STYLE: Hip-Hop RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 141970-20782 LABEL: Independent FORMAT: Digital Only Album
Reviewed by Steve Hayes
Those who know their mainstream hip-hop or have read Cross Rhythms' recent feature on Demarco Castle aka Gemstones will know that this rapper has already achieved much and now that he is committed to God the Christian scene will hopefully embrace his gritty East Coast flows. This mixtape kicks off with Gemstones flowing effortlessly at full-speed over Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" leaving you thinking 'this guy has mad skills but does he ever need to breathe?!' Gemstones has a passion to call out the fake and those leading young people astray, a call powerfully reprised in "Dying Breed" with Michael Jackson backing - also featuring on the bouncing "Dear Music". "Irregular" sees Gemstones rapping over an Armin van Buuren track, showcasing a brilliant and tight flow. "Why" sees the emcee nailing a number of 'whys' to the injustice within the black community, the nation and society. "No Church In The Wild" (with Jay-Z, Frank Ocean, Kanye West) gets an overhaul and remix on "Still The King" comparing Christ's done work to the world's ways and praying for those around him while "March For Hope" samples Martin Luther King over "We Are Young" by Fun.
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