Crum, Angie Rose, Thomas Iannucci, & More...
NRT's CHH contributor Joshua Galla collects what's new in Christian Hip-Hop and Urban Soul for the week of Friday, December 11, 2020 (Photo: Thomas Iannucci)
Each week, dozens of singles and a handful of projects are released in the Christian Hip-Hop (CHH) and Urban Soul spaces. Below, we listen to a few highlights and list the rest for your own discovery. As always, follow our New Christian Rap & Hip Hop playlist on Spotify to listen to all the latest.
Thomas Iannucci feat. Sonny Sandoval - "Rage" Independent artist and Hawaiin native Thomas Iannucci snagged Sonny Sandoval (of P.O.D.) for a surefire future radio hit. "Rage" has all the feels of a certified bop. The single has a classic "island-esque" vibe. The mixture of the piano and drum kit provides accents of live instrumentals adding to the unique soundscape. The contribution of Sandoval's voice and laid back delivery brings everything together beautifully. The single is from Iannucci's third project Doubting Thomas dropped next Friday on December 18. Honestly, this track spotlights as one of my overall favorites from 2020 simply based on the replayability factor. It's a song I could listen to five, ten times on repeat.
Angie Rose - "Not a Monster"
Capitol CMG's Angie Rose reverted back to her roots and showcased her lyricism once again on her hot new single, "Not a Monster." Rose blessed the mic with a reminder of how big her God is and how strong He remains constant in her life. This will be one of the tracks featured on her next project dropping January 15 titled, Unstoppable. Rose proclaims, "Climbing the mountain I got my hands on the Rock / Came from the bottom and now I make waves on the top." One thing I always appreciated about her artistry was her empowering lyrics, especially for young women. Being a dad of two young daughters, finding solid female role models who love God isn't always easily accomplished. Rose will blare out the car windows on the ride home from school always!
J. Crum - "Lucy Freestyle"
Omaha native and independent artist J. Crum blessed his fanbase with a surprise freestyle during this week of releases. One of the terms for lucifer that many rappers use is "Lucy". Freestyles are one of the core attributes of hip-hop and not featured as frequently as they really should be. Another commonality with most freestyles is the use of a borrowed, popular beat (anybody familiar with the one used?). Streetlight Sounds' Crum reminds us of his elite status as a rapper. The wordplay. The rhyme schemes. The flow. All certified solid. This is one track listeners can just sit back and marvel at the lyricism and skill Crum possesses.
