Gospel Alpha Mega Funky Boogie Disco Music (CD - 2002)

Producers: Jeffery Falls, Chase, Grant, Bobby Ross Avila.

Personnel: T-Bone (vocals, background vocals); Mike Edwards (guitar); Chris Harris (keyboards, drum programming).

Audio Mixer: Bob Wartenbee.

Photographer: David Dobson.

A smart and talented MC, gospel star T-Bone fails to make a memorable impression on Gospel Alpha Mega Funky Boogie Disco Music. It isn't that he doesn't have the skills, T-Bone is a quick-witted motor mouth who spats out rhymes at an exciting pace. But his skills are often outshone by the bland approach, which provides some sadly embarrassing moments. The faux Snoop Dogg singing and hilarious use of slang sounds very forced, especially when it surrounds such a bright talent as T-Bone. Although it offers an alternative to secular rappers that pursue the same sound, the approach is so based in the mid-'90s West Coast scene that it comes off as a late afterthought of an answer to the classic Doggystyle. This is the true shame of the record, which contains many great beats and rhymes that are dragged down by the dated G-funk flourishes. When T-Bone tones down the flash, he reveals tight, funky tracks that bounce along with a militaristic precision that complement his abilities greatly. The best example of this is the title track, a rocking song that takes advantage of guest rapper KRS-One's incredible intellect and T-Bone's complementary Christian logic. It's one of the few moments where T-Bone doesn't sound like he's trying to be authentic and reveals a cool thoughtfulness that many of his contemporaries ignore. If T-Bone focused on a more original sound, he could make waves in the secular world as well as the Christian world. As it is, Gospel Alpha Mega Funky Boogie Disco Music is the toothless alternative to a sound that is already almost ten years old, a waste of a talented rapper if there ever was one. ~ Bradley Torreano minimize