Various Artists

Night Owls 4: A Shot in the Dark
Syntax Records

“I know God is gonna help me get control of my California soul.” — Maximillian, “California Soul,” Track 7, “Night Owls 4.”

When listening to “Night Owls 4,” a 20-song compilation mostly by West Coast artists, one can’t help but marvel at the seemingly vast reservoirs of hip-hop talent brimming beneath the skin of America, waiting to be tapped for the cause of Christ. Is it because of the laptop ease with which hip-hop can these days be made to sound so good, so professional?

The fact that we are now in an age where whole generations have been raised on these once-suspect beats?
Whatever it is, it’s working, for and by kids both black and white. And “Night Owls 4” is climbing the College Music Journal hip-hop charts with nimbleness rare in Christian rap.