Reviewed by David Bain

S.O.E. (Son Of Encouragement) has come a long way from his Set Free days. The last five years have seen him working hard on setting up and running a community youth project in London, organising many innovative events designed to reawaken young hears to their own gifting and talents. Adding this to 15 years of experience in the hip-hop field, S.O.E. delivers an album that is crammed full of positive lyrics and street poetry that speaks directly about relying on God and how he can bring you through even the toughest of situations. The beats rumble underneath S.O.E.'s earnest rapping, creating a sly, subtle backdrop to his words. Occasionally, I think, too subtle, but this is made up by excellent guest vocal contributions, adding some soulful flavour. S.O.E. has packed this album with everything he's got, not only lyrically but also in quantity, 22 tracks in total, including some sketchy interludes. This makes an epic album that is tough to listen through in one sitting, but hey, value for money! Another home-grown talent to keep an eye on.

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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