Search - LPG :: 360

Number two

Omagus | Austin, Texas | 06/12/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"360 is LPG's sophomore album. Many people (although perhaps members of SFC would disagree) consider their debut, THE EARTHWORM to be among the greatest albums ever, because it proved that Christian emcees had a place in hip hop. On their first album, Dax and Jurny not only handled their own, they proved that they were among the best emcees period. As such, 360 is plagued by the same problem that afflicts Nas' IT WAS WRITTEN and the Pharcyde's LABCABINCALIFORNIA. When your very first album is widely praised as classic, how do you follow that up?In listening to 360, it seems to me that LPG (Living Proof of Grace, by the way) didn't worry about that. While Nas tried to appeal to a wider audience and the Pharcyde went in a different direction entirely, LPG simply went about business as usual. To be sure, there are differences. On "Battle Cry" they expand on their ability to tell stories, which had previously only been hinted at. On this track they remember a b-boy battle that they participated in when they were younger. "Abandoned" has the cousins inhabiting the persona of an abandoned building and realizing how beautiful it has become once some graf artists have finished with it. The majority of the album though, is standard LPG, a combination of faith in Christ and love for hip hop that brooks no argument.As with any release by the Tunnel Rats, other members of the larger crew appear. Zane guests on "Thinking Out Loud" while Redbonez of Future Shock helps out on the hook of "Crew" (although, I'm honestly not quite sure if Future Shock had left the TRz at this point in time or not). Dax and Jurny also reached a little bit further and were able to get Ahmad from the 4th Avenue Jones' to do a verse on "World War III" and Self-Jupiter from Freestyle Fellowship to guest on "Must."While there isn't really a bad song here, I am a little curious as to why LPG chose to revisit "A Place Called Hip Hop." While it is one of my favorite songs of all time, there isn't really anything added to it. The only differences are that there is more scratching on the hook and Jurny's voice has matured somewhat. At least they didn't remix it; that could have ruined it. As of this writing, LPG has just released their third (and supposedly final) album. Although I haven't listened to it yet, there is yet another track called "A Place Called Hip Hop." Although that is an obvious tie to their past, what will LPG really go for on the new album? Mass appeal? A new direction? Or business as usual?"