4/5 starsRecently, Cross Movement Records announced the signing of Midwest rapper k-Drama and his upcoming album We Fit: The Workout Plan. We Fit is one of many Christian rap albums being released this year, along with records from Trip Lee, Lecrae, D-Maub, PRo, and Grits, among many others. This album stands out as one of the best releases this year, though, stacking up well against heavyweights Between Two Worlds by Trip Lee and Redemption by PRo.
We Fit is a huge step up from k-Drama's previous release, Boombaptism, which is a decent album in it's own right. You can see k-Drama's maturity increase between the two albums. We Fit is much more consistent, with every single track deserving a spot on any rap fan's playlist; and that's saying a lot, with 18 tracks on the album. Boombaptism was inconsistent, with a few filler tracks. Another difference is that in We Fit, k-Drama sings some in several songs. It's a bit of a risk, a place where he hasn't gone before - and he nails it. Only one did it not work so much: the bridge on "Slim Down". It's not bad, he just sounds a little off key. Honestly, it still makes the song better. His singing is at it's best on the hook of "This Waste". He never overuses singing through the album, and it helps add a whole other aspect to We Fit.
One of the best things about We Fit is the way k-Drama keeps the theme in every single song. The album's executive producer,John Wells, says “As far as K-Drama’s new album, We Fit: The Workout Plan, I don’t think I have ever heard an album that, from beginning to end, carried a practical theme that brought home spiritual applications so well." Almost every single song has double-sided meaning, with it all being about getting in shape, physically and, most of all, spiritually. Pretty much every song is designed to pump up, with only two or three slower tracks. It's perfect to work out to (obviously).
One problem with the album is the production by k-drama. Not that it's bad; every beat is near-perfect, and k-Drama still remains the top producer in the game, in my opinion. The only thing is, with k-Drama producing most of the album, some tracks sound a little similar, especially in the first half of the album. It's not a huge problem, it's just something that's there. Another complaint is the guest spots. Every guest k-Drama has sounds great; every artist brought their best to the album (except possibly CMO on "Stronger On My Knees" - that's just my opinion, though). The only thing is, I would think that with his signing with Cross Movement, k-Drama would bring in some more big-name rappers, such as Flame or labelmates R-Swift and John Wells. It really isn't a complaint, I would just think he would bring in someone like JR to sing a hook or something.
The guests he did bring in all did great, especially on the anthems "The Power Team" and "ABnormal". The latter is classic k-Drama: great production, catchy hook, and overall creative. It brings a alien vibe with it's synths and a robotic background voice on the hook. It's a great track to end the album on - an anthem collaboration declaring separation from the world.
Overall, We Fit is fantastic, with the best rapping I've ever heard from k-Drama combined with his usual great production. Only a few little things take away from the album, and not one track is skippable (is that a word?). It's not quite on the level of Between Two Worlds, which remains the best release of the year, but We Fit is definitely a close second. I recommend it without hesitation.
Standout songs:
"Holistic"
"Get Your Weight Up"
"This Waste"
"Die-it"
"The Power Team"
"ABnormal"
Every single track is great, though. EVERY ONE.
