Tag: Transcendent

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Welcome to the ninth installment of The DIVE Series*. I am your host, DJ Expander. Today, for the first time, I will cover a Christian Hip Hop album!

If you read my last article about “SET IT OFF”, you probably remember that today is the day that I will DIVE into Ty Brasel’s latest and most complete album, TRANSCEDENT.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ‭‭- John 16:33‭

According to Ty Brasel in Season 5, Episode 2 of Southside Rabbi, the story of the album stems from Ty Brasel’s life from late 2019 to late 2022.

TRANSCENDENT covers him ascending into success within Christian Hip Hop, going through heartbreak, trials & tribulations, and becoming lost in sin and pride. When he lost his way, he realized that he needed to repent since God’s mercy knows no bounds.

Sit back and enjoy the coverage of this album!

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Basic Credits for TRANSCENDENT

Here are the basic credits for each track on TRANSCENDENT. I have compiled this list to the best of my ability based on thorough research:

TRACK #1: CELESTIAL (ACT 1) –

Produced by: Juice Bangers

TRACK #2: RIGHT ON TIME –

Featuring: Parris Chariz
Produced by: Dirty Rice, Juice Bangers, and Joseph Prielozny

TRACK #3: ON THE RUN –

Produced by: Dirty Rice, Juice Bangers, and Joseph Prielozny

TRACK #4: MAD 2 THE MAX –

Featuring: Jay-Way
Produced by: Juice Bangers, Dirty Rice, and Joseph Prielozny

TRACK #5: SET IT OFF –

Produced by: Juice Bangers and Dirty Rice

TRACK #6: IN THE WEST –

Produced by: Juice Bangers, Dirty Rice, and Joseph Prielozny

TRACK #7: PRICELESS –

Featuring: Foggieraw
Produced by: Dirty Rice

TRACK #8: LOVE? –

Featuring: The WRLDFMS Tony Williams
Produced by: Dirty Rice, Juice Bangers, and Joseph Prielozny

TRACK #9: TERRESTRIAL (ACT 2) – 

Produced by: Dirty Rice

TRACK #10: HOLLYWOOD LIFE –

Produced by: Dirty Rice

TRACK #11: LOST –

Produced by: Dirty Rice, Joseph Prielozny, and Juice Bangers

TRACK #12: CROSSROADS –

Featuring: Aaron Cole
Produced by: Dirty Rice and Joseph Prielozny

TRACK #13: FAITH –

Produced by: Dirty Rice

TRACK #14: GOD IS THE BEST –

Featuring: 1K Phew
Produced by: Dirty Rice

TRACK #15: SHINING –

Featuring: Aha Gazelle
Produced by: Dirty Rice and Juice Bangers

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Interpretation of the TRANSCENDENT’S 1st Act: CELESTIAL

I will now DIVE into each track’s clear and potential meanings in the first act of TRANSCENDENT:

CELESTIAL (ACT 1) –

‘TRANSCENDENT’ starts with an interlude informing the audience that they are entering the first act. This leads us to RIGHT ON TIME.

RIGHT ON TIME –

The album’s second track is about overcoming (or transcending) stress and anxiety by submitting to God’s will and staying faithful in prayer. This track leads exceptionally well into the next…

ON THE RUN –

Following “RIGHT ON TIME” is a genre-bending song.

The first of three tracks in a row that are the most hype and fast-paced of ACT 1. Not only well done individually, but they play exceptionally well together. Ty Brasel talks about his success in the music industry and how he is blessed, but the best is yet to come. This is an excellent follow-up to the previous song.

Let us make sure we grasp the story of the album so far:

Near the beginning of the three-year period in which this album takes place (late 2019-late 2022), Ty submitted to God’s will and stayed faithful in prayer (as conveyed in RIGHT ON TIME). He conveys the story’s beginning of how he entered success (particularly in the Christian Hip Hop space). This leads us to MAD 2 THE MAX…

MAD 2 THE MAX –

Hype and fast-paced, just like “ON THE RUN” and “SET IT OFF”, MAD 2 THE MAX also speaks on Brasel’s rise to success. There are differences in this track that I would like to point out.

Ty mentions him and his team being on the rise. Then Jay-Way, featured on this particular track, mentions being showered with blessings. This track’s primary purpose is to convey Ty’s highs when he reached tremendous success as a CHH artist and Gospel singer.

SET IT OFF –

The second single off TRANSCENDENT, SET IT OFF released after the lead single “GOD IS THE BEST”. This track serves as the end of Ty’s story about reaching tremendous success. Like the last track, he conveys the high he feels when reaching such a high level of success with his music.

Brasel makes it clear that he made it through his previous tribulations and only has his success because of God’s amazing grace. He also makes it clear his goal is to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Being a genuine follower of Jesus and a CHH artist means showing God’s love to others and sharing the Gospel’s message and testimony with people.

For more information about “SET IT OFF” by Ty Brasel, click here!

IN THE WEST –

This is the first track on TRANSCENDENT where Ty mentions feeling stressed over the three-year period in which the story of the album takes place. It is also the first track in the album where he describes a heartbreak.

He mentions how it’s a cold world and a cold life. At this point in the story, he’s feeling a lot of pain due to a lost life. This can be found in Verse 1 of the track. Here he mentions how bullets were flying and how there aren’t any pain medications for a lost life. He also describes how he dealt with idols during his life. In the chorus of the track. he talks about being stressed yet blessed. In Verse 2, he mentions how God blessed him with another day and he gives God praise because of it.

It is unclear to me in what way(s) Ty experienced heartbreak during this time in his life. Whether it’s heartbreak with his significant other, a loss of a loved one, or both, I am not entirely sure based on all the listening I have done.

