So for the past few weeks I have been pumping up the sophomore album by Sho Baraka Lions and Liars it almost looks as if I sweat Sho more than I do Jesus. Nothing could be further (farther?) from the truth. I love Jesus Christ and I love my friends and family. The main reason I have been sweating this release is because of a strong bond I have with my friends and family especially through a mutual love for Hip Hop music. Since I have become a stronger Christian, I have yet to really talk to my friends and family about my faith, not because I am ashamed (Romans 1:16) but because I don't feel that my Bible knowledge is on par with some of the questions I may get. Don't get me wrong my faith is not blind, it's rooted in the Word. I just can't quote it perfectly or point somebody to en exact scripture to help them understand all that I know to be the truth. That's where Sho Baraka comes in for me.
I have always claimed to be a Christian, but it was a few years ago that God really pulled me back to him through a series of events (another blog). I had to stop listening to Hip Hop that I had always loved because of the messages they were sending. A few years prior I had been watching BET and a song called "Jesus Music" came on and the beat was hot and the MC's flow was serious. This was a cat named Lecrae. Fast forward a few years and that video was on my mind, it was stuck to me. I looked Crae up and purchased his CD After the Music Stops. I was blown away. At a time when God was tugging on my heart, I was blessed to hear hot beats, hot flow but the content was like a sermon on every song. Christian Hip Hop calls it lyrical theology but it was mixed into language and situations that young people go through. I was hooked. But to be honest, there were a few songs where I thought...the production was little weak. Again when I heard this it was around the time Jay-Z's American Gangster was released so the production I was comparing it to was phenomenal. Lecrae's album introduced me to the 116 Clique he is a part of which also includes; Trip Lee, Tedashii and Sho Baraka. As these cats dropped more and more albums the lyrics were always hot, but the beats and the production got better and better to the point where it was darn near on par with secular rap. Then Sho dropped Barakaology and changed the game. I'll go in on that one later. Long story short(er)...Lions and Liars dropped yesterday. I woke up at 2am to catch a flight and immediately downloaded L&L straight to my iPod Touch (may God bless Steve Jobs). I rocked it all the way from SW Fl to Cali. Below are my thoughts.
The album starts out with a definition of extinction, throughout the album Sho speaks about being a Lion and the King of your respective Jungle, wherever God puts you. It looks at Christians who are Lions for the faith as on the path to extinction or at least heading there.
From there Sho jumps right in with Lion's Anthem with his usual witty metaphors and one liners Sho talks about how Lawyers, Salesmen, Bakers and others are Lions for their faith in whatever field God has placed them. On the next song Famous Sho brings in Erica Cumbo to open annihilate the hook. This songs signify the difference between Christian Hip Hip and secular hip hip. Sho goes in on how his goal is not to lift himself up but instead ad the chorus goes "I just want to make You famous!" speaking to Jesus. Vastly different from regular hip hop where it is always about glorifying ones self.
The next track is a rock infused song featuring After Edmund and Lecrae called Shut Us Down. This song goes superhard! Focused on how haters are trying to hold back Christian Hip Hop back. To me this goes to all the secular DJs who say they love Hip Hop...if you love Hip Hop and the musicianship you can't continue to sleep on this music. As well as Christians who hate on CHH (Christian Hip Hop) and try to keep it out of the church just because it's different from what they know.
Up next, We Can Be More...check out the vid below, speaks for itself.
If I keep ranting this blog will be crazy long. So I am going to focus the rest of the blog on a few more extremely powerful songs. Don't get me wrong...if you skip the songs I am not getting into here you are shorting yourself something serious. I was reading other review and was like "why aren't they going in on every song" as I write this I realize that I don't want to give EVERYTHING away.
The next one I will speak on is Liar's Anthem the opposite of Lion's Anthem speaks on secular rap with the hook of "pimpin, pimpin, murda, murda, sell drugs". This goes in HARD on secular rap and the messages it pumps into its listeners. When I used to listen to a lot of secular rap I always was thinking...It aint bad music, it just tells it like it is...As the blinders have come off I realized that it truly did affect the way I acted and thought. I beg you to listen to the truth on this track.
The last one I will comment on is Revolutionary Died. This beat is CRAZY...the piano in it reminded me of a classic hip hop song by, of all names, Smif-n-Wessun...(lyrical giants but the beats never really matched up). But the content is about being REAL MEN, men who are role models to other men, who appreciate girl friends and wives, gringding in real jobs not drugs and crime, takin care of their kids instead of walking out. This song really sums up the entire album to me. The beginning of a revolution...living lives that God intended and still desires. This doesn't mean everyone needs to be preachers and going around beating the Bible into each other. But live Godly lives that allow God's light to shine through us and make our lives a living testimony to the love he shares. Of course we will ALWAYS make mistakes but the allow us to show how God's never ending Grace is present in our lives as well.
