Reviewed by David Bain

KJ-52 drops another slammer of an album capturing many of the issues dealt with in the life of this prominent, commercial rapper and producer. Allegedly the highest selling Christian hip-hop act out there, it is not surprising that we are treated to monster production and slick tunes from start to finish. Big tune, "I Won't Ever Stop"
featuring Goldinchild, speaks true of KJ-52's attitude to keep churning out top-notch stuff in the face of mainstream ridicule, perhaps notable his appeals to his counterpart, Eminem. It's tough to pick out the hot cuts from the mass of quality tunes on offer. "Do Yo Thang" is a straight up party number, "It Ain't Easy" rumbles along with an infectious hook on the chorus and the closing "Take Every Part Of Me" displays KJ-52's ability to weave his lyrics into heartfelt prayer. Producing the majority of this album, KJ-52 demonstrates astonishing talent, crunching through groove-ridden beats to live rock-rap numbers. I don't think every hip-hop fan will dig the eclectic mash-up of styles. But, once you get past the misguided attempt to span every possible genre of hip-hop related music in one record, there are such gems as the poignant track "Fanmail", partly written by troubled fans, and the encouraging "You Can Still Come Back" reminding us of God's forgiveness. For extra kicks, the Enhanced Release comes with an additional DVD, featuring music videos and diary flicks. Looking back through any yearbook is going to be a bit of a mixed bag. KJ-52 condenses all of that into one album and pulls it off.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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