Search - Kj-52 :: Behind the Musik

THE REAL ENCORE

Brendon James | Delano, CA | 02/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While Eminem's newest album "ENCORE" was a huge disappointment, KJ-52 manages to completely surpass his secular counterpart in EVERY way. It's wonderful to FINALLY hear a Christian hip-hop album that doesn't end up CORNY.



I'm a HUGE fan of artists like Immortal Technique, Kanye West, Common Sense, Nas, Blackstar, Dead Prez, Jin, and KRS-One. They're all DEFINITELY talented, but sometimes it feels nice to listen to CLEAN, Christ influenced hip-hop.



KJ-52 EVOLVES greatly from his past albums by mixing a HUGE variety of Hip-Hop styles, from oldschool to Rap/Rock Collabos. He's a wonderful performer LIVE, but i've NEVER been able to sit through one of his albums UNTIL NOW.



"FIVE TWEEZY" 5/5

if you enjoyed the goofy song "KJ FIVE TWO" on his last album, you'll LOVE this. It's alot better, with an extremely catchy hook!



"ARE YOU REAL?" 4/5

Reminds me of a Linkin Park song. Great intensity and features Micah from Kutless!



"ROCK WITH IT" 3/5

If you're a fan of OLDSCHOOL Hip-Hop, you'll absolutely adore this song.



"GOD" 4/5

The lyrics and verses are PERFECT. What kills the song is the awkward Chorus by Rebecca St. James. It jus' doesn't seem to fit right. The beat is reminiscent of "THE BOY IS MINE" by Brandy and Monica.



"BEHIND THE MUZIK" 3/5

Has a westcoast feel. Sounds like Nate Dog could've done the hook!



"THANK YOU" 3/5

This is the heartfelt "gitty" track you'd expect on ANY Hip-Hop CD. It's nice, but not unique.



"JESUS" 2/5

Another oldschool style song. Not as good as "ROCK WITH IT" tho'.



"RIGHT HERE" 5/5

This song grew on me pretty easily. Great message, and a WONDERFUL mix of Jeremy Camp's original version!



"VIDEO GAMES" 4/5

Not the greatest beat, but it's such a fun song. KJ will probably never top the oldschool masterpiece "47 EMCEES," but it's always fun listening to him use pop culture references to the "CARTOON NETWORK" and "47 POP STARS."



"PLAIN WHITE RAPPER" 2/5

Another mediocre song that never really had my interest. Funny title tho'.



"THINGS I LIKE" 3/5

i didn't like this song at first, until i really understood the message. Typical Chorus, with highly formulated verses.



"LIFE AFTER DEATH" 5/5

intense song. Serious tone with an eye opening message.



"NEVER LOOK AWAY" 4/5

A nice listen. Brynn Sanchez's voice is SoOoOoOthing. =)



"FOR THE LADIES" 2/5

Hate the beat and chorus, but it's still a great message for ladies. But i'd recommend "PRINCES AND FROGS" by Superchic[k] to girls i meet.



"I CAN CALL ON YOU" 4/5

if you listen carefully to KJ's verses, you can feel the passion in his flow. This is definitely a heartfelt song.



"CRY NO MORE" 5/5

An important song for anyone who's ever been molested or raped. A song that can heal and mend broken hearts.



"ONE" 4/5

This is a song MEANT to be heard LIVE. What makes this song great is the END. KJ preaches an incredible message.



"HE IS ALL" 4/5

A great closer to an already well-crafted album.



ALBUM RATING: 5/5

So far, this is the best Hip-Hop album i've heard this year. Every true hip-hop fan needs this album in their collection. And if you minister to youth who listen to alot of rap garbage like 50 Cent, Chingy, and Nelly... BUY THEM THIS ALBUM. "The Message is in the Music.""

I laughed and was ministered to throughout the cd!!!!!

La Chica Organica | USA | 10/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Cd regardless of any review that speaks negative it is in my opinion a step up from other music out there that does not glorify Jesus. Yes there r 1 or 2 songs that I was not really feeling but all in all this cd made me crack up with Fivetweezy, Rock With It, Plain White Rapper and For The Ladies. Plus several others that really ministered to me.



You can hear longer snippets of his songs by going to his webpage that is kj52 . com. Wonderful for youth fans that need godly fresh hip hop. If you love hip hop and Christ I don't think that you will be disappointed with this Cd. Truly for all ages. A must get!!

"

Good, but not Great

Brendan Berkley | Pittsburgh | 10/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When this album is hot, it is -hot-.

When it isn't, then it really isn't.



That's the way I saw KJ's "7th Avenue" CD, and it is more apparent here. When I first listened to this album, I was absolutely blown away. It is introspective, unique, and very fresh. However, when you listen to it for a week, you start to notice stuff. The biggest thing you notice is that you don't want to hear about KJ's childhood repeatedly. Then, you start to skip some other tracks. Eventually, I found myself sticking with six songs:



- "Fivetweezy" is amusing and very catchy, even though I don't like the name.

- "Are You Real?" is one of the strongest tracks, but that's probably because I'm partial to Kutless.

- "Rock With It" has one of the catchiest beats.

- "God" is neat, because I would never have expected Rebecca St. James and KJ-52 to do a song together.

- "Video Games" is a bit corny, but I think the beat is one of the most unique things I've ever heard

- "Life After Death" has the best message, and -really- made me think.



Some of the other ones have forgettable lyrics, but most of the others just don't have a memorable beat that I can crank up in the dorm.



Bottom line: Those six songs make the album worth it, and I'm sure that most will find other songs that speak to them and that they'll like. But there is a lot of filler that makes you skip a lot of tracks, and that is why KJ only earns four stars from me."