The Chosen Ones

Description

The Chosen Ones is the third album by the American hip-hop group P.I.D. (Preachers In Disguise), released on Graceland/Frontline Records in 1991. The album was recorded by Gerrard Hairston at Future Audio in Dallas, Texas; with P.I.D. producing for Camp #1 Productions. Mixed by Mike Grace at Sound Suite Studios in Detroit, Michigan. “Get You A Bible” features a rap by D-Boy.

Contrary to another label’s ad campaign, P.I.D.’s ‘Back to Back‘ was the first authentic Christian hip-hop album for my money. It was resolutely street smart while retaining church smarts by being informed with black gospel preaching and backbeats.

With ‘The Chosen Ones’, Barry Hogan and Fred Lynch refine their groundbreaking sound while expanding upon it to still those who might scream, “Formula!” This is an album for which nobody ought to be screaming anything but, “More!”

And more they give in terms of stylistic diversity. «The Book» is as fine an exhortation to read the Word as any, but equally def is a re-recording of «Get You a Bible», which originally appeared in the duo’s ‘Here We Are‘ debut.

P.I.D. also provides the first Christian rap remix, as it does a total overhaul of «Authority», refurbishing a slinkier, syncopated drone feel to the original, more skeletal soundscape found on the ‘Power Team’ soundtrack. The line about its bank being fat (translation: they make a lot of dollars) is still a tad dubious, though, especially seeing that it precedes the jazzy, saxy, downtempo, anti-ghetto tirade of «Victim of a System».

Though «Victim» may be P.I.D. at its most socially poignant, they drop plenty of science to peppier tempos, too. «Grace» is night perfect club-oriented hip-hop a ‘Source’ reader could wish for without delving into hip-house territory. An even more surprising crossover angle is trod in «Joy in the River». Would you believe rhymes trading off with a gospel chorus and drumming straight out of a storefront inner city church? You had better now.

If that’s not controversial enough, Hogan and Lynch also sample a couple of preachers from the aforementioned kinds of congregations and the Nation of Islam’s Rev. Louis Farrakhan in one of his non-heretical moments. Through these means and presenting Truthful faith in a straight-up, poetic (but not enigmatic) style and its music as hard and inventive as any Five Percent dashiki poser, P.I.D. have made another collection that possesses the flavor to blow up into the secular rap throng’s consciousness. [Jamie Lee Rake, CCM, May 1991]

I, like a number of HRS readers if our letters tell the true story, found rap to be a hard listen, on the whole the music sounded tedious. It just plain got on my nerves at first, often giving me a headache. When Christian appeared it seemed little more than a joke. The secular industry started taking rap senously when Public Enemy and N.W.A. started making bold, unavoidable statements, and Run D.M.C., Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, and most recently M.C. Hammer proved rap could mean big money. Although slow to meet the challenge, recent Christian efforts form P.I.D, S.F.C., DC Talk, Steven Wiley, and Dynamic Twins have raised the artistic standards and proven the commerciality of Christian rap.

Now, with its third album, ‘The Chosen Ones’, Preachers in Disguise – Barry Hogan and Fred Lynch – prove that rap has grown way past tedious. P.I.D.’s latest is musically thoughtful and forward thinking, portraying truth with integrity without sounding just plain silly, as lesser rhymers might.

Hogan and Lynch prove here to be elder statesmen in their use of rap music staples: sampling, a monstrous, driving 4/4 beat a la drum machine, and gritty scratching. Add some bone crunching guitars for a rock ‘n’ roll feel, and some tasteful soul saxophone and you’ve got an idea of what to expect from ‘The Chosen Ones’. Dynamic, exciting, and extremely energetic, P.I.D. plows through the senses leaving the listener craving more.

Although, ‘The Chosen Ones’ might be considered preachy by some, the lyrics fit this art form to a T. The simplistic, cram-it-down-your-throat messages suit the music well. Hogan and Lynch spout it out with passion and, at times, righteous anger. If rap is the street music of the day, P.I.D. are the street preaching/curb side poet of present society.

Probably the best way to listen to ‘The Chosen Ones’ is the way I did, cranked through a boom box to the max. Rough and edgy, ‘The Chosen Ones’ hits you on the head and in the heart and P.I.D. pleads for all us to join them as the chosen ones. [Steve Greenfield, Harvest Rock Syndicate, Issue 2, 1991 (Volume 6)]

> iTunes (https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-chosen-ones/308793914)

CD tracklist:

01. The Chosen Ones (Part One) – 1:30
02. Grace – 3:44
03. Hey Oh – 0:09
04. The Book – 2:34
05. Abstruction – 3:34
06. Authority – 3:46
07. The Hour Of Strong Delusions – 0:40
08. Victim Of The System – 6:28
09. Your’s Truly – 0:47
10. Get You A Bible (D-Boy Re-Mix) – 3:11
11. Get Under The Blood Stream – 3:14
12. License 2 Kill – 4:45
13. 15° In Detriot – 1:19
14. Joy Like A River – 3:33
15. Progression – 3:15
16. K-Mack The Knife (Soul Fingers) – 3:29
17. The Chosen Ones (Part Two) – 1:15
18. Roots – 0:04
19. 3rd Degree Burns – 3:50
20. The Chosen Ones (Inst.) – 1:14

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Frontline Records.

[youtube_sc url=”” playlist=”BidCTj-Gjbs,mpeT_4LKTZo,QS7x8hxMNv4,NUwLp7PzZtA,zWbibOSEJoo,y1nz9LVFHTE,1G5XG6flr6A,WXATx2bfPt4,cJdziewF0Ks,98kuXfNzns4,miMQFxdDI0M,6B5LwCDI0Hk,rD_wkQheVu8,hfsyqczs-lA,8htDuf4AjAU,a7R6bUL_7Qs,XAxVc2xw2JQ,AWkznm7Kd1o,_zZvUwVMmsA,FD9Gr7iXTNs” title=”PID, The Chosen Ones – The Chosen Ones (Part One) + Grace + Hey Oh + The Book + Abstruction + Authority + The Hour Of Strong Delusions + Victim Of The System + Your’s Truly + Get You A Bible (D-Boy Re-Mix) + Get Under The Blood Stream + License 2 Kill + 15° In Detriot + Joy Like A River + Progression + K-Mack The Knife (Soul Fingers) + The Chosen Ones (Part Two) + Roots + 3rd Degree Burns + The Chosen Ones (Inst)” autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]