big AL
Monroe, Louisiana, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2001 | INDIE
Music
Press
Click the link... - DaSouth.com
Click the link... - DaSouth.com
Quickly becoming one of the most interesting rappers in the Gospel music game, his lyrics are biblically sound, making them relevant for listeners across generations. As an educator and a family man, this youth pastor expresses God's word in a way that is palatable to the teens in his local church. His expressions are clear cut, and his methods are practical. The man we've just described is none other than; Big Al. - GOSPELFLAVA.COM
Quickly becoming one of the most interesting rappers in the Gospel music game, his lyrics are biblically sound, making them relevant for listeners across generations. As an educator and a family man, this youth pastor expresses God's word in a way that is palatable to the teens in his local church. His expressions are clear cut, and his methods are practical. The man we've just described is none other than; Big Al. - GOSPELFLAVA.COM
http://www.dasouth.com/album-reviews/587-big-al-the-opening-act
I love opening acts. I especially love them when they steal the show from the main act. Then in rare occasions the opening act surpasses the main one and in the future you find that the main one is opening up for the group/artist, which was once the opening act. Well, on Big Al’s sophomore release, “The Opening Act” you’ll find that he takes the spotlight off of himself and solely keeps it on the headliner, Jesus Christ.
This eclectic album starts off clearly stating, “you ain’t gotta know my name, I’m just the opening act” and if you didn’t know who was the opening act, he states it at the end of every bar there after. Who’s the opening act you ask? He’s the opening act. He doesn’t state his name, just that he is the opening act. In fact nowhere on the album (if my memory serves me right) do I hear him mention any name other then the name of Jesus, which is a rare find even in CHH/HHH these days. After the opener comes to an end Big Al continues rapping and takes us into an auto-tuned infused track, “Get Low”, a song declaring the importance of humility over a vibrant two-stepping beat. Being that Big Al himself is a man of many trades (youth Pastor, family man, worship leader and math teacher), it’s refreshing to see him speak about the importance of humility.
Being a worship leader and a rapper, he doesn’t leave his R&P skills too far behind on this project, in fact he sings on about the same amount of tracks he spits on. Now I have heard many albums where the rapper can spit lyrically and sing well yet it ends up being a tragedy as it comes across as overkill. This isn’t the case with Big Al. There are some tracks like his first single “Rest Of My Days” featuring R&P sensation Canton Jones, where he shows off his singing skills to a minimum. I suppose when having the melodic sounds of Canton on a track, there’s not much else to emphasize vocally. The hook on this song is very simple lyrically but one will easily be guilty by singing it every moment there after. In addition to Canton on “Rest Of My Days” and “Daydream” you can find another R&P crooner Claude Deuce. This dude right here got some skills, perfectly adding the right amount of soul to each track he belts over like “I Write.”
In addition to his smooth vocals the boy lends his production skills on tracks like “Boom!” In fact Big Al’s production team really came full throttle with producers such as Canton Jones, Tony Stone, Pettidee, Matt Cash, Chizmatonic and MegaMan. After the guest artists fade you find yourself on the R&P portion of the album (minus the hard-hitting and favorite “Dreamin’”) with delightful tracks such as the amazing “Daydream”, the belly-dancing-like “Blessed”, the soulful “Stronger”, the worship-like “Untitled” and the sit-on-your-porch-sipping-lemonade “Addicted.”
The boy can hold a note, in fact I personally enjoyed his style on the R&P tip better then him on the Hip-Hop tip. Now don’t get me wrong, he could do his thing on the mic as far as flowing properly to his great selection of beats and his content is on point but when he sings, you feel him. This is when you can see his skills as a worship leader comes into play.
By the end of the album the question remains, how did he do as the opening act? Well, ironically enough it reminds me of a Praise and Worship set at church. The album starts off with praise (some head-knocking, bass-bumping Hip-Hop) and ends with worship (some soulful and mesmerizing R&P). Each set beautifully directs you to the main attraction…Jesus Christ. Would I pay for another ticket to check him out next show? Oh yes.
- DASOUTH.COM
http://www.gospelflava.com/reviews/bigal.html - Gospelflava.com
http://www.gospelflava.com/reviews/bigal.html - Gospelflava.com
The Good: Entertaining album, adds a good variety to your christian music catalogue
The Bad: Underrated, Underestimated artist
Lyrics/Message: Not much of a distinct message to this album. Like most christian albums the message is pretty straight-forward, but still a good R&P album nonetheless. At first listen, Big Al may seem to “bite” the styles of other artists - I’ll defend Al by acknowledging that the “bitten” artists are good artists. Imagine the styles of Canton Jones, T-Pain, and Sho Baraka simplified… What’s the result? Big Al.
Production/Sound: All in all, this was a very entertaining album. The great arrangements make up for some of the simple lyrics. Canton Jones makes a guest appearance on 2 radio-ready tracks - tracks in which I think elevate the album to a higher echelon. Notable producers include Tony Stone, Canton Jones, Pettidee, Chizmatonic and Claude Deuce.
