Sharlock Poems - 'Blooming Sounds'
Monday, December 10, 2007
Sharlock Poems - 'Blooming Sounds'
Grade: B
My Latest Discovery: Gospel Rap doesn't have to be wack.
I've been a hip-hop fan for a long time. Through most of the popular peaks and valleys in rap music's history, I've always been in search of songs with a good message but still done with a tasteful approach. Don't get me wrong, Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Blackmoon 'enta da stage' were in the deck when I was a teenager, but I still longed for those positive records like Common Sense 'Resurrection' and The Roots 'Do You Want More?!!!??!'.
My mother always encouraged my thirst for music, even buying my first rap tapes at age 6 which included: Whodini 'Escape', Fat Boys (self titled), Run DMC (self titled), Crush Groove Soundtrack, and Beastie Boys 'License to Ill'. Having an ear not discriminate of new ideas and styles, I've always been interested in hearing whatever crossed my path. Gospel Rap included. Unfortunately, because most gospel rappers didn't expose themselves to most hip-hop, the style was always kind of lame and generally out-dated. Themes would be over saturated with references to Jesus' life, and the music was usually, to say it plainly, just terrible.
Now the hip-hop genre is around 30 years old (respectively), and we have new artists with spiritually positive messages that grew up listening to good hip-hop music. This formula creates room for something that has always been considered an oxymoron among my circle of friends and hip-hop mutual fans... Good Gospel Rap.
Case in hand, left coast collective LA Symphony's Sharlock Poems has released a solo album titled 'Blooming Sounds' with 15 tracks of dope hip-hop music, laced with the good words of personal prosperity and love for fellow humankind. Don't get it twisted, this isn't your typical "bible thumping" experience. SP gets at typical emcees and rides beats with the gusto expected from a dangerous battle rapper intent on claiming his position.
The musical backdrop is beautiful to the ears with production from J. Medeiros, Vintage, Ohmega Watts and 89th Key, all of whom sound like disciples of The Ummah (for those that don't know, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammed & Jay-Dee aka J Dilla). And in tradition with this sound, the winning formula here is beats, rhymes and life.
The opening 'Special Delivery' comes in with a fly piano loop, followed by a simple kick and slap snare similar to drums out of the great Andre Young's lab. With the uplifting 'See It', SP rocks a dope soul sample and keeps his positive theme flowing with a passionate delivery.
The standout tracks for me are 'Come On' & 'Feels Good', both joints worthy of blasting in the summertime with your car windows down, or while entertaining guests at the crib. And the head nodding 'Way Back When' wear SP leaves you with a brief history of his experiences growing up with hip-hop music.
Check out the track 'Special Delivery'
- Arablak
Labels: AlbumReviews
posted by Arablak @ 5:30 AM,
