Da' T.R.U.T.H.'s The Whole Truth Review
[xrr rating=2.5/5]
I rarely buy into the hype of signed artists and larger name Christian rappers. I’ve found that usually the indie artists are more hungry and are doing more revolutionary things. That being said, Da T.R.U.T.H. has interested me because the nature of his story. Both him and The Ambassador got caught up in scandals that rocked the Christian Hip Hop community and gave Minister Craig Lewis more ammunition for his bogus claims.
My interest is in part to the fact that both had a very public falling out and a very secretive restoration; I question whether or not they have really been restored as they both chose to sign to a new label instead of continuing with Crossmovement Records. While I don’t want to make assumptions, it would’ve been nice to see the restoration process that is outlined in the Bible and seeing their respective church bodies (and ministry body CMR) bringing them back to the public eye before they moved on.
Because of the nature of all the publicity surrounding the album, I have decided to do something that I rarely do: analyze each song by itself and then give a synopsis of the album. Here it goes, 16 tracks and my review.
“If you decide to buy, please click the artwork above and make sure that I get my referral fees to help the site stay alive. I’m not masking that I will get paid from this, just want to be transparent. Could use the support.”
Lights:
This track has a simple synth line that moves everything forward. The vocal line that is sporadic is haunting. This beat is dumb simple though, and the lack of variation does make it drag a bit. The arrangement isn’t too interesting, and if it weren’t for the lyricism presented, I wouldn’t have liked this song too much.
The lyricism on this track is so stupid. I love how he brings everything that he went through with the public spectacle surrounding his fallout with Crossmovement, his church and the Christian Hip Hop community at large. I’m not a huge fan of the chorus though. I think that this track is a great introduction to what is about to happen. It really does help to gain some perspective. Even his requesting forgiveness while he expresses why he understands why some won’t was sobering. Dope track.
Impossible (feat AD3):
Guitars and a hard rock boom bap is what brings this track together. The vocal/synth hits on 2 and 4 really do keep this track together. The break that happens every 8 bars could be a little stronger. I really do appreciate some of the breaks in the track that add interest to the track. I’m not 100% sold on the track, I’ve heard quite a few better than this recently and expected more from such a big release.
Da T.R.U.T.H.’s flow on the track is impeccable. Stating that “God can do anything if he could save me” gives insight to where Manny considers his walk to be prior to salvation. Lyrically he brings biblical truths as always, it’s just fun to listen to. I’m not a huge fan of the chorus, I think it is a little too autotuned especially considering that the trend is fading out.
Without God:
Once I heard this beat come on, I was hooked. This isn’t your normal Christian Hip Hop track as it has a lot of rock influence on it. The guitars lead the track forward and it really does scream. I like that this sounds live…if this is programmed, this is some of the best programming that I’ve ever heard. The mix is very rock sounding, and it does present a new sound that isn’t too common in the genre. The producer knocked this one out of the park.
I’m digging the chorus on this track, though I think it is lacking some screamo influence. I would’ve loved to hear some hard rocker on this really bringing the track together. I understand the need for rapped choruses, but unlike the last 2 tracks, I really do think this one needed a little singing, even if it was only in the backgrounds. So far, I’m 3 tracks in and have no complaints regarding flow/lyricism/presence. If this continues, I think it’s going to be a pretty dope album.
Freedom (feat Donielle Rodwell):
String chops start this track off. It sounds very epic. The drum rolls in the beginning really does make it sound like a war march. Unfortunately, when the kick hits, there is quite the disappointment. I expected more, and it disappointed me a lot. I want it to make my stomach turn. So close to being a dope beat, but the kick and the lack of a great arrangement hurt my feelings on the track. Everything but the strings chops are so under pronounced that it doesn’t keep my interest. If it weren’t for the vocals, I wouldn’t really like this track. The 3rd verse does have some interesting chops, but in light of the music for “Without God” it just didn’t shine. The synths in the 3rd verse was just too little too late.
Donielle Rodwell does her thing on this track. I really like her voice on this track. The 2nd freedom does sound a little off beat. I know it was done on purpose, but I’m not sure if I agree with the decision completely. On this track, Da T.R.U.T.H. began to weary me. I wasn’t feeling the lyricism on this track the way I felt the rest. I think this track had a lot of potential but fell a little short. If it weren’t for the timbre of Donielle’s voice, I’m not sure if I would’ve liked this track at all.