"The Good Life" by Trip Lee View All Reviews

Trip Lee first made waves on Lecrae’s breakout hit, Jesus Muzik.  After putting out three albums, he proved that he has what it takes to stand on his own.  Now he returns with The Good Life, cementing his place as one of CHH’s top artists.  But does he deserve that credit?

The album opens with the moody New Dreams which features Sho Baraka and J.R.  Immediately you can hear the leap in maturity between this and Trip’s last album.  New Dreams sets an epic vibe for the rest of album while Trip and Sho Baraka rap about what the good life really means.  The song hits home when Trip proclaims “The good life is the life that’s been laid down”. 

Robot, the first single from the album, is next.  Much like Tedashii’s Dum Dum, this is a love-it-or-hate-it song.  Some people may find the mechanical robot beat and high pitched voice annoying, but personally, I loved it. 

In I’m Good Lecrae makes his typical appearance, and what an appearance it is.  Originally Trip and ‘Crae had written a different song, but scrapped it because it wasn’t up to their standard.  The result is what is sure to be a CHH classic for years to come.  Trip and Lecrae use this track to talk about martyrdom, and being willing to die for the gospel.  As Lecrae says in the hook, “Pressure creates diamonds and fire refines the gold.”  It is a song that invokes courage to the listener and hopefully will cause them to think about how far they are willing to go for the good news of Jesus Christ.

War, a song that samples Dustin Kensrue’s ‘This Is War’, may take some people off guard when they first hear it.  The chipmunked hook proclaims “This is war like you’ve never seen. The winter’s long and it’s cold to me.”  After listening to it several times, the track grew on me and is one of my favorite songs on the album.

Fallin’, featuring J. Paul, continues the streak of great songs.  This is one of Trip’s mellowest tracks to date.  Like Covenant Eyes before it, he speaks about his ongoing war against lust and its consequences.  Towards the end of the song the lyrics of the chorus change from repentant to hopeful, allowing for contemplation before heading into the next track. 

iLove may be the most provocative song on the album.  Trip speaks of technology as if it were a girlfriend.  With lines like “I told her if she ain’t gonna let me meditate, then for my sake, we gotta separate” and “Weighted thoughts are pushed out by her light shows”, iLove is by far the most interesting song Trip has put out. 

During the next song Know Me, Trip speaks about the Bible from the perspective of the Bible.  It’s an interesting twist that may be confusing to some.  It’s a good song (I can’t get enough of the broken record hook), but it’s one of the weakest on the album, lyrically and musically. 

I’m sure that when Trip released the tracklisting for this album, most everyone turned their attention to One Sixteen.  Featuring fast spitting label mates, KB and Andy Mineo, One Sixteen was one of the most hyped CCH tracks in recent memory, and it definitely delivered, just not in the way I was expecting.  The beat is more reminiscent of Envy from the Man Up project (which also featured KB and Andy Mineo) than something like Lecrae’s 40 Deep.  Trip’s opening verse is overshadowed by the other rappers’ flows.  Andy Mineo’s verse in particular is unstoppable; an instant classic.  He delivers possibly the best line on the album: “When you heard a story ‘bout the hero dying for the villain?”  All in all, One Sixteen is an album highlight, and is sure to be considered one of the year’s best by year end. 

Heart Problem, an experimental banger, speaks about how money, sex and power were gifts from God, corrupted by men.  Those things are not evil within themselves; the real problem resides in our hearts.  While the flow and beat are impressive, the once again chipmunked vocals throughout the song detract from it, keeping it from reaching its full potential as an album highlight.

Trip’s last song with Jimmy Needham left a lot to be desired, but luckily Take Me There fixes this problem.  The jazzy song sounds like it could be a Bruno Mars b-side.  While not one of the strongest songs musically, the lyrics are hopeful and a fun listen.

In Fantasy, which could be considered New Dreams (Pt. II), Trip contrasts the rich and famous and their picture of the good life with the life God intended for them.  The song is too mellow for me, and I would have loved to hear Suzy Rock spit a verse (which I know she is capable of) rather than hear her silky smooth vocals on the chorus.  This is my least favorite song on The Good Life. 

First there was Lecrae’s Background, then there was Tedashii’s Reverse, now Andy Mineo gets a chance to shine with Trip Lee on the haunting Love On Display.  His chorus is amazing, proving that he is one of the most versatile performers out there.  Love On Display reflects on Christ’s death on the cross, painting a beautiful picture of his suffering.  I get chills every time I listen to it. 

Rounding out the album are 80’s throwback For My Good and Good Thing.  Neither are anything special (I found For My Good out of place and annoying).  If it were up to me, I would have left both songs out completely.

The Good Life is easily Trip Lee’s best album so far.  He continues to mature and experiment as an artist, standing toe to toe with his peers.  The lyrics are excellent, the beats are exciting, and the production feels fresh.  Even if you aren’t a fan of rap, there’s enough here to satisfy everyone.  Don’t pass up The Good Life.  It’s the album to beat this year.

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