Jesusfreakhideout.com celebrates 30 Years online in 2026... Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation August 13, 2026!

Benjah
The Break-Up



Album length: 13 tracks: 56 minutes, 29 seconds
Street Date: September 27, 2011


 
  
TheBreak-Up
READER RATING:  TheBreak-Up
/ 5.0 (0 votes)

Benjah is more known for his appearances on other artist's albums, more pointedly, the Reach Records family. Benjah has been featured on albums by Lecrae, Tedashii, Sho Baraka, and Trip Lee. On top of being featured, he also has credits for writing, mixing, and producing. He also released an album with reggae namesake Dillavou. The Break-Up is his second solo effort, continuing Benjah's slightly unique blend of hip-hop, R&B and reggae. It's a pretty radio friendly release, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's watered down.

Benjah isn't afraid to add some instrumentation into his beats. Light guitars, piano, and other strings are added in throughout the solid beats contained within The Break-Up. While the hip-hop vibe found in tracks like "Intro," "Sinking Ship" and "Keep Riding" are nice contributions, Benjah truly shines on the more R&B sounding tracks. "Not Alone," which features Rachael Lampa with a very nice assist, is a top track. Lampa's voice compliments Benjah's nicely. They blend perfectly together with the guitar and piano as they proclaim, "I feel it in my soul, feel it and I know that we are not alone. No we are not alone." The song references that no matter what is going on or what hardships we are facing, God is there; we are not alone.

"On Grace I Stand" is another song dominated by piano and strings. The song is an anthem to how great our God is. On the track, Benjah declares, "I may have fallen down, I'm picked up off the ground. The Lord has my hand so on grace I stand." "3rd World" brings the reggae sound in with Benjah's old buddy Dillavou. It seems like any Christian song with a reggae flare features this guy nowadays. The song, which features some of the album's most potent lyrics, says that we as Christians have family worldwide, while focusing on the topic of missions. The opening verse gets in your face with, "Have you ever been arrested lately just for going to church not nothing crazy? Have you ever seen a church burn in flames, just 'cause some terrorist hate Jehovah's name? If you call yourself a Christian, you got family worldwide. I'm saying that our mission should be to hold them when they cry." Though I don't typically get into a lot of reggae styled songs, this one is one of the best I've heard. It's a standout on this album and carries a strong message to support our missions.

Though there is nothing groundbreaking and not a whole lot to make you say, "Wow," The Break-Up is an very solid effort from Benjah. Solid beats, solid music, good spiritual lyrics, and great vocals make Benjah shine most of the time. Nothing really misses the mark completely, but there are definitely some stronger tracks as discussed above. All-in-all, if you are looking for something a little different that the normal hip-hop and rap out there today, you just might want to give Benjah a listen. While there is most certainly a hip-hop element to this album, the R&B vibe is usually overpowering. It's a good sound and I look forward to hearing what Benjah will do in the future. Hopefully he is able to step out of the shadow of being featured on albums, to being a featured artist himself.

- Review date: 10/6/11, written by Michael Weaver of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Listen to the new album from ENOK

 

Record Label: Universal Christian Music
Album length: 13 tracks: 56 minutes, 29 seconds
Street Date: September 27, 2011
Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Intro (1:23)
  2. Sinking Ship (3:28)
  3. Not Alone (3:32)
  4. Jezebel (3:36)
  5. Keep Ridin (3:26)
  6. 3rd World Family (3:49)
  7. Walkin' Out (3:29)
  8. On Grace I Stand (3:42)
  9. My Angel (3:58)
  10. Read Me (4:55)
  11. C.N.L.Y.G. (3:35)
  12. Orphan (4:46)
  13. The Break Up (12:50)

 

JFH Sample the Music

 

 

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Listen to the new album from ENOK

Search JFH



This Friday, August 28
ALBUMS
Anthem Edition Something's Goin' On - EP [Sonlite]
Bill B. Niche [Syntax]
DOE Shiloh [Provident/Sony]
Every Moment Holy: Prayer Songs, 2026 Q3 Anchoring the Heart in Hope (independent)
NRWHL Glory Be [The Charon Collective]
Noah Paul Harrison Do Not Go Gentle (Live) [Bethel]
I.A.N. I AM NEW [Syntax]
Prevailer Convalescent [Rottweiler]
John Van Deusen As Long As I Am In The Tent of This Body I Will Make A Joyful Noise Pt. 2 [Anotherland]
Various Artists Beyond Belief - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Girder]

SINGLES
11th Hour Today Is The Day - Single [Sonlite]
Angioplasty My Only (feat Shayla Van Tassel) - Single (independent)
Elan Brio Made For More - Single [Polished Arrow]
Kirk Franklin Thank You For Everything (feat. Karen Clark-Sheard) - Single [Fo Yo Soul]
Future of Forestry California - Single (independent)
Gaither These Are They (feat. David Phelps, Shane McConnell) [Live] - Single [Gaither]
Tim Hughes Make A Way (Live) - Single [Integrity]
Katy Weirich & Jake MacAdam Holy Ground - Single (independent)
Tae Lamar So Alive - Single [Polished Arrow]
John Long Trust In Him - Single (independent)
Adam Michael Pass the Parcel - Single (independent)
m1L, MotionPlus, Alias Molombo Made For More - Single [Polished Arrow]
Mountain People Worship No Lover Like Jesus - Single (independent)
Lexly Nirvana True Story (ft. VerbPro 12:4) - Single [Syntax]
Out of the Whirlwind Until Jesus Taught Me to Love - Single (independent)
John Pape The Road - Single (independent)
Leslie Perez Waiting For - Single [Gotee]
Matthew Plante KEEP FOCUS! - Single [Dream]
Sarah Reeves Made - Single [Curb]
Simply Worship & Sam Daniel Lamb of God - Single (independent)
Sleeping At Last Atom 17 - Single (independent)
Ryan Stevenson Eye of the Storm (Anniversary Edition) - Single [Gotee]
Tauren Wells Serve The Lord (Live) [feat. Davies.] - Single [Capitol CMG]
Sweden Yanulavich Holy City - Single (independent)

Next Wednesday, September 2
SINGLES
Alex Henry Foster Siren's Call - Single [Hopeful Tragedy]

Next Friday, September 4
ALBUMS
Sarah Reeves Standing Up [Curb]
Zahna Break or Breakthrough [XOVR]

SINGLES
Beach Chapel Cardiff - Single (independent)
Chandler Letner At a Bar - Single [Dream]
Matthew Plante FAVOUR! - Single [Dream]
Jon Reddick Tell Somebody - Single [Gotee]
Magdalene Rose Do You Want to Be Free? - Single [RockFest]
V1 Worship Still Worthy - Single [Dream]


For all release dates, click here!
 

Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase!
Need proofreading and editing help? We've got you covered! Click here to learn more
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images