Rio 24K

Floridian rapper Rio_24K may be new to the Christian faith, but he's certainly not new to hip hop. Nor is he new to the trials and temptations of the world. But now, after giving his life to Christ, he's changed the message of his music, and now he's ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ to an increasingly wicked culture. His first Christian rap album is called Flashing Lights, and it's clear with one listen that his target audience is the unsaved people still living in the same world from which he came. Comparable to artists like Skrip or The Cross Movement in overall sound, Flashing Lights can be an effective ministry tool as well as, for some, an enjoyable album to listen to. "The Lights" is a smooth, sort of jazzy hip hop track that has a little bit of an outer spacey vibe in the hook, while tracks like "Mvrder" and "Strangers" are more on the gangster rap side of the spectrum. Some of Rio's best rapping comes late in the tracklist in the song "Not The Same." Vision's verse in this track is so-so, but Rio really feels at home on this one. One thing that's apparent throughout various portions of the album is that Rio seems to imitate other Christian hip hop artists at times. Whether it's intentional or not is unclear, but I definitely hear bits and pieces of Trip Lee, Eshon Burgundy, as well as a lot of Lecrae influence. It tends to take away from his own identity, but he's still able to maintain that aspect, especially when he uses his past and experiences as the catalyst for the song itself. Rio_24K is an up-and-coming artist that you may end up being very familiar with in the next few years. I'd like to hear a little more of his own personality interjected into his overall style, but on the whole, Flashing Lights is a rather impressive album, and it comes with a fairly easy recommendation. - Jesusfreakhideout

Miami native Rio 24k brings us a banging mixtape as he lyrically narrates his testimony out of the street life and into God’s hands. This is one of the best projects I’ve heard by a CHH newcomer in 2014 and I can’t wait to watch him grow as an artist in 2015. Enjoy! - chhtoday.com