L.O.U. – Journey Of Choices (An Awakening Mind) (Album Review)

L.O.U. pieces together thought-provoking raps in the very impressive “Journey Of Choices (An Awakening Mind).”

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TOP 5

5. Indigo River

Ironically, it is remarkably easy to drown in “Indigo River.”

You will feel saved after you are done listening to “Indigo River.” Not only does the song feature this replenishing beat that does everything in its power to pull at heartstrings, but you also get a chorus by featured guest Kria McKenzie that is jam-packed with both soul and charm. As for L.O.U., he hits us with verses that rawly and candidly describe how he handles the bad temptations around him, his violent thoughts, and his lack of emotional support.

Though I am not fighting as many demons as L.O.U. in my life right now, I still felt every single word that came out of his mouth in this song.

4. The Preordained

Did anyone else get chills after seeing this song’s title?

“The Preordained” is powered by this crafty/gripping/glimmery Big O beat that would probably make Shaft breakdance. The good news is this: L.O.U. meets the beat at the rim with impeccable flows and powerful lyrics that highlight his competitive nature, his views on death, and the battles that he has with his inner thoughts.

I find it fascinating how L.O.U. pieces his words together in a way that is brilliantly unsettling in this song. The way he unabashedly explains his feelings on death had me, a horror movie fan, a little shook.

3. Handle With Flair

“Handle With Flair” sticks out like a sore thumb on this album.

Do you know the interesting thing about “Handle With Flair?” You get both flair and flare in the song. The sly hook that you get from Frannie El is full of stylishness and originality (Which is the definition of flair), while the raps that you get from L.O.U. and B. Chaps are full of fierce deliveries and hot-ass lines. The way that the two distinct sounds merge makes this song easily my personal favorite on this album.

2. Avenues of the Aspects

L.O.U., Doughboy Young, P Rawb, and Shari hit us with nothing but wise words in “Avenues of the Aspects.”

I highly recommend that you have your notepad out while listening to “Avenues of The Aspects.” In the song, L.O.U., Doughboy Young, and P Rawb drop bars that will motivate you to chase success, prioritize self-growth, and keep critics in your back pocket.

Even though L.O.U., Doughboy Young, and P Rawb sound pretty forceful in “Avenues of the Aspects,” I think Shari’s soulful hook and Big O’s dramatic production create a great emotional balance for the song.

1. Depression on the 18th

I love it when artists open up their albums with songs that punch you in the mouth.

Technically, “Journey of Choices (Intro)” opens up this album, but “Depression on the 18th” is the first real song. In the latter, L.O.U. fearlessly pours his heart out, hitting us with bars that highlight his lofty expectations of himself, his rough come-up, and his warlike mentality. The determination and grit that he raps with will have you glued to your seat.

Featured guest Nathan Blur puts a stamp on this song’s messages by blessing us with a hook that never lets up in emotional vibes. He is definitely a well-needed icing on the cake.

SONG BY SONG RATING

1. Journey of Choices (Intro) (N/A)

2. Depression on the 18th (5/5)

3. Consequences of the Unforeseen (4/5)

4. Avenue of the Aspects (5/5)

5. Handle With Flair (5/5)

6. The Preordained (4/5)

7. Indigo RIver (4/5)

8. Learning Who I Am (Hold On) (4/5)

9. Ken Ken (Skit) (N/A)

10. Shellz (4/5)

11. Really Hits (4/5)

12. An Awakening Mind (Outro) (N/A)

RGM RATING

(B+)

I grew up on 90s rap, so I probably appreciate hard-hitting bars and intricate hip-hop beats more than the next person. While I am fully aware that there are several artists that are able to channel an old-school sound in their music, there aren’t many that can channel it as authentically and pure as L.O.U. and Big O. The good news is that the two musicians tend to link up for projects all of the time. In Journey Of Choices (An Awakening Mind), their latest collaborative effort, their chemistry is outstanding.

Journey Of Choices (An Awakening Mind) is laced with twelve tracks. Though some would consider the project to be short, L.O.U. does an exceptional job of jampacking every single song with lyrics that require your full attention, flows that are intricate but very easy to digest, a level of passion that is hard to ignore, and most importantly, content that unapologetically tackles everything from depression to growth to death. I found myself fully engulfed in every single verse that L.O.U. dished out; mainly because they embodied levels of detail that you can really only find in novels.

Please give Big O his flowers for the production job that he did on this project. Every single song on Journey Of Choices (An Awakening Mind) boasts a beat that is riveting, vintage-sounding, sly, jazzy, soulful, and powerful. On the real, if there were no rappers or singers on this album, I would gladly listen to all of the instrumentals in its butt-ass naked state.

Kudos must go to the guest features on this album. Singers such as Frannie El and Shari complimented L.O.U.’s hefty bars with some well-needed soul, while rappers such as P Rawb and Doughboy Tony did a good job of matching his gritty prowess. Though this album says only L.O.U.’s name on the artwork, I can tell it took a village to make.

If you enjoy music that took some blood, sweat, tears, skills, and superior beat-making to make, you need to give Journey Of Choices (An Awakening Mind) a spin. I highly recommend the album.