Preach Jacobs

3.5/5
By and large, I got what I expected when I uploaded emcee
Preach’s

Garveyism to my MP3 player and bumped it on my way to work: okay rhymes, decent production and a couple of standout tracks. What I didn’t anticipate was how quickly the album grew on me, to the point where I stopped listening out of obligation, but started playing it out of sheer desire. For that reason, I gave Garveyism the otherwise esoteric half ?uestie; by no means is Garveyism a great or near classic album, but it’s better than average. Being a proud music pirate, I even found myself saying, “Hmm, I’ll cop this.” Money well spent, in my opinion. After a shout-out to the late Gordon Parks, Garveyism opens with “Sunday Morning (Intro),” a head-nodding praise for new mornings, new beginnings. Up next is “Revolucion (Start Button),” producer Nicolay’s one of two contributions to the album. A forgettable track to say the least, both Preach and Nicolay redeem themselves later on with “Cool Out.” “South Coca” represents South Carolina, Preach’s home state, with a funky, soulful backdrop, a precursor for the best tracks of Garveyism. “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda” is a definite repeat listen, followed by “Dance,” another keeper. Preach shows his versatility with “Take 5,” although the song seems out of place. Skip-worthy tracks include “I Can Fly,” featuring singer Butterfly Brown, and “That Feeling,” an almost cheesy, romantic homage to the past (Transformers, Rap City with Joe Clair, etc.).

On numerous occasions, Preach overtly reminds the listener that he isn’t the best emcee and, to be blunt, he’s correct. In spite of a dope flow and an admirable ability to ride a beat, very little of his lyrics caused a raised eyebrow, an “oh shit” or a rewind. That aside, I still enjoyed Garveyism because, if nothing else, Preach raps from the heart. His rhymes are backed with a sense of conviction, as if he, as trite and cliché it sounds, poured himself into this album. Garveyism is a project full of potential, an introduction to an artist who, with improvement, can make a mark in this musical landscape or, at the very least, garner a solid following (see: Little Brother) - Okayplayer.com