There are just some songs out there that deserve a second listen. And then there are songs that deserve that 4,728th listen. For me, right now that song stuck on repeat is "Here We Go" by new Reach Records artist KB, from his recently released debut Weight & Glory.
The song--which features the vocal stylings and magic touch of Atlanta-based musical renaissance men PKoneday--is a big, inspirational, all-barrels-blazing rap track that has a catchy hook, phenomenal lyrics that carry a Christ-centered worldview, and the commercially relevant delivery of KB himself.
For what it's worth, I discovered this track right here at NRT, as it was one of our weekly free downloads. So if you haven't checked that page out, you probably should (
click here)--you never know when your next track obsession will show.
Similar in style to mainstream rapper Maino's bombastic hit, "All the Above," KB (a.k.a. Kevin Burgess) has delivered a high-energy, in-your-face, pump-you-up kind of a track. But instead of touting one's own accomplishments, KB presents refrains that put one's perspective on Jesus.
"Every day I got one goal / to convince myself that there's one Lord / It's not me or the things that I long for / but the world that awaits on the other side of the door," rings the rapid-delivery of the first verse, setting the tone for a determined God-focus that runs rampant the entire four-and-a-half-minute song.
"The original name of the song was going to be 'Morning Cry,' because throughout scripture--specifically in the Psalms--there's this entreating God's help in the morning," KB told NRT. "I can go into the day with all the temptations, all the trials and also all the successes and have my heart protected because I've given it to the Lord that morning."
KB said he needed an "epic sound" to accompany this morning cry dedication to the Lord, and he turned to his friends in PKoneday.
"I wanted to get something that was stadium-like: big and broad, just a tall song musically," he said. "Almost 300-like but with a pop sound, you know what I mean?"
In the chorus, PKoneday sings, "We gon' bring the trophy home to stay," which KB says is a daily commitment to victory in Christ at the micro and macro levels.
"Paul talks about fighting the good fight of faith," he says. "There's a marathon, and there's also a moment-by-moment track meet where we're winning different races. Day by day there's a bringing home the trophy."
KB says he recognizes the Christian walk as simultaneously dwelling in a hospital and a battlefield, which is why it's so important to seek the Lord's help daily.
"As we fight, we fight to get the healing only God can give," KB said. "When you fight like that, you will feel the victory that comes along with the Christian life."
KB says he doesn't have a specific morning routine, other than to "get alert" and consciously offer his day to the Lord.
"I'm not trying to check off a box that says I read or that I prayed this morning," KB said. "I actually want to experience God."
In his Bible studies, KB says he often finds himself in the Book of Psalms, because it puts things in perspective and gives temptation no chance against a clear vision of God.
"It's where I go for ammo to fight," he said. "Because in the Psalms, God is lifted up as wonderful, described as better than money and sweeter than honey--all those things I need to have a successful Christian life. And temptation can't compete with a clear vision of God."
I find myself many mornings blasting this song and nodding along as I echo KB's prayers for God to infiltrate his day. It's suiting up for war, and it's the best anthem of its kind out there today. KB is pushing the envelope musically, seamlessly weaving hip-hop credibility with the truth of scripture.
