Some of you might be asking yourselves "Who is Sup the Chemist?" To some, he might be better known as Super C or maybe you have heard of the group S.F.C. (Soliders For Christ). S.F.C. were one of the first Christian rap acts ever. They basically filled the role as the Run-DMC of Christian rap with Super C (now know as Sup the Chemist) as the front man for the group. Ultimately, Super C was S.F.C. as over the years, they had multiple line-up changes. Their final record was put out in 1995, and after that, Super C was never heard from again... Until the new millenium.

It'd been five years since we had seen anything from Sup (real name Chris Cooper) and it was worth the wait. Sup has always been known for his well-written lyrics and well-crafted beats as this record shows. His first project as "Sup," Dust, features some of his best lyrics yet. Dust is more of a jazzy record than a danceable one. It's a record to make you think, and not to make you get your groove on. Not that it does not have a few songs to nod your head to, but it's a very laid back project. Allow me point out some highlights.

Firstly, "My Shot" is very much something to bounce to. Sup uses vocal gun shots to comprise his beat, but the song is actually not about violence, but about now being his time to get his message out as he points the listener to Christ who will make an eternal change in our lives. "Fresh Coast," another groove-laced track, is about being from Cali, but corrects the misconception that a rapper from the west coast has to be a 'gangsta.' "How Do You Like Your Hip-Hop?" features a slow beat but lovable none the less. This one is about the varieties of styles in hip-hop and how he plans to use it. "Art" is a song about how some rap has become about show and is ultimately empty with nothing to say while expressing his desire for it to have meaning. "As The Sun Rises" changes things up a bit to feature a slow acoustic gutiar rhythm and serves as my personal favorite track on Dust. One of the things I have always loved about Sup is he uses Bible veres to explain how he is feeling and he does it twice in this song, using Proverbs 3:6 and 1 Peter 3:15. Some other tracks to note are "Venality," "Here," "Zone," "Top Ramen Nites," and "Is This A Dream?." This song is the last one on the CD and teams Sup with special guests Project 86. This song puts the book of Revelations to music, but the only thing I missed in this song was rock vocals from Project's talented Andrew Schwab. It has places for good rock vocals but doesn't utilize these moments like they could have.

Overall, I love this album. One thing I was a little disappointed about was how some songs just sounded a little too similar. Along with that, Sup tends to talk about himself a lot. He makes it clear that he has worked hard, and he's aware that Christian rap might not be where it is today if it were not for him. This is true, but I don't think it's necessary for him to remind the listener in almost every song. A lot of people have taken advantage of Sup in his years in the music world, and he makes this abundantly clear. But really, I am the Christian I am today thanks to Sup's love for Christ and rap music. So for that, I gotta say, "Thanks Sup!"

- Review date: 1/18/03, written by Matt Vest