5 comments about Fountain of Life.

1. The three stars are on the strength of the beats alone. The beats on this album are crazy.
   
   They content is a different story.
   
   From Preacher Man:
   
   "It's 1977, November to be exact
   Some babies are still born,
   I'm alive it's a blessing.
   My mommy's water broke early
   Could have been still born,
   her baby was still born"
   
   That's pretty weak lyrically, and just one example.
   
   Japhia spits more like a "positive" rapper instead of a Christian rapper. Plus there isn't a whole lot of lyrics on the album, it's like he spits two short verses on each song and throws in a hook. But the beats are bangin!
   
   The CD didn't move me at all on the spiritual side. And on the rap side, he didn't have any stand out lines. Just an average CD.
   
   If you like the east coast feel that Japhia has, check out Phanatik and The Ambassador.



2. i like Japh....his is a great artist....on this Fountain of Life...he had some good songs on it....that you can bob ya head to...i do think some of the beats didnt fit his style on a few songs....but overall its with buying....you will enjoy it



3. THIS CD IS GREAT, UPCOMING MC WITH HEAVEN AS HIS MISSION, JESUS AS HIS GUIDE.



4. What an AWESOME rap CD for my 10 year old! We all like the rythm of rap but I hate the filth and violence that are associated with it. Japia Life did a phenonmenal job and now even my 4yo likes to rap! Great way to listen to rap with out the violence and filth.



5. What more can I say about this album, it speaks for itself and has no comparison. I really like all the tracks on the album but my favourtite ones are Sunshine and Joanna. I even like the last track with the 'House remix', I never was one for listening to 'House' but this track gat me bumping my head still. Excellent album people.. hope he keeps rep' for Christ for years and years to come.

3 comments about Portable Sounds (Deluxe Edition).

1. I liked this album. Right now I would say it is not the best Toby has ever done, but don't confuse that for me saying that the album is in anyway deficiant. Only that his other albums seemed to have a different energy to them that resinated with me better. All in all, I bought it because I like Tobymac and his music. This album did not disappoint.



2. I got this CD when it first came out and it still has been my favorite CD. I even made a ring tone for my cell from "ONE WORLD" The ENTIRE CD is just full of HIGH ENERGY, it is one of the BEST CD's ever created by Toby.
   What an awesome concert he must put on... Seen him once 2001 when all of DC TALK went SOLO but not since.
   Can't wait to see him again!



3. 5 star cd- Great songs, great production, memorable hooks & a good message. The DVD is a worthwile purchse. It has ALL of Toby's video's (including 'Boomin') and some funny interviews with the band. Supposedly Toby is releasing a LIVE DVD in the spring (from his Houston Tx shows'to be filmed- per his website)!!! Hope so! They put on one THE best live shows I've ever seen.

5 comments about The Last Street Preacha.

1. This is both def and wack. Outasite dudes. Keep up with the driving and rapping beats. The rhymes are tight and the vocals are fantastic. Way to bring it playa!



2. Now for people on here who claim that T-bone is not a real christian rapper, Let me tell you something: There are many things that T-bone says on this album that praises Jesus [Listen to ''Wipe your tears'', ''Conversion'', ''Tha last street preacha'', To name a few]. What most people don't understand is that when T-bone speaks of the stuff he speaks of, He's talking about his past and how god raised him up from that! Cmon, You can't be mad at T-bone because of his gangsta-ridden past! He's saved and he's a christian now! This album ministers to me every single time i listen to it. The hottest songs on here are ''Wipe your tears'' [My favorite song on the album], ''Ride wit me'', ''My dream'' [A testimonial song by T-bone that you shouldn't take as a gangsta song in disguise], ''Conversion'', and ''Throw ya handz up''. With his flow [Which he can rap slow or fast in english or spanish], T-bone clearly shows that he's the best thing that ever happened to holy hip-hop and he's probably the dopest hispanic rapper i've ever heard. I only wish his first 3 albums were still in print cause if this album is as dope as it is, I can only imagine what his earlier albums were like! But all in all, This is surely a satisfying christian rap cd that shouldn't be viewed the wrong way. This is inspiring for any christian who's had it rough before being saved. Hope my review helped. Be blessed.



