Today's hip hop is all about dissing everyone else. It's all about girls,
money, and fame. But Mars Ill is out to change all that. Manchild is a
respected emcee who has made a name for himself as a great battle rapper. DJ
Dust puts together beats of high quality plus all those little bells and
whistles that make it perfect. Together, Manchild and Dust are bringing the
message of Christ to the hip hop community. Although they don't sound like
50 Cent or DMX, they are still a great voice in hip hop. So check them out
this week, plus many of the other reviews we've posted this week.

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WIN YOUR CHOICE OF GREAT PRIZES!
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http://cMusicWeb.com/win


BACKBREAKANOMICS - MARS ILL (2003)
by Jon Corbin

The mission continues for Mars Ill. Since their smash debut Raw Material,
labels and rumours of labels have come and gone. After finally settling with
Gotee, heavy scrutiny awaited the sophomore project. Backbreakanomics is a
statement that Mars Ill isn't easily swayed by the masses. This new work
reveals clear direction and an even bolder message.

A sign of improvement is the focused topics the crew takes on. Dedicated
fans will enjoy a reworking of the underground hit "My Life." "Afterlife,"
speaks to the group's progress through life's changes. Manchild's
frustration with the poor quality of entertainment is addressed with
"Enterchange." The dark story of a prisoner encountering Christ ("Inside
Out") demonstrates a new wave of Manchild's emcee skills. The disc also
provides the audience with suggestions for healthy living: "Freeze
Framework" calls people to remove pride and admit their faults. "Sideline
Speech" features Big Juss as the pair speak on critical cats that live life
on the sidelines. Finally, "Next Door" sees Manchild waxing philosophic
about human interaction. "I'm reminded of the wonder of this world in which
we live / How we kill ourselves to have / But find freedom when we give."
It's this delicate attack upon worldly forces that endears the listener to
the record.

Behind the boards, Dust demonstrates incredible maturity in his production.
The raging horns on "Breathe Slow" complement the fun hook. The boom-bap
edge of "Planes and Trains" creates enough space for the differing styles of
Pigeon John, Manchild and Blueprint. Dust consistently makes the neck work,
from the homage to the old school ("Black Box Artist") to the layered drums
and resonating percussion rolls of "Sideline Speech." The upbeat numbers
"Enterchange" and "Freeze Framework" add some enjoyable flavour to the
record. Musically, the duo continues to work well together as they explore
many sides of the human experience in hip-hop.

The one major drawback to Backbreakanomics is that the album does not feel
like a complete project. There are several standout tracks; however, the
reply value of the album does not measure up to Raw Material. Yet, what is
exciting is the amount of material Manchild engages the audience with.
Christ is displayed in fuller measures, while never being overwhelming or
forced. The crew is the boldest they have ever been in displaying their
strong faith in Jesus. Listen to this album in the morning, and you'll be
chewing on the lyrics as your head hits the pillow. That sort of depth is
rarely seen and should be encouraged as Christians continue to strive for
respect in the hip-hop game.

Read more about Mars Ill at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/hiphop/marsill


OTHER NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM

Review: Re:Son (self-titled)
http://cMusicWeb.com/hiphop/reson/reson.shtml

Review: Nazarene Crying Towel - Lost Dogs
http://cMusicWeb.com/folk/lostdogs/nazarenecryingtowel.shtml

Review: Lose This Life - Tait
http://cMusicWeb.com/modernrock/tait/losethislife.shtml

Review: Kiss of Heaven - Darlene Zschech
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/darlenezschech/kissofheaven.shtml

Review: In Motion - ThirtyThree7
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/thirtythree7/inmotion.shtml

Review: The Light of Things Hoped For - Brave Saint Saturn
http://cMusicWeb.com/modernrock/bravesaintsaturn/lightofthingshopedfor.shtml

Review: Root - By The Tree
http://cMusicWeb.com/pop/bythetree/root.shtml

Feature: Play:back
http://cMusicWeb.com/features/playback/index.shtml

Views: Winter's Silver Screens
http://cMusicWeb.com/views/archivejack/christmasmovies2003.shtml


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

PURCHASE THIS MUSIC AND MORE AT GRASSROOTSMUSIC.COM:
http://www.grassrootsmusic.com/?associateid=249

HAPPY - MATTHEW WEST
The latest in Sparrow's male pop/rockers who release a CD or two before
diving into obscurity, Matthew West has a CD full of happy images and
radio-friendly songs.

LEGENDARY - ZAO
This is the greatest hits disc of Solid State band Zao, which includes 3
unreleased tracks.

SAFE FROM THE LOSING FIGHT - KIDS IN THE WAY
After opening the successful Underground Uprising Tour with Pillar, Kids in
the Way is poised to take over. Their debut CD is full of catchy rock tunes
with an attitude. Since this is the most interesting release of the week,
it's the PICK OF THE WEEK.


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next week with
even more great content. If you have any comments or questions, please reply
to this e-mail or send them to webmaster@.... We'd love to hear
from you!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
AOL IM - dMusicWeb