The King Ray Version
label: sungate

producers: t-rex, bill 'reborn' hagans, jr, clarence 'truth' rabb, sho'tyme, i.v. duncan iii, red suhn, others.

guests: cash hollistah, 02 of united souls, reconcile, chosen1 of mass reality, sho'tyme of resistance, others.
year of release: 2003
Having listened through this album, perhaps "The King Ray Version" as a title is a play on 'The King James [version]' - it may well be a reference to the Bible. Then again, it may be a reference to the fact that yes, King Ray is what you might call a 'Christian Rapper' but this is his version of what such a label entails. You could be forgiven for not discerning that Christian themes are central to this album; for instance the "Intro" seems to lack in the humility that might be associated with Christianity as it claims that "Every year an artist comes along that makes a seminal album that changes the way we think about music…they make an album that blows everyone away, which in turn inspires a brand new generation of artists…[and this is one of those albums]." Nonetheless, the religious imprint is definitely there, and apparent on most of the tracks, and while the "Intro" might overstate the impact this album is likely to have, King Ray's 'version' of Christian rap includes more than Biblical referencing and religious beliefs.

tracklisting
1. Intro
2. Bounce To It
3. S-U-N-Gate feat. Cash Hollistah
4. C'Mon: The King Ray Version
5. That's Right
6. Do You Want More!!??!!
7. Promise feat. 02, RC-3
8. I Just Wanna Luv Ya Girl
9. Cool Ray (Session)
10. Repentin'
11. Word Spoken
12. Touch Da Mic
13. Back Up feat. Cash Hollistah, 02
14. Beatbox (Session)
15. No Doubt feat. Reconcile, Chosen1
16. Bounce feat. Sho'Tyme
17. Revolution feat. Red Shun, 02, Fedelity
18. C'mon: The Remix feat. Double Edge, Tripartite Vandal, Cash Hollistah, 02, 7th Element
"The King Ray Version" is one of those independently produced albums that succeed in sounding like any major label release. The production is very well mastered and mixed down, and King Ray sounds like a seasoned rapper with his vocals at the right level, and a certain casual confidence in his flow. Tracks such as "S-U-N-Gate" (featuring Cash Hollistah; produced by Bill 'Reborn' Hagans) showcase the level of talent that King Ray's producing associates have - the beat is multi-layered with strings and guitars, and has a movie-music feel to it, while both Ray and Cash Hollistah provide lyrics that give more than a nod to Christian religious intentions but stay simply positive rather than preachy.
"Promise" (featuring 02 of United Souls and RC-3) and "I Just Wanna Luv Ya Girl" follow one another around the mid-point of the album, and are both love songs which further emphasise the individuality of King Ray's 'Version' of that thing called Christian rap. The message behind both tracks is an expression of respect to the (possibly hypothetical) woman in King Ray's life, and to women in general. King Ray doesn't feel the need to mention Christian 'rules' as regards relationships between men and women; instead he simply conveys the requirement that they deserve respect and help in finding a place in 'God's plan'.
Among the album's standouts are the two 'session' tracks; the first is the "Cool Ray (Session)", which has King Ray's improvised spoken-word vocals over similarly improvised piano and electrical organ keys. The second is the "Beatbox (Session)" on which King Ray freestyles over a competent bassline and drum beatbox by Reconcile.
The production throughout the second half of the album ranges from steel drums and strange effects (bubbles popping?) on "Repentin'" (produced by Red Suhn) to tripping piano keys over a bouncing bassline on "Bounce" (featuring and produced by Sho'Tyme), and each track sounds refreshingly different from the last while King Ray and his associates use different approaches to convey their positive Christian messages. The problem as the album nears its close, however, is not that the messages on the album become repetitive or grating, but simply that the album itself (at eighteen full tracks) runs too long.
Perhaps attributable to his Christian humility (of a sort), King Ray raps with all the confidence of a veteran, but manages to stay away from the arrogance characteristic of a lot of Hip Hop. Whether he is warning others that his faith makes him stronger (on "Back Up" - featuring Cash Hollistah and 02; produced by I.V. Duncan III) or asking forgiveness from his transgressions (on "Word-Spoken" - produced by Sho'Tyme), his 'Version' of that strange beast Christian Rap doesn't bring this album to the heights it promises in the "Intro", but it does make it a solid release.
review: cornerstone
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