Flame

Our World Redeemed
Cross Movement Records

With “Our World Redeemed,” heralded Christian rapper Flame completes the hip-hop epic he began with his last record, “Our World Fallen.” It was worth the wait.

Lyrically Flame’s latest is little more than fervent spiritual instruction to his now converted fictional friend whose presalvation fate he bemoaned in “Our World Fallen.” There are, in fact, whole stretches that are simply spoken — not rapped — sermons.

Musically there are traces of Christian rap veteran T-Bone and secular scene veteran Busta Rhymes, yet the beats remain current throughout, especially the very “go, go, go, go” song “Go Buck.”

This record gives just that much more weight to the argument that, of all contemporary Christian music artists of all genres, it is Christian rappers who are best keeping pace with their secular counterparts.