In the year or so it’s been in existence, Mad Love Lounge has quickly established a reputation as the carriers of the Gospel hip-hop banner and platform for discovering underground artists. It was only a matter of time before the incredible amount of talent displayed on the Mad Love mic every month demanded a compiled work. The answer was the Mad Love Mixtape Volume 1 – He Is Risen, released in April 2009.

“We wanted to provide a platform to sell holy hip-hop, and show that there is mad talent out there”, says DJ GiGi, who handled the arrangement for the project.

A collaborative effort with Xpose Entertainment, the feel good Mad Love Mixtape makes a loud statement for hip hop and includes rhymes and tracks that will keep your head bobbing all through. The album kicks off in attention-catching fashion with the lyricist Number 8 spitting introductory rhymes on spoken word. Check this:

My God loves me. He loves me to death for life. I’m left breathless by this love that gave me breath of life…just like the Romans, I used to spit on Him, but now I spit for Him. He who freed me from the sting of sin, His love is priceless, it makes no sense, that’s what I call mad love!

So intro-ed, Number 8 joins Xpo, Double ML and MC Mhubiri on the mellow Reason for the Season, a totally addictive jam meant for Easter but deserving a prime place on players all year round. Mad Love founder and crunk-head Holy Dave makes a couple of appearances on the record, with his two latest scorchers, Niko na Reason and Breakthrough. The latter features Capital FM’s Joey, while Niko na Reason ropes in the much-talked about Eko Dydda with a commendable co-performance. 

Homeboyz’ Saint P convinces that he’s more than just a producer with some good rapping on Free, which features Mr. T and Kamlesh. One of the record’s stand-outs, the three give an excellent account of themselves with none of the bumpy in-betweens that can sometimes mar such efforts. Saint P makes yet another appearance on Blow Them Away – here, one can’t help noticing that he sounds just a bit like Bamboo - alongside Jeffro.

Slum Africa Spoken Word reigning champ (for June) SpeCfyd drops in deep words on Life Bila Christ, a reflective few minutes that not only prove her mettle as a spoken word queen, but also leaves one with much to meditate on. DJ Shock supplies noticeably excellent BGVs on this one, alongside Eko.

The thing about the Madlove Mixtape is how easy it is – fans of hip-hop and the cautious listeners are both well catered for, and it’s a CD you can comfortably pop into your player and listen to all day! Producers Gamma Ray, Saint P, DJ Octave and Othole as well as Alvo (Chiefs), Sauke and DJ GiGi deserve kudos for handing the industry an enjoyable collection of what our Gospel ‘underground MCs’ are up to.

Volume 2 is worth waiting for.

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