Reviewed by Paul Woodward

Nottingham's Prodigal Son returns (If you will excuse the pun) with 'Things People Do For Money' a both funky and challenging offering about just what it says on the tin. The track depicts the tragic rise and fall of his cousin who chose the life of a hustler over the alternative life-style being offered by the talented UK rapper. The song manages to be challenging without being obviously preachy and carries enormous crossover potential. Prodigal's style has justifiably been compared to secular heavy weights such as Nas and Notorious BIG. His efforts to appeal to the mainstream however perhaps contribute to Prodigal Son's only disappointing trait, his lack of Britishness. On hearing this single the listener could easily be forgiven for believing the Prodigal is a US rapper. It is a shame there is no evidence of the raw gritty UK style that The 29th Chapter have demonstrated to much critical acclaim in the Christian scene and The Streets in the secular. That said "Things People Do." is an excellent track and only this country's lack of airplay for Christian hip-hop prevented it from being a huge hit. The B-side "Cry" is also worth a listen.

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