With a humble swagger and beats that could knock down the walls of Jericho, Williams’ newest album fills the pews with a low-down gospel message that, refreshingly, isn’t afraid to pull out a whip and strike down the false prophets crowding the temples of the holy.
For example, the second track, “Revolutionary Minds” — co-written with a who’s who of local hip hop talent, including Apocalyptic and Sean C. Johnson — defiantly states houses of worship have “too many meetings and no execution” when it comes to the problems of the church in the community. “Good Times,” meanwhile, is a family reunion on wax — a sweet-soul experience that ranks up there with Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day,” no AKs needed.
The true masterpiece of the album, however, has to be the eight-minute heartripper “Sincerely Yours, Soul,” a series of letters based around broken familial bonds that are only healed through heavenly ones. As the depressive holiday season threatens to engulf some of us, Love, Soul is a cathartic, soul-saving experience that will leave even the most unholy among us in a wreck, on the floor, pleading for salvation. — Louis Fowler
This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2013.