Tru-Life
The Journal – Vol. 1
Cross Movement Records

The gospel rap of Tru-Life is firmly seated with a desire to share Christ. The Journal is a concept album chronicling the rebirth of Tru-Life and his conversion to Christianity. The lyrics are creative and pointedly evangelical at the same time. In particular one song that sticks out is “Productive,” which is a rap about seeking God’s purpose and living productively, not destructively.

Musically the CD is very diverse and aside from the usual rap/hip-hop stylings, Tru-Life occasionally adds a twist of Latin to spice things up, as is the case with “Steppin Out.” The song “Right Here” sounds a lot like something the Grits have laid out before.

I’m not at all qualified to critique serious hip-hop, but I can appreciate the effort that Tru-Life has put into The Journal. There is a decent amount of materials on the Cross Movement web site that can aid you in making your own decision. Just know this – the strongest point of the album is the positive testimony that it presents.

- Ken W.