The Change Up by The Battery

     What happens when battle rap aggression meets thought provoking and spiritual lyrics? Simple, you get The Change Up, otherwise known as the most recent release from rap group The Battery. Not familiar with the name? Well get familiar, because its members (Jurny Big and Peace 586) are no stranger to the industry, and they will more than likely be your  next favorite rappers.

     The Change Up features hard hitting beats, conscious subject matter, and a vocal aggression that is  well used and deceivingly sophisticated. What's interesting about this album, however, is how surprisingly good it truly is. That's not meant to be a knock against The Battery, but the detail put into this project well exceeded even the modest of my expectations. With that in mind, it wasn't the beats, vocals or subject matter that stole the show, rather it was the overall cohesion this album showed that made this listening experience so positive.

     For starters, the production work done on the album is well above-par. The beats give every track a cypher feel, and the hard hitting, head-nod inducing drum kicks make it almost impossible for listeners to not find even the slightest bit of enjoyment while tuned into The Change Up. Additionally, the versatility that these beats have was a tad bit unexpected, as the first few songs have a similar heavy sound, then the tempo and tone seems to drop for two songs, all before picking back up for an epic conclusion with the ending track "Copy Us" which also serves as the first track in years that the entire Tunnel Rats (rap group) posse has released.

     As good as the beats were, they were by no means anything earth-shattering, but they did blend exceptionally well with the vocals, and heck, they even featured some live instrumentation which is always refreshing to hear in the diluted and computerized hip-hop industry listeners have grown accustom to. All in all, the production was good, not great, but it was the right production for the right rappers and that's really what it comes down to in the end.

     To talk briefly on those "right rappers" we must first mention their subject matter; religion, more specifically their Christian faith. Both Jurny Big and Peace 586 are an odd commodity in the Christian-rap realm, as their sound is aggressive and in your face, while their lyrics are tasteful and composed. The rhymers pose questions and ideas in their lyrics to engage listeners, and to give them something more than just music. They speak their minds and don't think twice about it, and it is truly incredible to hear (as stated in the track "Bitter Pill") hip-hop from a Christian, rather than Christian hip-hop.

     To integrate all of my previous thoughts on the project into one, this is a unique album that is filled with heart-pumping production reminiscent of the golden age, with conscious rappers speaking their heart and mind in perfect unity with the beats. The point blank lyrics may make a few Christian-rappers uneasy as they intake the views of two realistic rhymers whose only filters lies in the language used to convey their possibly unpopular sentiments, however, the album is so freaking good that it doesn't quite matter whether anyone agrees or disagrees; just listen to the serene vibes of The Battery, and comment your thoughts on the record after doing so!

@therealpeace586 | @TheRealJURNYBIG | @illect