Quickly, the hotbed for Holy Hip Hop seems to be pointing the way of Philadelphia. Already, 2004 has seen The Cross Movement release its debut DVD (see review) and female emcee Badia drop her debut release (see review).

Neither Philly nor The Cross Movement camp have finished leaving their mark on 2004. It's time to welcome Da' T.R.U.T.H. to the game.

Da' T.R.U.T.H. (an acronym: To Reach U Through Him) drops his debut release on Cross Movement Records aptly titled Moment of Truth. We got a glimpse of the emcee on The Cross Movement's DVD release, where he sent the crowd into a frenzy. Warning... with Da' T.R.U.T.H., you can definitely believe the hype as he brings some crazy flava to the game in one of the most exciting releases of the year.

The 18-track release blends varying hip hop stylings along with some awesome spoken word tracks. The project launches with a 28-second spoken word offering and goes right into "This Is For You", a mid-tempo street track that gives you a glimpse into the emcee's potent lyrical flow.

Much like his label mates, The Cross Movement, T.R.U.T.H. brings an exciting flow to the game coupled with prolific and thought-provoking lyrics that will keep you coming back for more. All of that is laid out over the backdrop of some of the hottest tracks of the year provided by DJ Official, and various production help from J.R., Virgil Byrd, Maji, and Kevin Arthur.

"Truth" is another gritty urban track with a killer beat and speaks of the emcee's commitment to speak, distribute, and live out God's truth. The hook is almost addictive and will inspire you to spit the truth with serious regularity.

Da' T.R.U.T.H. doesn't travel on this journey alone, as he partners with several of the game's finest artists on a number of hot tracks. Naturally, he teams with The Cross Movement on "The Jesus Anthem". As imagined, the partnership is lethal as the group heralds the name of Jesus with boldness and clarity.

CMR labelmate Flame joins the movement on "Who Is That?". This track features that Mid-West bounce as Flame and T.R.U.T.H. trade verses and blend well together. Fellow Philly native and RockSoul emcee J-Silas brings his hardcore flare to "Please!". This track begins with a sample from The Cross Movement's "Start Something" (from their Holy Culture project —see review) and then morphs into a severe head-noddin' track. The track highlights the chemistry between T.R.U.T.H. and J-Silas while reminding us that our jobs are to live in a manner that would please Christ and bring glory to His name.

R&P crooner and fellow labelmate J.R. stops by to provide the hook for the neo-soulistic "N.F.L. (New Found Love)", which is slated to be an easy radio favorite. The slick track speaks to the beauty and consistency of God's love. It reminds us that His love far outlasts the love that any human can bring to us.

One of the hallmarks of this project is that the prolific emcee addresses real issues from a real perspective. "My Story" is the hip hop equivalent to John P. Kee's "Testimony". On this track, T.R.U.T.H. reminds us that our testimony doesn't have to be full of drama to still have an impact. He admonishes us to appreciate our upbringing and glorify God for keeping us and blessing us with a good life.

"After Your Heart" goes down as one of the few worship tracks within holy hip hop. The song speaks of a sincere desire to please God and states that we're seeking God's heart and not His hand. It's a touching song that speaks to the heart of this emcee.

And then there's "Fourplay". This track boldly addresses the issue of sexual purity within the body of Christ. T.R.U.T.H. speaks strongly about the difficulties that single Christians face remaining pure in this area and offers godly counsel and encouragement to keep Christians pure.

The project ends much as it begins, with a spoken word piece. This piece, titled "Resurrection" deals with the Resurrection experience and sees T.R.U.T.H. relay this story with power and clarity.

On the heels of the epic film, The Passion Of The Christ, this track has even greater meaning and will increase your appreciation of the victory that Christ achieved for us.

Without question, this is one of the hottest projects of the year. The beats are infectious. The lyrics are powerful. The flow is off the page. Simply put, Da T.R.U.T.H. really is...da' truth!!

Cop this one with the quickness!!