Robbie and Noel Arthurton (aka Dynamic Twins) are no strangers to TimeIsIllmatic. I first wrote about the identical twin Christian rap duo when I reviewed their debut album, Word 2 The Wize, almost nine years ago (damn, time flies!). Their name would re-emerge on this blog a few months ago, when their fourth release, Above The Ground, came up during my 1996 reviews. You can click the links above if you’re interested in hearing my exhaustive thoughts on both albums, but in a nutshell, I wasn’t impressed by either of them. Even with my unenthusiastic reception of W2TW and ATG, it wouldn’t stop the completionist in me from buying their third release, 40 Days In The Wilderness, just a couple of weeks ago.

The album title refers to the scripture in the book of Matthew, where Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil and afterward fasted for forty days and forty nights. I’ve always found it funny that the scripture says after Jesus completed his fast, “He was hungry.” Uh, obviously. The Dynamic Twins would handle all the production on 40 Days, calling on a few friends to contribute verses and vocals to some of its tracks.

I first bought a copy of 40 Days years ago during my secular hip-hop hiatus in the late nineties, but somewhere through the years, it got lost in the shuffle, never to be found and shuffled in my car’s five-disc CD changer again (*sigh* the good old days). So, when I stumbled upon a brand new, still factory-sealed CD copy of 40 Days a few weeks back, I had to cop it. If my memory serves me correctly, there were some good tunes on this album. But my memory isn’t always good at serving. Let’s dive in.

Forget About Your Troubles – The album begins with a skit of some dude named Eric (maybe DT’s manager?) accepting an award on behalf of the Dynamic Twins for 40 Days In The Wilderness (maybe a Dove?). Robbie and Noel interrupt Eric in the middle of his acceptance speech with a couple of smacks to the dome, before dragging him off to the woods, which I guess all fits with the album title and concept. Then Brothers Arthurton start the night with a competent funk canvas that they paint with an optimistic message: Cast all your cares on Jesus and live worry-free, which is all biblically based (see 1 Peter 5:7 and Matthew 6:25-29), but easier said than done. Anyhoo, this was a decent way to kick things off.

Who R U – Even Christian rappers forget to use proper punctuation in song titles but moving on. Over a devious bassline and mid-tempo thunderous drums, Robbie and Noel ask a rhetorical question to get the listener to go within and discover that they’re a child of God. Drew “Da Bum” (what an alias) sings the hook to drive home the message on another solid record.

It’s About Time – The twins discuss the decay of the family structure and proclaim that now (or then) is the time to repair that paramount foundation. They match their pensive tone with a darkly tinted backdrop that comes equipped with faint jazzy horns and a bit of a swing that I enjoyed. They also bring a whole choir, in the form of Appointed, Kenisha Bradley, and Andrea Brown, to sing the hook and adlibs that might now sound spectacular, but it serves its purpose.

Reap What You Sow – Aeisha (not to be confused with the Ayeesha once signed to Grapetree Records, which was the Christian equivalent of No Limit Records, only way less successful) and one of my favorite Christian rap duos, LPG, join the twins for this sanctified cipher session. The troops come together to discuss the biblical principle of reaping what you sow (see Galatians 6:7-9), which is kind of like the second cousin to karma. Aeisha, Robbie, and Noel do a serviceable job with the subject, but surprisingly Dax and Jurny Big (aka LPG) miss the mark with way too much “lyrical miracle” sauce on their shared verse. The fire instrumental more than makes up for any of the emcees’ shortcomings.

Global – Just as Jesus instructed his disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 to make disciples of all men, the Dynamic Twins and Aeisha follow suit, as they express their “obsession to spread the word” around the world in hopes of bringing as many as possible to Christ, while Drew “Da Bum” sings their mission statement on the hook. Speaking of obsession, I was a bit obsessed with the luscious guitar plucks, the bellowing bass line, and the relentless cymbal that backs their missionary bars. I have no proof, but I can’t help but think this song was inspired by ATCQ’s “Award Tour” (Does that qualify for a Tribe Degrees of Separation?). This one ends with a skit of Eric (the same dude who got smacked up on the album intro) and Noel in the wilderness looking for food (Noel’s hood ass hi-lariously asks for McDonald’s) before some unidentified flying animal approaches, and Noel pulls out heat to lay it down, which leaves innocent Eric shocked and asking, “Where did you get that gun from?” This skit sets up and bleeds into the next song.

The Story – Over an emotional instrumental, Robbie and Noel share some of the tribulations from their childhood that helped shape their faith and into the men they are today, or at least the men that they were in ‘95: “New York City weather’s gettin’ mama sick/wanted a better life, so we had to move to county, quick/ now I’m feelin’ anger cause I see a family living good and true/thinkin’ if my daddy was around then we would too/now I’m grown with a family of my own/remembering the teachings mommy taught me at home/saying ‘though we have a father here who didn’t give a dime/we have a Father whose in heaven who was with us all the time.” Sometimes simple rhymes filled with heartfelt honesty can hold way more weight than well-sculpted, complex sixteens. Noel and Robbie’s testimony is both touching and compelling, and the “bodiyah” sample from Earth, Wind & Fire’s Brazilian Rhyme (Beijo)” on the hook was a nice added touch.

