Various Artists
Street Life, Not Death
Reviewed by Digiprez
I like surprises. Namely, Street Life, Not Death, a compilation of rap filled with a variety of Baskin Rappers flavors: g-funk, east coast and midwest. With a little R&B in the mix, this is thoroughly an impressive collection. Throughout, the message is simple: "Get saved"--seen in cuts like "BMW (By My Word)," "Watchagonnado" and "Newsoul." Tracks like "Deliver Me" and "Have Mercy" are modern day Psalms in their frankness with God, expressed as prayers. Sprinkled throughout the CD are snippets of commentary, presented in a way that definitely relates to today's generation: "This generation is not going to listen to choir music. They need rap music. So we're just going to take the Word of God, we're going to put it in the rap music, we're going to put it on the streets, and we're going to save some souls." 'Nuff said. Any questions?