I wanna start this review by saying that I’ve not been a big fan of Christian hip-hop.  Actually, I’ve tended to pass on it more times than not.  And that had nothing to do with whether it’s “legit” hip-hop or anything like that… I’ve just never been bananas for hip-hop– Christian or secular.  I’ve had about 5 good jams and I was done.

But, when I took a listen to The Big Picture, the newest album from Da’ T.R.U.T.H. (in stores on July 21st), I was ASTOUNDED (and a little annoyed cuz I’ll now have to go back and listen to every holy hip-hop album in the market, just to make sure I ain’t missing something!).   Da’ T.R.U.T.H. is a masterful lyricist.  His words aren’t just fun and clever– they challenge your understanding of God, while encouraging you to consider Him in different ways.  That’s something that no amount of squallin’ and riffin’ has been able to do for me.

But just in case you want some good singin’, he also does an excellent job of featuring great vocalists, who sing some very catchy hooks.  It’s GOOD MUSIC.  Guest artists on the project include Kirk Franklin, Tye Tribbett, J.R., and Tia Pittman.

Stand-out tracks for me: “I AM Legend,” a dramatic reminder of who God is; “Lost,” the album’s first single and an acknowledgement of where we’d be without Him (with an infectious hook); “Fantasy,” a challenge to us to value Jesus above all else; and my personal favorite, “Can I Talk To You,” an electronic track with an evangelistic message.  I’m also LOVING “Worship,” “Wall,” “How Long,” and a remixed version of his hit single, “Reward.”

THIS WEEK ONLY: You can listen to the full album at www.newreleasetuesday.com and post your comments about the record!

Folks, I STRONGLY urge you to buy this album (and I cannot stress it enough).  At the very least, make sure you listen to it at the link above, or catch snippets at his official MySpace page.  You won’t be disappointed by this instant classic.  I’m a full supporter.

Word has it that the new album from Da’ T.R.U.T.H., titled The Big Picture, is so hot it’ll burn ya if you’re not careful.  LOL

I listened to it several times this past weekend and, though it falls under the category of “holy hip-hop,” it’s got a little something for everyone– great beats, great singing, infectious hooks… I think it’s kinda amazing.

The album hits stores on July 21st and features guest spots from folks like Kirk Franklin, Tye Tribbett, Trip Lee, Tia Pittman, J.R., and more.

I’m doing a full review soon, but I wanted to give you guys a heads-up NOW.  More details comin’…

Xist Worldwide has partnered with Royal Caribbean International and Travel Network Group to present its first Xist Urban Gospel Cruise, scheduled to depart from Miami on September 17, 2010 (that’s NEXT year, folks), with port calls at Coco Cay and Nassau, Bahamas, before returning on September 20th.

The performance line-up is expected to include Coko, DeWayne Woods, 21:03, JR, Mali Music, Sean Simmonds, Karima Kibble, T-Bone and many more.  The cruise will also feature a choir competition, daily praise & worship, and a new artist showcase.

Visit http://www.xistgospelcruise.com for more info.

I get sooooo easily seasick, but this line-up makes a brotha wanna take some Dramamine and make my way!

Has anybody ever gone on a gospel cruise?  Anyone planning to check this one out?  Holla at me.

THIS dude is a great artist.  You’ve heard me mention J.R. before (click here to see my recap from the Urban Soul Cafe event during the Stellar Awards weekend).

This single, “Not A Slave,” from J.R.’s most recent album, Life By Stereo, has done very well in the industry, even earning a Dove Award nomination for Urban Recorded Song.

And here’s the video for it– good concept, full of energy and tastefully produced.  It’s simple enough, which is refreshing, but still grabs your attention.

You like???

The nominees for the 40th Annual Dove Awards are in!  Some major gospel artists have been nominated in the biggest categories: Marvin Sapp is nominated for Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, Mary Mary is up for Group of the Year, and Jonathan Nelson is a nominee for New Artist of the Year.

Other notable nominees include Damita Haddon, Grits, J.R. (remember him?  he’s the dude that performed at the Urban Soul Cafe during the Stellar Awards weekend that I came back raaaaving about), Kirk Franklin, Bishop Paul Morton, Regina Belle, Hezekiah Walker, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Take 6, Tye Tribbett, Deitrick Haddon… gee whiz… a little of everybody.

I’m annoyed by the absence of two groups from the list of nominees: Ashmont Hill and 21:03.  Both groups are awesome and gave us some great music in the past year.  So… what’s going on here?!  But, I’m not boycotting… yet.

Click here to see the full list of nominees!  Fan voting, which commences later this week, will determine the winners in the Artist of the Year and New Artist of the Year categories.  More on that later.

Thoughts, anyone???

Oh, by the way: the show airs LIVE on Thursday, April 23rd at 8pm ET on Gospel Music Channel.

If you find a major gospel music weekend, you’re probably gonna find an Urban Soul Cafe event.  They’re put on by Carlos Hale & Preacher Kid (aka “PK”).  This particular one was held at B.B. King’s.

The event was honoring Jacky Clark-Chisholm, whose daughter, Angel Chisholm, sang the daylights out of a tribute song.  Can we… uhh… get an album from you?

I wanna highlight TWO indie artists who performed that night and who are incredibly gifted.  I hope you’ll check ‘em out cuz they represent some GREAT music in the underground scene.  Jai is a phenomenal musical powerhouse, with tons of personality and charisma to boot.  Check out her MySpace page (better than many MAJOR recording artists) by clicking here. Then, there’s J.R., another gifted writer, singer and performer.  His MySpace page (also phenomenal) is here.  Make sure you listen to “Not A Slave” from him.  Both artists are St. Louis-based and have a refreshing sound.  Jai sounds like Missy Elliott merged into gospel and J.R. is like an Outkast meets gospel, but both are original and creative and unique and… just GREAT.  Check them out.  Plus, I met both of ‘em and they’re confident, but humble, which is great to see.  I may try to feature them at some point.

Okay, back to the show… a bunch of Zomba Gospel artists were also in the house and performed: Kirk Franklin with Da T.R.U.T.H., 21:03, Crystal Aikin and Shari Addison.

All in all, the show was fun, but crowded.  Somehow, I ended up sitting next to Kirk Franklin, which meant A LOT of fans coming over and speaking, and even more fans coming over and ACTING like they’re doing something else, but really just staring and being weird.  I left with the Zomba Gospel folks, and it was laaaaate… like 2am or something.  EXHAUSTING, but a great way to end the day!

Make sure to check back for photos in the 2009 Stellar Awards Weekend Photo Gallery!  And get ready for what happened on Saturday, the day of the show!

Back in a minute!