Get On Down – Aeisha gets yet another chance to rock the mic, joining Robbie and Noel on this track. For the first time on 40 Days, DT’s production fails them. The instrumental sounds like a throwaway EPMD beat, circa 1992.

Will You Still? – One of my biggest turn-offs with the Christian community is the false sense of self-righteousness that a lot of believers walk around with, specifically in leadership. They present a persona of perfection as if they are above sin and error, so when they fall from grace, or their devilish deeds get exposed, they look like foolish hypocrites and give Christianity a bad look. Robbie and Noel humbly acknowledge that they are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), but even though they believe in Jesus, they won’t always get things right in this walk of faith: “Even though I’m on stages, mags, and cages, makin’ wages/this ordinary man makes mistakes, kid/don’t call me perfect, ‘cause I’m really not/see, I fall short a lot/quick to trust in me, I’ll fail you on the spot/don’t got a “S” on my chest with a cape leapin’ buildings/believe this, even Superman’s gotta weakness.” I’m a sucker for vulnerability, so next to “The Story,” content-wise, this is my favorite record on 40 Days. The omnipresent melancholic synth chord and the interpolated bass line from Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues” sound great behind the duo’s honest bars. The song’s followed by another wilderness skit with Eric and the twins, and once again, eager Eric ends up being the butt of the joke when he jumps in a random body of water only to find out he’s swimming with an alligator. I’m not sure if there’s a hidden message in the playful routine or if it’s just a goofy act to break up the pensiveness of the previous record. Either way, I could do without it.

Back To The Garden – Brothers Arthurton speak on the process of going back to the genesis of their faith in order to move on to the next level. The rhymes are backed by an intense head nod-inducing banger, and LPG stops by, this time to help with the hook. Well done, fellas.

Ready – Brothers Arthurton graciously take a seat and give Aeisha a chance to let her light shine on her very own record. She uses it to talk about her incarcerated brother (who she happens to be the “little sus” to) and does a little bit of bible reading shaming (“Havin’ the form, but denying the power/How much do you read the Bible? Oh, a half an hour?/ That’s what I mean, it’s really not enough/you must be rooted and grounded in the word when times get tough”), but ultimately, she’s out to make sure you’re ready when Jesus returns. The uncredited female singing voice (Is that Aeisha?) reiterates the question on the hook and does a decent job. Brothers Arthurton’s instrumental sounds a little cheap, but they still manage to churn out a modest bop.

Overcomer – DT chefs up a brolic backdrop and builds on Apostle Paul’s content from Roman’s Chapter 8 (which also ties into Revelation 2:7) about overcoming the pressures and temptations of this world and solely serving Jesus to live with him in heavenly peace for the rest of eternity. Even if you don’t buy into their religious viewpoint, it’s great music to help overcome whatever obstacle you may be facing and a good tune to add to your workout mix.

Are You With Me? – DT ends the album with a sanctified party, as they let their hair down and get loose but still manage to sprinkle some biblical bars into their verses (the irony is that the song begins with gunshots and sirens). They also use the proper punctuation for the question posed in the song title (gold star for DT!). The rhymes were cool, but the warm organ chords, blaring jazzy horns, and well-pocketed drums sounded amazing. The album ends with some drunk-sounding dude (maybe Eric, drunk in the Spirit?) thanking the listener for listening to the album. And we’re done.

Proverbs 24:16 reads: For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of disaster and collapse. Musically, the Dynamic Twins fell short with W2TW and ATG, but with 40 Days In The Wilderness, the God-fearing duo find their footing.

My biggest issue with the other two albums was Noel and Robbie’s vocal clarity, or lack thereof. W2TW had the Arthurton boys sounding like they dumped a bowl of marbles in their mouths before going into the booth. The marble problem wasn’t as prevalent on ATG, but it still existed, and the poor mixing that drowned out their vocals with music made it nearly impossible to understand what they were saying. Marbles and mixing aren’t an issue on 40 Days, as DT rhymes with confidence and solid articulation throughout the project. Noel and Robbie aren’t top-notch lyricists, but their commentary sounds more interesting than the other projects I’ve heard from them. They do a great job of displaying their faith without sounding judgmental, and their vulnerability makes them relatable to all listeners. Aeisha gets her Consequence from Beats, Rhymes And Life on (does that qualify as a Tribe Degrees of Separation moment?), appearing on a quarter of the album’s tracks. She vibes well with the twins but not well enough to change the group name to Dynamic Triplets.

The Dynamic Twins’ production on 40 Days is even more impressive than the rhyming. With the exception of one track (“Get On Down”), Brothers Arthurton string together a quality group of sonic slaps that tap into their New York City roots with jazz-tinged boom bap, but they also utilize some of their transplanted West Coast funk influence on other bangers, sprinkled with just the right amount of live instrumentation throughout the album to give it that extra layer of musicality. The coastal blend sounds organic and makes this holy hip-hop experience even more enjoyable.

Mathew 18:21-22 reads: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” I’m willing to forgive the Dynamic Twins for their two subpar albums, but only because they righted their wrong with 40 Days. Hopefully, the rest of their catalog doesn’t call for forgiveness. I don’t know if I’m built to forgive anyone seventy-seven times. Work on me, Lord.

-Deedub

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