Locals Only

Word is out

by John Ross

Columbus musician John Reuben has been described alternately as "Christian rap" and "rap rock"—two labels that might cause a flurry of regrettable images in the mind of the average music fan.

"Both of those terms, let's be honest, sound pretty horrible," said Reuben, who on Monday releases Word of Mouth, his fifth full-length for Christian label Gotee Records. "When I got signed, man, honestly, I wasn't really paying attention that much. I was just making music, this label was interested, and I am a follower of Jesus, so it was cool for me."

Reuben makes no bones about his faith or his flow, and his Christian beliefs and leisurely rhyme style have resulted in nuanced music that dissects love, hate, personal demons and contemporary culture as intelligently as it lauds the Lord.

"I had grown up in church circles, and I grew up very much disliking Christian music," Reuben added. "But in my head, it was like, that doesn't have to affect the kind of music that I make."

The music he makes draws equally from the laidback, sing-talk-rap vibe of 311, Guru's awareness of jazz and melody and the eclectic nature (minus the references to crime and booze) of the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique.

Listeners who are pleasantly surprised at the lack of overt evangelism will also find a fresh approach to the hip-hop songwriting process.

For a diverse collection that didn't rely heavily on traditional samples, Reuben recruited a stable of musicians, and tracks routinely were sent back and forth across the country to be created, layered and produced.

What: John Reuben CD release show

When: Monday, February 5

Where: The Basement, Arena District

Web: johnreuben.com

"I didn't want it to be like a band got in the studio and wrote a record," Reuben said. "I wanted it to have some kind of unique [feel], almost like we could have looped it off of an old album. It was kind of cool recreating all that live."

Standout track "Miserable Exaggeration," for example, boasts a beat from a producer in L.A. and guitar parts from a blues musician in Memphis, with final production touches made in Nashville.

The jet-setting collaborations resulted in numerous bursts of genius: the tinny banjo on "Make Money Money," the delicate strings and heavenly vocals inspiring "Focus" and the cacophony that overtakes and then releases "Curiosity."

It's that rare album ready for both radio and repeat listening.

"As a whole, I think the goal is that you can listen to the songs and you can enjoy them and hopefully you can vibe out to them," said Reuben. "But if you want to digest the lyrics and dig a little deeper, I think you might get into some grit there."

For more on John Reuben, click to John Ross's blog "The Riot Act"

February 2nd, 2007