producers: mg! the visionary

guests: 3np!, robin banks, othello, manchild, eric westbrook, trinity, page one, playdough, others.

Sometimes you get a record where you are puzzled about the name: if this is a solo effort or a compilation, what's the title, or what the heck?? This is one of those cases. In our offices we agreed on treating this as an album, by a artist, despite that all kinds of people are on here, and 'Sinner's Prayer' seems to be a 'special' kinda of name. Nevertheless, digging into the cover, you will find hints that behind Sinner's Prayer, MG! The Visionary pulled the strings. However, the trouble does not end there: what's the name of the album? The label says that it's "Hip Hop Praise And Worship", but 'and worship' is not printed on the cover. But "Phase One: Declaring War" is, so, well, hmmm......

Aight, that outta the way we can focus on the music, and the title is rightfully preparing us for what we are being given on this album: Gospels. In all kinds of ways. Obviously content wise, as this is one album of 'hip hop praise', but also musically, as the opening track "Lord I Lift Your Name On High" is featuring a rather funky celebrating feel. But that's even furthered on the very cool "As The Deer", that's just a happy tune, making you immediately feel just as good. And this shall have us say that you need to listen to this album in an more open minded state, not expecting some head nod, boom bap hip hop album, but some musical experience, that might have more than a couple of splendid surprises hidden behind its back.

That's why a track like "Talk About Suffering" is progressing in voodoo kind of ways, as MG! takes care of the rhyming, with Robin singing, Nickels handling the DJ duties and Chad playing the bass. And everyone plays an equal part in the progress of the track, resulting in something that would make sense being played live, as it's not sounding like something conserved in a can. Next up is "'Tis So Sweet", and suddenly you will go: 'yo, wait a minute'. Yip, what we are getting here are also church songs that are now hip hop-inized. Sometimes the chorus is the only thing that remains, like on here where MG! and Manchild (of Mars Ill) take up the big portion with their rhyming. Things continue cool on "Awesome God", another musical offering with the guitar by Chris Reeves, the singing of Eric Westbrook and Kim Brazie, that's combined with the rhymes of Othello and The Visionary.

Next things get more straight up hip hop, as Trinity and Smoke Malto Dexetrin of Oldominion, Page One and MG! team up over a rather hard beat, calling the song "Sinner's Prayer (Willie's Theme)". We are then returning to the style of the other tracks on "Open The Eyes Of My Heart", that is having a strange folk feel to it. And once more we are surprised how much we like it. A surprise that is unnecessary on "Mellow", as we are just very fond of Robin Banks' singing, and her returning, with some help from Kim Brazier, makes the track another one of our favorites, with MG! doing everything right to keep this song in soulful waters. Back to straighter fields goes "Holiness", before Robin returns, along with Manchild, also adding Pauly Paul and MG!, on "Heart Of Worship". This could even be a club track with a growling sound at the bottom, showing MG!'s versatility, that is not using Robin's voice to best results though on here. Maybe too alienating is "Arms Of Love", as we are listening to Holly Cambell who has a guitar in her hands and she sings this praising track. This is just a little too post-hippie folk for a 'hip hop praise' record, not intending to take anything away from it though.

Now the last track then goes for the blow in the stomach, complete with gunshot sound effects. On "Liteshine (Declaring War)" Page One, Pauly Paul, Mo, Playdough, Manchild, Othello and MG! team up to spit some words over this gritty beat. And this track rounds out a rather surprising, versatile record, that just convinces us with its honesty, with the graspable determination these people are saying these words. Hence there's a lot of soul in here, as well as some possible to alienate praise to their God. So whatever this record is, compilation, album, project or something, the end result is a good one.