Tag: rap

March 4, 2024

Illect Recording artist Newselph announce listening party

Join Newselph and Illect Recordings for a free listening party to celebrate If It Ain’t Broke, Remix It (vinyl & digital). Come along to listen to the music with the artist and chat about the making of the album. If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It features an incredibly lengthy list of collaborations including K.I.N.E.T.I.C., Sareem Poems, Sivion, Rel McCoy, Ozay Moore and many others. Follow the link below to RSVP: https://illect.bandcamp.com/merch/if-it-aint-broke-remix-it-listening-partyContinued →

November 10, 2023

Song of the Day: M.C.R.G. - The Lord's House

Early Christian rap is a thing of beauty. Similarly to mainstream rap, early examples–though they give insight to the development of the genre–often suffer from simplistic lyrics, weak production, and/or rapping styles that are now outdated and sound lazy by today’s standards. However, we must remember that the genre took decades to develop. In fact, the early 90s were a tough era for the style. It had started to become mainstream and risked disappearing into a subgenre of pop music until it was rescued by gangsta rap and alternative rap a few years later, pushing the genre to new styles and heights, though not without controversy.… Continued →

April 14, 2023

Song of the Day: Tunnel Rats - Trz

The most legendary holy hip-hop cipher of them all? Perhaps. Tunnel Rats’ debut Experience (1996) was truly mind-blowing. It’s one of those rare albums where the line between art and artist was completely blurred, if it even existed in the first place. The lyrics (as well as the passion behind them) reflected absolute love of hip-hop music and culture, and absolute love of God and his Gospel. Very few artists, very few albums or artistic endeavors reach that climax of full integration where neither the message nor the artistic medium was compromised in any way whatsoever.… Continued →

November 25, 2022

Song of the Day: Disciples of Christ (D.O.C.) - Deeper

Rap music in the early 90s was making huge breakthroughs into both mainstream pop music and Gospel music, all the while splintering into dozens of subgenres: gangsta rap, new jack swing, Miami bass, among the most prominent. Tulsa locals D.O.C., AKA Disciples of Christ were fluent in the Philadelphia-based new jack swing sound, a combination of hip-hop, urban contemporary pop, and R&B/soul sounds. Alton Hood and Kevin Harvey met in college before they knew the Lord. Having dabbled in the party lifestyle, and even in the occult, they turned their lives over to Christ through a miraculous intervention of God.… Continued →

November 18, 2022

Idle Achiever Return From Hiatus With "Oxygenate"

Idle Achiever are once again back at it and “Oxygenate” certainly doesn’t disappoint. Their music defies genre classification and they really are playing in a league of their own but not so different from any likeable band you’d hear thrust in front of you. If you enjoy rap mixed with some indie pop and even synth emo, then you’ll love this new one. It’s like righteous explosion from the joining of Twenty One Pilots, Owl City, Eminem, Gym Class Heroes, Manafest, NF, and For King & Country.… Continued →

October 29, 2022

August 19, 2022

Song of the Day: Braille - This Year

Rapper Braille (born Bryan Winchester) has been making hip-hop since at least 1998, first as a solo artist and then additionally as a member of Lightheaded (featured in an earlier Song of the Day), Acts 29, and most recently the worshipful project Beautiful Eulogy. The Portland-based rapper has released just under a dozen albums, including independent releases, a Japanese import, and a collaboration with Symbolyc One, not including his work in the aforementioned cyphers. Although I’d heard of him through his association with Syntax Records, it was his 6th album Box of Rhymes where I was first introduced to his music.… Continued →

August 6, 2022

July 18, 2022

May 24, 2022

May 9, 2022

Song of the Day: Propaganda - Healthy Don't Need Doctors

Propaganda is my favorite rapper whom I have officially seen & hung with twice. I’ve been listening to him since his days with Tunnel Rats & have every one of his albums if that tells you anything. You can also check out my other faves NF & Dirt. He is steadily going still & I am currently reading his Terraform book. This thought provoking SOTD is my fave & you can read the lyrics below. Once I heard this Middle Eastern carpenter say, “You know, the healthy don’t need doctors.” … Continued →

March 4, 2022

Song of the Day: Brainwash Projects - Want for Nada

If anyone asked me to name my favorite Christian hip-hop project of all time, it is without a doubt Brainwash Projects, and their sole album The Rise and Fall of . . . . Perhaps the album title was a hint at how long the project would last, and we all just missed it at the time. Rise and Fall had everything: lyrical witticisms, dope beats, funky rhymes, and humor by the bucketloads. While the whole album is worth listening to straight through without skipping any tracks, one of the strongest singles is “Want for Nada,” a testimony to God’s faithfulness.… Continued →

February 21, 2022

Song of the Day: Playdough - 1 Day

Playdough aka Krum is an awesome rapper originally from Texas. He was half the duo known as Ill Harmonics which I loved back in the day with their album An Octave Above the Original. I have most everything he has done in his career & is one of my 3 faves besides Propaganda & NF. This SOTD is a humorous reference of what would you do if you knew you only had one day left on this earth. Continued →

