Reviewed by Tony Cummings

The ever-increasing wave of Christian rappers are the 21st century equivalent of the jackleg preachers, those street corner evangelists and musicians who could be found in every US city in the '20s and '30s. Today's hip-hop gospel communicators go into the highways and byways and, because they're pretty cheap to record, release a torrent of singles, mixtapes, EPs and albums - sometimes as free downloads - to whoever wants to listen to their flows. This seven track EP emanates from New York emcee Rodney Reynolds who flies in the face of the stereotype that every gospel rapper is an ex-gang banger. Rodney, who raps under the name J Prophet, is a graduate of Yale Divinity School. Production-wise, it's pretty inventive, "Availability" featuring Fancy has some delightfully soulful female interjections, the opener "Say Yes" has a lush, orchestral sample and throughout J Prophet raps with impressive flows and a sense of passionate authority. Thematically the project is equally impressive. "When Rainbows Are Enuf" tells the sad tale of a young girl persecuted for the darkness of her skin and the thickness of her hair before urging us to love ourselves as God loves us. Equally telling is "Breathe" with its memorable line "I may be broken but I'm still a vessel." This isn't party music and you're unlikely to hear any of these cuts on the radio. It's not classic boom-bap hip-hop. But it is a hugely impressive example of intelligent, spirit-lifting hip-hop. And it's available for FREE.

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.

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