Braille - Box of Rhymes

written by mmog37

Album Overview

In this world filled with Emcees, very few can simply stand and engage
their audience. Yet, Braille is incredibly effective at capturing the listener
with passionate material that is so sweet to the ear.—Sphereofhiphop

I couldn’t agree more with Sphere of Hip Hop. By definition Braille is: a system to help blind or visually impaired people see, a very accurate description of this emcee‘s lyrical style, and this project Box of Rhymes. Bryan Winchester a.k.a. Braille, passionately approaches the mic with the intent of helping others see things more clearly. I am thoroughly convinced that there is a distinct difference between an artist with the ability to rhyme and one who spits lyrics that are from the heart. This cat is the latter. Having been around since the 90’s, Braille is no newcomer to this game. Following his career time line one can see that he is one hard working dude; so, it’s no wonder that he was selected to be an opening act for the hardest working man in show business, the late James Brown. Box of Rhymes which is Braille’s third solo release, features lyrics that stimulate thinking, smooth melodies and some of the best horn, string and drum arrangements that I have heard in a while. This is the type of music that reminds e of what hip hop used to be about: fresh beats and lyrics from the heart. I really enjoyed listening to this CD, the production was top notch and the lyrics were heat seekers aimed directly at the heart of the listener.

Braille, dropped his first solo project back in 1999 (Lifefirst: Half the Battle) true music heads might also recognize him as a member of the group Lightheaded who released Pure Thoughts in 2003. One of my favorite songs and video happens to be “Shades of Grey” the title track from Braille’s sophomore release in 2005, so I was pretty familiar with his lyrical style and was pleasantly pleased that he has only gotten better. Box of Rhymes features 15 tracks and guest appearances by Theory Hazit, Sivion, Surreal, Big Rec, as well as Speech and Nehemiah Booker. To put it in simple terms… this is pure hip hop.

Spiritual Significance

From start to finish Box of Rhymes goes straight to the heart of the matter, opening things up with a declaration to make a clean fresh start, learning from the mistakes of the past (”This Year”), and closing out with (”End of World”) a reminder that we are still on the clock and we must redeem our time. All tracks in between take you on a spiritual journey, from determination, to relationship with God & ministry. Then on to Tuning in to the right source and seeing things clearly. I hate to use a secular comparison but this CD was “Killing Me Softly” as he spoke from the heart on matters and issues that I could relate to. I found myself reflecting and self checking, looking for any of the areas of my life that might be out of line. One of my daily prayers is that God open my eyes and heart to reveal to me anything that is present that is not edifying or bringing Glory, a sentiment that was echoed on the track (”Everything Changed”); the hook says it all, “…if there’s darkness in my heart/please reveal it… if I’m blind to your truth/help me see it… if I’m numb to your love/help me feel it…never lose the feelin’ never forget when… everything changed.” Ahhh, this song is like a fresh shower for the soul… couple that with “Leave Behind,” which expresses the passionate desire to leave behind a life that glorifies the Father and you have something… *stands up applauds* Gettin a bit caught up, let’s move on to Topics Covered.

Topics Covered

As I mentioned before this CD takes the listener on a journey, one of my favorites is “Antenna,” which deals with tuning into the right source and tuning out the wrong sources; it challenges the listener to listen close and proposes that the condition of the heart will color or alter what you see, and, in essence, change the way you see your life. Another favorite is “Pour It Out,” which I feel is a perfect motto for those who minister, or Christians in general; you must first pour into yourself through prayer/reading/fellowship and then you will be able to pour out into your peers and those in your circle. Among the key tracks is “Humility,” something we all will deal with at some point, balancing out the desire to be successful or to not lose what we have and yet remaining humble and thankful for what we have. Here’s a look at some of the topics that are covered in this project:

Clean start/dedication/determination (This Year)

The Model of Ministry, first filling yourself up and then pouring out to others (Pour It Out)

Refuse to sell out or compromise no matter the price (I Wouldn’t Do It)

Self Check/Spiritual Tune-Up (Humility)

Which frequency are you tuned into, who signal is influencing the way you see our life (Antenna)

Working together the key to breakthrough, helping ourselves by helping others Together Not Alone)

God’s Mercy and Grace makes us so FRESH (Fresh Coast)

Living a Life that Glorifies God (Leave Behind)

Key Tracks

Pour it Out, Everything Changed, Antenna, I Wouldn’t Do It, Everything Changed, Box
of Rhymes, Humility