Antidote. adj. meaning: an agent that counteracts a poison. " In this case that agent is the holy spirit of God. The enemy has invaded and polluted a God inspired art form, but then a man child was born in a city mostly unknown to the rest of the hip hop world. Who knew this man would be raised up later on in life to be a lyrical weapon for Christ." THA GIMs roots date back to hip hop in the mid 80's. Then in his former life he grew up to be an underground hip hop pioneer by conquering lyrical battles which led to confidence and respect, elements that contributed to the "rebirth" in a revolutionary emcee. In this present and dark world where even the rich have to fake happiness, real life and truth invades hip hop and pop culture with a message of hope, faith and Love. Antidote 4 Destruction is the perfect fusion of hip hop and the controversial, yet evident life changing gospel. This albums mainstream appeal is too broad to be garnered by the gospel music genre alone. It is very real, very hip hop, poetic and lyrical. THA GIMs focus is on the social issues of the everyday people, the mentally and systematically oppressed. All listeners will be taken on an inspiring journey that will keep their mind thinking, body moving and soul thirsting for more. Some say the people don't want to hear it, however there is a nation of millions that would beg to differ. This album is more than music, It's a movement. A movement towards healing, reconciliation, truth & eternity. Antidote 4 Destruction is set to be one of the most important contributions in music to date. This is said based on the gaps that are bridged within this album and the many dimensions of this artist who humbly proclaims, "This is the God in me" speaking to the "The God in you". Tha GIM - Antidote 4 Destruction Subject: Music Reviews Tuesday, July 25, 2006 Written by: LaRosa Johnson For some time, west coast Christian hip hop hasn't made much noise. Sure you have groups like L.A. Symphony, C.L. Ryderz or an artist like T-Bone, but you don't really hear about too many underground west coast emcees. With that being said, I'm really appreciative to find an emcee that comes from California with a very distinctive west coast underground sound that is neither bouncy or gangsta. The name of this artist is Tha GIM (The God In Me); he's an emcee from Fresno and he has a solid west coast influenced underground flavor that many can come to appreciate. By no means is this his first release; this is actually his second full length release and fourth overall (he has 2 mixtapes as well). The name of his latest project is titled Antidote 4 Destruction. Having never heard of Tha GIM previously, I decided to check out his website and mixtapes to see where this emcee was coming from and how he was representing the Lord. After doing my homework on him, I wasn't swayed one way or the other in what I would expect from this album, especially considering his mixtapes didn't really blow me away. I mean, I had never heard of this guy before and didn't know whether I'd have a diamond in the rough, another coaster or something in the middle. Anyway, Antidote 4 Destruction starts off with a brief introduction where Tha GIM states the purpose for the project which lays the foundation for the remainder of the album. The project then moves into the meat of the album, which is left coast rap at its finest. The content on Antidote 4 Destruction is both Christ centered and socially conscious as Tha GIM gets you to focus on receiving the cure for all that ails this world in the form of Jesus Christ. With this project he also focuses on showing you that you're able to have a good time in Christ by offering an alternative to the typical style of music that you would get in the secular arena. Some of the more notable tracks like "Get Live!" and "Black Diamond" show the lyrical abilities of this up & coming emcee and give a glimpse of the type of emcees that are soon to jump onto the scene from the west coast. Songs like "H.G.P." are bouncy club type tracks that make Christians want to get out on the dance floor and have a good time without all of the nonsense you'd find in a club; whereas tracks like "Kingdom Affiliate" and "Give U My Life" look at things from a more spiritual perspective and deal with our walk with the Lord. In all, Tha GIM's lyrical ability is well above average and he does a good job at relaying theme of providing an antidote throughout the course of the album, as well as showing that you can have fun in the Lord. The production is above average as well as it brings that west coast flavor that is to be expected; it is very upbeat and remains plenty diverse over the course of the project from start to finish. As a whole, Tha GIM's Antidote 4 Destruction is a jam packed effort from a veteran emcee. To be real, there are plenty of tracks that you're bound to enjoy on this project; it is very well put together and is definitely one of the better releases this year. If you've been looking for that something you've been missing, it's this album. Get your fix of west coast rap with Tha GIM's project and I can pretty much guarantee you that you'll be pleased with your purchase. This brother put a lot of work into this project and it shows. Definitely be on the lookout for this emcee to continue making noise and representing the King all the way from Fresno, CA.