KamBINO

Fresh off the heels of his nomination as "Best New Artist of 2010", KamBINO is hailed by Rapzilla.com as one of the "11 Freshmen of 2011". The buzz is growing and anticipation for Kam's next release continues to climb... - Chad Horton (Rapzilla.com)

KamBINO was nominated by Christian Rap officianados Rapzilla.com for the title of "Best New Artist of 2010". - Philip Rood (Rapzilla.com)

Kambino’s album Reach is a recent entry into a blossoming market, not just Christian Rap but Christian Rap that is easily accessible and radio worthy without feeling overly preachy. Some listeners will be dissappointed by not hearing verses directly off of Scripture. Kambino will not dissappoint those who are looking for lighter Christian Rap or something to listen to with friends who do not listen to Christian Rap. It has a nice approachable sound that is not far from what is on the radio now. That being said the album is religious, it just isn’t in the same line as some other artists.

Reach has an interesting sound that is easy to like. The beats and production borrows heavily from the New Orleans/Young Money style that has been so popular over the past few years. Kambino himself is reminiscent of Jadakiss but of course with a more religious message. The album feels very well put together and it is thoroughly enjoyable without feeling that it is just following the current trends. “Reach” feels like a good album should, it feels like a labor of love. It isn’t perfect, it doesn’t feel like a classic, but it is well worth an introductory listen.

“3 Words” is a homage to love and is one of the mellowest tracks on the album. It is a song to honor Kambino’s wife but it can easily apply to whoever the listener wants. It is a relaxing laid back song that flows easily without feeling careless and though it does contain a religious message it feels very much like a love song more than a religious song. It is definitely a song to keep on repeat and just relax to,

“Heart of a G” is a much harder song about living in Christ and being his soldier. It is very hard to pull off a religious song that sounds street at the same but this song flows very well. The beat is a bit too repetitive and could be a bit different but it isn’t completely terrible either. All in all the song feels like a good cruising or working out song with a lot of swagger and enough of a message to not feel completely secular or materialistic.

“Real Life” is a song about real life and how some mistakenly think that becoming a Christian means never having problems. It does feature Auto-Tune which does feel a bit overplayed but some listeners might not think of it that way. Lyrically the song feels like Kambino at his best and he speaks at length about his temptation while seeming sincere and not boasting about his own life.

All in all Kambino’s album Reach is worth a sample for avid fans of Christian Rap and fans of rap itself. It isn’t the world’s greatest album but it is a strong album and it is enjoyable. It feels secular in terms of sound while the lyrics contain just enough of a message that it isn’t secular. It is just a perfect blend to listen to without worrying about the backlash of listening to Christian Rap.

- Kyle Kiekintveld (The Christian Manefesto)

The art of marketing is at times subjective, especially when it comes to music. There are artists that storm the scene from left field with well- crafted singles along with a buzz- inducing, all original full project. Some artists do plenty of collabs with the purpose of creating a “where’s the solo joint” whisper. Then there are artists like Kambino, who do just enough to stay at the edge of people’s minds- always holding at least a couple song slots on iPods- perfectly timing his Reach to chin check the unsuspecting (and even suspecting). To be point blank, there are very few artists that make debuts as strong as this one from Kambino.

I purposely am going to be very brief in my specific discussion of songs, contrary to my usual approach. That’s only because I feel that this is one of those projects better heard than explained. After an intro that melds a spoken piece from his mother and a quick lyrical flurry from Kam, Reach connects with the listener consistently. “Hodge Podge” and “No Power” are standout songs just because of the no holds barred metaphors offered up. Follow these punchline heavy joints with “Real Life” and the listener sees Kam’s storytelling prowess. As the album continued, one scripture that came to mind was Luke 4:18-19. Kam is a man who is led by the Spirit to proclaim freedom and sight to those who are imprisoned and blinded by sin. Add in a nice dedication to his wife, as well as a closing worship song, and its hard to find a flaw in this album.

Now, the thing about this album that was closed to being a negative for me was its short playlist. I’m of the school of thought that an album should have no less than 15 songs. But, after taking a good listen to this release, I had to drop all my classes and transfer. The beauty of this album is the fact that there are no fillers or unneeded skits. Basically, there are no wasted swings by Kambino. Features are also scarce so that Kam could show us just how much lyrical weight he can throw around. That brief list includes Street Pastor, Priest, Aerologic, D- MAUB, Christon Gray, and Ty Francis. There is not a weak link amongst these artists and they add to the reach that this record can have on the music scene.

The production lineup for Reach includes plenty of talent regardless of name recognition (or lack thereof). M.A.J.O.R., DJ Peeps, Genius Boy, Vybe Beatz, Christon Gray, Street Pastor, Hot Beatz, and Ra Charm all prove that the skill is in the product not the name. Kam stuck with a Midwest feel overall but added in a couple jazzy/ soul type tracks to accentuate his range of subject matter. Sound quality was also impressive on this project as Kam’s lyrics were clearly audible in the midst of the heavy basslines.

This is a 5 star album for the simple fact that it hits hard with very little bobbing, weaving, or floating (all due respect to Ali though). Kam makes it a point to present punchlines to the block and bring encouragement to The Body all at once. No matter what labels you are a fan of, this record is more than worthy of reaching your collection. If David had put the Slingshot down and dropped Goliath with a right hook, this is what it would look like.
- Kellus Hill (DaSouth.com)