January 28, 2022

Song of the Day: Dwayne Omarr - Anointed One

We’re digging deep into the archives for this one. For those not familiar with electro-funk, it was an underground genre in the 1980s that bridged electronic dance music and hip-hop. In fact, in many ways it was a predecessor to the proliferation of rap music. The genre was known by a variety of names: electro-funk, techno-funk, and simply electro (not the goth/industrial version from a few decades later). In the mainstream scene, some of the most well-known names were Newcleus, Shannon, Egyptian Lover, Afrika Bambaataa, and some of Midnight Star’s mid-80s material.… Continued →

October 8, 2021

Song of the Day: Freedom of Soul - Freedom of Soul

There is simply not enough hip-hop on this site. Let’s fix that! I grew up in a small, very monochromatic town in Oklahoma, where most of the people had my skin color. In that part of the world, there were two kinds of music–country and heavy metal. In the 80s, a few of my friends who were more hip had started getting into this new “rap music” that I knew very little about. But growing up in a country-western family and then discovering rock on my own, I wasn’t really predisposed to listen to rap.… Continued →

November 29, 2020

Illect Recordings Announce Holiday Sale

Underground hip-hop leaders Illect Recordings (home of Sivion, Terem, James Gardin and many others) are running holiday sales currently on physical merch (12″ Vinyl, 7″ Vinyl, CDs, Cassette Tapes & more). A few new items are included in addition to a couple re-stocks. There are also pre-orders, from tomorrow, for the Sivion x DertBeats Vinyl LP. Stock is expected to arrive in a few weeks from Europe. The official release date will be 6-8 weeks later but fans who pre-order the vinyl will be the first to have it.… Continued →

July 26, 2020

July 21, 2020

April 2, 2020

Doc Watson and Trig Announce The Inside View Podcast

From concepts to companies… How do you take a project from $500 to $500k in revenue? How do you take a label from nowhere to 200 songs and 80 million streams in a year? How do you do both while remaining focused on God and Kingdom Building? From concepts to companies, Doc Watson (Jacob Makaish), Co-CEO of Reflection Music Group and Trig (James Rosseau, Sr.), CEO of Holy Culture, come together to share their long-standing relationship, as well as their individual and interwoven journeys through CHH.… Continued →

March 26, 2020

February 25, 2020

Illect Recordings drops three new projects for FREE download

Seattle-based hip-hop label Illect Recordings are at the top of their game after more than a decade of releasing quality hip-hop and alternative rap. They’ve just released three new projects which can be streamed, or even downloaded for free! The first is an instrumental album from Sivion called “Group Therapy: Beats” and it features a number of underground hip-hop producers on different tracks. Choose your platform here: https://snd.click/group-therapy-beats The second is a “Sugary” single from French beat-maker Terem. Check it out here: https://snd.click/terem-sugary Lastly, we have another single (complete with an instrumental version) from Sareem Poems & Newselph, called “Freedom.”… Continued →

February 12, 2020

CHH veterans Flame & Da' T.R.U.T.H. team up for Complicated-ish Podcast

Remember as kids, when we were taught something was either good or bad, right or wrong, etc.? Then later, you realize everything doesn’t quite fit as neatly in those categories. It’s more complicated. Grammy nominated artists, Da’ T.R.U.T.H. and Flame delve into candid discussions on society, the arts, religion, humanity and more while exploring meaningful topics relevant to their shared faith and the culture that shapes it all. Visit https://complicated-ish.com for full episodes or listen on your favorite podcast platform. Connect with Flame https://www.facebook.com/Flame314/ https://www.instagram.com/flame314/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/2s6kyMmJZFgPCHXU0QxJLpContinued →

February 3, 2020

January 23, 2020

November 11, 2019

November 1, 2019

REVIEW : Kanye West - Jesus Is King

“Damn” is the only curse word you’ll hear on Kanye West’s latest album.* Jesus Is King is gospel rap, and not only in the usual sense. With the help of the Sunday Service Choir and Fred Hammond, the gospel influence is potent; although rhymes and beats are present, the latter are especially minimal. Opening track, “Every Hour,” includes no rapping at all and reminds me a little bit of Tonéx. Lyrically, the album is forthright in its expressions of Christian faith. Bible verses are referenced in “Selah” in such a way that would make even Goliath dizzy, while “Water” mentions Jesus’ name 16 times.… Continued →

October 26, 2019

October 21, 2019

Song of the Day: Mars ILL - Inside Out

Mars ILL’s “Inside Out” is one of the most convicting songs I’ve ever heard. Backbreakanomics (2003) is a classic album as a whole, but Dust’s production on this song is what really sets it apart, with its haunting samples and DJ scratches. Manchild uses the occasion to tell a story which focuses on social inequality, spiritual transformation, and justice. Blames the system that built jails instead of schools / Blames religion as a set of useless rules / Blames his father that he never even knew / Looks in the mirror.Continued →

October 18, 2019