Alex Faith Uncut
Posted October 30, 2015
By DwayneLacy_NRT, Staff Reviewer
Alex Faith keeps getting more real, raw and transparent. Instead of scaling back on certain issues such as racism and police brutality, Alex uses his platform to challenge the status quo mindset. Bloodlines is the album that hip hop needs, that teens can appreciate and the church should embrace. It is safe to say that Alex Faith is now one of my favorite emcees, a position he solidifies this again with Bloodlines.
Alex gets autobiographical on "Freedom" to explain how he came to Christ while shooting the breeze and talking to a guy about life. Courtney Orlando (formerly J.R.) deserves special mention, supplying a soulful additive (a la Curtis Mayfield) that adds to this personal narrative that brothers in the street can identify with.
Alex speaks on dealing with the tough loss of his newborn son in "Stillborn" as Orlando weaves his falsetto all throughout the hook. My heart goes out to both Alex and his wife as their marriage faced some strain due to the pain. However, they made it through.
"95 Atlanta" is the song that is sure to get the place "lit" when performed live. I played this one for one of my U.S. History classes, and let's just say that they were beside themselves. The bass is just right, and the midtempo beat is ideal for us in the "dirty south." Corey Paul brings that H-Town drawl to the table to supply even more heat as Alex pays homage to the simple times when he was young living in Atlanta.
In comes "Dark Matters," where Aden Bean delivers quite the compelling spoken word about his personal experience with the police and meshes it with deaths of Eric Garner and more. Alex continues to shed light on this controversial topic even if some people of his own race criticizes him for addressing it.
Clayton County, Georgia is an area that is well known for crime and violence. Rising artist J. Monty joins Alex to bring the heat over flute samples and an ill beat to bring the realities on "Clayco." The environment breeds some trouble, and misconceptions and gentrification is also discussed. The great thing about Alex is that redemption, grace and salvation are always the anchor to his records. "Sins of My Youth" brings everything home.
Closing Thoughts:
This album deserves a listen. You can buy Bloodlines for teens to spark discussion. If you are in education, you can play a few songs and let your students talk about issues that are happening today. And beyond that, this album bangs!
Songs to Download Now:
"95 Atlanta" and "Dark Matters" (Get them on iTunes here.)
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