Overall: A worthy buy. Big Al put forth a worthy effort with this album, so respect must be paid. I’m actually looking forward to hearing more from the guy as he grows as an artist. Take my word for it and head on over to iTunes to cop this album. You’ll appreciate my insights - 4 stars
VESSELVIBE.com Score: 4 out of 5 Stars - VESSELVIBE.COM
The Good: Entertaining album, adds a good variety to your christian music catalogue
The Bad: Underrated, Underestimated artist
Lyrics/Message: Not much of a distinct message to this album. Like most christian albums the message is pretty straight-forward, but still a good R&P album nonetheless. At first listen, Big Al may seem to “bite” the styles of other artists - I’ll defend Al by acknowledging that the “bitten” artists are good artists. Imagine the styles of Canton Jones, T-Pain, and Sho Baraka simplified… What’s the result? Big Al.
Production/Sound: All in all, this was a very entertaining album. The great arrangements make up for some of the simple lyrics. Canton Jones makes a guest appearance on 2 radio-ready tracks - tracks in which I think elevate the album to a higher echelon. Notable producers include Tony Stone, Canton Jones, Pettidee, Chizmatonic and Claude Deuce.
Overall: A worthy buy. Big Al put forth a worthy effort with this album, so respect must be paid. I’m actually looking forward to hearing more from the guy as he grows as an artist. Take my word for it and head on over to iTunes to cop this album. You’ll appreciate my insights - 4 stars
VESSELVIBE.com Score: 4 out of 5 Stars - VESSELVIBE.COM
Featuring production from some big names in the Christian music industry,* along with guest appearances from Canton Jones, Claude Deuce, and more, "The Opening Act" is set to impress. Big Al starts the album off with The Opening Act (the song the album was named after, or vice versa) where he states the meaning behind the name. "I ain't trying to chase those dollars nor the fortune or fame, I came to set the stage for the king cause I'm the opening act." Tracks like "Get Low,"Rest Of My Days," and more feature R&B appearances on the choruses, while others like "Ridin" and "Rest of My Days" (featuring Canton Jones) have it in the verses. It also includes bangers like "Boom!" and "Fresh
Lyrically, you can expect the typical message you get on a Christian album. It definitely has a good message, there was just nothing that stood out to me, except for "Everytime," "Give Him Glory," "Rest Of My Days" and "Blessed" being especially worshipful. On the last few songs of the album, Big Al mellows down and basically talks about God's love, grace, and goodness and calls out for the listener to accept the Lord.
Overall, The Opening Act is a very impressive effort from Big Al and, with 14 tracks that are all fresh, is well worth your money.
*Canton Jones, Pettidee, Tony Stone, Claude Deuce, and more.
Rating: 4/5
Highlights:
Get Low (feat. SaeLah and A1-Bold)
With a great chorus and dope guest appearances, Get Low is easily one of the best songs on the album.
Rest of My Days (feat. Canton Jones)
Canton Jones does his thing on the first half of the track, and Big Al jumps in on the second with an awesome delivery.
For Fans Of: Canton Jones, K-drama, Sho Baraka, Claude Deuce, Demetrus
Style: Southern Rap, Hip-Hop/R&B
- CHRISITIAN HIP-HOP CENTRAL
Featuring production from some big names in the Christian music industry,* along with guest appearances from Canton Jones, Claude Deuce, and more, "The Opening Act" is set to impress. Big Al starts the album off with The Opening Act (the song the album was named after, or vice versa) where he states the meaning behind the name. "I ain't trying to chase those dollars nor the fortune or fame, I came to set the stage for the king cause I'm the opening act." Tracks like "Get Low,"Rest Of My Days," and more feature R&B appearances on the choruses, while others like "Ridin" and "Rest of My Days" (featuring Canton Jones) have it in the verses. It also includes bangers like "Boom!" and "Fresh
Lyrically, you can expect the typical message you get on a Christian album. It definitely has a good message, there was just nothing that stood out to me, except for "Everytime," "Give Him Glory," "Rest Of My Days" and "Blessed" being especially worshipful. On the last few songs of the album, Big Al mellows down and basically talks about God's love, grace, and goodness and calls out for the listener to accept the Lord.
Overall, The Opening Act is a very impressive effort from Big Al and, with 14 tracks that are all fresh, is well worth your money.
*Canton Jones, Pettidee, Tony Stone, Claude Deuce, and more.
Rating: 4/5
Highlights:
Get Low (feat. SaeLah and A1-Bold)
With a great chorus and dope guest appearances, Get Low is easily one of the best songs on the album.
Rest of My Days (feat. Canton Jones)
Canton Jones does his thing on the first half of the track, and Big Al jumps in on the second with an awesome delivery.
