Derek Minor - Empire

Music is subjective. It's what makes talking about music so much fun. What one person thinks is the greatest record ever, someone else will think is complete garbage. And that extends to people who listen to music in the same genre, as well as to those with different tastes in music. The conversations about what is great and what isn't could go on forever and no matter how much two people, at some point they will disagree.

Which brings us to Empire. I've read some cliff notes reviews that were all hype about Derek Minor's new record. "2015's first gem" and "great" were terms used to describe Empire. But I just don't see that...

To be fair to Derek Minor, I didn't like Lecrae at first either. It took a couple of records. But with the hype surrounding Empire, I thought for sure I'd love it! Reach Records had been on a roll. But much like Minor's previous release, Minorville, I'm a little ho-hum on Empire.

On Minorville, I loved Gimme. It had a great hook and felt fresh. But there wasn't a whole lot else on that record that I connected with. On Empire, I love the title track! It's a real standout. And thankfully, it's not the only track that I dig on Empire. But Empire is definitely my favorite track. It's the Gimme of Empire.

The beat on Kingdom Come is fresh. It has a great vibe that reminds me of Busta Rhymes and Nas. Slow Down took a couple of listens, and I still don't care for the hook, but the verses hit hard and even though it feels like a trap song, there's something about the rhyming style that I find myself enjoying. Stranger is the song Minor wrote in response to Ferguson and NY and touches on racism in the church. It's the kind of impassioned lyrics that I wish I was hearing more of from Derek Minor. There's pain and anger behind the words and delivery and it makes the song compelling in a way that I don't hear throughout Empire. Minor's delivery on Save Me is straight vicious and violent and I love it! But the song as a whole just doesn't grab me. It's like I wish the beat or hook was different. The laid back vibe of Oceans is nice and I like the guitar flourishes.

I like the Empire reaches out and has collaborations you might not expect. Guest appearances from Anthony Evans, Colton Dixon, Move Aside add to the usual Reach characters like Lecrae and Tedashii.

It's not that Empire is a bad record. It's just not my taste in hip-hop. I like it more than Minorville, so the needles moving in the right direction. It just goes to show you, you never know what you might or might not like. No matter what anybody else says.

3.5 out of 5 Stars

Lecrae - Anomaly

How do you follow-up a masterpiece? That's what Lecrae is attempting to do on Anomaly. While Gravity might have been a stepping stone to bigger and better things for Lecrae (and not gotten nearly the attention it should've!), in my opinion the record was a true piece of art with no flaws.

Honestly, Anomaly didn't grab me the same way that Gravity did. Gravity came out the box swinging with a vengeance. Don't get me wrong, I love the first couple of tracks on Anomaly, but they didn't come out as "powerful" as the first track on Gravity, and I wondered if Lecrae was going to deliver a record that would be strong and as compelling top to bottom as Gravity.

Where I felt like Gravity was addressing cultural and was in album that was about affecting change in the world and being honest with ourselves and who we are, Anomaly feels more like a personal record. Songs of struggles and past failures work as a platform that gives Lecrae more credibility to speak on the cultural issues he brought up on Gravity.

The bulk of the album is just Lecrae, deciding to take on most of the vocal duties instead of filling the record up with guest features. Anomaly is Lecrae's space to shine and make his voice heard. The lone verse feature is Andy Mineo, who lends his talents to Say I Won't. Crystal Nicole, For King and Country add their vocals to hooks on Give In and Messengers, but it's Kari Jobe's angelic voice that sings the hook on Broken that is the shining feature on Anomaly. It's one of the best moments of the record.

On Outsider, Lecrae seems to realize his place on the outside looking in as a Christian. America is one of the cultural songs on Anomaly, taking on the idea of America the great. The lyrics are biting and powerful. Dirty Water calls for christians to do a better job taking care of those around them, where they live. Good, Bad, Ugly is an emotional song where Lecrae talks about pressuring a former girlfriend to get an abortion and his feelings post decision. It's that real talk where Lecrae's credibility is built.

Whatever praise and recognition Anomaly gets, Lecrae deserves it. The lyrically honesty, and desire to see a difference made in the world is evident in each and every song. Lecrae is the real deal! 5 out of 5 Stars!

Tedashii - Below Paradise

I didn't think I was going to like Below Paradise. I haven't given Tedashii a ton of time in the past but what I've heard I've been a little ho-hum on. Sure, I've grown into more of a fan of the "mainstream" hip-hop sound, but honestly, I didn't really think Below Paradise was going to do anything for me.

But I've listened to Below Paradise start to finish a dozen times now. Just because it's that enjoyable.

From time signature and tempo changes, to great hooks and catchy choruses, and hard hitting, introspective rhymes, Below Paradise is a super interesting take and twist on what hip-hip is. It might not be fresh and original, but it's interesting. It's a musical journey and as a listener you're not sure what's coming next. And I love that.

The album's first two singles seem obvious, but both are great. Dark Days, Darker Nights, featuring pop powerhouse Britt Nicole, is a hard hitting, brutal assault, in all the right ways. Great guitar undertones far in the back of the mix that adds a nice layer to drums and Tedashii's verses. Nicole's hook is nice and creates a balance in the song. The second single, Nothing I Can't Do, features Reach Records' top two heavy hitters (Lecrae and Trip Lee). Lee's hook is catchy and it makes sense why this was the first video for the album. If I were picking singles, Fire Away would be my choice for the album's third single. It's the most "pop" song on the record. A little more dance flair, with a super catchy hook and dramatic tempo changes that make it an interesting song that would stand out on the radio. It's my favorite track on the album.

Angels and Demons is a great worshipful track. The strings on the hook that accompany the line "Holy Spirit come" is a beautiful dynamic change. Love Never Leaves is a perfect hip-hop ballad. Kam Parker's vocals on Perfect jump out of the speakers. Catch Me If You Can has a little bit of dancehall influence. It's another track the standouts because it's interesting and intricate. It's not a verse, hook, verse, hook, formula. The simple instrumentation in Chase add to Tim Halperin's vocals and close out the record on an absolutely beautiful note.

Below Paradise has been on repeat nonstop for the last week. Catchy, interesting, great lyrics, intricate beats, and beautiful songs. It's everything one could want from a hip-hop record. Well done!