Transparent Artistry | Posted April-14-2017
Oscar Urbina continues to represent Miami and establish the state of Florida as one of hip-hop's hidden meccas. Released on April 11 through his personal site and SoundCloud as a free download, the feel of MP2: Darkness is more of a complex full album rather than random tracks laced together as you would usually find on a mixtape. The project is a unique life journey depicted in rhythmic form, from despair to struggle building up to faith, hope and glory. MP2 is the second installment of a mixtape series that began in summer of 2016, with underrated heroism as its core concept.
Heroism doesn't require specific criteria, but can boil down to the simplicity of an individual act or personal mantra. Molly Pitcher (Mary Ludwig) is historically known for the basic act of providing pitchers of water to American Revolution soldiers during the unbearable heat overpowering the Battle of Monmouth. That small act of heroism saved lives from dehydration and heat exhaustion. Oscar Urbina uses his art of transparency as his own simple act to bring relief to the unheard, the weak and the isolated.
The first single, "Teacher Chronicles," appeals to the educators nationwide who have grown tired of ineffective teaching strategies and generalized curriculum. Urbina offers the alternative of teaching through life application with a skill aimed to prepare high schoolers for real life circumstances and scenarios.
The second single to debut prior to the official release date, "Carousel," relates to the pattern of going through the motion of life that many individuals fall victim to. Urbina explains, "This is life in a nutshell, a never-ending cycle that many fall victim to as we become zombies to the mundane repetition, day in and day out." Mogli the Iceburg is featured, providing his own perspective as he lays out the difficulties of discovering the work and life balance. Each artist places a microscope over their lives to reveal how hope may be seen in between personal obstacles.
Other standout tracks are "Speak Your Mind," "Old Ways" featuring Jay Cabassa and "Bleed Confidence." Each song is brilliant in their own respect, showcasing Urbina's mastery of cadence and flow. Even his ability to sing is sprinkled in as a bonus. "Speak Your Mind" houses one of the best lines in hip-hop today: "my weapon of choice is my voice."
The Bottom Line: Start to finish, the project has a biblical feel similar to the book of Psalms. The first series of tracks shows Oscar Urbina guiding fans through struggle, despair and obstacles. The next series displays the inner battle of flesh and spirit, with the last series depicting hope and victory. This is a mixtape that feels like a full-length project as Urbina poured out his inner soul on this one. MP2 commands respect. It demands listens. Don't sleep, as this will most likely be one of the most underrated releases of 2017 by the year's end.
Song to Download Now:
"Carousel" featuring Mogli the Iceburg (Get it at Urbina's site here.)
Unparalleled Lyricism | Posted March-15-2017
With the reunion of The Elevationists (brothers Christon and Taelor Gray) on the Jacob and Judas EP still fresh on listeners' minds, Taelor Gray released his second project for the year in February, solo release In the Way of Me. Currently, Taelor holds the role of Associate Pastor at Cornerstone Community Church in Westerville, Ohio. Combined with being a faithful husband and a devoted father, you may think his passion for music might have to take a backseat in his busy life. The opposite is proven true through the quality of this new release.
Crisp lyrical delivery, solid production, creative uses of sounds and instruments and a features list of elite emcees (Tragic Hero, Christon Gray, Ki'Shon Furlow, Swoope and Kai) build a project difficult to ignore. Three overall themes remain constant on each track: authenticity, transparency and love for Christ and each other. Taelor Gray addresses social and personal issues informed by the Kingdom over effortlessly handcrafted beats and wordplay, leaving you to ponder some of these bars for weeks to come.
Tracks like "Comfortable" and "Solomon's Porch" reveal the heart of this artist, exposing Taelor's most intimate thoughts about the industry, the world and himself. "Most High" is a worship experience focused on faith and inner struggles. Swoope, Ki'Shon Furlow and Kai join Taelor on "Me Vs. Me," reminding that we need to die to self and lift not only each other up, but our faithful God too.
On "Moral Tower," we travel back to college life, a transition time for most of us. Taelor's storytelling capabilities are highlighted, a trait reminiscent of early 90s rappers. The mastery of the changed up beat on "In Your Blood" is brilliant itself, paired with bars that inspire and provoke. Unlike most albums rushed to fans in our culture of countless emcees, this project demands multiple listens, offering material deserving of study and discussion.
The Bottom Line: In the Way of Me holds lyrical mastery marked with elegant production soaked in issues of society and self. Not a single "throw away" track exists. Taelor Gray sets a hip-hop standard and model for others to follow. In a genre flooded with new artists, albums such as these are necessary to set the bar for quality and excellence.
A Reintroduction | Posted March-03-2017
KJ-52 could easily have decided to walk away after a largely successful effort over his 16-year run in Christian hip-hop, a span of time including Dove Award wins, features with some of Christian music's finest, and even setting a Guinness World record for freestyle rapping. Instead of calling all that good enough, he initiated a fresh start with an indie effort fueled by his faithful fan base, aiming to connect even more intimately with his listeners. Jonah stands as the beginning for the next chapter in KJ-52's treasured career, demonstrating all over again that KJ possesses range, skill, and a presence in the genre few others have been able to duplicate.
