shai linne (the Solus Christus project) - Reviews

shai linne
the Solus Christus project

In the ever-changing game of hip-hop, one consistency is that lyrical potency and delivery is the defining line between a good emcee and a lyrical powerhouse.

Enter shai linne, who easily qualifies as a lyrical powerhouse. The self-proclaimed 'lowercase emcee' has collaborated over time with The Cross Movement, Timothy Brindle and the RockSoul Entertainment family, so it's no surprise to find that this Philly-based talent's combo of heavy East Coast vibe with lyrical depth is second to none.

shai linne

linne shows his stuff on the Solus Christus project, a joint from Lamp Mode Recordings that is 'instant vintage', as they say.

When you listen to this one, be sure to put your scuba gear on, for this lyrical poet goes deep with what he terms 'lyrical theology'. It's fifteen tracks laced with scriptural wisdom along the lines of which you might find in theological school, but wrapped in the neat package of hip-hop. "Justified" explores this lyrical theology concept as linne takes you to Bible Study with a lyrical exposition of Romans 3.

Check out "random thoughts" where linne shares several distinct thoughts ranging from the state of hip-hop to his thoughts on the identity of the anti-Christ.

Creativity is at an all-time high on the internet savvy track "worldwideweb", which brings in The Cross Movement alumnus Cruz Cordero. And speaking of The Cross Movement, Phanatik joins Stephen the Levite and linne on "mic check 1,2".

Labelmate Timothy Brindle (see album review) and Evangel join together on the powerful track "angelz", which highlights the magnitude of Christ's love for man (in comparison to angels). Creativity continues to reign supreme on "memoirs", which is written in diary format, with linne masterfully creating a scenario where you visualize him dropping ten journal entries in his lyrical diary.

Add DJ Official and shai linne's live band Vessels of Mercy and you have one of the most exciting projects of 2005. Hip Hop heads take notice. The lowercase emcee is here exalting Christ with a level of depth that is all too rare in the hip hop game. Clearly, this is one of the most exciting hip-hop projects, secular or Gospel, to come down the pike in recent memory.

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Producers: Various album release date: December 2004
Lamp Mode Recordings

— reviewed by Gerard Bonner —