3. This is a sweet CD from T-Bone, I loved this album, I had it for about 2 years. He got some great tracks on this album especially "Wipe Your Tears". It's good for those who love rap especially fast-paced rap.



4. This album is ok. I own other cds by T-Bone and this one just did not minister to me like some of his others. He does have some powerful messages but sometimes its hard to understand what he is saying when he is rapping rapidly.



5. this was album was good..but not the best of ive heard..tracks that truly stand out in this are "Wipe Your Tears" "Conversion", "Mami Linda" " Last Street Preacha" "Freinds" " U dont know" " Throw yo hands up" and sum other were alright..but after hearing it a while u get annoyed by thew same stlye he repeats in his raps.. id stik wit Cross Movement.. but i gave this 3 stars cuz it aint the worst and it aint the best..dunt get me wrong..this album is good..jus not that good

5 comments about I Can See Clearly Now.

1. i'm really diggin how they did the re-mix to the old school sound i'll be good, and the choir is off the hook



2. I've been a fan of OGG's since their start in the 90's. This album was quite a "growing up" album for them, as their style matured in a hurry to more of what today's artists were producing.
   
   The change was jarring, yet of such fantastic quality that this album is certainly in my top 5 (of hundreds). Unfortunately they dabble a bit in smuggling their newfound wealth into their lyrics, which I really can't stand in Gospel rap. The infractions are rare, however, and the other 97% of the excellence on this album certainly make up for it.
   
   "Questions" is one of the best Gospel rap songs I have ever heard.



3. This CD is worth your money, I hear Gang Affiliated is tight also, but its too much money. Certified Trunk Beater



4. What shall I say. This is gangsta rap.
   Very good preachy lyrics but they keep up tha gangsta style.
   Heavy bass good lyrics da chilly babe really makes it gangsta check out his voice in let us pray and i call your name.
   The best tracks are Lets us pray and I can see cleary now.
   I have all albums with theese guys even the new one (The Flood) that I bought on mp3 but i think this together with do or die is tha hotest album.



5. THIS CD IS SO HOT. You have to buy it man. Best Christian rap cd ever. Mr. Solo, Tikk Tokk, and Chily Baby are hot in this cd. These guy used to be gangstaz but it is cool that they are Christian now cause then I wouldn't of enjoyed this cd. It has West Coast groove to it. Real gangsta rap. CHeck out #3, I Call Your Name.

5 comments about Collaborations.

1. This Cd is good. He is a funny guy! I didn't think mullet pride was funny though. I thought it was jus stupid but it's a preety good cd. Remixed is better & 7th Avenue. I heard that his new album The Yearbook is hott.



2. when i first heard of kj-52 i thought that no one could meet the liking that i had for relient k.But after a couple months he grew on me.My school would kick me out if they heard wat im sayin cause its a christian school that thinks christian hip hop is bad.But now that he grew on me kj's my favorite artist ever and i want to be a rapper like him when i grow up.This album is definetly worth buyin.Kj is the greatest rapper ever whether its spiritually(dear slim)comedy like(abc's and 123's)or songs that hit home for some people(were were u). Kj is the best rapper i know



3. this album has everythin people look for i think it has comedy and music put together.And i think thats wat kj tries to do he puts comedy music holiness and things for kids and teens in his music.



4. I own I love you gotta buy it Christian music



5. One of KJ's best albums. With great tracks like 47 emcees, nursery rhymes, revenge of the nerds, abcs and 123s, and dear slim. Over all, a very good cd.

5 comments about Bone-A-Fide.

1. This is one of his best so far.It has a different sound then the last one.The bass pounds all really great songs



2. T-Bone is easily the best rapper on the HHH scene, and arguably one of the better rappers in the rap game period. Bone-A-Fide shows T-Bone at his best on every level, still bangin' his West Coast beats and rippin' it lyrically. The collabs with Mack 10 and Chino XL fit surprisingly well into the album. While T-Bone has never been the guy to slather Jesus all up in his rhymes, he only bares his soul and purpose on select tracks which cause some to wonder if he's not just "positive rap."
   
   Best cuts: Let That Thing Go, Hard Streets, Can I Live, A Few Good Men.



