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Our Music Year No. 37: Da’ T.R.U.T.H., ‘The Whole Truth’
Artist: Da’ T.R.U.T.H.
Title: “The Whole Truth”
Year: 2011
Format: Spotify
Grade: C-
Grammy-nominated, Philadelphia-born Emanuel Lee “Da’ T.R.U.T.H.” Lambert might paint with a gospel rap brush, but his color palette has a distinctly secular feel on “The Whole Truth.”
In his fifth effort and first for Universal’s Christian label, Xist, Lambert bites from a number of recent trends in hip-hop – male rap/female sung collabos on “Survivor,” autotune on “God is Good” or “Impossible.”
It’s interesting because hip-hop and spirituality aren’t as far apart as one might think, and I’m not talking about Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks.”
Large parts of hip-hop are an effort for human beings to reconcile their sins with a higher power. Also, faith is a source of inspiration: Tupac once said, “When I write rhymes, I go blind and let the lord do his thang.”
So in that context, it isn’t Lambert’s spirituality that makes “Whole Truth” lack. Deprived of message, Lambert’s effort is a bit scattershot, trying such an array of tricks – boom bap, rock fusion, autotune – that his own voice feels frail.
The pun’s a little obvious, but this one is for the converted.
Our Music Year is Daily Republic popular culture writer Nick DeCicco’s yearlong online review in 2012 of albums he had previously not listened to. The reviews will appear in print on their corresponding days during 2013. Reach him at 427-6966 or ndecicco@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ndeciccodr.
Nick DeCicco
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