Description
Label Review.
2019 album. Hip hop.
Our Overview.
“The Second City’ is the latest compelling album from Steven Malcolm - the Christian Hip-Hop recording artist from Grand Rapids, Michigan - and again sees him crafting his musicianship and combining material that expresses his commitment to his beliefs, coupled with creative appeal for literally anyone with an affinity for rap,hip-hop, reggae, worship and pop.
Word Entertainment (known for artists like For King & Country, Needtobreathe) took a chance signing Steven Malcolm as their first rap artist in 2016. With one listen to his flow, his genre crossover appeal, and heart for sharing the Gospel, it's easy to see why they were willing to branch out with Malcolm.
The album title ‘The Second City’ has a dual meaning of being the nickname of Montego Bay, Jamaica (Malcolm's heritage) and also a representation of new life found in Jesus. "Not To Us" immediately makes this clear, directing the album's attention towards God, "not to us, but to your name be the glory." As in his 2017 debut, he does talk about his own skills at rapping, but it's easier to get on board with that when it's not the first thing we hear. Another theme that has come up in his music is "real recognises real," more or less meaning people who have been through tough times and deal with serious struggles can identify and relate with someone else who also has a lot of baggage.
Malcolm, who is known for pushing visual and sonic boundaries with his cinematographic eye and multi-cultural musical background, has been nominated for 3 Dove Awards. His music, which has been streamed over 11.5 million times, has been featured on Spotify’s New Music Friday, been used by the NBA on ESPN, and on VH1’s “Black Ink Crew.”