“Gold Digger” warns guys that brief pleasure can yield 18 years of child support payments and tells restless women to stand by their men. West shouts praises to his mother (“Hey Mama”) and credits his grandparents with being a stabilizing force (“Roses”). Numerous songs refer to prayer and speak respectfully of Jesus and a heavenly reward. “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)” condemns exploitative mining practices in Africa. Tracks deal with the destructive power of crack (“Crack Music”) and recognize the devil as a living force to be reckoned with (“Heard ‘Em Say”).
Obscenities include s-words, g–d–n, f-words (some with the “mutha” prefix), and racial or misogynist slang. Hormonal prowling and crass sexual references poison six cuts. On “Celebration” West tells his little boy about the romp that sired him and calls him his “favorite accident.” He asks his lover to engage in a ménage à trois (“Addiction”). Drugs and alcohol show up in the form of Henni, Cristal, Mo, marijuana, cocaine, cognac and Hypnotiq.
On “Touch the Sky” this recent Time cover boy remarks, “I’m trying to right my wrongs/But it’s funny these same wrongs helped me write this song.” That’s the problem with West’s music; he knows better but finds the wider road more lucrative. An inconsistent effort sure to baffle Christians drawn to his spiritual side.
After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.
