Much more about building up strong spirits than gathering bling, the well-traveled Verbs has been visiting high schools in South Africa and other countries sharing his timely message of hope and empowerment through Christ to young people everywhere. And on this side of the globe, he launched The Train Station: Hip-hop Learn Shops, workshops to teach young people the basics of the hip-hop craft, encouraging them to use the skills for God’s purposes. Reaching out into the popular culture, he also spreads his hip-hop magic on BET’s “Teen Summit” program and the popular “Rap City.”
Sense of Mission
That sense of mission comes across strong on The Groundwork Theory, Verb’s fourth full-length album. But the good times roll just as fast, beginning with the bangin’ global-flavored opener, “Yie,” a reggae-rich intro that references his recent travels with rootsy tribal beats and warm chanting. Scratchy sizzler “Stay Fresh” keeps the party going, with more reggae lilting, jazz keys, and irresistible beats, whereas the smoooooth R&B-flavaed “Future” mixes Verbs’ rapid flow and swaying rhythms to take a look at real love, in sharp contrast to the portrayals put forth by the referenced Beyonce and Kenye. Verbs gets plenty of strong background support, the tight harmonies here and also on “New Day” standing out immediately. The soft rap of “Be Still” bears a cool ‘70’s vibe all the way through, from Verbs’ flow to the smooth keys. One of my favorite tracks is the richly mixed “I Know,” for its jazz changes and its personal story, of Verbs’ obvious passion for the genre.
Diversity
Verbs uses diversity well to hold your attention for all 14 tracks, and imparts plenty of wisdom along the way. “Better Not Fall” is Verbs’ heartfelt word of encouragement to the youth to stay clean, stay pure. The dark samples of “Glow” plays out well against his call to be a light in the darkness, but the following track “Light My Life Up” sounds too similar, too soon. “Mutual” lifts the energy back up while laying out a godly approach to relationships.
Strong Closing
The disc ends well, with “Let’s Love,” a slammin’, beat-driven call to live for God, and “Newsflash,” a poppin’, steady-rhyming tightly-grooved closer. The production could have been a bit cleaner, but all in all, The Groundwork Theory, released September 18th from 1280 Music, makes it very clear why Verbs is such a strong and valued player on the hip-hop scene.
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