WHATUPRG’s ‘Pleasant Hill’ – A Prodigal Return

Rosegold“I just talk to God when I meditate/Haven’t been home but I’m on my way”

“Rosegold” characterizes Lil Holy’s life away from God as a dream. Like the beautiful alloy itself, Lil Holy’s life shines, is of great value, and is enjoyed by many, but it is not pure gold. This subtle message acts as a signal to listeners to the nature of a life without God. It may seem beautiful; desirable even, but it is still impure.

Lil Holy realizes this just like the rest of us, as he proclaims that he is on his way home. RG/Holy knows that wherever he was when Pleasant Hill started was a fallacy. He is beginning the journey to his true home.

Wesside“You the saddest person I seen/In my life”

“Wesside” analyzes the hypocritical nature of Lil Holy. As he’ll tell you in English and Spanish, he is surrounded by angels, thanks God for all his blessings, and breaks down the doors of Hell itself. This song also seems to reveal part of the inspiration behind the album as RG briefly sings “young hijo de Dios” or “young son of God.”

RG/Lil Holy is a child of God, but he is not Jesus. The idea of a “young” son parallels the parable of the Lost Son which Jesus tells of in Luke 15:11-32. In short, the parable tells of a man who gave his younger son his share of the father’s estate at a young age which the son proceeded to waste. The rest of the parable parallels the last three songs of Pleasant Hill, as WHATUPRG, like the Prodigal Son himself, makes the journey back to his Father’s kingdom.

RoleModels“Find my way home, I might just walk away”

“RoleModels” is a song of realization. On this track, WHATUPRG comes to the conclusion that all the people he idolized and modeled himself after are just as broken as he is. RG is also becoming aware of his own state of being lost as he sings, “Swerve on the road, how is this happening.”

WHATUPRG/Lil Holy recognizes that he is living the very lifestyle Jesus described to the disciples in Matthew 16:28, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul.”

This song most closely resembles the portion of the parable of the Lost Son wherein the younger son becomes aware of his own unworthiness. Both RG and the younger son then grasp the truth, it is time to go back to their Father.

Exit 104“Positive Solomon, spoke this before/Cause you don’t really love me, you just hate being alone”

“Exit 104” is exactly what it sounds like. It is RG/Lil Holy leaving his sinful lifestyle behind and returning to his Heavenly Father. RG looks back on his sinful ways with disdain, and repentance, characterizing this evil as a criminal, his weakness, an addiction, an object of lust and ultimately, the thing that separated him from God.

As RG makes his way home, he knows that he has made mistakes, and uses Solomon as a point of reference. Building on the theme of home, Solomon wrote, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Ps. 127:1, ESV).

Lil Holy is rejecting the metaphorical home that he believed he had found in “YellowPaint” in favor of the one that God had intended for him. The journey is nearly complete. The son is returning home, and now, the Father, as in the parable of the Lost Son, runs to greet him.

Lovely“You’re never far enough”

The last track on Pleasant Hill serves as the completion of this portion of Lil Holy’s story. Instead of the song being from WHATUPRG or Lil Holy’s perspective, this song is God speaking to RG. God reminds RG He has always been there, and always will be. When RG falls, God will be there for him. His plans were always perfect and were unlike anyone else’s.

This song also completes the parallel to the Parable of the Lost Son as God (The Father) runs to greet his younger son, absolving him of the blame that accompanied his past wrongs. In addition, the parable includes the father throwing a feast in celebration of his son’s return. This bears a similarity to the interlude of “Lovely” wherein people who love and admire WHATUPRG speak on their deep appreciation for the young artist. The song concludes with God reaffirming that WHATUPRG, and in truth, all of us, are never far enough.

Conclusion

Pleasant Hill is exactly what WHATUPRG has been telling us all along. A story of grace. The project speaks of a young man who believed he had freed himself from a need for God. Instead, he’s embracing evil in an attempt to fill the emptiness he had within.

As RG continues along his path of self-destruction he realizes that he remains unfulfilled, and questions the merit of his rebellion from God. Seeing those he looked up to reflecting his own brokenness forces RG to snap out of the fog of sin that he had been enveloped in and return to the one true constant in his life. As God tells RG, “On your darkest days, I don’t change…”

When WHATUPRG finally comes back to his all-loving Father, he is not ridiculed, forsaken or abandoned, but embraced. God’s love covers a multitude of sins, including RG’s own.

Epilogue

The aftermath of Pleasant Hill remains to be seen. Has sin truly left WHATUPRG or will temptation make itself known once again? How has RG’s relationship with God and the world around him changed? Is Lil Holy gone? Will the rest of the parable of the Lost Son make its way into the narrative? What is next for Reach Records’ newest signee? The future remains uncertain. However, there has been one bit of new music from WHATUPRG since the release of Pleasant Hill.

On “be a man” from nobigdyl off his project, SOLAR, WHATUPRG is featured for a verse which could be seen as one of reflection. RG’s lines include details such as “Rather be a kid my whole life, then act like the man I am,” a possible reference to the youthful nature of Lil Holy and his parallel to the Prodigal Son. Other key bars include “Bit on the fruit like Eve,” “I shoulda let God intervene,” and perhaps the most stirring, “I might be the reason why my friends don’t turn to Jesus/I been holy on the surface but a heathen in the DM’s.”

These bars remind listeners of RG/Lil Holy’s past, and the superficial, hypocritical nature behind it. Yet the final line of “be a man” declares, “It’s time to/be a man.”

Purchase or stream WHATUPRG here.

Elijah Matos
Elijah Matos
Elijah Matos is a Puerto Rican born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. When he's not studying for class, serving as a youth leader, or writing articles, he's usually working on his personal brand, Rey-David Creative. Elijah hopes to be a creative writer, using his platform to spread the message of Jesus as far as possible.
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