Trailblazin Ministries

Trip Lee - 20/20

Written by G-Rich
Monday, May 19, 2008

Album Overview

I decided to do this album review differently than normal. Instead of sitting down with a journal as I went through the album, I put in my iPod and took in the sounds. I really liked Trip's first album, If They Only Knew, and was really looking forward to this one. I went through it a few times and it didn't take long for me to realize I had a lot of content on my hands. I was familiar with Trip's main message of seeing God through His Word, and was ready to dig in to the specifics.

With 20/20, Trip Lee really pushed the importance of the Word for growing closer to the Lord and learning more about Him. It reflects John 8:31, which says, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine." Like this verse, the album will help everyone trying to grow in the Lord realize that they MUST consistently study the Bible; it's not an option for a true Christian. As you listen to the album, you'll easily relate to many of the rhymes, as Trip Lee is a very personal rapper. By this, I mean he has a knack for reaching the listener on a deep level to help them understand what he's saying. I'm impressed by the emotion behind his songs on the project, which is another thing that locks the listener on to his songs. To sum it up, he was very effective in establishing close communication through his songs on the album.

I was also impressed by the production on this album. With work from Tony Stone, some live instrument sampling, and an experimental mix of jazz, the album is armed with a wide arsenal of styles, and I was really feeling most of the songs. Give or take a track, I really liked all of the instrumentals and was nodding my head throughout the album. Paired with a strong list of features including Lecrae, Tedashii, Flame, Sho, Cam, J.R., Diamone, and shai linne, 20/20 was an overall top-notch production.

Putting all this together, Trip Lee has given us another high-quality album, typical of the Reach Records crew. This is a must-have for all Holy Hip-Hoppers, especially due to the unique sound this album has.

Spiritual Significance

With 20/20, Trip Lee tunes in on seeing God through the eyes of Scripture. As God is infinite and way beyond our understanding, trying to figure Him out on our own is comparable to water skiing in the desert. God's Word, on the other hand, helps us to see God more clearly. As Psalm 19:9 says, "...The command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye." God wrote His Word for us in order for us to understand who He is, and in doing so attracts us to Him, because He is love. The more we read, the more we can understand our infinite Master, and ultimately we'll be drawn closer to Him. I believe Trip Lee hoped his listeners would realize this, and I can't help but relate Paul's words to Ephesus on this same matter: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Ephesians 1:18-19). Through Scripture, the love God has for us is revealed in a generous outpouring. This is vital to the Christian soul, refreshing and replenishing those who have toiled and suffered in the flesh while trying to live according to His decrees.

The project also shows God in His glory, in order to provide reasons for coming to Him. Songs like, "Who He Is" and "Who Is Like Him" put God on the pedestal He more than deserves, and prove that we really must study if we want to even come close to understanding one small portion of God.

Trip also touches on real-life consequences and benefits of drawing closer to God through Scripture (True Security). Proverbs 19:27 says, "If a son ceases to hear instruction, he wanders from words of knowledge." This shows how one who doesn't obey the Word will stray from its lessons and its blessings. However, staying in the Bible and obeying its teaching leads to the rewards of more fully realizing God's love for us. 20/20 shows Scripture's vital role in growing as a Christian and better understanding God. This is the first time I've seen a whole album dedicated to this subject matter, and am glad Trip Lee spit on this topic. He provided HHH with an album that paid full tribute to the message it (HHH) was created to spread: God and His Word.

Topics Covered

• Seeing God better through studying the Bible (Real Vision, Eyes Open, Come Close)
• God's Greatness (Who Is Like Him, Who He Is)
• Blessings and benefits of His Word (Satisfaction [Hedonist], True Security)
• God's holiness and our lowliness (Inexhaustible, Superstar (Eyes off Me), Hip Hop)
• Peace in God (Relief, Intimacy)
• Living out the Christian faith (We Told Em)
• Consequences of not clinging to God (True Security)
• Staying with God in tough times (Cling to You)

Key Tracks

With the consistent quality throughout the album, it was very hard for me to pick the key tracks, but here they are:

Real Vision, Cling to You, Relief, Who He Is