SEPTEMBER ALBUM REVIEWS!

Group 1 Crew--Fearless

GRADE: B-

Fearless is the fourth major release from the Christian hip-hop artists Group 1 Crew. Before even beginning the CD, most fans will notice a major change. First of all, the trio has been reduced to a duo. The group now consists only of Bianca and Manny. Because of this, they have definitely taken a different direction musically.

Group 1 Crew has been known for their ability to take rap and hip-hop and mix it up with techno pop. However, with each CD release they have gradually moved away from being a hip-hop group to being more of a techno pop group. Their latest CD has virtually no hip-hop elements. A few songs like "Dangerous" have some elements of rap, but nothing substantial. This CD is much more radio friendly and it is quite clear that they have chosen to go more mainstream in the contemporary market.

On the positive side, Group 1 Crew is amazing at techno pop--so even though some fans may miss the hip-hop influence, the group is still very good at what they do. In addition, the lyrics are much more rooted in their faith and seem to be more mature than some of their older albums. 

On the downside, I think this is one of those CDs that just starts to sound the same after a while. The production quality and arrangements are great--but there is very a little variety of sound on the CD. One track pretty much sounds like the next track.

Some of the best songs on Fearless are "He Said"--which features the amazing Chris August, "Dangerous," and "Dark Valley"--which features Christian rapper, FLAME.

Overall, it is a good album--and I think it will definitely make Group 1 Crew more recognized on Contemporary radio--but unfortunately they may lose some of their more hardcore hip-hop fans.