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CHH has come to a place of various sounds and styles recently. It is growing more and more mainstream and lives are being changed for the benefit of the kingdom of God.With that said, there has also been glaring issues that have grieved the genre. From issues of pride, division, industry politics, secret agendas and more… it seems for many artists and fans of the culture that it doesn’t feel like “home anymore.” This is where Phoenix, AZ emcee, Bless, comes in with his sophomore release “Sojourner.”
This six track EP gives us a look into the direction we should be going as believers over cinematic boom bap beats. The production is extremely great from producers Tantu Beats and Black Light Music. Bless sets the scene with a great introduction with “Sojourner” featuring DJ Trav Jones. Bless helps us to embrace our “Sojourner Status,” as he encourages us that “we are set apart and not set aside” as the track ends. Another track that you should check out is “Pipeline” with Brother 3 and Davis Absolute. This is one of the hardest tracks that has come out in 2016 discussing social issues. Bless speaks unapologetically about racism, generational curses and systematic corruption on “P.T.Y.P.” He reminds us that we shouldn’t be defined by the racial slurs/slang that society has given us, but who God has made us to be.
“I’ve seen new faces but the plight is universal in every place I’ve lived,” Bless says. “For me this is bigger than just Hip Hop Music. The heart behind Sojourner is to set the captives free, to remind them that it’s not about where we are from, or where we are at, but ultimately where we are going. This world is not our home…We are Sojourners.”
Overall, this is a great listen. It’s a breath of fresh air for CHH and hip hop as a whole. Bless is dropping this project at a perfect time, as we are dealing with so many social issues which are rooted in race. I can see this project starting healthy conversations about God and that CHH has relevant artists bringing the realness needed today. I believe Bless will get his message across that our home is in heaven and we need to focus on getting there and taking as many sojourners with us on the way. Spread The Soup!
