As 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 Symphony), Project 86, Mike Roe (The 77s), Andy Prickett (The Prayer Chain) and Jon Gibson. With musicians as talented as these, it'd be almost impossible for Sup's album to be boring, and indeed, the tracks he raps over are incredibly well-done.
However, Dust suffers from a common malady of hip-hop records. The songs are incredibly prideful, with Sup boasting of his hip-hop abilities in over three quarters of the tracks. While this kind of bragging may be acceptable in secular hip-hop circles, I find it to be completely contrary to everything Christ stood for, and thus not a good attitude for a Christian to have.
With all the pride and posturing floating around in Dust, then, it's not surprising that the best track is the one where he drops it all and shows his humanity. On "Photographs," Sup raps casually, first about the collapse of a friendship, but he digresses into his feelings for his son, and how he wants to live a Godly life so as to set a good example for him. Another enjoyable track is the closer, "Is This a Dream?," an apocalyptic rapcore track featuring Project 86.
Sup has a great deal of talent, and has the potential to do great things in rap music. However, his music would be much more gratifying if he would stop trying to be the best, and just be candid as in "Photographs."
3 tocks
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 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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