"Sound the alarm!" the trio called Rhema Soul alerts on the first track of their latest album, Red which is louder, bigger and truly Hip Pop.

K-nuff sets it off strong on the title track with his old school/new school flow, then passes the microphone baton to Butta P who spits with a flow that made me think of Nicki Minaj.

A track filled with its laser blast sounds everywhere, "Red" may remind one of the tempo and crunk feel from their Fingerprints album. But that's where the familiarity stops. The hook can sound a tiny repetitive, but for the crunk lovers, it's all gravy. It was also my first time hearing guest rapper, This'l. His voice matched the crunk vibe of "Red" and I'd be on the lookout for him.

I've heard many a Rhema Soul fan remark that this album is "well...different." A remark like that one may be valid if someone heard the track No walking away as the band explores the Rock genre and gets their feet wet in electric guitar licks and punchy acoustic drum rolls of Pop Rock. Juanlove was solid in this one. He sounded as if he was in his element, as if rock music is a secret pleasure of his (headbanging and all). In any event, he sounded tight. A well-constructed track, you can sense the desire to take things to a "whole notha' level" when the Drum-n-Bass breaks in on this track. Either K-nuff is going to have to grow some dreadlocks or Butta P is going to have to ditch her scrunchee because somebody will have to headbang to this beat when they do it live.

"Danger" continues the "red" and "alarm" theme with sirens wailing in the background. Butta P was "fun" to hear on the first verse. No overwhelming lyricism but her delivery served up what the track needed. In "Danger," Juanlove is lamenting the disappearance of 90's Hip Hop. The MC's are still around Juanlove. We're as elusive as the platypuses. On "Danger," K-nuff describes his personal life experiences to convey the message he's trying to get across. It's the kind of storytelling mastered by the legend Slick Rick. Very few MC's can do this. In my opinion, I wanted more of that from K. I wasn't too fond of the hook. Frankly, the MC's brought it to the 3rd quarter but Lebron couldn't deliver in the 4th.

The buzzing dubstep-ish synth on Need an Answer keeps the beat thumping. This would sound great in a club along K-nuff's catchy singing. Butta P's flow reminds me again of Nicki Minaj on this one. "What are you talking about?!" you ask? Well, NickiMinaj sounds like she has her mouth really wide open when she pronounces each word in her funky multi-syllabic delivery. It's hard to explain but Butta is reminiscent of that on Red.

Their song, Off the Edge, I likey mucho! I can imagine K-nuff in the dark with a spotlight on him as he sings in a cloud of dry ice. And if he actually does that, you are all witnesses to where he got the idea. This is another track where the common sentiment is "it's different." The stuttering beat had my wife asking,"What's that hot mess?" Relax, though! She only said that because my headphones were blaring. The slow-downed bridge with Butta P alone was a much-needed break from the melodic chaos. Kudos to the executive producers (Manny and Heather Avila and Jeff Adams) for overseeing this project because they certainly cast a stellar vision for this song. 

The word "beautiful" seems to be very popular in the Christian circuit and "So Beautiful" produced by Rey King continues that trend. Jordin Sparks would fight Christina Aguilera to do a remake of it. It's a solid track that would be like a third release on Y-100 or some other pop station across the country.

The kick and bass on "Celebration" is really going to rock an amphitheater and upset a DJ that doesn't want to get his woofers blown. Nothing gets a crowd into a frenzy like a hook that instructs you to get into a frenzy. Mosh pits are allowed.

There are two kinds of hooks. The ones that get the masses singing along and the ones that crowds don't sing along to because they're so mesmerizing and stand-alone (See Adele). Some of Rhema Soul's hooks are going to warrant a lot of crowd participation. I don't know if that's intentional, but producers notice that stuff.

In 2012, every artist feels the need to acquiesce to the current electronic music trend. Everybody gets a little David Guetta on it or Deadmaus about it. "Stop the world" is no exception but it sounds really good. This track is my guilty pleasure. I will drop this track in a party and most likely mix it with a David Guetta track (clean, of course). Juanlove sounded sharp with the choral effect on his voice. K-nuff ripped this hook. Of course, another shameless Dubstep style bridge, but this is another track I wish I had produced. Props to Andy Anderson. Rhema Soul could have easily gone this route on the entire album, but that would have alienated the Fingerprints and Dope beat fans such as my picky self.

A lot of Christian rappers or "rappers who happen to be Christian" (depending on who you ask), for the most part, can be guilty of trying to be the Christian _____________ (fill in the blank). I've heard the Christian Black Eyed Peas, the Christian Lil' Wayne, the Christian Jay-Z, the Christian Rick Ross, Christian Eminem etc... I'm not naming names but it's an infectious disease called copycat-itis, which is Latin for UNORIGINAL. Rhema Soul is not guilty of that sin.

If you study history, you'll learn that Rock & Roll music came from the church but I don't believe that's the case with Christians and Hip Hop. We have our exceptions to the rule, ala Lecrae and others. I don't hear a lot of originality or innovation when it comes to the brethren. It's a common complaint from secular execs as well as Christians who try to support the holy genre out of love. I want to support artists because they're hot, not because I feel bad for them.

It's a fine line we as Christians walk because we operate differently, not being "of the world" and all. We place a premium on content but sometimes we neglect the delivery of that content. More than ever, Rhema Soul is out to break that stereotype with this well-written and produced album. Sure, Satan has a grip on the entertainment industry but we have The Holy Spirit, y'all. Rhema Soul seems to be growing album by album. It is a fact that the great ones keep up, trying to re-invent themselves with each passing year.

My only riff with Red would be the overproduction mostly done by Andy Anderson (catchy name), Adrian Bauza and A.D. (Hey Triple A!). I got ear fatigue after 13 loud tracks showered with AutoTune and vocal effects.

There was some filler material on the album, but then again, it's hard to serve up 10-13 classics on one album. I longed for a piece that highlighted their lyrical prowess such as their work on Fingerprints did but I didn't find such a song on this album. A track that would slow things down and ease up on the multi-layered synthesizers would have been a treat. If I feel like I have to read the lyrics for a song then either the enunciation is lacking or the production is overbearing. Clarity is vital for rappers who place an emphasis on lyricism. It's necessary to hear the punch-lines and wordplay. Sometimes, a producer can over-produce a song and it can wear on a listener...O.K. now I'm beating a dead horse.

So, after trying to give the album an unbiased listen and critique (because I am truly a fan of Rhema), I maintain, Rhema Soul is on the rise. They've even provided a free listen on Rapzilla.com for those of you who are wary of getting duped into buying a CD with 20+ tracks only to be underwhelmed with 1 or 2 good ones. This brave step dares you to listen and you'll find yourself becoming a fan, relaying the alarm to your neighbors. Since this ain't The Source, I ain't giving it any mics. Instead, it gets 1 New York and 2 and a half Miamis ala NEWDradio.

Simply stated, get the album. It's RED HOT!

The self-proclaimed Zig Ziglar of rap, Billy Delgado, is a Music Producer/Artist and Writer by day and sleeping pillow-drooler by night. He is currently producing the debut album for his band The 288's, a God-inspired Hip Hop/R&B group that combines soul-baring lyricism with an electric innovative sound, breaking from the norm and reaching all cultures & ages (save senior citizens). He still can't believe he's a family man with a beautiful wife Mari & three boys Chris, Nelson and Joshua, so he continues to pinch himself silly to this day.