With Jonah, the tracklist may be short, but the list of features and quality content combines for one of his best projects to date. You can feel KJ's personal freedom, attention to quality and ever-evolving skill behind a microphone throughout each of the eight tracks. KJ took it a step further and has video snippets available for most of the tracks, providing a visual interpretation of the concepts.
The first single, "Hold On" featuring Chris Anderson, is an open dialogue representing the "what ifs" during KJ's career, recounting the many obstacles he overcame related to bullying, never feeling quite good enough and the white rapper stigma. Most of the team at Reflection Music Group (RMG) makes appearances spanning two tracks, with "Nah Bruh" and "Know About It" featuring Derek Minor, B. Cooper and CANON. That makes it easy to see why these two are the most lyrically strong efforts.
"Best Day Ever" features Chris August and Talkbox, sharing daily encounters we can all relate to as turning bad days into God days. "Get Down, Get Down" returns the staple comedic side of KJ. Jonah is rounded out by a few additional Christ-centric tracks reminding us why KJ-52 has endured through nearly two generations of CHH preeminence and is still seen as one of the true pioneers of the genre.
The Bottom Line: This album is short but focused. Even though Jonah has more of an EP feel, the concepts, quality and heart poured into it give the listener a sense of completion similar to that of a full-length LP. A ton of fuel clearly remains in the reserves as KJ-52 continues to be an artist to watch and expect greatness from.
Song to Download Now:
"Know About It" featuring Derek Minor (Get it on iTunes here.)
(Collaborative effort on this review provided by Dwayne Lacy.)
Transparency on Display | Posted February-28-2017
Hip-hop purists can rejoice as the art form known as classic hip-hop has returned early in 2017. Jered Sanders offers a welcome escape from trap beats, Drake and Kanye carbon copies and the played out "ringtone rap" most albums are smothered in. The 15-track offering Nobody Famous holds witty wordplay, portrayals of relatable struggles and one theme reigning over it all: the love and hope of Jesus.
Virginia native Jered Sanders cashed in on the momentum of the past year, when his projects Hope Is Dope and the Black Friday EP were released. He takes themes of street life, sin and personal testimony to the next level, assassinating the popular and glorifying the Spirit. His catchphrase #HopeHop was born out of that movement, and Jered Sanders offers nearly a daily supplement of hope-inspiring phrases on social media.
Jered's transparency is musically intertwined within each song reflected in such examples as the title track featuring Dee Black and poised as an overall theme throughout. "Upside Down (Water)" showcases lyrical honesty with a decent helping of love and grace. Flipping over to tracks like "Awww Man!" and "Powin Up (The Spirit of Peer Pressure)," the listener gets a street anthem vibe to mirror themes of what is left behind in a relationship with Christ.
Overall standouts like "Daddy Duties 2" and "Children of the Cloth" encompass everything beautiful about this artist. Equipped with the heart of Christ, lyrical brilliance and crisp production, these tracks highlight this overall project as one of the best, destined to hold up throughout the course of the year.
Sanders also brought together a team of CHH elitists for features, calling on the voices of Eshon Burgundy, Dee Black, Ki'Shon Furlow, Shiwan and others, backed up by the incredible production crew of Illien Rosewell, Talen Ted, Best Kept Secret, O.L. and W. One of the rare genuine artists standing out in an overcrowded pool of up-and-coming artists, Sanders crafted a unique project, showing he is destined for greatness under the God Over Money label. Nobody Famous is just a small sample of his potential.
The Bottom Line: Jered Sanders is a rare mix of something old and something new. Listeners shouldn't be surprised if, when the dust of 2017 settles in December, Nobody Famous is recognized as one of the best the year had to offer. Each listen will bless fans with something new to chew on in life and in faith. Not too many other albums can boast such treasures within.
Song to Download Now:
"Heathen/The Great Gift at Work" (Get it on iTunes here.)
The Lens of Love | Posted February-09-2017
Although Canopy is his first commercial album release, nobigdyl. already possesses an impressive footprint in Christian hip-hop with a resume including eleven singles and three free EPs under the Indie Tribe collective in partnership with Mogli the Iceburg and Jarry Manna. Canopy was primed to be one of the most anticipated releases of 2017, and when it dropped on February 3, fans were treated to a timeless release that promises to be in constant rotation for months to follow.
It may take the listener time to digest and appreciate nobigdyl. and his unique and clever wordplay. One recurring theme is quite evident throughout Canopy: love is the answer. Be it the love of our Savior, the love of a spouse, the love of a friend or even a stranger, love radiates throughout each transparent track.
Living out most of his childhood and collegiate days in Middle Tennessee, nobigdyl.'s ability as a storyteller is drawn from country music roots. His abstract talent as a storyteller reminded me of 90s hip-hop legend Slick Rick. And speaking of the 90s, strong ties to that decade are evident musically and visually with tracks like "Purple Dinosaur," which serves as a tribute to 90s culture. The track also offers a comprehensive outline of what nobigdyl. emphasizes repeatedly: love is the answer.
