It's not often you see a rap album reviewed in these pages. You've got several thousand pounds of rap influence in the latest rapcore musical hybrid, where bands like Project 86, .rod laver, EDL, and POD are bridging the rap/hard music gap. The last big artist to do something huge and hard was XL & DBD. While this is not one such hard music hybrid, one song that is reason for the hard music enthusiast to lend an ear is the question, "Is This A Dream?" which features none other than Project 86 on hand for musical love. It's cool how the song just keeps building and building. A full two minutes go by before the guitars kick in and knock you against the back wall. This album, showcasing the return of SFC rapper Chris Cooper, is a good collection of rapped rhymes and legit beats. These sounds will find respect and an instant street cred, because it's got instant attitude. (street cred and attitude, for the uninitiated, is what Stephen Wiley's "Bible Rap" did NOT have 13 years ago!)
Like the acclaimed SFC project, Saved Man in the Jungle, these songs have great production, mixing sound effects and beats creatively and with lots of energy. However, this is a new entity and a new identity for Chris Cooper. Sup (pronounced like "soup," kinda like short for "super") lays down some very thoughtful and, at times, very humorous lyrics. You'll hear current references everywhere, such as movies like The Matrix ("Zone"), Samuel L. Jackson ("My Shot"), and much commentary on the music industry ("Walls" and the funny "Venality"). Anything that's current and in the minds of anyone under 40 is fair game for SUP's humorous stream of consciousness. He won't let you get bored with his rhymes.
I listen to everything that comes through this office (at least once), so I end up hearing a lot of rap and hip-hop. This album is one of the few that I enjoy.
Other coverage for this album
ReAL Magazine 2000Reviewed by Shawna T.I will admit I am a very new fan to the rap & hip-hop scene. But Sup (pronounced soup) the Chemist has made me a fan. His debut CD, Dust, offers a wide range of artistic style--and provides the world of hip hop with an outstanding work. Sup is a genius rapper and storyteller--providing an amazing musical experience during each listen. The lyrics are deep and profound, more so than most rappers.…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Michial FarmerAs long as there has been Christian rap, there's been Chris Cooper. Originally known as Super C, the frontman for the group SFC, he's arguably done more for the genre than anyone in Christendom. And now he's back, this time under the alias of "Sup the Chemist." Cooper's debut album on BEC Recordings, Dust, is an all-star affair, featuring performances from Gene Eugene (Adam Again), Slerp (LA…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Tommy JollyIt's thrilling to see that Sup the Chemist (formerly Super C) has finally found a new label and released a new album. As leader of the pioneering Christian hip-hop act SFC, Sup produced a series of innovative and thought-provoking albums in the early 1990s. This climaxed in 1992 with Phase III, an album that still ranks among the finest Christian albums of the past decade--this despite the fact…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Josh MarihughThis is the future of rap music: Post-apocalyptic, discordant tones and off-tempo rapping layered over thumping bass beats. Wait...this is the FUTURE of rap? Many props to Sup, aka Super C of classic Christian rap band SFC, but his boasting of his skills' superiority seems to be misplaced, given how mismatched the rhymes seem to be with the rhythm. His delivery has the off-tempo, staccato feel…Similar sounding releases
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