3. This CD is so tight thank God he ain't trying to be all preache' and self righteous and perfect like he got it all together like some Christian rappers do. T bone is trying to reach all people everywhere. He ain't just makin tracks for the christians but for everyone. And his message is still JESUS CHRIST he's just not hitting you over the head with it T bones a bone a fide rapper the best christian rapper and can challenge for best rapper period.



4. T-bone really shocked me on this cd being as though much of the material on here sounds a little too mainstream. T-bone is still an awesome rapper but here, He seems like he's trying to win radio airplay. The beats aren't really that great on here neither. Although there a few effective songs on here [''A few good men'', ''Shake ya body'', And ''You can't win''], The album runs out of steam before the final track comes. The only interesting things about this album are really the guest spots by Mack 10 and Chino XL. While this is not a totally wack effort, It definintely needs some work. I truly hope the next album from T-bone is much better than this one. Hope the review helped. Be blessed.



5. Ok, I admit I just started liking T-Bone when I heard him rapping in The Fighting Temptations movie. The beats on this CD are tight and it's the type of music that would go great at a gospel skate, but I thought gospel rap, like all other gospel music was supposed to, well....., talk about the gospel. It seems like in a lot of the songs, T-Bone is glorifying himself rather than glorifying God by saying that other rappers can't rap as good as him and that he has all this bling bling. I think that's the wrong message to be sending out to our youth, because it portrays the same covetous and prideful messages as the secular rappers. And why does he look so much like a thug on the back of his CD cover? Are those gang signs he's throwing up? I'm pretty sure they're not but whatever happened to Christians being wise as serpents and harmless as doves? If T-Bone is really trying to reach those that are on the streets with his music, how can you do that if you don't have the main ingredient that you need in order to reach them? Namely, The Gospel. It's kind of like trying to bake a cake without flour.

5 comments about It's Pronounced "Five Two".

1. one of the best cds of kj i have ever listened.
   plus you cant escape the good advices he is giving to yooooung dudes.
   kee it up kj- aka kj 52



2. In my opinion, KJs best album. Awesome songs like 47 pop stars, #1 fan, i'm guilty, back in the day, dear slim pt. 2, and whoop whoop. Nasty beats and a great flow.



3. KJ Shows that he is no one hit wonder, but that he has the true talent. This talent comes from the one and only Jesus. I am glad to see a brother out there representin'. Everyone should go out and get this cut. If you will bless him and his ministry then God will bless you and yours. God Bless !



4. Honestly, I've never been into the contemporary rap/hip hop world, which is full of hatred, violence and foul sex. This is the first rap cd I've ever bought in my whole life. I first listened to "dear slim pt 2" on MusicMatch and fell in love with this guy's music and decided to buy this album. This album is not like anything I've ever heard before. Songs like "Back in the day" or "47 pop stars" are very funny and show that Kj has a great talent with playing with words. "Check youself" is pretty similar with his later work "For the ladies" from his following album "Behind the musik" (and also has the same message as Will Smith's song "Pump Ya brakes"). And my favorite "#1 Fan", the best song ever made buy Kj even though it may not be true.
   Check out his later work "Behind the Musik", it's even better than this album. Keep on the great work, Kj!!!Keep on representing God in your songs no matter what people say. One day they'll see that cursing and writing stupid verses will lead them nowhere. "To gain a world of fan, but suffer loss of soul".



5. kj-52 is a disgrace. he is horrible, whoever is readin this review if u like rap/hip hop or anything like that DON't BUY THIS CD. it's pathetic!!!!! he talks about eminem a lot, eminem probly doesn't even know who this nerd is. if u want real rap/hip hop, serious and humorous, listen to john reuben.and kj-52 copies eminem too. at least eminem is creative, this cd is just plain retarted. this guy isn't funny either, i mean jeez, what's with his obbsession with converting eminem, it isn't working. AHHHHHHHHHHH i hate it. if i could i would give it a .5 out of 10 but that's not possible, and one last thing, what kind of name is kj-52. kj is some dumb initial and 52 should be his age. overall i rate it out of ten: supremely krappy / 10

5 comments about House Of Representatives.

