Research “Cerca Trova” Review
Research is one of the most criminally slept on emcees not just in hip hop but the Christian hip hop world also. The emcee is part of three crews, ShadowFacts, Vision1 and drop.sci.GIANTS yet ya’ll are still sleeping on him! In 2008 he released “Identity Theft” which was Part I in a two part series (it could be three I’m not sure). And Research said that “Identity Theft” was the darker album and this project “Cerca Trova” was on the lighter side. Let’s see if the “light” side was as good as “dark” side was.
The album “Cerca Trova” starts off with “I Am” which I think is the perfect introduction to this album. In my eyes this intro track was almost like a response to the darkness and problems that Research faced in “Identity Theft” making claims of triumph over these worldly problems that we’re faced with every single day. This track sets up the album nicely.
“Another Day” I believe is the statement track on the record, it’s the track that summarizes what this album is about. Enjoy the little things in life, be thankful that you woke up to see another day. I keep going back to this but to me this track was the opposite of “Weary” from “Identity Theft”. “Weary” was really the low (sad) point on the album, Research expresses the hurt and exhaustion from said hurt in that song. In “Another Day” he’s overcoming it by remembering God’s grace and motivation to effect the world around him.
With “Cerca Trova” we get more just straight rap tracks “We Do” is the perfect example. I have no idea who made the beat but Research and his Vision1 partner in crime Details straight body this beat and I repeated this track a couple times. Another track that does the same thing is “Rock The Spot” which features the drop.sci.GIANTS crew and all of them rip the track. Which makes me wonder when the group is going to drop another project!
“Crying Angels” was one of my favorite tracks on this album and it covers a multitude of topics in just one track. Research speaks on the impact of one life, in our society, in this world there are billions of people and I think we take the fact that there are so many lives for granted. It just takes one person to make a change in this world. Research tells stories of those who lost their lives and what was lost with that life. In the first verse he speaks on a girl who lost her life who was meant to become the first female president. In another story a person dies who was supposed to find the cure to cancer but all those endeavors were lost along with the life. This is a very powerful song with a strong message.
As the project starts to come to a close “By My Side” is an anthem dedicated to all the people in his life that stayed by his side through the thick and the thin. The first verse is dedicated to Details the other half of Vision1, the second verse is to his wife and the last is for everyone else. It’s definitely nice to see the emcee give credit to everyone who’s helped him on this journey.
“Cerca Trova” is a great project and definitely worth picking up, if you listened to “Identity Theft” you’ll enjoy the contrast on this album and probably make the same connections that I did while listening. This album is one that gives hope in a world that is filled with darkness, feeling down definitely pop in this album. It’s a positive, uplifting album with a little bit of “Identity Theft” sound and content sprinkled in and it balances the record out perfectly. Go buy “Cerca Trova” now.
http://shadowfactsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cerca-trova
RATING: 4/5 (Dope Release, Pick It Up)
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