Album Overview

It was about this time last year that AppleJaxx presented us with the DataBass Mixtape which gave a glimpse of what was to come. Now on 9.9.09, the Jaxx is back on the scene with his first full-length release titled Back 2 the Future. In the months leading up to the release, he constantly teased us with songs like "Apple Dapple" and "Green As Luigi" to get the fans excited about the album. Well, wait no longer because the Jaxx is here to serve you up a bowl of cereal for your delight.

Coming at us with a sound and flavor that is uniquely his, AppleJaxx offers up a project that is futuristic in sound, but very close to his roots. In his mixtape, he went with a sound that was very club friendly but very metaphorical and deep in its meaning. This time he leaves some of the deeper metaphors behind as he chose to go with a more straightforward approach on this project. You're no longer trying to infiltrate the forces of UNITE, instead you're getting hip-hop music that is straight from the heart of AppleJaxx.

From a musical standpoint, this project is nothing less than superb. With the majority of the production being handled by T.Bizzy, I wouldn't expect anything less from AppleJaxx. With these forward-thinking beats Jaxx seems to be right at home as he presents lyricism that gets the listener moving their body & nodding their head while they get fed some truth. What's also notable about the production is his use of newcomers Luke Witherspoon and Gregory "DreamChord" Thomas, who offer up some pretty amazing beats. It's always nice to hear fresh blood instead of the same old producers all the time. If there is anything that makes this album standout, the production is definitely it.

Not to be left behind are the lyrics. AppleJaxx does a great job on this album of presenting lyrics that are accessible and with a delivery that is uniquely his. Living in an era of hip-hop where everyone wants to emulate whatever is the flavor of the month, it's refreshing to listen to a rapper who is comfortable enough with himself to stick with his own style without trying to imitate anyone else. It's for this reason that Back 2 the Future is an album that's very easy to keep on repeat. He has a flow that is very easy to listen to and it's not played out. I also can't help but to love the wordplay as he tosses in references to both wrestling (specifically WCW) and basketball, both of which I grew up with and still love to this day. It's small things like that which make this album enjoyable.

All in all, this is a pretty solid album. Guest features are spot on and aid in keeping this album fresh from start to finish. There are of course a few down points with the album, but that's a given with any project these days. If anything, it's one of the better projects that I've heard this year both from a production standpoint and the message that it offers. I can't wait for the sequel.

Spiritual Significance

There are a lot of spiritual overtones in this album, and even with many of them being blatantly obvious, I think most listeners will still glance over and fail to see the fruit to be had in Back 2 the Future. Let's start with the title because I think that's where it all begins. The album was originally supposed to be titled The Bourne Identity, but the Lord had other plans and knew exactly what He was doing when AppleJaxx renamed the project to Back 2 the Future. This album's title is meant to get the listener to shift their focus, to stop thinking about the here & now, and begin to think about eternity, particularly an eternity with Jesus Christ. That spiritual meaning is less obvious than the implicit fact that he's getting back to his roots with his futuristic sounding hip-hop. As you dive into the album, you quickly realize that this album is geared to point you toward Christ, whether you're a believer or unbeliever.

Let's just walk through a few tracks and look at the spiritual value behind this album. I don't want to give it all away, so we'll just take a couple. First up is the anthem "Apple Jaxx" featuring T.Bizzy (Tonex) and Danielle Harris. This particular song is based on John 15 & Mark 1:16-18, both of which speak about Christ and His followers. In this song AppleJaxx wants to get the listener hype about following after Jesus; Jaxx is offering you cereal to eat, which is the gospel message. Do you want some Apple Jaxx? Do you want the gospel? Do you want to leave all behind and follower after Jesus? So, even though this track is great for cruisin', it's also packed full of parable-like truth. The next track is more obvious but another that is chock full of meat, "Stop and Go." Based on Philippians 4:6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, this song is all about prayer and getting the listener to take all things before the Lord. The hook uses the visual of a traffic light to relate life & its decisions to prayer. When situations or items come our way, we need to pause (yellow), stop and pray about it (red), and once we have our answer move forward knowing that it's God's plan (green). It doesn't matter whether it's a trivial matter or a life-altering decision, this is the model that the believer should hold to.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I chose to highlight a more obvious track & a not so obvious one to highlight AppleJaxx's ability to give you the truth whether you're looking for it or not. Every song on the album is like this and is based on the truth of Scripture. It doesn't matter if it's a club type track to get you moving or something more mellowed out, it's all meant to get you to focus on Jesus Christ and our future with Him, something that so many people have been neglecting.

Topics Covered

• Praising the Lord (Hate 2 Stop)
• Overcoming Fear (Scurred, Fear Factor)
• Choosing Sides (Dunkin' Donuts)
• Prayer (Stop and Go)
• Living the Christian Life (Lamp Mode, CIA, My Style)

Key Tracks

Apple Jaxx, Hate 2 Stop, Lamp Mode