1. One of my favorite things about this CD is the fact that this was the CM at their fullest, sporting at least 7 members with completely varying styles on one album. Beyond that, this album delivers theologically brilliant jam after jam accompanied by some truly banging soundtracks.
   
   This album is home to my personal favorite CM song, "Off the Hook," and pound-for-pound is the best album they have produced.



2. The video for "House of Representatives" put me on a quest to gain all that was out by CM. At that time, this and Heaven's Mentality were the latest. Since my induction [as a Croos Movement {Old} Head], I have bought every project up to Higher Definition. I bought this and turned my nephew on to it. It got stuck in a car CD changer after an accident. I bought a replacement for me and one for him. I shared the first time around, but this time -- have your own... I need mine!! :)



3. I had high expectations for this album and those expectations were met. This album is awesome and if you don't yet have it purchase it now. These guys are talented and it is very hard to rap all about God. But these guys are awesome for Christ. I recommend all CM albums and Ambassadors solo album Christology in Laymens terms.



4. This group is incredible. They have a correct view of the inerrancy of Scripture and display their knowledge with talent and tact. This album is the reason that I spend extra driving time in my car. The beats are incredible, their lyrics are edifying, and their message is true. Thank you, God, for Cross Movement.



5. Call me a fan of old school rap but this cd was, to put it simply, an awesome. The beats are solid, the message oustanding, and as is the case of its sequel, House of Representatives covers a broad array of Christian topics.

   We get to hear these guys rymn about Christ's authorship of all life, His return that is to come, human arrogance in terms of the hypocritical R&B artists, becoming a human sacrifice for Christ with our lives, pointless church traditions, the questioning of those who claim to love the Lord but live otherwise, and a solid number of other issues.

   These guys are the most honest Christian group to date. Call them the Rich Mullins' of the Christian rap genre. These guys are tremendous and you can certainly bounce to this cd. Enjoy.

5 comments about Backbreakanomics.

1. I came across Mars Ill from their interviews on the Scribble Jam 2003 DVD and after going to their website and finding out that this was their most popular and successful album, I decided to check it out. To my surprise, I wasn't disappointed. ManCHILD can definitely handle himself on the mic and back by Dust's on time production make this a must have. My favorite cut would have to be Planes and Trains featuring Pigeon John and Rhymesayers' own Blueprint, telling by the production on this album, Dust's influences include jazz and blues with almost every track containing a hint or sample of a jazz or blues track. I would have to apologize for my first impression of the group, I recently found out that they are from Atlanta(home of the crunk sound that I despise and I was hoping that Mars Ill didn't fall into that disgraceful category), however I wasnt again disappointed. Underground hip hop has a fan for life.



2. i hated this CD when I first picked it up but in the past few months it has really grown on me. Dust is an excellent producer and puts together some really funky catchy arangments that are truly original manchild is a class a spitter and seems to get better and better on the mic with each release. (for a white guy his lyrics are amazing) its good to hear that christian Hiphop can still be original and creative



3. When I first listend to this CD I wasn't all that impressed. After a couple more times though it started to grow on me. Now I just hit play and let it go all the way through. It's definately a more layed back CD and quickly becoming one of my favorites. Check out cut 03 'Planes and Trains' feat. Pigeon John and Blueprint (very tight). Other favs are 05 'Black Box Artist', 09 'Alpha Male', 12 'Sideline Speech', 13 'Next Door', 14 'Piecemeal' and 17 'Lump Sum'. I should also mention that the content is good. Repin' for God but not in your face preachy (as some take God related music). A good CD for unbeleiving friends.



4. Dust and manchild are arguably the best 1 DJ/1 MC crew to make noise since Premier and Guru. They've been impressing heads for a few years now and they've definitely earned the respect that they've gained. I personally think that RAW MATERIAL and BLUE COLLAR SESSIONS are among the 10 best LPs and EPs, respectively, to have been released this decade. That being said, I think that BACKBREAKANOMICS is a slight step down for Mars ILL.

   Right after BCS was released, manchild said that he was trying to change up some of the things that he did on the mic, and it shows on this album. It has a more experimental feel to it. We have to respect their decision to not try and recreate another RAW MATERIAL, and you have to applaud their efforts to not rest on their laurels and progressively move forward in the evolution of their sound. It's just that I can't help but get the feeling that Dust and manchild listened to a little bit too much Company Flow while making this album.

