Album Review: Dae Lee – ‘Reflect’
Artist: Dae Lee
Album: Reflect
Genre: Hip-Hop/ Rap
iPod Pick: Lost in You (Feat. KJ Scriven)
Lyrical Gold: I’ve been looking for me. I’ve been looking for a reason to live. Tell me have you seen it? (From the song ‘Lost In You’)
The album starts with Broken Mirrors which in its intro/interlude format puts forth the mood of the album. ‘Before I Leave’ which features Omega Sparx and Ahji Love is so upbeat you wouldn’t be able to sit still. Though I think the chorus or maybe it’s a rap bridge seems to slow things down in beat but it still makes up for a good song. And that synth at the beginning, Dope!
I don’t know why exactly immediately the track REFLECT started it took me back to Coolio‘s Gangster’s Paradise. It’s a song about not giving up even though the journey might be hard. Dae lee raps “I know the world’s watching that’s why I reflect” The keys on the tune is almost everything. For a rap song without a sung chorus it does really well.
‘Breeze‘ which features Clint Hudson has this mind bending tune. You are thinking its gonna flow this way and it all goes the other way. It’s radio and definitely party ready. Ur Beautiful 2.0 starts off with the killer lyric ‘it’s hard to see yourself when you’re looking at someone else’.
‘Life is Worship’ features the amazing Chris Brown from Elevation Worship in Charlotte, North Carolina. And I like how he brings a playful vibe to the song. And yes there’s a video for this song. It’s on YouTube and I love the simplicity.Dusty Souls which features Carey Sims and one of my personal favorite has this country/southern feel to it musically and really upbeat to.
I must say, the first shocker for me on getting this album was seeing Sarah DeShields on the track list. I first got to hear about Sarah DeShields via Renovatus Church Charlotte NC where she leads worship. Sarah is Scottish and the music her heart makes is so rare your mind should definitely go to very creative artists like the Icelandic Bjork, Nina Perrson of the late 90’s fame Swedish band The Cardigans, Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttiror of the recent fame Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men or say Fiona Apple. So I just kept asking myself what on earth is she doing on a rap album. But funny enough, it worked! The whole song reads like a movie score. Think orchestra, rap, choreography and some synths. It’s bang-your-head-on-your-radio good.
Beautiful Struggle paints a metaphor of marriage. It tells us that love might not be easy but it’s definitely worth it. I like how Dae Lee points out how marriage should be different when Christ is in it on this tune. The first lines of New Lifebrought a big smile to my face. It’s a song for Dae Lee’s daughter. Poignantly penned from a father’s heart filled with love and there are these beautiful pseudo-piano interlude with a little baby chuckling. It’s beauty in its entirety.
A standing ovation for the song ‘Lost in You’ which features KJ Scriven. It’s sweet runway fast pop mixed with high tempo rap. I totally love it and it would definitely be on my iPod for a very long time.
On Reflect, we hear creative and innovative tunes. We hear lyrics that rhyme like a genius wrote them. We hear a father expressing his love to his newborn. We hear a follower of Jesus praising his savior being grateful. We also hear a lover making sense of the mess a life forever together might seem like, but above all we don’t want to miss the passion we hear calling from Dae Lee’s heart through his craft.
Thank you Dae Lee. Thanks for pouring your heart and passion into this rap record, a genre classically known for its doggedness and brag-ability. I believe this is just the beginning for Dae Lee. And it’s not just music. Life is bigger than music. Life is worship.
It worth reflecting with Dae Lee with this record. In Dae’s words; My vision and hope for my new album ‘REFLECT’ is that we realize that we were created in the image of the greatest and when we choose to live out our purpose and REFLECT Him, we are great! So no matter your cultural background, ethnicity, or economic status this message and album is for you.
It good upbeat rap mood music. And it would do your soul a whole lot of good.
