Verbs The Groundwork Theory Urban/Hip-Hop 09-18-2007

SCORE 85%

Verbs (the artist previously known as Knowtheverbs) is not a rapper wasting his spittin’ skills on the sick street treasures, as “The Groundwork Theory” shows clearly. More about building up strong spirits than gathering bling, the well-traveled Verbs has been visiting high schools in South Africa and other countries sharing his timely message of hope and empowerment through Christ to young people everywhere.

That sense of mission comes across strong on The Groundwork Theory, Verb’s fourth full-length. But the good times roll just as fast, beginning with the bangin’ global-flavored opener, “Yie,” a reggae-rich intro that references his recent travels with rootsy tribal beats and warm chanting. Scratchy sizzler “Stay Fresh” keeps the party going, with more reggae lilting, jazz keys, and irresistible beats, whereas the smoooooth R&B-flavaed “Future” mixes Verbs’ rapid flow and swaying rhythms to take a look at real love, in sharp contrast to the referenced Beyonce and Kenye. Verbs gets plenty of strong background support, the tight harmonies here and also on “New Day” standing out immediately. The soft rap of “Be Still” bears a cool ‘70’s vibe all the way through, from Verbs’ flow to the smooth keys. One of my favorite tracks is the richly mixed “I Know,” for its jazz changes and its personal story of Verbs’ obvious passion for the genre.

The album’s rich diversity holds your attention for all 14 tracks, and imparts plenty of wisdom along the way. “Better Not Fall” is Verbs’ heartfelt word of encouragement to the youth to stay clean, stay pure. The dark samples of “Glow” plays out well against his call to be a light in the darkness, but the following track “Light My Life Up” sounds too similar, too soon. “Mutual” lifts the energy back up while laying out a godly approach to relationships.

The disc ends well, with “Let’s Love,” a slammin’, beat-driven call to live for God, and “Newsflash,” a poppin’, steady-rhyming tightly-grooved closer. The production could have been a bit cleaner, but all in all, The Groundwork Theory, makes it clear why Verbs is such a strong and valued player in the hip-hop scene.