Group 1 Crew – Group 1 Crew
Group 1 Crew looks a lot different these days, but in their heyday, Manwell Reyes, Blanca Callahan, and Pablo Villatoro were a hot blend of rap, pop, and dance.
Their debut album burst on the scene while on a Christian music major label of Fervent and Word.
Some of the key tracks were “Forgive Me” and “Love is a Beautiful Thing.”
JR – Life by Stereo
J.R. is no longer the R&B/hip-hop name he once was but in 2007 his album dropped on Cross Movement Records with a huge buzz.
The single “Not a Slave,” was one of the hottest tracks of the year, and the music was equally impressive.
The album featured guest appearances by Da’ T.R.U.T.H., FLAME, Trip Lee, Lecrae, and Iz-Real.
KJ-52 – The Yearbook
KJ-52 could make it onto one of these lists seemingly every year with his consistent body of work since 2000. However, his album The Yearbook is one of his most ambitious to date.
The album featured 19 tracks and still more bonus tracks made available later. Three songs had a rock twist, most notably “You’ll Never Take Me Down” with Kevin Young of Disciple and “Wake Up” with Toby Morrell of Emery.
Some of the other standouts are “You’re Gonna Make It” with Blanca and “Do Yo Thang.”
Knowdaverbs – The Groundwork Theory
Whether going by Knowdaverbs or just Verbs, this emcee was a vital part of the hip-hop scene created by Gotee Records in the early 2000s. His 2007 The Groundwork Theory would be the last project he put out and his first step away from Gotee Records.
“Better Not Fall for That” and “Future” were two of the more memorable tracks on the album. The record also featured appearances by Theory Hazit and Syntst.
LA Symphony – Unleashed
Another longtime Gotee Records group, LA Symphony were among the greats in putting Christian rappers under one roof to record an album, this time on Syntax.
Unleashed would be the last record for this group before they took a seven-year hiatus. Comprised of familiar names such as Sareem Poems, Joey the Jerk, Pigeon John, and others, the album was 22 tracks of flames.
It was considered a mixtape and featured demos, unreleased tracks, and few new ones sprinkled in. Posdnus of De La Soul, Will.i.Am of Black Eyed Peas and Method Man made contributions to the album.
