Dre Marshall “Room 8-19”

Dre Marshall “Room 8-19”
Indie
Released: 2008
Review by: B.Davis
Committee Rating: 4.04 (of 5)
[xrr rating=4.04/5]

Dre Marshall has got real presence on Room 8-19. Dre does not fail to carry his commanding style and charisma through every track, making his latest album a real treat in many ways.

First, Dre gets serious kudos from me for picking some very solid instrumentals. He does a good job of keeping a solid mainstream vibe without falling too deep into the biter-trap that plagues many artists following the same route (though maybe he listened to TI a little too much before recording “Deadbeat Dad”…but hey I could be wrong). Songs like “Whoa” are a near-perfect match of a current, mood-setting instrumental, and his on-point flow that only adds to the tone of the song.

Dre is also strong at applying the hope and restoration that Christ provides, a common theme. The strongest moments in the are the two tracks, “Gloria” and “More.” Placed back to back, “Gloria” begins by tracing a troubled girl and her encounter with the transformative influence of God. A great touch is the implementation of straight worship in between the raps, along with a seamless flow into Dre’s own rap-worship. The listener cannot process this song without feeling the genuine praise from Dre and featured vocalist Kristine Alicia. Christian Hip Hop needs moments like this.

So, while it may not be timeless, not every punch line works, and it may have lost my interest a little bit towards the end, I wholeheartedly recommend Room 8-19. It is a solid project that keeps heads bobbing and hands lifted high.

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Review Committee
Review by: B.Davis

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