Review – Rawsrvnt “In Rare Form”

While a hiphopworship album isn’t an entirely original concept (earview MG! the Visionary’s breakthrough piece Sinner’s Prayer from 2000) it’s still uncommon. Unfortunate. The latest entry into this sub-sub-sub genre is the Rawsrvnt’s In Rare Form

The title is fitting, given the Florida emcee’s typical energetic sound. Instead of aggressive, krunk-juice fueled chants and stomps, Raw reaches for a mellow, even seductive vibe. 

Acoustic guitars and pianos provide a backdrop for the artist’s smoky, lite-raps and worship choruses. Many of the titles and hooks will be familiar to churchgoers who've attended services with a contemporary style of praise music.  

Some of it is actually slick and silken enough to fit into a regular Sunday morning rotation. Other tracks invite comparisons (both good and bad) to Everlast’s folk-rap on Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. A final third of the songs simply can’t find their footing on either the worship or hiphop soil for which they claim dual citizenship.  

Even still, more attempts toward this style of gospel rap are welcome. And rare.

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