On his solo debut Bay Area via Denver emcee APOSTLE taps into the lyrical and metaphysical strength of hip-hop’s spoken word performance roots. The power of rhythmic voice delivers the uplifting spiritual spoken word tracks “Nowhere Else to Go”, “The Voice”, “An Epiphany” and “Calling your Name”; each explores the courage involved when questioning the social and spiritual meaning of life on earth. Retaining his roots as a former Heavyweight Dub Champion member, other tracks mix ragga, dub and classic hip hop samples underneath the rhymes to add an edge grooving the significance into your psyche for deeper pondering. With a supporting crew that features DJ Quest, Stero Lion and the soul-crooning of Viveca Hawkins, APOSTLE speaks truth using his gift of captivating cadence and vivid lyrical imagery to challenge moral and spiritual values. Though Lyrical Activism lacks any sure-fire hits that would call attention of mainstream rap or hip hop, nonetheless this is a solid and gutsy throwback that swaps catchy hooks for a seriously soulful social message.

• Multiple songs MySpace