Reviewed by Steve Hayes

Forming out of two members of the Lamp Mode Crew (Timothy Brindle and Stephen the Levite) plus Zae Da Blacksmith, The Collective have released a 10 track project with a flavour that boom baps its way from the streets of Philly all the way across to the rap missions trip across Europe that the proceeds of the album helped fund. In the style of other Lamp Mode Recordings, this is lyrically punchy underground hip-hop as The Collective tag-team across the tracks eg, "Blood Bath". There's no commercially churned out beats with these guys but tasty and freshly brewed rhythms like the grooving "Assemblers. . ." There's something special about Godly tru-school hip-hop, where you find yourself crying out at the breaks and the rhymes. There's constant Biblical themes, Scriptures ("The Walk") and Bible references throughout as on "Bad Good Works" ("But on the third day, Christ left the serpent smashed. . ."). In my view The Collective work beats and rhymes together perfectly ("Heart Broken"). There's a brilliant assessment and comparison of those who serve sacrificially and humbly, who do "ninjitsu in the spiritual" as on "4 My Ninjas".

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