Rise is the fifth studio album from Christian rap artist Trip Lee. The album was released in 2014, through Reach Records. The album includes features from Lecrae, Andy Mineo, and This'l among others. Four singles were released for the album; "Shweet", "Sweet Victory", "Manolo" and "Beautiful Life 2 (Mine)".
| Rise | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 27, 2014 | |||
| Genre | Christian hip hop | |||
| Label | Reach | |||
| Producer | Gawvi | |||
| Trip Lee chronology | ||||
| ||||
Concept
editTrip Lee explained the concept of the album saying that; "It's a call-to-action to rise from the dead and actually live. We're born spiritually dead, and I'm calling for everyone to become spiritually alive. Secondly, don't wait until later to live the way you were created. God created you to honor Him, find joy, and serve others. Don't sleep on that. Lastly, rise above the low expectations people have."[1]
Promotion
editIn promotion of the album Reach Records held two listening sessions in New York City and Atlanta.[2] Tickets went on sale and were held on September 23 and October 3 respectively.[3]
In late December 2014, Gawvi, who produced the album, released two remixes of songs from the Rise album, one of "Lazarus" and another of "Sweet Victory" for free on SoundCloud. In January 2015, Trip Lee announced the Rise Tour which he'll be embarking on until August 2015 in support of the album.[4][5]
Book
editTrip Lee wrote a book titled Rise: Get Up and Live in God's Great Story to accompany the album. It was released on January 27, 2015.[6]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| CCM Magazine |   [7] |
| Indie Vision Music | [8] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [9] |
| New Release Tuesday |  [10] |
Signaling in a four star out of five review by CCM Magazine, Andy Argyrakis recognizes, "Rapper Trip Lee comes out swinging for the fences on his fifth long player and, in the process, is even more apt to have his influence rub off on the world at large."[7] Michael Weaver, agrees it is a four star album for Jesus Freak Hideout, responding, "Musically more diverse than any of his previous works, Rise is just another example of Trip Lee growing and challenging himself as an artist."[9] Adding a half star to his rating compared to the aforementioned, New Release Tuesday's Mark Ryan, realizing, "This album is brilliant. From top to bottom, each track keeps you on the edge of your seat, and on each listen you will hear something new"[10] Anthony Peronto, indicating it is a five star project from Indie Vision Music, replies, "In what could be his last album, Trip Lee’s artistry and perseverance are present in every Gawvi-produced song."[8]
Commercial performance
editRise debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of approximately 23,000 units, making it the fifth-highest charting Christian Hip Hop Album of all-time, as well as Trip Lee's highest charting album of his career.[11][12]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rise" | William Barefield, Gabriel Azucena | Gawvi | |
| 2. | "Lights On" (with Leah Smith- uncredited) | W. Barefield, G. Azucena | Gawvi, with post prod. by Jacob "Biz" Morris | |
| 3. | "Shweet" | W. Barefield, Jamaal "Elhae" Jones, G. Azucena | Gawvi, with post prod. by Jacob "Biz" Morris | |
| 4. | "Manolo" (featuring Lecrae) | W. Barefield, Lecrae Moore, J. Jones, G. Azucena | Gawvi, with post prod. by Jacob "Biz" Morris | |
| 5. | "You Don't Know" | W. Barefield, J. Jones, G. Azucena | Gawvi | |
| 6. | "All Rise Up (Interlude)" | Gawvi, Jonathan Barahona | ||
| 7. | "All Rise Up" | W. Barefield, G. Azucena | Gawvi | |
| 8. | "Beautiful Life 2 (Mine)" (with Dimitri McDowell, uncredited) | W. Barefield, Dimitri McDowell, G. Azucena | Gawvi, add. prod. by Elhae | |
| 9. | "Insomniac" (featuring Andy Mineo, with Melanie Segura & Rebbeca Folkes, uncredited) | W. Barefield, Andy Mineo, Natalie Sims, G. Azucena | Gawvi, with post prod. by Jacob "Biz" Morris | |
| 10. | "Something New" | W. Barefield, G. Azucena | Gawvi | |
| 11. | "Lazarus" (featuring Thi'sl) | W. Barefield, Travis Tyler, G. Azucena | Gawvi, with post prod. by Jacob "Biz" Morris | |
| 12. | "All My Love" (featuring Natalie Lauren) | W. Barefield, N. Sims, G. Azucena | Gawvi | |
| 13. | "I'm Gone" (with Gawvi and Elhae, uncredited) | W. Barefield, G. Azucena | Gawvi, Alex Medina | |
| 14. | "Sweet Victory" (featuring Dimitri McDowell and Leah Smith) | W. Barefield, D. McDowell, N. Sims, G. Azucena, Joseph Prielozny | Gawvi |
References
edit- ^ "Trip Lee's 'Rise' is No. 1 Gospel Album in the U.S.; Rapper's 'Shweet' Release Helps Him Crack Billboard Top 20 [VIDEO]". www.breathecast.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
- ^ "Trip Lee Showcases New Album 'Rise' at New York City Listening Party & Receives Rave Reviews [EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS]". www.breathecast.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
- ^ "Instagram". Archived from the original on 2014-12-11. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
- ^ "Trip Lee 'Rise' Tour Announced - Rapzilla". Archived from the original on 2015-01-23. Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ^ "Events". TRIP LEE - OFFICIAL SITE. Archived from the original on 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
- ^ "Rise". Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-29 – via books.apple.com.
- ^ a b Argyrakis, Andy. "Trip Lee: Rise". CCM Magazine. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ a b Peronton, Anthony. "Trip Lee - Rise". Indie Vision Music. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ a b Weaver, Michael. "Trip Lee, "Rise" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ a b Ryan, Mark. "Rising Again". New Release Tuesday. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ Edwards, Mark (November 6, 2014). "Trip Lee Scores Billboard #1 With 'Rise'; JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise Debut At #2 With 'I See Victory'". The Gospel Guru. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- ^ "Trip Lee - Chart history | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2014-11-08.