The rest of the album is just as good with a few bonus tracks that Sho has as well. Give it a listen, I am buying a few extra copies to give out to people I love that I know love hip hop as well. Sho's album will help me bless others buy listening to great hip hop that focuses on God.
I have always claimed to be a Christian, but it was a few years ago that God really pulled me back to him through a series of events (another blog). I had to stop listening to Hip Hop that I had always loved because of the messages they were sending. A few years prior I had been watching BET and a song called "Jesus Music" came on and the beat was hot and the MC's flow was serious. This was a cat named Lecrae. Fast forward a few years and that video was on my mind, it was stuck to me. I looked Crae up and purchased his CD After the Music Stops. I was blown away. At a time when God was tugging on my heart, I was blessed to hear hot beats, hot flow but the content was like a sermon on every song. Christian Hip Hop calls it lyrical theology but it was mixed into language and situations that young people go through. I was hooked. But to be honest, there were a few songs where I thought...the production was little weak. Again when I heard this it was around the time Jay-Z's American Gangster was released so the production I was comparing it to was phenomenal. Lecrae's album introduced me to the 116 Clique he is a part of which also includes; Trip Lee, Tedashii and Sho Baraka. As these cats dropped more and more albums the lyrics were always hot, but the beats and the production got better and better to the point where it was darn near on par with secular rap. Then Sho dropped Barakaology and changed the game. I'll go in on that one later. Long story short(er)...Lions and Liars dropped yesterday. I woke up at 2am to catch a flight and immediately downloaded L&L straight to my iPod Touch (may God bless Steve Jobs). I rocked it all the way from SW Fl to Cali. Below are my thoughts.
The album starts out with a definition of extinction, throughout the album Sho speaks about being a Lion and the King of your respective Jungle, wherever God puts you. It looks at Christians who are Lions for the faith as on the path to extinction or at least heading there.
From there Sho jumps right in with Lion's Anthem with his usual witty metaphors and one liners Sho talks about how Lawyers, Salesmen, Bakers and others are Lions for their faith in whatever field God has placed them. On the next song Famous Sho brings in Erica Cumbo to open annihilate the hook. This songs signify the difference between Christian Hip Hip and secular hip hip. Sho goes in on how his goal is not to lift himself up but instead ad the chorus goes "I just want to make You famous!" speaking to Jesus. Vastly different from regular hip hop where it is always about glorifying ones self.
The next track is a rock infused song featuring After Edmund and Lecrae called Shut Us Down. This song goes superhard! Focused on how haters are trying to hold back Christian Hip Hop back. To me this goes to all the secular DJs who say they love Hip Hop...if you love Hip Hop and the musicianship you can't continue to sleep on this music. As well as Christians who hate on CHH (Christian Hip Hop) and try to keep it out of the church just because it's different from what they know.
Up next, We Can Be More...check out the vid below, speaks for itself.
If I keep ranting this blog will be crazy long. So I am going to focus the rest of the blog on a few more extremely powerful songs. Don't get me wrong...if you skip the songs I am not getting into here you are shorting yourself something serious. I was reading other review and was like "why aren't they going in on every song" as I write this I realize that I don't want to give EVERYTHING away.
The next one I will speak on is Liar's Anthem the opposite of Lion's Anthem speaks on secular rap with the hook of "pimpin, pimpin, murda, murda, sell drugs". This goes in HARD on secular rap and the messages it pumps into its listeners. When I used to listen to a lot of secular rap I always was thinking...It aint bad music, it just tells it like it is...As the blinders have come off I realized that it truly did affect the way I acted and thought. I beg you to listen to the truth on this track.
The last one I will comment on is Revolutionary Died. This beat is CRAZY...the piano in it reminded me of a classic hip hop song by, of all names, Smif-n-Wessun...(lyrical giants but the beats never really matched up). But the content is about being REAL MEN, men who are role models to other men, who appreciate girl friends and wives, gringding in real jobs not drugs and crime, takin care of their kids instead of walking out. This song really sums up the entire album to me. The beginning of a revolution...living lives that God intended and still desires. This doesn't mean everyone needs to be preachers and going around beating the Bible into each other. But live Godly lives that allow God's light to shine through us and make our lives a living testimony to the love he shares. Of course we will ALWAYS make mistakes but the allow us to show how God's never ending Grace is present in our lives as well.
The rest of the album is just as good with a few bonus tracks that Sho has as well. Give it a listen, I am buying a few extra copies to give out to people I love that I know love hip hop as well. Sho's album will help me bless others buy listening to great hip hop that focuses on God.
