Raphi is hitting the streets with his music, as well as MTV! While his songs
are being used on the show Real World, his music is making heads nod all
across the nation. Plus, there's some WOW release to talk about this week...

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RELIENT K AT PURPLE DOOR 02
The band discuss the Christian music scene, the hilarity of their songs, new
music, and their current tour. Read it all here:
http://www.cmusicweb.com/features/purpledoor02/relientk.shtml

Plus, check out more interviews with artists such as Switchfoot and Joy
Electric online too!

Also, for the next couple weeks, we will be delivering an interview every
week, with such artists as John Reuben. So, check back in for more.


CALI QUAKE - RAPHI (2002)
by Jon Corbin

"The question is, are you ready?" Tunnel Rat member Raphi is more than ready
to silence his critics and rip up the mic on his debut solo album Cali
Quake. The long-time member of the Los Angeles underground returns to
deliver the full meal to those hungry from the taste they received on the
Tunnel Vision album. Raphi has been an emcee for over 10 years performing
with countless stars and appearing on many Tunnel Rat projects before
steeping out on his own to "shake it up."

And shake it up he does. Raphi teams up with Don Baker (a.k.a. Dert) to get
your body moving on the "Intro." The head nodders continue with "Connect," a
straight up party jam with an addictive hook. Dert the innovator continues
with "Welcome" featuring fellow rats Dax and Macho from New Breed. The TR'z
quickly try to prepare the listener for the future of hip-hop, when the Rats
will be on top. Salsa meets hip-hop on "Then and Now," another body shaking
groove featuring excellent guitar work by Robert Hernandez. Jaws will drop
when they get a listen to "It Goes Down" (featuring Wordsworth). This is the
type of joint that will turn any hip-hop head and get the hardest cat
working his neck. From the three TR projects in the last year, this is the
best track Dert has produced. The two emcees work together very smoothly on
this song - a must for any hip-hop fan. After a short break, Raphi returns
to the hardcore with "Heatwave." Again featuring Macho, this track is an
answer to "Pray for the Morning" from Tunnel Vision. Dert does not
disappoint with his hardcore beats that should bring this record a lot of
respect.

But Raphi is not one sided. He brings lyrical depth to some slow jams and
reveals his frustrations on the pace of his music career. "Foolin'" and
"Street Chronicles" feature some tranquil vocals as the LA emcee does some
storytelling about life on the streets. He also gets real with the listeners
on "Stop-Look-Listen," "Rollin' With the Punches," and "The Right Way."
These songs share some deep frustrations and aspirations of a man with a
gift who is trying to get recognized while ministering to his fans. TR
member Zane guests on "Let Go," another storytelling tune of a couple on the
brink of splitting up. You can feel the chemistry between the two as they
each share their point of view. Some of the lines delivered by each emcee
are gems that will benefit any relationship. Fortunately, all ends well for
this couple in this genuine story about respect that should be taken to
heart.

The balance between the hardcore and the heartfelt is done relatively well
on Cali Quake, with the exception of the middle portion of the disc. After
the body grooving song "Heatwave," the disc grinds to a halt. The following
number, "The Right Way," is a strong but down beat tune. And a confusing
story told over two tracks ("Life Surprises" and "Anytime. Anywhere")
cripple the album's flow. The story initially follows a man sharing his
heartbreak over an unfaithful spouse. Raphi flows eloquently as he
personifies the hurting man and the confrontation he has with her lover. The
argument turns violent and his mother is shot. On the second track, Raphi
raps from the perspective of an innocent who stumbles onto the violent
scene. He seems to hold some social commentary about life on the streets but
by this time it is too confusing. There is no explanation if this really
happened to Raphi or why he chose to tell this story. The next song "Street
Chronicles" hints at wrapping up this surprising (and violent) tale but it
falls short. The story is left hanging and the groove created by the first
10 tracks is lost.

That being said, there are too many good songs to miss out on Cali Quake.
The musicianship is clever and creates a powerful hip-hop sound. Beat master
Dert scores big again and Raphi effectively challenges listeners not to put
his music in a box. Standout musical tracks are "Interludes 1 and 2," "Then
and Now," and "Wiggle." The beats are hot and the flows are very fresh.
Raphi is not an emcee to sleep on and Cali Quake is a disc you shouldn't
miss.

Read more about Raphi at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/hiphop/raphi


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

SPOKEN FOR - MERCYME
The guys responsible for "I Can Only Imagine" are back for the second time
ever. The word is that these songs, as a whole, are more listener-friendly
than their previous disc.

WOW CHRISTMAS - VARIOUS
Unfortunately, if I have to have one, this would be the PICK OF THE WEEK.
Although there are only two tracks worth getting that you cannot get on
other CDs currently, by tobyMac and Sixpence None the Richer, it is a decent
collection of re-recorded Christmas styles. The rest of the tracks are ones
that you can get on different artists' own Christmas discs.

WOW HITS 2003 - VARIOUS
As is usual, the hits are exactly the same. There's the disc for your
parents and the disc for you who listen to Chrstian Hit Radio. Rock fans
might as well skip this pop sensation whose cover now imitates the NOW hits
collections.


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next week with
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Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
ICQ - 43224317 AOL IM - dMusicWeb