Trailblazin Ministries

Trip Lee - If They Only Knew

Written by Garrett Richie
Thursday, October 30, 2008

Album Overview

If I'm right about those of you reading this review, I'm pretty sure that you're fairly familiar with Trip Lee and his music. However, for those of you who aren't, let me give you a little introduction...

One of the younger cats in HHH, and the youngest with the Reach Records crew, Trip Lee has 2 albums under his belt, along with features on the 116 Clique compilations. His debut album, If They Only Knew, our focus here, showcases the talent of a veteran emcee, although it was only Trip's rookie project. In fact, he was still in his senior year of high school when recording it. If you haven't picked this one up, don't sleep on it any longer. This album is very high quality Christian rap and belongs in the library of every listener.

Beyond the basics of his sick lyricism, the bangin' beats typical of Reach Records, solid feature emcees, etc., this album is great for its relativity to youth. As a young believer myself, following in Christ's footsteps has its own unique trials as I go through high school. With Trip Lee's stories, experiences, and learned lessons laid out track-by-track, the album serves as mad encouragement for not just myself but for all youth trying to "Let 'Em Know". I remember being brought to tears listening to "Cryin' Out," relating to temporarily falling back in the Faith, and drawing inspiration from "Call us Crazy." It's the close connections the listener can make to Trip Lee that makes If They Only Knew such a memorable album. It really hits home to its audience. I've already said it, but you should definitely cop this album, especially if you're a young one in the Faith. And for those who are still sleeping on it, "Oh, If They Only Knew."

Spiritual Significance

The Spritual substance of If They Only Knew stems from Trip's own journey as a young believer trying to really follow Christ. Going through high school, his flip to the Christian walk was a trying process for him. On one hand, he struggled with the exclusionhe he faced from his old friends, but he was also motivated to bring the Good News to those who hadn't yet been exposed to it. His experiences gave him a solid base to write his songs for the album.

Trip first dives into a real cut-and-dry approach to focusing on Christ. As a high school junior, I can see where he was coming from on this, as I've seen kids who can't get enough of what this world has to offer. Whether it be money, clothes, girls, or whatever, they all pull one's focus away from Christ, and can serve as a serious stumbling block to believers. Trip stresses the importance of putting God at the center of all things to avoid falling into these worldy things, along with exposing their emptiness and showing how God has promised His Kingdom to those chasing after Him.

The album also keys in on spreading the Good News to one's peers. Trip realized his salvation was a gift, and felt an obligation to share the God who saved him with everyone he could. This principle is very bold and courageous, because spreading the Gospel in high school is definitely no easy thing. However, this should be something all believers should become comfortable with, and his example serves as encouragement to everyone struggling with the courage to evangelize.

Finally, he focuses on the youth aspect of the Faith. Following the words of 1 Timothy 4:12, he realizes the power young people have to do God's will. When peers spread their Faith, the message comes across much more effectively than if an adult was to address young people. Not saying adults ministering to youth is ineffective, but that young believers can create a much more personal message by evangelizing to their friends.

Topics Covered

• God over earthly things (Matthew 6:19-21, 24-33)
• Youths doing God's will (1 Timothy 4:12)
• Watching who you associate with (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)
• Spreading the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20)
• Self-Examination (2 Corinthians 13:5)
• Being unashamed of being a believer, especially a young one (Romans 1:16, Joel 2:27)
• Christ died to save us from our sins (Good News 1,2,3, John 3:16)

Key Tracks

Who You Rollin' Wit, Cash or Christ, Call us Crazy, Cryin' Out