Benjiman SKRIPT (Save the City) Released October 2009 Reviewed by Robert Ham

Style: Diluted hip-hop

Top tracks: "Back Home," "Smokescreen"

In a nutshell: Like too much of the music that falls under the heading of Christian hip-hop, Benjiman's two albums have felt like an approximation, coming off like a youth pastor trying to make music to "relate" to nonbelievers by making a rap album. His heart's in the right place but it misses the mark. This album does have better-than-average production values (courtesy of Brandon Bee) that slip in touches like rock guitar and some fine live instrumentation. It adds richness to a collection that would otherwise feel completely watered down. Oh, and the title's not a misspelling, but an acronym: Spreading Kingdom Realities in Perilous Times. For what it's worth …

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