Christian music's answer to Eminem decided to take a stab at the rapcore genre, just as others have been phasing out of it. The debut album from KJ-52's new "group", Peace of Mind, makes for fun, if not exactly intellectually stimulating, listening. Production and musical assistance are provided by two of the strongest names in the business, Pete Stewart (Grammatrain, Tait, the Accident Experiment), and Todd Collins (Gotee Records and a veritable fountain of production credits); because of this, there are few weak musical spots.
The lyrics are KJ's usual blend of humor and seriousness, ranging from the lunatic (the pop-punk-laced elementary/junior-high love song "Will You Go Out With Me?" which is one of my favorite tracks from the album) to the deeply moving "Don't Ever Give Up," which deals with the effects of abuse on a child and his family.
The album's lead single, "I Am," which portrays Christ as the almighty supreme king, is a heavy-riffed prophecy.
I am the son of the most high
I am the one who was crucified
I am who died but is still alive
I am (say his name) I am (c'mon)
-- "I Am"
The only bad track here, if even it could be called that, is "Crucify." This song deals with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but it just doesn't quite have the same power behind it as other songs that have dealt with the subject, such as the Insyderz' "Sacrifice," or even Michael W. Smith's classic "Secret Ambition."
One of my friends, on hearing the album, said, "He should have stuck with hip-hop." I can't totally agree. While KJ's first love may be hip-hop, he proves here that he can turn out at least a decent semblance of rock.
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Other coverage for this album
Decapolis May 2003Reviewed by Chaz MurphyWow. I think that's the first word that came to my head when I first listened to this album. Wow was followed by myself thinking that I couldn't believe someone actually thought that it would be a good idea to put this album out. Peace of Mind is a "rap-rock" but at times R&B sounding group containing KJ-52 and I have no idea who he is but he sucks at rapping and Pete Stewart who used to be in…
