Reviewed by Josh Dipple

Lightning Son Of Thunder (known as Corinthian Jackson to his mother) is a hip-hop artist from Illinois. This, his eponymous debut album, aims to provide young people with an alternative to mainstream rap music. On a musical level, however, there doesn't seem to be much alternative at all - From opening track "Graveyard Saints" to closer "Souljah For The Lord", the same clichéd drum machine patterns and dark minor synth lines that can be found on any independent hip-hop album produced in the last 10 years characterize the entire piece, except without some of the production values. Of course the Gospel-filled content sets it apart, but the same kind of bravado typically associated with the genre - though of course that is a broad generalisation - can be found in tracks like "Whaddown" and the fire-and-brimstone based eschatology inspired track "Blast At The Enemy", which comes complete with horror movie sound effects to demonstrate that hell isn't a very nice place. The intention of this album is admirable. The execution, however, is way off.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.