Indie NY-based hip-hop artist rapper/songwriter Thought Provokah returns with a new project (G)iving (O)ur (D)ays (I)n (S)acrifice. The 5 track body of work is steeped in his Christian faith, fulfilling all self-righteousness and being alert in this unforgiving world we live in. The project is the follow-up to his faith themed project Look At God” aka GodIs or (G)iving (O)ur (D)ays (I)n (S)acrifice.

The first track “Driven By The Clouds” produced by dUMb-o has a jazzy and reflective vibe that is underpinned by Thought Provokah’s expressive but laidback flow and poignant lyrics that explore the concept of self-belief and the never-ending struggles that life throws at us. Armed with his stream-of-consciousness rhyme patterns and lines like“Expectations of my own base/Holding my golden glove, up above/hoping I catch a break/ Channel my ID/You don’t have to investigate,” he gives audiences his viewpoint. “Attachement Style” starts with an interesting audio that dives into how faith and worship differ from generation to generation. The generation gap theme is pronounced as Thought Provokah delivers a vivid story about his life and many experiences that shaped his world. From loss in the family, changing values, and crime-ridden streets to peer pressure. This track has a sombre and melancholic vibe courtesy of producer Talen Ted who laces the beat with soothing vocal samples and warm pads.

The ScottZilla-produced “Cane And Abel”  starts with a clip from Jordan Peterson speaking on the Cain and Abel story as it juxtaposes the concept of envy and jealousy. Thought Provokah goes forth with insightful bars like “2 of the 7 deadly sins are greed and envy/The bitter of good and plenty/The taste of many just look at Cain/Killed his brother for vain/his blood run through his vein/Now his life is in vain/let me explain” as he delivers a modern-day version of the Cain and Abel story. Next is the soulful “Buttahs” which uses a short funny clip from Tracy Morgan and jazzy samples with snapping drums courtesy of producer  Be Franky. The overall relaxed vibe is anchored on vivid storytelling using musical references to garnish his art. The final track “(K)illing [I]nfinite [D]reams” produced by Lonsso is an aspirational cut that talks about how dreams get deferred and or destroyed by reality and external influences. Over the warm jazzy textures, airy horn passes and head-nodding boom-bap drums, Thought Provokah drops a handful of gems for anyone who had a dream and closes it out on a high note with this reflective and poignant hook, “I said word up kid, who killed your infinite dreams/Reality too loud, told you to keep it down/whats your illusions of height/you try to jump to conclusions/ make the real unreal and confusing.”

(G)iving (O)ur (D)ays (I)n (S)acrifice is a concise and well-crafted conceptual project that deals with real-time issues. From faith, internal struggles, and social-political issues to self-awareness, the project does it all in small chunks that is more than enough to leave audiences with something to think about.

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