Changing the Narrative
Posted October 21, 2016
By MarkRyan_NRT, Staff Reviewer
With one of the most awaited CHH releases this year, Sho Baraka has blessed his listeners with The Narrative. This album was over three years in the making, starting out as an independent release that was to be released under the name of Louis Portier as a partnership between Sho and featured artist Jamie Portee (who also produced eight tracks on the album).
The album is unique. Sonically, the album brings a strong jazz, funk and soul feel thanks to the production of Portee along with Nate Robinson (the BeatBreaker), JR (aka Courtney Orlando) and Swoope. Throughout The Narrative you will get a sense of James Brown, Marvin Gaye and John Coltrane.
Through artistic wordplay and blunt force, Sho pays homage to black history and elevates the conscience of the listener to want to learn more about the truth and "stay woke." Every track on the album has a message. The message may not be as "gospel" oriented as some may wish, however, it will create important discussions. The album probably won't win any awards in Christendom because it will offend the establishment. The album may provoke anger in some, and I can imagine some of the comment sections regarding some of the issues talked about here already.
Sho is a legend and always thought provoking. The Narrative evoked within me emotions such as sadness, remorse and repentance. This is probably due to the fact that I am a white man with a bucket load of white privilege. On the other hand, I can also feel the pain and hurt caused by systemic racism based on the fact I am in a bi-racial marriage with bi-racial children.
The Bottom Line: Sho Baraka gives us conscious hip hop that makes us think. It is not intended for easy listening. It was created to provide an important narrative during a critical time in our history.
Song to Download Now:
"Here, 2016" (Get it on iTunes here.)
P.S.: If you want a detailed listen of The Narrative you can check it out on First Spins on Forth District (be warned, it's 3.5 hours). It is a detailed breakdown of the album and discussion between Sho Baraka and the show host, Adan Bean.
This review first appeared on themarkcryan.com.
Mark is a Christ follower, husband to one wife and father to three daughters. Mark's three passions are Jesus, Hip Hop and Coffee. He invites you to grab a single origin coffee and visit him at themarkcryan.com. You can also find him on twitter and Instagram as @themarkcryan.
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