Tag: rap music

J.C. Crew was a hip-hop trio that was a one-and-done situation. They released Serious Bizness on Pakaderm/Word (with mainstream distribution through Epic) in 1991, and then more or less disappeared. Nevertheless, there are a few notable things about the project. The album features a danceable, funky style of hip-hop that was common at the time, meant to rock the party. However, the rapping was actually quite good too. One of the members, Maximillian later released album Deeper than Most through N-Soul in 1997, after a season with T-Bone’s Organized Rhyme Crew.… Continued →

Most of us first heard sintax.the.terrific as a member of hip-hop supergroup Deepspace5, a massive rap cypher featuring members of Mars Ill, Labklik, The Pride, and Ill Harmonics. The group’s debut hit stores in 2001 via Uprok Records (the hip-hop sublabel of Tooth & Nail Records). sintax’s first solo album released in 2006 for Illect Recordings, interestingly enough, run by the former head of the short-lived Uprok, Josh Niemyjski. That is, of course, if we don’t count his 2003 indie release. What’s cool about “Moonlighting” is the autobiographical take on being an independent Christian rapper by night, while being a real-life lawyer by day.… Continued →

One of the larger, more legendary cyphers in Christian hip-hop, L.A. Symphony came to us from where else but Los Angeles. They emerged in the late 90s with a few 12″ singles and a full-length album on member Flynn Adam Atkins’ own independent label Eartube Empire, via which Flynn had also released a full-length solo album earlier. The group’s breakthrough came in the form of 2003’s The End is Now for Gotee Records. I had the privilege of booking/hosting the group for a youth event in Atlanta in the mid-2000s.… Continued →

The most legendary holy hip-hop cipher of them all? Perhaps. Tunnel Rats’ debut Experience (1996) was truly mind-blowing. It’s one of those rare albums where the line between art and artist was completely blurred, if it even existed in the first place. The lyrics (as well as the passion behind them) reflected absolute love of hip-hop music and culture, and absolute love of God and his Gospel. Very few artists, very few albums or artistic endeavors reach that climax of full integration where neither the message nor the artistic medium was compromised in any way whatsoever.… Continued →

Not much is known about this underground hip-hop crew. Their recorded output consists of two independent releases: a cassette demo from 1997, and a full-length CD in 2004 with the moniker shortened to simply “Remnant” (not to be confused with the indie rock band that eventually became Exeter Flud). It was in 1997 or 98 that my good friend Jay (AKA DJ Deikon) who was huge into underground holy hip-hop introduced me to them. I was immediately intrigued by their creative backing tracks and atypical lyrical flow.… Continued →