Hello everyone and welcome back to a special edition of my Artist of the Week series!
This week we got my brother and good friend SiahThyLegend, me and siah go way back, I’ve known him since he first started releasing music and I couldn’t be prouder to do this review.
Siah has come such a long way since he’s first started and I’m so proud of him, I’ve seen him go through so much and he always comes out on top no matter the odds, from doubting if he wanted to continue doing music to crafting this project, his growth is more than evident.
You know how we do it, we’re gonna break down all eight tracks on the album, giving you a song by song review of what to expect from the album and then my thoughts on the album as a whole, so without further ado, let’s get it!
i’m not a rapper starts off with “ordained” a strong instrumental opening that leads us straight into the next track.
Josiah Cabera aka SiahThyLegend isn’t just a rapper, he’s an MC (Minister of Christ), this theme is something that Siah conveys throughout the album, starting it off in the second track “minister freestyle II”.
Siah starts off “minister freestyle” by declaring “I rebuke the spirit of depression, I rebuke the spirit of suicide, I rebuke the spirit in the Name of Jesus”. It’s this strong start that establishes the theme of the album, throughout the song he talks about how he rebukes all these spirits of different things that have afflicted him over the years.”
He also raps about how he’s a Minister of Christ, declaring in the second half of the song that he doesn’t do this for money or the fame, false people claiming to rebuke demons in the name of Jesus but Jesus is gonna tell them to get away from Him because He doesn’t know them.
Siah had this to say about “minister freestyle II”:
“In this song I discuss how I feel about the demon killing, how I feel about fake personas in CHH. I have a line where I say “We have the Creator of creation yet you wanna let your trend be new inspiration”. How I’m speaking on how I think CHH lacks originality, and how I’m trying to be the next push for artists to be original with their creations instead of copying what’s new and trendy. ”
Ending the song by declaring “I’m free”, Siah makes his intentions clear, paving the way for the next track.
If you thought “minister freestyle II” was hard well let me introduce you to the next track, “punches” is the third track on the album and it punches you right in the eardrums with a nasty bouncy beat and Siah flowing effortlessly over it, this is already his best work yet.
In the song Siah talks about not being shy anymore and not holding back his punches when it to comes to talking about his faith and abilities as an artist as well as wishing his ex well by saying “I hope my ex finds Jesus.”
He also talks about having to make a name for himself, stating that no one gave him a hand out and he put his faith in Christ alone,
The next song is entitled “swing first”, with producer Austin Knoll, this is basically the braggadocius/confident track of the album.
We find Siah being more confident in who he is both as a person and as a rapper, it’s a hard hitting track showcasing his wordplay and bravery.
Next up is “point proven” with singer Ally Minju featured on the hook.
This track is what Siah describes it as “a very worshipful song displaying no shame in the faith i hold. ally’s hook is just saying our faith is the point proven were trying to make. im not doing it for money or fame but for worship and ministry.”
Lyrically Siah seeks to point all praise to God, declaring that the common misconception people have about him is that he’s doing it for the fun of it when in reality he’s doing it all for God. This song provides a very nice change of pace in the album, slowing things down and pointing people to God.
Next up is “tale of morris”, one of the most personal songs Siah’s ever done both on the album and in the span he’s been an artist releasing music.
This is such an emotional song, Siah takes turns rapping from the perspectives of both himself and the robbers who broke into his home and shot and killed his cousin.
Siah described it as “so i had a cousin named morris. when i was 2 he was baby sitting me and my sister. but then a gang of four came and robbed our apartment and shot him. but when they saw my sister who had charge syndrome and that’s when they felt bad. so they went to jail for only five years cause they had good attitudes. then my cousin alex (who’s a pastor and morris’ brother) met the gangsters and invited them to church. they came to christ and also showed up and my sister’s funeral. today they’re now body guards for alex’s church”.
It’s this vulnerability that makes this project stand out, showcasing compassion for the ones who hurt him and his family at such a young age, this is a strong testament of who we’re called to be as Christians, forgiving those who have hurt us the most and showing them compassion.
Next up is one of Siah’s favorite tracks ever that he’s done, “we aint done yet”, with producer Loq on the beat, this is the anthem song of the project.
The phrase “we aint done yet” is a phrase Siah heard God tell him one day when he was on the verge of taking his life. God told him this phrase sparking the want to create an anthem for people reminding them that no matter where they’re at in life, God isn’t done with them yet.
Siah said this about this particular song:
“an anthem of freedom. God told me the phrase “we aint done yet” one of the days i almost took my life. the song is all about keeping focus on Him with full persistence and speaking freedom over everyone in the name of Jesus against the enemy and how I’m willing to risk my life on that statement alone “please dont ever question if im truly dedicated cause i’d for the kingdom just to get them educated.”
Finally we reach the last song and perhaps the most personal song Siah’s ever done, enter “josiah”, which is Siah’s full name.
“josiah” is a deeply personal track that takes you on a trip into the mind and life of Josiah aka SiahThyLegend, what a way to end the album on such a personal but yet redemptive note. My words couldn’t do this song justice so instead I’m gonna include what Siah himself had to say about it:
“the first time I finally put who I am in my music. a messianic judging Christians, a lust addict, porn watcher, and drinker. I was also very hurt from a traumatic past and the death of my sister. what gave me a freedom away from it was my calling into ministry and music. one day God told my grandma start playing me rap otw to school and i hated it at first. eventually i started getting more into christian rap and loved it to the point i would rap the songs aloud. the basketball team then made me freestyle and my coach made me write a song for the school talent show. won first place and kept going. now im entering a stage of fully showing who i am and what God did with me. josiah is a hebrew phrase that means “Jehovah has healed me” the next album i make will tell that story in more detail”
That brings us to the end of this short but very powerful and very standout record, I couldn’t be prouder of Siah and how far he’s come and the many things he’s overcome in life. Siah is much more than just a friend and someone who’s music I’m a fan of, he’s my brother, I’ve known him since 2021 and to see the things he’s gone through and overcome is mind blowing.
He’s had such an impact on me as a person and on my faith, Siah is a very special person and it’s my honor to share with you my review of his most personal and best work to date, I present to you i’m not a rapper, a project by SiahThyLegend. A review.
