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Okay, I’m gonna operate
in the prophetic saints, 2005 will be a banner year for our genre
of hip-hop. If you haven’t heard, there’s a slew of
releases from cats who rep Christ from all over the country that
will keep you comin’ out your wallets ‘til year’s
end. I know yall ‘gon support too right?!
With his solo release, Philly native Shai Linne (excuse
me, the “lower case MC”), shai linne
sets the year off nicely. His Solus Christus Project
(meaning “Christ Alone”) is an ambitious effort that
brought to mind the title of the poet Jessica Care Moore’s
book, The Words Don’t Fit in My Mouth. shai is a
brother whose zeal for God and His Word spills out of him in paragraphs!
Okay about the album, hmmm let’s see a few highlights to
point out. Well, if you’re like me, you’ll be mad that
the intro is just that, an intro. shai “surfaces”
mid-rhyme over a mellow, jazz laced track that makes you feel as
if you’ve just walked in on a coffee house poetry set, took
your seat, removed your coat, all the while hearing someone spitting
spiritual treatises only to be angered that you caught only the
last third of what he was saying. The track fades out with shai
still rhyming and your disappointment is only
seconds long when on random thoughts, the same lyrical
fervor returns over a (stipped down, guitar embellished, hookless)
DJ Essence produced track where shai ends by welcoming and informing
you that he’s got a lot left. shai’s humor, humility
and clever wordplay are all simultaneously captured in the opening
line where he says:
Hey yo, I’m back, but nobody was asking where
I’ve been, let me chime in- I go by the name of… never
mind – from random thoughts
From the same joint shai proclaims
“I’m fired up for ministry-
but business is something
I ain’t did nothing yet and I’m
tired of the industry!
Another memorable bar captures what should be the distinction for
MCs who claim to rep Christ from their secular counterparts
Speaking urgently, it’s an emergency,
the self-centered MC’s favorite word is “Me”,
our favorite word is “He”, or should I say “Him”,
Since God is triune, our favorite word is “Them”-
Lyrical theology indeed! angelz featuring
Evangel (check for this cat!) and Timothy Brindle clocks in at a
lengthy seven minutes plus but is arguably the most thorough treatment
yet of that subject with three perspectives presented; the confused
human with his “why” questions, the rebellious, fallen
angel, and the obedient angel who longs to understand concepts like
forgiveness and grace. worldwideweb is
noteworthy for its concept and the fact that it features the resurfaced
Cruz Cordero but the collabo that nails the trifecta of concept,
production and delivery is mic check 1.2
featuring Stephen the Levite, and Phanatik over minimalist funk
highlighted by the snare and sparse guitar, the three MCs trade
barbs and pass the mic as they spell each other’s names on
the hook. The heart first remix (like
so many it seems), doesn’t surpass the original (from the
Rocksoul Antidote CD) but its content is worth revisiting and it
captures more of the jazzy vibe featured on the intro/outro.
…the finite mind can’t comprehend
the Lord’s love, came so far down to touch us it ain’t
like He wore gloves… from heart first
Overall the album has a mature feel, with production primarily
from DJ Essence, with some assists from Vessels of Mercy, Official,
IronicLee, and Lee Jerkins.
The Solus Christus Project is a lyricist’s
album with a few concept songs, but most noticeably with the love
of Christ surpassing the love of premeditated rhyme schemes and
glossy beats (peep the heartfelt simplicity of my portion).
shai doesn’t write with the intention of his joints being
“background music” or approach his tracks with bump-ability
as the priority. Think Black Thought of The Roots with Christ-centered
content or Talib or Mos Def saved and not double-minded. Oh, let
me not fail to mention, this brother’s diction is flawless.
Aspiring MCs should take note, honestly. You won’t find yourself
rewinding because you didn’t hear what he said, but
rather because you want to hear certain golden lyrical nuggets again!
My earlier the reference to the coffeehouse/poetry type set is
appropriate in that a venue such as that draws what I call “intentional
listeners.” Now we know everyone doesn’t go to spots
like that, we also know (or profess to know) that God is no respecter
of persons but sometimes that truth gets lost when we discuss hip-hop,
where our personal preferences seep in and we presume which artists
can best reach so and so. God loves the unsaved, backpacking intellectual
(even the psuedointellectuals) just as much as He loves the weed
smoking “thug” types. I’m glad shai, chose to
run in his “assigned lane” and allowed us to listen
in on his memoirs in an era when cats
(even the saints) want their hip-hop dumbed-down with everything
“radio ready.” I pray shai reaches those whom God intends.
Christ alone indeed.
-vessel
01.10.05
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