Released on September 4, 2012.  In what I would say is a low-key hype for the arrival of “Gravity,” here are my first impressions of the project.

I will always be a fan of Lecrae.  It was his music (After The Music Stops) that really peaked my interest in other artist in the CHH genre.  I haven’t purchased “Gravity” yet, but I will.  I’ve listened to the whole album (once) online.  I’ve read one major blog’s (Rapzilla.com) review and another track by track breakdown of the project (boombox.com).  Sonically, I like the sound of the album, though southern hip hop really isn’t my thing, which is why my fave is Violence, just really been diggin on Tyshane lately.

Lyrically, I also like this project, for me, it seems like these issues/topics/subjects Lecrae speaks on are things we’ve heard from him before, but this time, he’s digging deeper, really being open and honest and raw: For example Confessions, Walk With Me, Mayday and Fakin, Lecrae is going in!  Another example of the different approach on Gravity vs past projects; I like I Love You from Rehab, but on Gravity, Lecrae offers up Buttons, which is straight to the point with the love still there but delivered raw and uncut!

Features-I get tired of seeing the same features on all of the Reach Records artists albums, so I really gravitate to the tracks that go beyond fellow Reach family and friends of Reach arm’s-length.  Rudy Currence, Novel and Mali Music are great additions and a nice break from the mold.  Mathai (made famous from NBC’s The Voice, season 2) delivers a super dope vocal on Free From It All and BIG KRIT (I’ve heard of him but not his music) is also a nice stretch (though I wonder, why him?).

So my first impression is nice, there’s a deluxe edition with three more tracks, I like one of them, they are for sure “fillers” as the standard 15 tracks hold up on their own well (I would take out Confessions though).  I will be purchasing the album and I hope that further listens will reveal more and capture me more and that I can make a deeper connection with the album, but as for now, Gravity does have my attention!