   I know that this sounds like a negative review, but it really isn't. Each of these guys is still in or near the top 10 of his respective field and they would have a LONG way to fall before I could say that they've made a bad record. BACKBREAKANOMICS is actually a great album, but maybe not quite as accessible as RAW MATERIAL. If you're trying to listen to Mars ILL for the first time, get that album first. BACKBREAKANOMICS is for the heads that want to dig a little deeper.




5. how many timez have u heard a secular artist or group claimin' they keep it real in their music, or that they started this whole rap thang? well, mars ILL (lyricist manchild & dj soulheir outta atlanta) consistently makez that kinda hip hop. whether or not they lay claim 2 bein' pioneerz 4 Christian hip hop remainz under debate, but they sound like they could have been, and that countz 4 somethin' in timez like theze. they finally have somethin' that most Christian hip hop artistz don't have: major distribution (tha same label that bringz u grits, out of eden, dj maj, the katinas and (tha rapper fka) knowdaverbs), so it shouldn't b hard 2 find this on a shelf somewhere near u. but if not, do yourself a favour and treat your earz AND inner man by coppin' this collection of cutz. MOST NOTABLE: "afterlife", a sequel 2 their earlier classic "my life"; "planes and trains", a collabo with l.a. symphony rezident iconoclast pigeon john & relative newcomer blueprint; and "alpha male", a song that speakz 2 tha men about what a REAL man iz and doez. peace.

3 comments about Hip Hope Hits 2006.

1. Hip Hope Hits 2006 represents the Christian hip-hop community with this latest installment. Some of the best artists from Hip Hope Hits 2005 are back, along with a few new heads. Highlights include Grits with "If I", the infectious LA Symphony tune, "Dance Like", KJ-52's thought-provoking, "I Can Call on You", DJ Maj (collaborating with record producer/MC Liquid Beats) on "Love (So Beautiful)", Liquid Beats' Latin-fueled, "One Time" (featuring rapper Syntyst), Atlanta's own Mars Ill, with the New York-inspired "Sound Off", Shonlock's "Pushing Through", Manafest's "Let It Go" and legendary Christian MC T-Bone gets the party jumping with the Buster and Shavoni-produced, "Bounce". Some new tunes include some by Gotee Records alumnus Verbs ("New Day" featuring Syntyst) and John Reuben with "Bobblehead". New artist spotlights The Procussions with "Introducing...What's Your Name (Remix)", Catherine "Catt" Gallop (one of Grits' featured background singers from Dichotomy A & B, and a recording artist on their 5E Entertainment label) with the soulful song, "Fear No Evil", featuring Grits member, Teron "Bonafide" Carter and legendary underground hip-hop supergroup, 4th Avenue Jones, hits them upside the head with "Fabulous Dramatics".
   In closing, Hip Hope Hits 2006 and Gotee Records scores again not only with lovers of Christian rap, but with the Kingdom of Heaven. Praise the Lord!!!!



2. I'm a consumer of many christian rap albums, i got 2005 (which is also an amazing cd), and just bought 2006 and can't stop listening to it. it has a more R$B sound to a lot of the songs but its very diverse like that. Many artist from the last hip hope hits appear on this album, like pigeon john, t-bone, dj maj, john reuben, 4th avenue jones, LAS, KJ-52, Mars-ill, toby mac, verbs, liquid and of course grits. There is however a couple of new artist on the cd. There are a lot of other great christian rap artist maybe not as well known. Higher Ground: Hip-Hop Reformed & Reborn is another cd i would suggest to get to listen to other artist. Also are no artist from the cross movement, they all have really good separate cds out. The DVD is alright that comes with the cd, i just wish there were more music videos from these artist.



3. HipHope 2006 is a great album. I've got already an earlier edition from HipHope, and it is my most favourite cd. This record is that good as wel, and maybe even better. I like to hear music like DJ Maj, Grits, LA Symphony and T-bone, so this album gives me a lot of good hiphop songs with at the same time good christian lyrics. If we had no christmas in one month I would buy it now!
   
   AJ Hill