Brvndon P Delivers A Top-Notch Debut
Posted June 13, 2016
By DwayneLacy_NRT, Staff Reviewer
Who is Brvndon P? Brvndon P was formerly known as "Black Knight." Now he might be ringing a bell, and he should. He has traveled extensively as the drummer for Andy Mineo, not to mention producing tracks for the likes of Lecrae, RPSMG, Mineo, Derek Minor and countless others. His growth as a rapper and an artist is so evident on his new self-titled album. Some albums that are feature-heavy can seem disjointed at times, but the cohesiveness of this collection of songs is on point. He produced the majority of the album with the help of K. Agee on "Dreaming" and "ICU".
The songs with features did not disappoint. However, this brother also holds his own alone. The way he starts the album off breaks the mold. Most artists want to either come out of the gate firing or they will have some sort of interlude, but "Do You Believe" is chilled out with knocking kick and snare. The song chronicles elements of Brvndon P's life and his aim to push past self-doubt. From being bullied as a child because of his skin color to contemplating a serious relationship, he immediately shows that this album is going to be versatile.
On "Soul Cry (feat. John Givez)," Brvndon P follows this inner struggle and battle to continue to live the Christian walk. This is song teeters on the boundaries of hip hop, soul and rock topped with guitar and a dope bassline. Givez, a clever, gifted and very honest rapper, does a great job singing the hook: "Mama never warned me about these days / Papa always told me, 'you gon' need faith' / And it's a war out there for my soul... listen to my soul cry."
"Chain Gain" starts off like many trap songs do with Brvndon P doing a little singing, but it jumpstarts as he raps and basically has a chorus of people echoing him. Another banging track is "Coolin," where Brvndon P and Beleaf both smash it (check out the distortion that is put on Beleaf's voice).
Lecrae adds his bars to "What You Get" along with JustKristopher, but I had to listen twice to distinguish which rapper did what verse. Mainstream rapper E-40 makes another appearance on another CHH affiliate's album and does it with a West Coast, synth party jam called "No Fakery." It is nice to see that E-40 is giving positive music a chance, and he is not ashamed to be associated with it.
The use of real instruments continues on "Workin (feat. Mouthpie3ce and Drew Allen)" and the more heartfelt "Over the Clouds." The latter song shows the Lecrae/Mineo influence, topped with acoustic (and rhythm) guitar and a pop singer on the chorus. It highlights two stories: a teenager beating cancer and a married couple who after four miscarriages had their first child.
The Bottom Line: This is a well-produced album that was carefully put together. Brvndon P grew leaps and bounds, adding layers to his artistry and depth spiritually. He gives his take on life from a Biblical worldview and offers hope instead of just leaving people with only his struggles. He also knew that an album full of only trap beats would have been yawn-worthy after a while and shows skill in mixing it up.
Song to Download Now:
"Soul Cry (feat. John Givez)" (Get it on iTunes here.) View All Music And Book Reviews By DwayneLacy_NRT | View DwayneLacy_NRT's Profile
|
