On My Way To Church [PA]

Performer: Jim Jones (Rap)
Artist: Cam'Ron; Juelz Santana; Chico DeBarge; Bizzy Bone; J.R. Writer; Bezel; T.I.; Bun B; Denise Weeks; Dr. Benjamin Chavis Muhammad
Producer: The Diplomats; Hand 2 Hand; Boola; The Heatmakerz; Jim Jones
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Personnel: Jim Jones ; Freekey Zekey, N.O.R.E., T.I., Lil' Flip, Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Fellow Diplomat and Cam'ron's partner in crime finally gets around to releasing his first solo album after nearly a handful of guest appearances, productions, videos, and whatever else there is in this rap Renaissance man's oeuvre. All of the lyrical topics du jour are covered in great detail here, with an emphasis on the concept of church and religion playing the dominant role throughout the record. Nearly a survey of rap styles is evident here: Dirty South, East Coast, West Coast, hip-hop -- and yes, a predictable lift from Kanye by speeding up obscure soul records and using them as a basis for a whole track, but that's the one tired flat to be found in the entire album's production. However, that's not all in the knockoff department. There's also the obligatory Neptunes/Asian/Indian knockoff with "Spanish Fly," a track that not even Chico DeBarge can help resuscitate. Guest appearances by Cam'ron, everyone's favorite "no-homo," are abundant and help to strengthen the album at most points. But On My Way to Church stretches things so much musically and lyrically that at over an hour's length it can leave a feeling of exhaustion about midway through. ~ Rob Theakston With the name of an infamous cult leader, and religious undertones suffused throughout his raps, Jim Jones makes it hard not to expect something a bit sinister from his debut record. What transpires on 2004's ON MY WAY TO CHURCH holds to that promise, as unusual beats and schizophrenic rhymes ensue. Jones built his reputation as part of the Diplomats crew with Cam'Ron and Juelz Santana, but his record bears little resemblance to the solo albums of either artist. Like much hardcore rap, Jones's music derives inspiration from 1970s soul, but his sonic landscapes are much more complex than most, moving from idea to idea at breakneck speed. When his rhymes kick in, jumping from the usual stories of trying to survive in the ghetto to offbeat politics to his own brand of worship, the result is a wonderfully disorienting ride. The expected collaborations with everyone from his fellow Diplomats to T.I. are here, but then, to mix things up, there's the Latin-tinged "Spanish Fly" featuring Chico DeBarge in an oddly haunting vocal turn. ON MY WAY TO CHURCH showcases a wonderfully distorted mind; it's a dark, bizarre, and ultimately engaging record.

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