Stereo: Evolution of Hiprocksoul

I downloaded this album years ago and instantly connected with it, notably the song "Overloaded". I don't recall if I got it by chance, or if I was interested in hearing Ahmad's new work. It's surprisingly deep and very well produced. One of the few albums I can listen all the way through without skipping a track. Sure, some track are better than other, but there is not a stinker in the bunch. I listened to this record for months before I found out it was classified as Christian Rap. I'm not a religious guy, so that label would have turned me off way before I ever gave the record a chance. I can happily say this is not preachy at all. I don't recall ever even hearing a mention of religion (which is a good thing, in my opinion). The album certainly promotes positive ideals, which is a great thing for the genre. Quality record. I highly recommend it.

Just excellent. Wish we could get a remaster.

I heard this CD a long time ago but it was very difficult to find in Best Buy, Target, Walmart and even Christian bookstores. I was so happy found it on this site. This arrived on-time and the CD is awesome. I am very happy with this purchase and I'll be jammin' to this joint for a minute. LOL.

I had never heard of these folks, but I was watching G4 TV one day and I saw and heard this amazing song (Stereo) and had to find out more about these folks. I went to their web site and heard many of their songs. (I stayed connected for hours listening over and over, then I bought the this CD, and I might not listen to anything else for months to come. Amazing lyrics, great beats, great singing and rapping. 'Take it away' is my favorite, but I love every single song. Just check it out at their site, and you will end up getting this disk. It is awesome.

I liked how electic the album was.

damn them for breaking up the group... AND DAMN TINA AND THE GROUP LEADER FROM DIVORCING... this was something great!

Ahmad has definitely changed since "Back In The Day" (see his 1994 debut Ahmad). On this album, he evolves a step further, taking his pioneering Hiprocksoul style to a new level. If you thought Mos Def's The New Danger went too far... you ain't heard nothing yet.Being one of only two notable Hiphop bands (the other being The Roots), 4th Avenue Jones' kind of left the "Hiphop" behind and focused more on the "band" for this release. Now signed to dc Talk's Gotee Records, Ahmad decided to go a different route. The first thing I noticed other than the obvious sound difference when compared to their previous releases, is the absence of 4th Ave. rapper Senaj the Backwordz, or Jabu, as he was also known... no explanation was given... my guess is he may not have like the whole "rock" theme and opted out... who knows.Anyway, if you are looking for a Hiphop album and Ahmad's lyrical and original rhyme style, you may want to skip this one. There is a definitive "rock" feel to it and Ahmad does more singing than rapping, especially on the first half of the album. This is very disappointing, considering he is one of the premiere lyricists from the Westcoast. When he does rap, you can hear his trademark, even through the hard guitar riffs that shroud almost every chorus.What this album is missing in lyricism, it does make up for in originality and melody. Ahmad is an excellent songwriter and his band is great. Although I am not a big fan of screaming guitars, every track is original, musically interesting, and... well, catchy. The single "Stereo", although it is only just barely over 2 minutes long is the introduction of the new 4th Avenue Jones' and sets the pace for the rest of the album. Other highlights include "Overloaded", "I'm Sorry", and for those who would rather hear Ahmad's lyrical side, check out "Take Me Away", "Monumental Continental" featuring their new labelmates Grits, and the bonus track, probably the only record on the album that is not blatanty 'rock'-themed, "It's Over Now".Hopefully, for the Jones' Hiphop fans, it's not 'over now'; I would love to hear some music more reminiscent to 1999's raw and original Hiphop release No Plan B. And, please bring back Jabu.

I've been a fan of 4th Ave for a little while now. I never got around to picking up No Plan B but the mp3's I heard off of it were pretty cool. I bought the Introscope single and it had me wanting more for them. I appreciated their hard hitting approach to hip hop, which was un-common for most Christian groups. Unlike T-Bone, who tries to sound hard and comes up cheesy, 4th ave always sounded real and extremly deep.I guess somewhere along the way the Introscope deal fell through and Gotee managed to pick them up thus was born Stereo, the new album.The lyricism in this new album is top notch. I appreciate that they are trying to do something non-traditional by incorporating more rock elements into it. Not rock/rap in the tradition of rapcore, they end up sounding pretty unique. All appreciations for their originality aside.. I kinda miss the sound of the previous work.All in all, pretty good purchase. Although I'd check it out before buying.