Artist Info:Discography Album length: 15 tracks: 72 minutes, 10 seconds Street Date: October 26, 2004
After spurning a string of such hits as "House of Representatives," "Know Me(Huh, What?)," and
"When I Flow..(It's Gospel)," the power hip-hop quartet known as Cross Movement
return once again for their fifth full-length studio project, Higher Definition.
Like on their previous record, Holy Culture, CM returns to their format of assigning
most of the songs to one specific lyricist throughout the project.
Each track is filled with plenty of phat beats and tight lyrics to make this album a worthwile listen.
Higher Definition kicks off with the track "Civilian Affairs," a club-worthy song
about spiritual warfare. Next up is the groove-laced "Redefined," which The Fanatik describes
as a 'Tale of Two Cities,' and touches on the issues of the wrong type of love and sex in the
media. This song basically tells the listener to redefine one's ways and keep their eyes
focused on the Light of God. One of my personal favorites is the beat-bouncer "It's Time,"
where Tru-Life utters the words "Father, forgive me, I'm a sinner and I need you at the center
of my heart because that's where it all starts." "Lord You Are" is all about giving God
praise for all He has done for one's life. Possibly the biggest highlights of the album are the
percussion-driven "Hip-Hop-Cracy" (which includes a 'back in the lab again' sample from
"When I Flow...It's Gospel") and the first of two bonus tracks "The Bridge," where all 4 emcees
pay homage to pioneering rapper MC Shan with an updated version of the song he first made popular
along with original verses.
The majority of the songs covered on this project address the issues of teenage love,
worldly deception, warfare, and other problems facing today's generation while consistently
offering a message of hope in Jesus Christ. A typical Cross Movement album of course would not
be complete without the usual 'freestyle' in the form of a song with the title "Cypha," which is
executed well with "My Life Cypha," a lyrical composition of a man's life without God to
guide him. Exhibiting several high points with virtually no flaws, "Higher Definition" is one of
the most anticipated hip-hop projects of 2004. For those who have been hip-hop fans for a long
time, or are just now being exposed to it, don't hesitate to pass up this album from
the Cross Movement - possibly one of the most innovative hip-hop groups in the past 10 years.
- Review date: 2/11/05, written by Paul Portell
Artist Info:Discography Record Label:CMR Album length: 15 tracks: 75 minutes and 3 seconds
Street Date: October 26, 2004
Buy It:JfH Music Store
Artist Info: 
