Drew
In My Notebook
Drew Music 2010
http://www.drewmusic4u.com/
Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.
Inspirational hip hop artist and producer Drew released his full-length CD, In My Notebook, on 10/10/10. His goal is to “break the barriers that separate God from mainstream music.”
The artist accomplishes his objective for the album through an effluence of hip hop beats and keyboard-created melodic techno-ambience (albeit with more auto-tune than necessary). More importantly, his lyric content deliberately blurs the barriers between what constitutes a love song for a person and for God.
To wit, a number of tracks on In My Notebook liken the saved/conversion process to a courtship. For example, on “Luv U Better,” the love interest could be God or it could be a soulmate. Drew leaves it up to the listener to decide.
On other tracks, the object of affection is less opaque. The album’s first single, “I Luv’d U 1st,” is a song of unrequited love delivered from God’s perspective. “Dreamin’” muses upon God’s unconditional love to His people despite unrelenting human frailty. The enigma leads Drew to exclaim that God’s love feels “too good to be true.” Meanwhile, “Love Affair” is delivered from Drew’s perspective. Here the Lord, not a lady, is the singer’s focus: “I wasn’t trying to fall in love/But you came and swept me off my feet.”
The lovely Neisha “Nai” Washington assists on “Tattoo,” the second single and arguably the best track on the album. Her supple vocals are superb and her duet with Drew is exquisite. While “Tattoo” might be the best selection on In My Notebook, the bonus tracks, “Superfan” and the rock-influenced “Use Me,” are the most rhythmically compelling.
Drew was born and raised a PK in Philadelphia and is now living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where he is minister of music at his father’s church. His In My Notebook is sure to provoke discussion among gospel music enthusiasts about the complexity of articulating agape in song.
Three of Five Stars
Picks: “Tattoo,” “Dreamin’.”
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Written by : Bob Marovich
Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. Founder of Journal of Gospel Music blog (formally The Black Gospel Blog) and producer of the Gospel Memories Radio Show.
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I am also a great lover of Moleskine notebooks. I first read about them on Lifehacker.com several years ago, and still use them from time to time. But for work any more I use a 3×5 index card case, great for jotting down notes and drawings and easily discarded if needed for one time dimensions in the field.
Dusty
I too enjoyed this CD. Definitely a fresh perspective for Gospel music.