Music Brief: Willie Will's Redemption Mixtape

We argue about whether Christian rappers should rhyme over secular beats, but Willie Will's mixtape, "Redemption," shuts down this debate for now.

It's a mighty work for the Lord in reaching nonbelievers, taking some of the grimiest hip-hop tracks (including "We Gonna Make It," by Jadakiss; "C.R.E.A.M.," by Wu-Tang Clan; "Ambitionz az a Ridah," by 2Pac; and "Shook Ones Pt. II" by Mobb Deep) and claiming them for God. Not only does he jack beats, but he also swagger jacks to further capture the essence of the original songs, stylistically stepping into Raekwon's two-tone Wallabees on his remake of "C.R.E.A.M.," for example.

These 32 songs are now fortified with the Holy Ghost and Willie Will's dense, intelligent lyrics. Classic tracks in the hands of a talented lyricist is always a win, and this one is a big win for God.

My Top Tracks: There wasn't a track list provided with the mixtape as far as I can tell, so I'll have to title by the names of the original songs and list track numbers. Without further ado...

• Track 4, "Big Poppa" remake: Stop being a baby, baby.
• Track 5, "Shook Ones Pt. II" remake: Be shook if not saved.
• Track 11, "New York State of Mind" remake: Start the revoloution. God=solution.
• Track 12, "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" remake: Praise for the real Hov.
• Track 13, "We Gonna Make It" remake: Amped lyrics and amped music.
• Track 15, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" remake: Christ's story, Pete Rock heatrock.
• Track 16, "It Was a Good Day" remake: A humorous praise song.
• Track 21, "The People" remake: Will's flow > Common's. Trust.

Where do you cop this one from? DaSouth.com. Join the site and access this mixtape, and many other free downloads.