Steven Malcolm ‘Steven Malcolm’

Written by: Justin Morden (2/17/2017)

Steven Malcolm’s vision for his career is straightforward, “I want to be the best Christian rapper.” He’s not planning on achieving it alone, noting that “God has put it in me to really excel.” Steven has already performed with big names such as Lecrae, KB, Json, and This’l, just to name a few. Most recently, he’s been on tour for Winter Jam and has been performing on stage with Andy Mineo. Steven’s self-titled debut album follows his signing to Word Records and a life journey that took him from striving to be in the NBA to having a drive to make an impact on other people’s lives through hip hop. Which takes us back to his vision: “I want to be somebody like, ‘dude, I gave my life to Christ because I heard a Steven Malcolm track and he’s the first Christian rapper I ever heard.’”

For new listeners, “Hot Boy” serves as an upbeat introduction to the newly signed rapper. It displays his passion and excitement as both a rapper and someone who has been “made alive in the Son.” Steven uses the track to make it clear that he’s ready to spit, while keeping the focus on something greater than him. “Carrying my cross, gotta let ‘em know Who reign.” In “Fire,” he looks back at some of his past (“been addicted crack addict all day”) while focusing on the present goal to be an influence and “light up the globe.” The West Coast track “Party in the Hills” features Andy Mineo and Hollyn. It’s great to see Steven Malcolm already collaborating with a huge player in the game as well as a fellow artist on the rise. Andy Mineo’s verse talks about his role in the hip hop industry, “Speaking ‘bout 50, I remember chillin’ in the office with him. He told me, ‘Andy don’t you ever let ‘em box you in. You only rap for the Christians, it’d be a sin.’” I would have liked to hear Hollyn have her own verse, but it was still nice to see Steven collaborating with these two talented artists.

“Six-Four” refers to the ’64 Chevy Impala, most famous in Hip-Hop from the track “Boyz-n-the-Hood” by hip hop legend and NWA member Eazy-E. Steven raps, “I’m the prodigy of His majesty, who created humanity granted we filled with vanity…I want the world to look at me and see Jesus like man He dope.” “Leh Get It” features Pyrexx and has a trap beat, which is not necessarily the style of rap that I prefer, but it will appeal to fans of mainstream hip hop. In “Vigorous,” Steven raps about the passion that comes from serving a vigorous God.

Steven shows off his rap skills with a fast flow in “Feel Me” where he restates his mission to rep God’s glory and spread the truth. He refuses to be put down by others’ opinions of him in “What Was You Thinking.” My personal favorite from the album is “The Struggle.” Steven admits to having a “mind lust-driven” that resulted in “nights filled with fornication, even wives giving in to my affirmation.” Steven really gets down to earth and is willing to open up about his past while pointing back to forgiveness in both a lyrically and musically impactful track.

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the extremely goofy song “Cereal” that seems out of place among the other tracks but gives us a different side of Steven. In “Waiting Games,” Steven expresses his feelings for a girl, but warns against playing games with him. He then teams with Joey Jewish to boldly express his ambitious dreams to bring change and raise the standard in “Can’t Take My Dream.” Steven is joined by former Group1Crew member Blanca in “Never Let Go,” an uplifting track that serves to remind us of God’s grace and love that fill the void inside all of us.

Steven’s self-titled album is sure to be the first of many successful releases by this young rapper. The production was overall impressive and Steven’s got bars. I expect his lyrics to continue to develop and grow deeper. While we see many aspects of Steven’s style and abilities, my favorite tracks are the ones where he discusses deep spiritual and cultural issues. This is where I believe Steven shines and where I hope he takes his future tracks. There’s always a lot to prove to be “the best Christian rapper,” but for now Steven should be able to safely say that he is one of the best new Christian rappers, and this album proves it.

3.5/5