It's not everyday that you hear an album from pioneers in the field of Holy Hip Hop. Whenever this happens, you just have to sit back and take notice.

2004 marks the return of D.O.C. —The Disciples of Christ. This group of emcees are celebrating their 13th year in the game and are back on the scene with their release titled The Antidote. It's the first in the last five years for the two-man tandem, and has Hoody Roc (aka Alton Hood) and Disciple Paul (aka David Brooks) injecting their own blend back into the game.

With thirteen years experience, D.O.C. brings an experienced perspective to the table and consequently, have earned the right to take certain liberties that may not be available. They've developed what they term 'the Rapusical'. It's the equivalent of a musical via the rap artform, and as a result, there are a number of skits and dramatic offerings on the project. Check out interludes such as "Holy Rock Cafe", "Mama & Nem" and "Skool Dude".

'The Rapusical' permeates the project. On nearly every track, you'll find some element of drama involved with a song. Effortlessly, D.O.C. is able to fuse this dramatic element with a powerful and practical message that has the ability to encourage the believer while winning the lost to Christ. "A Father" is a powerful song that chronicles both emcees' lives without their earthly fathers. Certainly, this song holds great relevance in a world where many children have been raised without fathers present in their home. Yet, D.O.C. offers encouragement to those in this predicament as they recognize Christ as their father while candidly sharing their feelings about being raised by their single mother.

"A Friend" speaks to the importance of friendship. On this track, D.O.C. describes friendship and recognizes Christ as filling the void of a true friend.

It's a challenge to describe D.O.C.'s musical style because it's so diverse. Th duo is from Ohio, but their musical tastes are all over the map. Add to that, they totally flip the script on a song and infuse their dramatic interpretations into a track, altering its impact. Check out "Jesus Shakes", where the track begins with the group whistling "Mary Had a Little Lamb". The track then goes to a pretty catchy groove and then flips to an almost militant drum cadence comprised of handclaps. Towards the end of the track, they throw in the military call "Sound Off". As crazy as it all sounds, it all works!

"Dream Stealer" speaks of the enemy who seeks to steal the believer's dreams and prevent success. It exposes the enemy and calls on believers to defeat the dream stealer. "Spirit Is" is a slick groove that describes the power and impact of the Holy Spirit. They even go as so far as to re-enact the day of Pentecost and the introduction of the Holy Spirit to the New Testament church.

D.O.C. isn't afraid to get their groove on either. "Latter Rain" has a West Coast party vibe, heavy with keyboard moog and an infectious beat that will keep your head noddin'. The title track gets a few mixes on the project.

The "Injection" mix is a bit more laidback and relaxing while the "Baby Bootsy" mix is a bit more catchy and definitely has that heavy Bootsy Collins flava. Then there's the "Living Water" mix which also rocks fairly hard and has a more millenial feel to it. You'll get a kick out of the power of the remixes housed in these tracks.

Simply out of respect, you've got to pay attention to this project. After all, it's intriguing to see what these legends bring to the table. What you find are two guys dedicated to the cause of Christ who present this message in a creative manner that takes you back to the core of hip hop. The presentation is filled with passion and creativity, while cleverly introducing us to the concept of the Rapusical.

With 21 tracks, The Antidote is a welcomed return to the game for these Disciples of Christ.