For Fans Of: Canton Jones, K-drama, Sho Baraka, Claude Deuce, Demetrus
Style: Southern Rap, Hip-Hop/R&B
- CHRISITIAN HIP-HOP CENTRAL
Discography
the.next.level. LP (Released in 2004)
4106. mixtape (Released in 2005)
Son of Jor-EL: Mixtape Vol. 2 (Released in 2007)
Cherry Christmas EP (Released in 2007)
The Opening Act (Re-released 2010)
The Balancing Act (Spring 2011)
Super Friends (Fall 2013)
Leaving Metropolis (Fall 2015)
alford (Summer 2020)
big AL & cherri jubilee (Summer 2021)
Photos
Bio
International Gospel Hip-Hop/ R&B artist, Al “big AL” Cherry is a performer, motivational speaker, and preacher from northeast Louisiana.
big AL served as youth pastor for more than a decade.
Simultaneously, big AL took on the role of educator. In addition to music and
preaching, he served as the mathematics department head of Richwood High
School, teaching Geometry, Trigonometry, AP Calculus; and administering
dual-enrollment for the University of Louisiana-Monroe in College Algebra,
Calculus I, Statistics, and Psychology.
God has indeed gifted Al with an
anointing to reach people of all ages. Using wit and an unapologetic
transparent message, big AL has been able to share his story and the message of
Christ all over this country and abroad. He has shared the stage with the likes
of Lecrae, Kirk Franklin, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, Andy Mineo, Canton Jones,
Swoope, Boyz II Men, Dr. Bobby Jones, and a host of other artists, speakers,
and entertainers.
With the release of his debut album, “the.next.level.”, (2004), big AL began experiencing fulfillment of the promises of God. His release of two mixtapes – “4106.Mixtape” and “Son of Jor-EL: Mixtape Vol. 2”, big AL grabbed the attention of industry heavyweights. The single, Back Man, caught the attention of Dr. Bobby Jones, who then sought big AL to appear on his Word Network and Gospel Music Channel shows. The popularity of the song pushed big AL to make an incredibly unique video that garnered big AL a top-six finish of Gospel Music Channels Video Music Awards (Christian Hip-Hop) in 2009.
big AL released his sophomore LP, “The Opening Act” (2008), to high anticipation and rave reviews. The album spawned a nationally-recognized hit, “Rest of My Days (featuring Canton Jones)”, an urban up-tempo ballad about praising the Lord through any circumstance. In 2009, big AL was nominated for three “Rhythm of Gospel Awards”: Holy Hip-Hop Album of the Year, Holy Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, and Holy Hip-Hop Song of the Year, of which he won Album of the Year and Artist of the Year. It also garnered big AL 2010 Stellar Awards, first-round balloting, and the same in the 2011 GMA Dove Awards.
2011 would witness the release of big AL’s third, full-length LP, “The Balancing Act”. Full of great production and amazing dance songs, there was not stopping what big AL had begun. The single, “B.F.F.”, would garner a following of listeners who would start to ask big AL to “sing more”, and its accompanying video would rock the internet and make the song a huge hit! The birth of a collaborative project with one of his best friends, gospel producer/artist, Claude Deuce, would release and garner attention from both genres in 2013! “Super Friends” was/is as epic and ‘heroic’ as the title suggests.
After a long thought of what’s next in life, Al left the school system in 2014 to lead out something that the world had not seen. In September 2014, Power927.FM – “Positive Hip-Hop and R&B” launched, terrestrially and on the internet! It is the first, full-power FM terrestrial positive Hip-Hop and R&B radio station in the country. big AL was named and currently serves as the Brand Advancement Director (Program Director, Station Manager, and Morning Show Host); and the station has made significant progress in a short amount of time! At the same time, big AL continued to feel the desire to get in the studio and finally in 2015, he stepped back in the studio to record his most incredible and compelling project to-date, “Leaving Metropolis”.
“Leaving Metropolis” is full of songs that, again, showcase big AL’s willingness to be vulnerable on record by transparently sharing what life has thrown and is throwing at him. Soliciting production and features from the likes of B. Slade, Black Knight, Claude Deuce, Big Juice, and Naomi Holder, big AL left no stone unturned as he offered his most intimate piece of art! The lead single, “Fly”, has received rave reviews, along with the video produced/shot by Ben Boutwell of Creative Insomniacs!!
The pandemic didn't even slow big AL down! In September of 2020, he released his critically-acclaimed project, "alford". The album showcases big AL's growth as an artist and an even more in-depth look into his balance of life an faith. He followed that in September of 2021 by introducing his band, "Cherri Jubilee" on a maxi-single of the same name.
big
AL is currently traveling throughout the country, and abroad, performing and
speaking to all ages, all races, and all denominations! Whether sharing his
story, performing songs, entertaining an audience, and/or preaching the Gospel,
big AL definitely shares the message of love…the message of hope…the message of
peace…the message of Jesus Christ – like no one else!!
Band Members
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