I'll be honest with you. I could not wait to get my hands on this project, Mr. J. Medeiros' highly anticipated solo debut "Of Gods and Girls". I have been thoroughly impressed with Mr. J's work on his crew, The Procussions, previous projects ("As Iron Sharpens Iron", "Up All Night" EP, "5 Sparrows for 2 Cents") coupled with the international buzz that has been stirred from his unforgettable single "Constance", the riveting true story of a 13 year-old child prostitute. Having spent the past couple of years touring with the likes of legendary hip-hop acts The Roots Crew and De La Soul, Mr. J and The Procussions have relished the opportunity of taking their music across the globe. With The Procussions success as a group (Res has since left the group leaving Mr. J and Stro holding The Procussions together) brings the opportunity to venture out into solo projects, beginning with Mr. J's "Of Gods and Girls".

I fell in love right off the bat with this one. "Amelie", the lead track off the album, is a succulent organ-driven track with a lovely melodic chorus. This joint had me wearing out the repeat button on my iPod. "Strangers" is the narrative of a lonely mind in a broken relationship, again showcasing Mr. J's uncanny knack for delicious jazz-infused production. Without a doubt the highlight of the album was the spine-tingling story of "Constance". I guarantee you that time will stop when this song runs through your ears for the first time. "Constance" is the true story of a 13 year old child prostitute from the Philippine's. Mr. J tells the story of her pain through his eyes;

"'how old are you honey?' she says 'I'm thirteen'
her nose is running, it's raining in the Philippine's
he handed over the money in a chilling scene
the truck drives off and now he's on a hunt to kill her dreams...
he's about to turn six into six-thousand
and all you got to do is click on your web browser
it's not illegal to use raping as a cash-crop
as long as it says she's 18 on your laptop...
while the tears of God fall down her window pane
she feels unholy like the Father doesn't know her name
Mary Magdellan, the woman at the well
He knew everything that happened and in His arms she fell..."

Truly remarkable, I am unable to recall a time when I have been so deeply moved by a rap song. Fast-forward and you might have first heard the Illmind-produced "Changes" (featuring Strange Fruit Project) off of "Heavy Rotation" (a compilation album released by Braille's HipHop Is Music label in 2006). This is a very fresh track, speaking on the changes and different seasons in life, I definitely did not mind hearing this again. "Half a Dream" (featuring Marty James of One Block Radius) proved another beautiful rap jam. A theme song to kill the lies, the hollywood and media facades and wake up from our 'half dreams'. The world don't stop for nobody and "Keep Pace" is a testament to just that. Mr. J uses this time to speak out on the ills of this out-of-control world that we live in. Pigeon John shows up on "Money", yet another rap rendition of 'the money song' as no good rap album is complete without one. That's all that really needs to be said about that, listen to the joint yourself. "Call You" was another stand-out gem; a beautifully transparent ode to Mr. Jason Medeiros' mother and father, thanking them for their sacrifice in raising him the way they did. At last, the album fades out with 3 exclusive remixes for "Constance", "Silent Earth" and "Keep Pace".

As I sit here and mull over this project for some reason I just think to myself: RELEVANT. Mr. J has this seemingly effortless way of creating such real-life emotion behind the music and far beyond just the beats and rhymes. Thus, making "Of God's and Girls" a record with a purpose, a record that fills a need and a record that, ultimately, the world needs to hear.

Release Date: July 24 2007

Record Label: Rawkus Records

Tracklisting

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