Mr. Del – THRILLA

Mr. Del
THRILLA
Holy South 2009
www.myspace.com/mrdelholysouth

Mr. Del, former member of the hardcore rap group Three 6 Mafia, has released THRILLA, his third holy hip hop album and the first to be distributed through Universal Music Christian Group.

The no-nonsense, growling rhymes on THRILLA paint a none-too-pretty autobiographical picture, and the beats are appropriately minimalist and rough-edged, but the message is clear: begin your faith walk and reap what the Kingdom has in store for you.

Several notables assist Mr. Del on THRILLA, including Canton Jones and iroCC Williams, who join on “Rock It Out.” Mali Music cameos on the reggae-flavored “Spread the Gospel.” (Read more about Mr. Del in TBGB’s interview with the artist).

The first half of the album is hardcore holy hip hop, with the message directed not at churchgoers but the unsaved of the mean streets who will relate to the sparse sound. The album gets more interesting, however, during the final eight tracks, starting with “Faith Walk” through the conclusion. In this section, notably in “My Life Rated ‘R’ (Real),” the rhymes become more soul-baring and the music and beats gain additional texture. Mr. Del shares the sordid details of his younger years, when he suffered the daily disgraces of poverty as well as emotional and physical abuse at the hands of his stepfather “because I was too small to box him.” “Reverse the Curse” is another cathartic moment for Mr. Del, as he describes circumstances that led him to dedicate his life to the Lord.

The most mesmerizing track on THRILLA is “Don’t Do It,” during which Mr. Del offers brotherly advice in a rueful but direct tone. The eerie musical backdrop gives the listener a sense that Mr. Del is giving this advice from the netherworld. Had all tracks on THRILLA been given the same sparkle as the final seven songs, the album would have been even more fascinating.

While the severe sound of THRILLA may not resonate with all gospel music enthusiasts, its true purpose is not to preach to the choir but to those who don’t listen to the choir in the first place.

Three of Five Stars