FLAME: ‘Forward’ album review

By now FLAME’s reputation as an articulate truth-teller whose lyrical gems shine on chart-topping albums goes before him. Both Captured (2010) and The 6th (2012) hit No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Charts, and his latest, Forward, shows a hip-hop artist maintaining stride at a career peak.

Lyrically, Forward is a clarion call for an “engaged alienation,” asking Christians to take countercultural stands on tracks like “1st Freedom” and “Absolute Truth” atop sermon clips and news reports. “Move Forward,” which features Jai, references history’s cycles of liberalism, while “We Goin’ Reign” speaks hope to persecuted believers around the world. Through it all, Flame addresses the global church with a potent cocktail of truth and chastisement, hope and love.