Review Summary: Lee's popularity has grown exponentially, not only because of endorsements from none other than Lecrae, but also because of his careful cultivation of an identifiable rapping style that is both contemporary and deeply rooted in Christian faith.
Trip Lee's Good Life is exemplary Christian rap music. Rooted in both Christian and rap sensibilities, the album offers attractive elements of both. Lee's positive outlook takes the place of a cynic's view taken by many other rappers. Consider the following contrast between Trip Lee's "Know Me" and Biggie Smalls' "Juicy":
Lee: "And if you don't know, you need to."
Smalls: "And if you don't know, now you know n-."
Lee realizes the possibilities of rap music through his deployment of biblical truths. Talking about his saving grace Jesus in place of Small's destructive self-indulgence, the music reaches the same level of appeal without the spiritual void.
Traditional Christian themes pervade Good Life: death and life, transformation, relationship, and spiritual warfare. Lee's merit is not derived from his conception of these themes, but simply for his sensitive treatment of these subjects as well as his ear for making quality hip-hop. As he says in "Know Me," Lee's ghost-writer is Jesus Christ, and thus his artistry only begins where Jesus' ministry leaves off.
Lee's Good life is flavorful as well as diverse. Bonafied bangers (ideally played in a car with a nice-sized sound system) such as "I'm Good" and "One Sixteen" confer a degree of hip-hop credibility to this album, while the piano- as well as guitar-fleshed "Take Me There" and "Good Thing" anchor the other end of the sonic spectrum.
Lee's popularity has grown exponentially, not only because of endorsements from none other than Lecrae, but also because of his careful cultivation of an identifiable rapping style that is both contemporary and deeply rooted in Christian faith.
