Rhymefest = Good

July 28th, 2006 | Filed under Music, Reviews

There are certain seminal moments in an individual’s life as an appreciator of music. Discovering your cross-over, pop sensibilities, your emotional release and even your musical renaissance. Then there are times when you stumble, literally, upon songs that just make you feel good. Enter Rhymefest.

I can across Rhymefest after recently subscribing to a WBEZ Chicago podcast entitled Sound Opinions. It is a podcast hosted by a couple of music critics from chi-town, and they recently hosted an interview with Rhymefest discussing everything from his contribution to Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” (which Rhymefest originally created), to the current situation in Christian/Muslim/Jewish relations. They also discussed the current scene in hip hop, and what follows is the main reason I got interested in his music.

“Someone said to me, ‘you know the problem with Rhymefest?’ I said what’s the problem with Rhymefest? He said ‘the idea of Rhymefest is too complex. From the name to the music. He said ‘it’s not cut and dry, it’s not like ‘I got rims, look, my rims. You like rims? These are rims.’ You know? ‘I got hoes. You like hoes? These are hoes, here look at my, I got the best hoes.’ The idea of Rhymefest is just listen and understand, and then twist into. But I said to him those are the people that I want. The ones that are willing to think.” -Rhymefest, from Sound Opinions

He reminds me of intelligent rappers like Tribe, J-5, De la, etc…

Back to what Rhymefest has been up to recently. So you know that Kanye guy that recently won a grammy for best rap song. Yeah, Rhymefest cowrote that. Kind of a big deal I guess? Rhymefest originally rooted out the samples in the song, and wrote a couple of verses when he sent it off to Kanye in order for the song to get out there. What is most interesting about the song is that Rhymefest is a practicing Muslim. Check another great quote from Sound Opinions discussing that topic:

Interviewer: “How did a Muslim come to write “Jesus Walks” with Kanye?”

Rhymefest: “Because the thought of God having mercy upon sinners is not one that is lost upon…the Muslims, the Jewish people, or the Christians. This is universal. All-Mighty-God having mercy upon sinners. What’s more universal than that?

And what we don’t admit is that the God that the Christians pray to, and that the Jews and the Muslims pray to is the really all the same God. We all believe in one-omnipotent creator, so its really the same God. The Jews believe that Jesus existed, the Muslims believe that Jesus existed, the Christians believe that Jesus existed, so why can’t we come together and make a song called “Jesus Walks.” And its even further more of a testament of why can’t a Palestinians and an Israelis get together and make a beautiful song? If a Muslim and a Christian can do it? You know what I mean?”

Yes I do in fact know what he means. I can’t explain how excited it makes me feel that there are intelligent musicians still out there. So far I’ve just downloaded the song I heard on Sound Opinions entitled Devil’s Pie and has become my new summer anthem. I sat at my desk compositing some green screen tests yesterday bopping my head and tapping my foot uncontrollably. Let us just say that it is good. Very good. I plan on making a trip to the Love Garden next week to pick a few new CDs…after pay day of course. At least check out Devil’s Pie if for no other reason than that Rhymefest calls out Ashcroft, Bush, Rumsfield and Rice all in one stanza. Excellent.

For more great summer hip hop be sure to check out J-5′s latest offering, Cut Chemist’s solo album (a former J-5 DJ) and relative newcomers, the Strange Fruit Project (endorsed by Harper and his pal Approach).