Some of the tracks address the side of ourselves we tend to shield, a side nobigdyl. emphasizes. Featured tracks "Burn," "Doors" and "Morning" use his own struggles to shine light on what Christ can do for us when we get out of the way. Another batch of tracks focus on the love we should share, as shown in "Siblings" and "Shade Tree."
Lyrical treasures are featured throughout this 10-track collection, and one track in particular stands out as a beautiful interpretation of worship held in the hip-hop vessel. "Suicide Nets" speaks to a society lacking in self-worth, love, kindness and generosity. Dyl. speaks, "you know I'll catch you when you're falling / and I'm going to take all your burdens / ain't no problem." With a message of a Savior equipped with everlasting love and affection for every single soul, this track will pull on heartstrings as walls surrounding hearts tumble line by line.
The lyrical mastery, the sound, production, 808's and overall musical vibe mesh flawlessly regardless of the track. The bass line never overpowers, but accents. The features complement Dyl's voice instead of drawing attention away. It may only be the second month of 2017, but Canopy should stand tall through the remaining months as one of the top hip-hop projects of the year.
The Bottom Line: Authentic love is defined throughout Canopy, channeled from Christ's heart and poured into relationships with a spouse, friends or over an individual's personal struggles. nobigdyl. outlines love by means of brilliant wordplay, creative track concepts and life experiences. Every facet of this release is smothered with nobigdyl.'s heart and point of view.
Song to Download Now:
"Suicide Nets (feat Emily Allman)" (Get it on iTunes here.)
Sound Theology From A Talented Lyricist | Posted January-02-2017
Going above and beyond the industry standard, Psalm (aka Lyricidal) compiled an impressive 22 tracks for Covenant, released mid-2016. What's even more unique is the lack of "throw away" tracks, as most are equipped with biblical truths, blazing production to rattle speakers and a flow easy on the ears as listeners nod their heard for a nearly 90-minute session. Mimicking the crossover from mainstream rap to Christian Hip-hop, similar to hip-hop brethren like Datin, MC Jin, or Jarry Manna, Psalm (born David Byrd) took his newfound relationship with Jesus in 2013 to the mic and stage, presenting Covenant as the end result three years in the making.
One advantage of a lengthy project is the variety of sounds, styles and flows present throughout. Psalm toys with influences of trap, EDM, rock and even a reggae undertone. Bridging off the multitude of styles, Psalm skillfully switches up his flow between melodic vocals, lightning-quick verses, or even scaling down to a crawl, presenting a screwed and chopped vibe popular to Texan hip-hop heads. This versatility bodes well for Psalm's future in the game after this debut.
Features from fellow indie artists (Vill, Fly Boy Swift, Tony Spitz, and Jesse James to name a few) are light, with only five of the 22 tracks passing the mic to others. Psalm stands behind the stereotype of a Christian rapper with God's name glorified track after track, with tales offered directly from Byrd's personal life alongside his own views of the society we face daily. With rawness presented out of the box and not hidden behind pretty paper and bows, Psalm's delivery doesn't hold back.
A standout track of this project is "Life of a 20." The contents follow the course of a $20 dollar bill and what it's used for between situations (mostly driven by sin). Throughout this and every song on the album, Psalm describes the horrid situations people face daily, the fall of a great nation and what he witnesses daily in the streets. "My Neighbor's Friend" offers the best overall depiction of the tracks compiled. Throughout all the brokenness of our world highlighted in the daily news and interactions with each other, Psalm calls out our broken world and personal sin struggles, pointing us all to the love of Christ.
The listener should keep an ear out for quite a few surprising popular samples which complement the tracks, including a snippet from John Mayer's "Daughters." Overall, the project is different from most, has repeat playability, and focuses in on the passion of a new believer standing behind the text of 2 Corinthians 5:17.
The Bottom Line:Conviction, raw delivery and honesty fuels Psalm's CHH debut project. The lyrics sit with the listener long after the initial listen. 2016 brought forth a ton of quality music from CHH veterans, but it's worth your time to step outside the popular trends and check out Covenant. It demands a self-examination of where you are in your faith and how true you are to your personal walk, a reminder that should never be slept on.
An Infusion of Emotion and Electronic Vibes | Posted October-10-2016
A personal question of intrigue accompanies the latest track from TAL's spoken word mastery, have you ever done or said something you never really meant? Released on September 30, "M#%NT" details past regrets and the forgiveness to follow. You're not human if you have not apologized to someone at some point. For listeners, this concept is the main draw for fans of TAL Music -- the "I can relate" factor. Tal constructs lyrics based on daily personal experiences set to crisp production with an end product destined to sell a multitude of records during his rookie year.
Speaking of production, seasoned producer and artist Matthew Parker crafted a gem on TAL's behalf driven by hypnotic electronic finger snaps. The appropriate signature sound and beats drive TAL's sincerity home behind the emotional intent of the track. Parker's next project will be released on October 21 entitled, Adventure. Pre-orders on iTunes are currently available. Partnered together, TAL and Matthew Parker mold an infusion of emotion and electronic vibes collectively finished as a concept we all relate to daily putting forth a mindset of forgiveness over regret.
JoshuaGalla_NRT's Music and Book Reviews 
