Gospelflava.com



Woody Rock
Soul Music

It's been a long time coming, but finally the world is introduced to the heavily anticipated Gospel debut of Woody Rock. The Dru Hill alumnus exposes us to his heart and spirit through his aptly titled project, Soul Music.

Woody CDMany have wondered exactly what Woody would bring to the table. He displays a little something for everyone, but make no mistake, this album is clearly urban in nature and comes with an extremely clear message.

The leadoff cut is Woody's testimony of God's love and grace. "Testimony" is a stellar collaboration with star producer Fred Jerkins which comes as an edgy groove. It tells of Woody's desire to share his testimony with the world, with the aim of leading them to Christ.

It's a major statement as he states his purpose for his miraculous career shift. One listen to the track sets the tone for a powerful album that is, in Woody's words, "an advertisement for Christ".

The remainder of this 13-song album is a musical journey chronicling varying parts of a Christian's walk and relationship with the Father.

Throughout the album, Woody teams with some of music's most outstanding artists to deliver a power-packed blow to the enemy. Woody connects with popular male group Men of Standard on a rousing cover of The Winans classic, "The Question Is", in a combo that most certainly does the song justice.

Then he teams with hip-hop favorite BBJay on the track "Believer", a monumental song in that Woody declares his stance as a believer and proves that he's in the Christian world
Interview with Woody
CD "In the circles that I travel in, people always say 'real recognizes real'. You can tell when somebody is phony or somebody is faking a move," admits Woody. "You can also tell when someone is coming from their heart. One thing I always say is that I'm never going to be phony. I'm not a phony person. If you ever see me standing on stage..."

Full interview with Woody Rock.
for the long haul. It's hard to stay away from this track as it masterfully blends latin and urban styles with ease.

Woody's hip-hop connections continue as he hooks up with the Gospel Gangstaz on the hot track "Everybody". You'll find yourself bobbin' your head to this one as this smooth urban jam urges everyone to give God praise in their own way.

Teaming up with Mary Mary on the slick "Good To Be Alive", Woody sings of his gratitude at having survived his former worldly lifestyle.

True to the game, Woody does not forget his R&B roots, connecting with several of top acts to render praise. Case, Ruff Endz, and DJ Tony Boston all make appearances on the album.

Woody even reunites with Dru Hill on the ballad titled "My Homey". This song blends the trademark Dru Hill sound with the powerful message of Christ's ability to be that unchangeable friend that we all search for. While the secular collaborations may be risky in the eyes of some, Woody seems to find the right spots for each artist to share the message of Christ.

While the album is chock full of cameo appearances, Woody's vocal abilities don't get lost amid the star power. "I Won't Complain" is a tribute to Woody's late mother and Woody shows that there is room for a traditional arrangement within his repertoire.

Overall, this is a spectacular debut for Woody Rock. He does a great job of presenting God and His love as tangible, reachable, and possible for all of us to experience.

This is look into Woody's soul and it's looking real, real good.


Producers: Ruscola, J.Wilson, Nokio, W. Campbell, F.Jerkins, Woody, K.Miller
album release date: April 9, 2002
GospoCentric Records


— reviewed by Gerard Bonner



  All content in GospelFlava © copyright 2002. No information to be reprinted or re-broadcast from this site without the expressed written consent of GospelFlava.com. All rights reserved.

articles
News
Reviews
New Releases
Charts
Message Board
Search Engine
Mailing List
Archive
About Us
Home

Stellar Awards