What is it that first catches your attention when you listen to music in general and hip-hop in particular? What do you focus on? If I may make a generalization, some people are “beats” people, and others are “lyrics” people. Some like both equally. While the musical aspect is very important and something I put a lot of thought and time into, I am first and foremost a lyricist. Whether writing, recording or performing, I’m striving for “5 C’s” in my lyrics.

Content

I want what I write to be meaningful, rather than trivial.

Clarity

I want how I perform to reveal truth rather than obscuring it.

Complexity

I want the way I structure my rhyme patterns to indicate internal complexity rather than mindless simplicity. I would distinguish mindless simplicity from thoughtful simplicity, which was my aim on songs like Simple Love Story or Penelope Judd.

Creativity

I want how I approach my expression to display originality, rather than imitation.

Christ-Exaltation

I want the listener to leave my music thinking about how great God is, rather than how great Shai is.