Lecrae Overdose: Album Review
Jan 11
Overdose is Lecrae’s 5th solo album (he also heavily involved with two compilations 116 Clique album and 13 Letters album) on the Reach Records label. And I will argue that it his best as it relates to marketability.
Overdose is a pulsating, head bobbing, hip hop masterpiece. I thought I could put Our World Redeemed up against any album and I still stick by that, but even that album had about two songs that if you took the lyrics away a regular hip hop listener would probably think it was just okay. On this album there isn’t one song that I can say that to. The production choice is simply amazing. I really believe that Lecrae did his homework as it relates to what is popular and what is selling. He has taken that music and has put Christ all over it.
From the opening song “Overdose” your neck begins to hurt. Lecrae raps fluidly over hard bass lines, catchy hooks and high pitch keyboards. It is marketable without being too dancy or kiddy. Songs such as Battle Song, Strung Out and Going In (my favorite song probably) prevents the album from being cheesy, but songs like More, Blow Your High, Anger Management and the before mentioned Overdose motivates you to roll your windows down and play it loud, throw a couple of extra plates on the bar or run the extra mile, especially if they are turned up loud 
With all the catchiness and all the album is distinctively Christ Centered, without a lot of the Theological Rhetoric. No Doctrinal positions, no terms only learned in seminary (not that these are bad) just a Christ Centered attack and appeal on a culture that is growing more and more dark and cold in every aspect. Lecrae doesn’t shy away from giving his testimony without being braggadocios in his past sin, he moves away from the I am nothing but dirt lyrics which I felt was a little too heavy in Rebel. What is very unique is that outside of Swoope (new artist) there are no 116 collaborations. No Trip and Crae killing a beat, no Tedash and Crae and their word play over pulsating beats and no Sho Baraka and his clever and often entertaining lyrics (I would have expected at least one collaboration). But this by no means devalues this album.
To me this is Lecrae’s best. I put Rehab as his worst (at least for me). I don’t want to do 4 out of 5 or anything. But if I am to be honest there isn’t one flaw in this album. The collaborations are perfect, the production is stellar, the hooks are catchy and though Lecrae doesn’t attempt to destroy every song lyrically he still gets off quite a few clever punch lines that will have you rewinding and cracking a smile. This one will be hard to top but he has officially pushed Holy Hip Hop to a point where it can not only be mentioned with the best secular guys it can actually compete.
Pretty good stuff. Thanks for the review.
-Alan
I just listened to Strung Out:
For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Nice.
Hutch,
It is a lovely album, pulsating though.
G.Craige frowns on this tomfoolery..
Yeah, I like the voice-over at the end of Strung out. Nice to see they are not just serving us the cheesey cheese that parts of Contemporary Christian music once was, production and quality seems to be getting better and better.
:0
alright..i listened to 2 songs, Battle Song and Overdose..Battle Song was ill…Overdose, not so much…ill be honest and say that most Down South stuff offends my rap sensibilities…so when the beat dropped for Overdose, i was already like “no bueno” and turned it off…
Djenk,
LOL. I am an unique individual. The only music I can’t listen to is that West Coast Gangster beats. Stuff like Ice Cube, Mack 10 (the newer stuff) and a lot of those dudes. I absolutely love this album, I am arguing for the best of year, given who released last year and who I see this year. Top to bottom this album is flawless to me. The great thing is that it isn’t all over the place musically.
Jesus frowns on G. Craige
You’ve gotta love Benjah–as he did a song with Lecrae…and it was beautiful. Finally glad they brought out the “Regaee” feel to it
“Be Like You” was probably my favorite
I’m going to check it out today…Jeff said it was good too, but you know I can’t trust you two right off the bat musically…
Vetta,
Sorry we both said a certain album was hot and now you are listening to it. Who you can’t trust is you LOL
Whatever, Lionel! You all have been wrong more often than not in the past on certain albums so I have a right to be cautious with you two.