I have been a Hip-Hop head since I can remember. 1988 is the date that comes to mind, although I’m sure it dates back further.
I remember guys like Slick Rick, N.W.A., LL COOL J (before he went to prison), Gangstar, Kool Mo D, Big Daddy Cane, Ton Loc, Black Moon, Artifacts, Hieroglyphics, Das efex, Common (when he was Common Sense), Public Enemy, Wu tang clan, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, EPMD, Digable Planets, K-Solo, Tribe Called Quest, Leaders of the New School, Naughty by Nature, Mystical, Master P, Snoop (when he was Snoop Eastwood), Redman, Tupac (before he was Tupac), Chi Ali, Big L, Eminem (when he was a positive rapper), AZ, Nas, Outkast (when Andre dressed in fitteds and jerseys), and the list goes on and on.
The list above, for the most part (other than nostalgia), makes me think of guys and women who took the craft seriously. Their mission: to come hard on every track through lyrical composition and representation of their plight and story. One of the things that is highly offensive to an artist and orator, such as myself, is when you can tell guys are winging their 16 bars or speeches. That communicates, “This guy thinks he’s too good to give us his best, and on his worst day he thinks he’s good enough for listeners.” So what does this have to do with Amisho Lewis aka “Sho Baraka?”
EVERYTHING!!! After reviewing “Lions and Liars,” on MC-ing alone, I would rate it a 4.5 out of 5 Red Rev stars and stripes. Sorry Sho, but every artist has room to grow. I would put Sho on a short list of Christ centered MCs that take the craft as serious as they takes the message of Christ. The knock on Christ centered MCs is that they sacrifice the method for the message. They feel since they have the message of Christ and the “Spirit,” then their art doesn’t have to be as good. But shouldn’t the Holy Spirit actually make you better?
Read the rest of this guest post on redrevolution.com…
Agree 100%…. Sho is an MC, no doubt. I might have to revise some of my old lyrics… I can’t deliver second rate stuff if I wanna be taken seriously.
Hi Sho Baraka,
My son received one of your albums from Lecrae last year. He saw this album cover and wanted to know what it means and what the inspiration was. To be honest, his first reaction when he saw it was “Yikes! What on earth?” My son is 14.
Blessings.
Catherine (all the way in Kenya)
The inspiration behind the “LionsandLiars” cover can be scary but so is the reality of who we are. The point was to show the artist himself being conformed into a lion, representing the true lion of Judah, Christ. You see elements of the artist on the cover because we tend to revert back to the image of ourselves, the liar, instead of straining toward the ultimate goal of becoming a lion as the bible calls us to. So the cover represents Sho being transformed into a lion no longer walking as a Liar. When supernatural transformation like that happens it can be scary but it’s ultimately glorious.
Thank you for that info. Makes a lot of sense.
Just like normal you have offered some terrific advice. Been lurking on the site for a while and needed to say thanks to you for taking the time to write it.
I had a few questions myself. The album cover looks strikingly familiar to this old poster of Bob Marley that I saw. I actually sent a message with photo included to Sho on Facebook, but I know he gets tons of messages so I don’t expect an answer. It just seems to me that all of the referencing of us as lions and such resembles the Rastafarian movement. Now I trust based on what I have heard that this brother isn’t out there calling Tafari Makkonen the second coming of Christ. I guess its probably an issue of aesthetics for me. I just wondered was the album cover intentional or coincidental?
I must say Sho the album is trully amazing, on all levels lyrics and beats it shows alot of growth in music and in the faith. Just to answer Jose Martin my understanding of Bob Marley poster is that most Rasafarian refer to it has the onquering Lion of Judah , i reached that a while ago Sho is saying that we are Lions becuase we have been transfromed by recving Jesus in our lives.
Hey this is a great story. I’m going to email this to my buddies. I stumbled on this while surfing for some Lyrics, I’ll be sure to visit regularly. thanks for sharing.
This is a good post, I stumbled across your post while looking for free lyrics. Thanks for sharing, I’ll be sure to recommend this site to others.
I was just talking with my coworker about this the other day at the resturant. Don’t remember how in the world we got on the subject really, they brought it up. I do remember having a excellent steak salad with cranberries on it. I digress…
Hi. this is kind of an “unconventional” question , but have other visitors asked you how get the menu bar to look like you’ve got it? I also have a blog and am really looking to alter around the theme, however am scared to death to mess with it for fear of the search engines punishing me. I am very new to all of this …so i am just not positive exactly how to try to to it all yet. I’ll just keep working on it one day at a time.
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What I dont understand is how youre not even more popular than you are now. Youre just so intelligent. You know so much about this subject, made me think about it from so many different angles. Its like people arent interested unless it has something to do with Lady Gaga! Your stuffs great. Keep it up!
I must say Sho the album is trully amazing, on all levels lyrics and beats it shows alot of growth in music and in the faith. Just to answer Jose Martin my understanding of Bob Marley poster is that most Rasafarian refer to it has the onquering Lion of Judah , i reached that a while ago Sho is saying that we are Lions becuase we have been transfromed by recving Jesus in our lives.
when did ll cool j go to prison? did u mean slick rick? and eminem was positive, I havn’t heard any of those records
Why does Sho’Baraka oftentimes display an L-sign with his finger, from what I heard I believe he is a Christian but I am aware that many masons display secretive hand gestures……..
p.s da TRUTH does this also ?????
Sho, This is Paul from Zambia Central Africa, Reping Christ for sho. Lions and Liars is GREAT!!!. Kobe Briant on em especialy. The most sensible song that makes no sense.
Big love Sho, Imet you at KAA a few summers ago, i cooked you guys lunch on the 4th, well you guys and about 800 kids. I am encouraged by what you are doing with the arts, I have somethings I would like you or Katalyst to check out, but Im writing in hopes that you will see this and can give me some type of response. I love the old die cut with the lion head with Scripture tangled in the mane. is there anyway I can get one of those, or a PDF of it or something, I cant find a picture it anywhere.