It is, however, evident at this point that this is the beginning of the part of the story where he starts struggling with stress, heartbreak, and sin.

This leads us to the next track, PRICELESS…

PRICELESS –

During PRICELESS, Brasel continues talking about his struggles with stress. However, there is a twist.

This track is more or less a message to his significant other. He talks about how going anywhere together will be priceless. Foggieraw even steps in on Verse 2 and speaks as if he’s sending a message to his former significant other about how he moved on and loves his current significant other.

What does this mean for Ty Brasel’s love life at the time? I am unsure. I care more about how God helps him through what he is dealing with in this particular season of his life (stress, heartbreak, and sin).

LOVE?

LOVE? is very similar to the previous track as it is a message to Ty’s significant other. Here, he makes it extremely clear that he is undoubtedly in love with his significant other. He mentions that he is sorry for his pride, lies, and jealousy. Seemingly describing that his significant other wasn’t calling Ty anymore and she wasn’t around. He asks, “What’s left to show now?”

This part of the plot within the album may just be going right over my head, but I’m unsure what this means for Ty’s relationship with his significant other during this season of his life. I will not make a wild guess and risk being wrong about something I don’t fully understand. I am merely here to analyze this album and give you the meaning to the best of my ability.

It is, however, extremely evident that he still loves her. A great way to end this part of the installment!

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Interpretation of TRANSCENDENT’S 2nd Act: TERRESTRIAL

I will now DIVE into each track’s clear and potential meanings in the second act of this album:

TERRESTRIAL (ACT 2) –

Beginning with TRANSCENDENT‘S second act, TERRESTRIAL (ACT 2) conveys that to transcend things like despair, anxiety, and depression, you must be honest with yourself. To be willing to redirect the time you spend with God.

HOLLYWOOD LIFE –

On this track, Ty kicks off the musical meat of ACT 2 by talking about how “Hollywood life” and fame have affected him.

He lost his way during this season of finally reaching the success he prayed for. He talks about his struggle with lust.  Brasel also makes it clear how he struggled with intrusive and evil thoughts throughout his life, such as blowing all his money on drugs or jumping off a building to escape his pain.

He lost his way and had a tough time struggling with sin. This leads us nicely into LOST…

LOST –

Ty asks God to watch over him and keep him strong while he’s struggling in the deep end with his mental health. Through the storm and through the fire, he looks to God for direction. This is very important for the story of the album because he is now feeling low in his mental health, but he is faithful to God by looking to Him for direction and peace.

CROSSROADS –

Here, Ty continues what he was saying in the previous track by describing how he’s been in the deep end with his mental health but still asking God to lead him down the right path (hence the name CROSSROADS). He is at a fork in the road. Brasel asks God for direction, which is important for any Christian’s walk and relationship with the Lord. 

FAITH

At this point in the album’s story, Ty praises God for helping him transcend and overcome his pain. He previously lost his way, but now he has returned to God. Transcending his previous sin and pain, finding peace in Jesus.

GOD IS THE BEST –

On GOD IS THE BEST, God is highly praised and Ty is thankful that God led him out of his previous pitfalls, sin, and pain. Ty and 1K Phew both give the glory and praise to God on this track.

SHINING –

This particular song was the second follow-up single of the album that dropped before the entire album. After the lead and first follow-up singles, GOD IS THE BEST and SET IT OFF, respectively. A great way to end the album, this track speaks on how grateful Ty is to God that he made it out of his previous trials and how Ty will continue shining.

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TRANSCENDENT: Conclusion

TRANSCENDENT is a genre-bending and otherworldly Christian Hip Hop album created by IVAV artist Ty Brasel, with high-level features in Parris Chariz, Jaw-Way, Foggieraw, The WRLDFMS Tony Williams, Aaron Cole, 1K Phew, and Aha Gazelle. The production of the tracks ranges from Dove Award-winning engineers such as Dirty Rice, Joseph Prielozny, and Juice Bangers.

This album is ultimately about transcending limits and overcoming obstacles with God’s help and direction. These limits and obstacles can range from mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual problems.

This DIVE reveals the primary purpose of this album is to tell the story of Ty Brasel from late 2019 to late 2022 and show people through this story that it is possible to transcend obstacles through God’s direction.

Today’s Verse of the Day is John 16:33, which reads‭, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

In context, Jesus is talking to his disciples here about why he’s teaching them. John 16:1 – He tells His followers that he is teaching them so they may not fall away or lose their way. John 16:33 – He tells His followers that he teaches to give them peace. That there will be obstacles they will have to transcend, but He has overcome the world.

Submitting to God’s will, through prayer and staying rooted in God’s Word, is of the utmost importance for followers of Jesus to transcend the obstacles of this life as so elegantly conveyed in Ty Brasel’s TRANSCENDENT.

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About The DIVE Series*

In this series, I DIVE into the clear and potential meanings of Christian Hip Hop singles, albums, and EPs.

In Special Edition installments of the series, I interview the artist(s) involved to DIVE into the true meaning of their art.

I recently became a Genius Contributor, primarily for contributing lyrics for a total of four songs on TRANSCENDENT. I plan to continue contributing to the Christian Hip Hop community on Genius. Check out my Genius page here!

Thanks for checking out today’s edition of FiveTwenty Collective’s DIVE series! I drop a new installment of DIVE on the 5th and 20th of every month (except on Sundays).

God Bless,

DJ Expander

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**Check out the full TRANSCENDENT album on Spotify!**

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Want more content from The DIVE Series? Check out the full series here.