I pray you can see Jesus when you hear this music.
Earlier this year, the Hip-Hop artist formerly known as Davis Absolute announced a re-launch of his brand and a re-shaping of his artistic identity. Ditching the more standard name format and adopting the acronym FLF (Flood Light Forever), the veteran Christian rapper began dropping a string of singles that pointed the way towards his new self-titled album.
In spite of the name change, FLF may be a familiar face to many readers of The Haystack - having been featured under his previous moniker on well-known Adventist podcasts like Absurdity with Ryan Becker, as well as in some of our past content (streamed on our unfortunately defunct Periscope account).
While the sonic textures of the music released in anticipation of the album have not been hugely different from FLF's previous work as Davis Absolute, there is a definite devotional and testimonial quality to both the lyrics and promotional content. The album itself features several audio samples from sermons. FLF, above anything else, seems to be thinking of his new music in decisively spiritual terms, not only for himself but also for his listeners.
Just take these words from a post on his Facebook page this past July:
The end goal of creating music and focusing on a mission of delivering Christian content has never been to 'make it'.
The thought of getting a huge audience and following has crossed my mind and it's hard to say that it isn't tempting, but I'm reminded often by the Holy Spirit that the end result is souls saved and not monthly streams or social media followers.
The reason I make music is to bring those listening into a deeper relationship with the Father through His Son Christ.
If that isn't accomplished, than all is for naught–my efforts have been in vain.
I pray you can see Jesus when you hear this music.
For an artist like FLF, talk about "making it" and gaining a following is by no means hypothetical or hyperbolic. The rapper has been featured frequently on major Christian Hip-Hop site Rapzilla, and has collaborated with well-established names in CHH like John Givez, nobigdyl, Dru Bex, and many others. For an independent artist, all of these are impressive accomplishments.
And yet, it seems FLF has determined that those accomplishments under his previous name are worth setting aside if his own name and success somehow get in the way of his presentation of his faith. What remains to be seen is exactly what effect his new material, in its totality, will have on listeners. But that much will be up to you to decide.
The new album FLF is available now on all major platforms.
FLF Album Tracklist:
1. Flood (prod. Daniel Steele)
2. Last Supper (prod. Khompono)
3. Anthem of the Valley (prod. Khompono)
4. Stigmata (prod. Wontel)
5. My Life (prod. Daniel Steele)
6. 22 (prod. Canis Major)
7. Wolves (prod. Daniel Steele)
8. Wide Awake (prod. Daniel Steele)
9. Revival (prod. Daniel Steele)
10. American Hebrew (prod. Daniel Steele)
11. Last Supper (Demo) (prod. Khompono)
Artist Info:
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Genre: Hip-Hop