LABEL:  REACH RECORDS
RELEASE DATE:  APRIL 10, 2012

s a basketball fan I remember seeing some great one-two punches growing up, my favorite being Jordan and Pippen.  When I think of Trip Lee I can’t help but see him as that side kick to the bigger star, in this case being Lecrae.  However with his last album Between Two Worlds, Trip proved he was more than just a side kick.  He put together a great album and even made history by debuting his video for “The Invasion (Hero)” on BET’s 106 and Park.   Now he is back with another solid effort The Good Life.   Featuring Lecrae, KB, Andy Mineo and many others, the album seeks to shed light on what we really should consider the good life.

One thing that I really enjoyed about this album is the variety in the types of songs it has.  You have several upbeat/fast songs like “Robot,”  “I’m Good” and “One Sixteen,” which are typical of Trip releases.  However songs like “Know Me” and “Take Me There” allow Trip to incorporate rock and pop sounds.  He mixes the styles quite well only missing occasionally with tracks that don’t quite seem to fit the album, like “War.”

“I’m Good” and “One Sixteen” are two of my favorite songs on the record.  On “I’m Good,” featuring Lecrae, Trip shares that life does have its share of troubles and challenges, but a relationship with God triumphs them all.  “Take all my money, here come the pain, yeah they can kill me, to die is gain, I’m good.”  Lecrae’s verse is on point, as usual, and the song is probably the second best track on the album.  “One Sixteen,” my favorite on the album features two awesome verses from KB an Andy Mineo.  Both seem to overshadow Trip on the track but the song is such a banger, you probably won’t care.

Trip takes on some other important issues with tracks like “Heart Problem” and “Beautiful Life.”  Trip uses “Heart Problem” to let the listener know there is nothing wrong with money as long as it is not put before God.  “Beautiful Life” is reminder of the importance of life, even when it is unexpected.  This encouraging song features beautiful vocals from V Rose and probably would have lots of crossover appeal.

Other standout tracks on the album include “Fallin” and “Take Me There” featuring Jimmy Needham.

The Good Life is a solid effort from Trip Lee.  You will get great production, solid lyrics and enough variety to keep you engaged throughout the project.  The project isn’t perfect put it’s definitely one to include in your collection.