Video: Christian rap for non-believers: Nigeria's S.O. - "So It Continues"

The sonic border between many sub-categories of gospel/christian music and mainstream music has been blurred since the 80s, and mainstream radio stations have been known to play gospel songs and songs by non-gospel artists whose lyrics happen to reflect their faith.

Structurally, however, the worlds of gospel/christian music and mainstream music remain mostly separate, with dedicated radio stations, websites (see Holy Culture and Rapzilla) and events catering for gospel fans of all styles - metal, rock, pop, hip hop - which is why when you run your eye down a newly published list of nominees for an upcoming music award event, you might come across some unfamiliar (or only vaguely familiar) artist names.
So, whenever we hear or spot something from the world of gospel/christian music that we feel might slip unnoticed by the mainstream crowd, we highlight it. Such is the case with the music of the UK-based Nigerian christian rap artist S.O. (Seun Otukpe).


One of the things that puts some people off any christian/gospel music is that the lyrics can sometimes be too explicit about praising God, so that if you're not into God in the first place, you feel shut out. S.O.'s music is about life, about experiences from his life - a death in the family (see Lamentations below), struggles with excessive lust, etc. - subjects that anyone can relate to.

So It Continues is S.O.'s second album on Lamp Mode Recordings, and his lyrics, carried by his mid-tempo flow are thoughtful all the way through. Our only gripe would be that it could have done with more grew changes, a limitation that makes it unlikely you'll listen to the entire album in one sitting.