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Gottee Records is well known for signing a wide array of artists, so it comes by no surprise that one of their latest assets, Liquid, is a completely new breed of his own. It’s time to get in touch with your Latino, R&B, old-school hip-hop, 1970’s soul, jazz, reggae, rock and flamenco side with this debut album,  Tales from the Badlands.

Growing up in inner-city Philadelphia, Liquid was exposed to the realities of the streets at a very young age.  The inner city is close to his heart, which is a main reason he created the album – to exemplify the depth behind his experiences and challenge believers “to stand firm in the face of oppression all over the world” (quotes from his website).     

Lyrically, the album is saturated with honest truth and genuine hope. Through the meaningful and poetic lyrics, Liquid demonstrates his true life experiences of tough times and trials and also reveals his faith in God and the hope he has for people in the inner city today. While some songs like the autobiographical “Gangsta” and the vivid narrative “Good to Be Back” are more serious in content, Liquid balances them out with tracks like “Back in the Day” and other fun, up-beat songs.  

Liquid has dipped his foot into a new genre of Christian music – Latino hip-hop and R&B.  Tales of the Badlands is an incredible fusion of soul-infused hip-hop and Latino rhythms; however, I feel Liquid could have dove in even deeper.  Though the Latino riffs and lyrics are definitely there, especially in songs like “One Time” and “Mi Gente,” I would have preferred them to have a more prominent role.  Never-the-less, Liquid is breaking grounds and hopefully paving the way for future Christian artists to follow.  

Tales from the Badlands is soaked with meaning, drenched with musical creativity, and overflowing with faith and hope for people around the world.  Obey your thirst – Liquid is a solid investment.

Sarah Verno, 5/31/06