''Below Paradise'' is the fourth studio album from
Christian hip hop recording artist
Tedashii
Tedashii Lavoy Anderson (born March 8, 1977), known simply as Tedashii, is an American Christian hip hop artist and member of the hip-hop troupe, 116 Clique. He also hosted the NGEN Radio show "Serium". Tedashii has released five solo albums, '' ...
, released on May 27, 2014 by
Reach Records
Reach Records is an American independent record label specializing in Christian hip hop. The label was founded in 2004 by Ben Washer and the hip-hop artist Lecrae. In addition to Lecrae, the Reach Records roster contains artists like Tedashii, T ...
. Based on his struggle to deal with the death of his son, the album tackles issues of pain, suffering, and the love of God in the midst of hardship. It met with a positive reception from music critics. The album sold 13,800 copies in its debut week causing it to chart at No. 17 on the
''Billboard'' 200.
Background
This album was the follow-up to
Tedashii
Tedashii Lavoy Anderson (born March 8, 1977), known simply as Tedashii, is an American Christian hip hop artist and member of the hip-hop troupe, 116 Clique. He also hosted the NGEN Radio show "Serium". Tedashii has released five solo albums, '' ...
's third studio album, ''
Blacklight
A blacklight, also called a UV-A light, Wood's lamp, or ultraviolet light, is a lamp that emits long-wave (UV-A) ultraviolet light and very little visible light. One type of lamp has a violet filter material, either on the bulb or in a sepa ...
'', released in 2011 by
Reach Records
Reach Records is an American independent record label specializing in Christian hip hop. The label was founded in 2004 by Ben Washer and the hip-hop artist Lecrae. In addition to Lecrae, the Reach Records roster contains artists like Tedashii, T ...
. ''Below Paradise'' was released by the same label on May 27, 2014. The album was produced by
808xElite,
Andy Mineo
Andrew Aaron Mineo (born April 17, 1988), is an American Christian hip hop artist, producer, music executive, and video director based in New York City. He is signed to Reach Records and his creative initiative Miner League. In addition to ...
, Black Knight, DeCapo Music Group, Dirty Rice, Dre "the Giant" Garcia,
Gawvi, Halo Hitz, Jacob "Biz" Morris, Joseph Prielozny, Mashell, TOD, and Uforo "Bongo" Ebong.
''Below Paradise'' was created after the death of Tedashii's young son in a car accident. Tedashii stated in a press release that
In March 2013 I had the worst day of my life. The loss of my son changed me forever. I experienced grief and sorrow to the depth of my soul. The veil was lifted, the smoke cleared and all I had was pain... ...The reality of being a Christian and suffering so harsh a thing was hard for me to grasp. This album is my journal shared publicly with everyone during this difficult journey as I worked to understand all I felt, experienced and believed. I am human, I am hurt, I am his. By his grace I am what I am. I pray this will be an album that all can feel, even if you can't relate, and be moved to true emotions about the reality of life in a harsh world with a loving God, below paradise.
Music and lyrics
The album is described as an auditory journal that traces Tedashii's life over the last two years, from the death of his son, the strains this placed on his marriage, and the peace and grace he received from God throughout this time.
In an interview with Reel Gospel, Tedashii explained that beyond dealing with suffering the album is also "a reflection on the fall, the result of the fall", and that the message that he is sharing on this album is that "We live in a fallen world with a loving God... Both are true, and to ignore one and only receive the other you dismiss how great a love God has for us."
Interview: Tedashii talks life Below Paradise
Reel Gospel. Retrieved May 27, 2014. In addition, Mark Ryan of New Release Tuesday states that "The lyrics are personal, his flow is on point, the album's production values are not in question and each and every feature is perfectly placed and works brilliantly in this album."
Critical reception
''Below Paradise'' met with positive reception from music critics. At ''CCM Magazine
''CCM Magazine'' is a twice-monthly online magazine focusing on contemporary Christian music, published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications.
History
''CCM'' was first published in July 1978, as a printed magazine. It has be ...
'', Matt Conner rated the album four stars out of five, remarking how "''Below Paradise'', opens up both the hip-hop playbook and the artist's soul for a meaningful mix that's bound to find the rapper's biggest reach to date." In addition, Conner vows it is not the collaborators that will impact people first "it's Tedashii's vulnerable message and dynamic production". David Jeffries of AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
rated the album three-and-a-half stars, commenting how Tedashii comes with a "provocative and 'no apologies' stance in full effect, and when it comes to that hunger for change, few other artists can make it so palpable." At '' HM'', Justin Mabee rated the album four stars out of five, stating how "Fans will flock and embrace the rapper after what he’s been through, and he’s able to offer them his best work, by far."
Mark Ryan of New Release Tuesday rated the album a perfect five stars, remarking how "This album is complete from start to finish." At Indie Vision Music, Anthony Peronto rated the album four stars out of five, writing that "For casual listeners who want only trap beats and catchy hooks, ''Below Paradise'' is bound to disappoint with its serious nature and soul-bearing transparency", but he says "''Below Paradise'' is an encouraging album from beginning to end." Amanda Brogan of Christian Music Review rated the album a perfect five stars, highlighting how "it’s more than just a stellar hip-hop album" because the release contains "more than pulsing beats and cleverly-placed lyrics – although there’s plenty of that."
At Jesus Freak Hideout, main reviewer Michael Weaver, Mark Rice in his second opinion, and Kevin Hoskins in the 2 Cents review all rated the album four stars out of five. Weaver calls "Tedashii's return ..a worthy one" because "''Below Paradise'' is easily a record you can throw on and listen to from front to back." Rice notes the lyricism is "very heavy." Hoskins states how "rap heads will be blasting ''Below Paradise'' for a long time." Jeremy Hartman of Jam the Hype rated the album a 9.6 out of ten, highlighting how "''Below Paradise'' is a powerful, soul-revealing album." At Wade-O Radio, Branden Murphy gave a positive review of the album, remarking how "Below Paradise was a great listen."
Commercial performance
For the '' Billboard'' charting week of June 14, 2014, ''Below Paradise'' debuted at No. 17 on the ''Billboard'' 200, No. 2 and No. 1 on the Christian Albums
Top Christian Albums is a weekly chart published in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the best-performing Christian albums in the United States. Like the ''Billboard'' 200, the data is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly ...
and Top Gospel Albums
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
charts, respectively, No. 2 on the Rap Albums chart, and No. 2 on the Independent Albums chart. In addition, the album sold 13,800 copies in its first week of sales.
Track listing
Chart performance
;Album
References
{{Authority control
2014 albums
Tedashii albums
Reach Records albums
Albums produced by Gawvi
Albums produced by Beam
Albums produced by Andy Mineo