Remember when your high school science teacher blew up chemicals in the class room? Have you ever wondered what it would be like if someone took that explosive energy and injected it into music? You'd be talking some crazy sounds. You'd have songs that were literally on fire! This music would move your stereo like you'd never heard before. Imagine that there are two musicians who've captured that explosive, energetic vibe. Don't you think we'd be talking some musical revolution for your life? Maybe even an entire change in how you think of music?
Whether you believe us or not, we've got two candidates who perfectly fit the definition of energy, and they're ready to drop their music on you with a bang. Even their name radiates with energy. Say Fresh Digress three times fast and let it roll off your tongue... take a deep breath... then put on your sunglasses. You are now officially prepared to experience the freshness.
Straight out of Baltimore, Maryland, Fresh Digress is poised to become today's biggest group in Christian hip-hop. They're certainly already one of the most enjoyable to listen to, because Chris MC and Reality are two unique emcees who complement each other like chicken and teriyaki. They have the unique ability to balance catchy hooks, bouncy beats, and crazy lyrical genius while making sure to throw in a good dose of uncontrollable fun for good measure. Mix it all together and you'll have the perfect musical blend before you can say "amazing"! Chris MC describes the group the best: "You can't get fresher than this!" For those hip-hop gurus out there, think of Fresh Digress this way: they're here to make hip-hop fun again.
And how true is that. Like a hot drink at your favorite coffee shop, Fresh Digress brings it smooth every time you sample their brew. It's safe to say that their debut album is not an exception. "We want to make commercial songs," says Chris MC. "We want to reach the market. I think we have six or seven possible singles on our album Fresh Digress." "We're rappers but we're not typical rappers," Reality continues. "We've got character and personality that you can see in our songs. You'll get a glimpse of who we are on our album."
Before we go any farther, you're probably wondering where the name Fresh Digress came from in the first place. Your first instinct may be to assume that Chris and Reality enjoy rhyming words that stick in the brain, and while that's obviously true, the meaning behind the name Fresh Digress is deeper than you may think. So even though the question "what does your name mean?" has been asked of them hundreds of times, Chris and Reality are happily willing to explain. "Fresh Digress simply means a new outlook of life, digressing from the ways of the world to focus on God." says Chris MC. "Plus the words Fresh Digress just go well together, don't you think?" Reality, who makes up the other half of the group, shares a little bit about how Fresh Digress came together. "It was three years ago when this whole thing began," relates Reality. "Chris and I met through a mutual friend, and Chris asked me to back him up on stage for an upcoming show of his... eventually it turned into this group thing. I never really aspired to be an artist of any kind, but God has put me into some really great places."
It certainly sounds like their years of hard work have paid off. Their debut album, Fresh Digress, is packed with commercially appealing hip-hop music artfully mixed with flavorings of pop and even a touch of country. You can't say they're not creative! Todd Collins, the head of music creativity at Beatmart Recordings, thinks so too and is incredibly excited about the Fresh Digress album. "I haven't felt this good of a vibe from a record I've produced since Free At Last," comments Collins. And for those of you who don't know what legendary group Collins is referring to, it probably wouldn't hurt to check. And once you figure it out, you'll be nodding your head in agreement. The comparison is almost undeniable at moments.
Fresh Digress is packed with musical gems from start to finish. Just listen to the musical styling's of "Rise And Shine", one of the most fun songs on the record. "Rise And Shine" features the witty genius of none other than Christian hip-hop funnyman John Reuben, who gives a stellar guest appearance alongside Chris MC and Reality. With three incredibly talented and hilarious emcees on one track, no one with a sense of humor can resist! But don't worry, there's a song for everybody, even for the more serious heads in the audience. "Ring, Ring, Ring" will take you back in the day to A Tribe Called Quest, something that any hip-hop aficiando can't resist. And if those songs aren't enough, Fresh Digress just had to do it again with "Brr! It's Cold", the lead single from the annual Beatmart Recordings mixtape Best Of The Submissions Volume 2. In case you missed it the first time around, Chris and Reality brought it back a second time for you to catch.
But there are two songs that just stand out from the rest on Fresh Digress. Take the song "Princess". "The song 'Princess' is going to be the biggest song on the record," assures Chris. "We wrote 'Princess' to let the world know how they should treat a girl, because every girl should be treated like a princess." "We've been doing 'Princess' on Shoutfest and the response has been crazy," Reality continues, commenting on the song's crowd success. "There hasn't been a single girl who hasn't liked 'Princess' when we performed it live." The second song that is destined for great heights is "Shake Them Keys", a hip-hop song that for once opposes drinking and driving. "We're trying to get 'Shake Them Keys' to become the anti-drunk driving anthem of the world," says Chris with enthusiasm. "It's a really cool, catchy song that we want to get out to all the DJs in the United States. The song gives you a way to tell someone to hand over their car keys after too many drinks."
Fresh Digress has certainly kept busy spreading their message, and have already been seen live alongside platinum and best-selling acts like Jump5, ZOEgirl, KJ-52, GRITS, Jars of Clay, Skillet, John Reuben, Petra, Newsong, LA Symphony, Disciple, Seventh Day Slumber, ill harmonics, Day of Fire, and Krystal Meyers. Fresh Digress continues to plan for the future, and they are already considering tours with artists and bands such Superchic[k], The Lads, Seventh Day Slumber, and Bobby Bishop. Fresh Digress will also be appearing on the upcoming Acquire The Fire dates, which is sure to be a success with Chris MC and Reality in tow.
Fresh Digress is no stranger to the recording booth, either. Throughout their hard work they've collaborated with artists such as Gotee Records rapper John Reuben, Beatmart Recordings artists Bobby Bishop and Dkun Frost, and independent female rapper MOC. And we all know that you can't get good music without good producers, so Fresh Digress has always kept that in mind. They have worked with an all-star list of producers, including Todd Collins, Tony Stone, John Reuben, CR Pendleton, and Nathan Smart.
So it doesn't really matter if you're not a hip-hop fan, you'll be feeling Fresh Digress anyway. You can't help but enjoy them, their music is simply that irresistible. Chris MC speaks on their strategy. "We're trying to draw people in with our fun, commercial hip-hop music," explains Chris. "Once they're drawn in, we want them to listen to our lyrics and question why we're different."