Below Paradise
| Below Paradise | ||||
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| Studio album by Tedashii | ||||
| Released | May 27, 2014 | |||
| Genre | Christian hip hop | |||
| Length | 49:58 | |||
| Label | Reach | |||
| Producer | 808xElite, Andy Mineo, Black Knight, DeCapo Music Group, Dirty Rice, Dre "the Giant" Garcia, Gawvi, Halo Hitz, Jacob "Biz" Morris, Joseph Prielozny, Mashell, TOD, Uforo "Bongo" Ebong | |||
| Tedashii chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| CCM Magazine | |
| Christian Music Review | |
| HM | |
| Indie Vision Music | |
| Jam the Hype | 9.6/10 |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |
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| New Release Tuesday | |
Below Paradise is the fourth studio album from Christian hip hop recording artist Tedashii, released on May 27, 2014 by Reach Records. Based on his struggle to deal with the death of his son, the album tackles issues of pain, suffering, and the love of God in the midst of hardship. It met with a positive reception from music critics. The album sold 13,800 copies in its debut week causing it to chart at No. 17 on the Billboard 200.
This album was the follow-up to Tedashii's third studio album, Blacklight, released in 2011 by Reach Records. Below Paradise was released by the same label on May 27, 2014. The album was produced by 808xElite, Andy Mineo, Black Knight, DeCapo Music Group, Dirty Rice, Dre "the Giant" Garcia, Gawvi, Halo Hitz, Jacob "Biz" Morris, Joseph Prielozny, Mashell, TOD, and Uforo "Bongo" Ebong.Below Paradise was created after the death of Tedashii's young son in a car crash. Tedashii stated in a press release that
In March 2013 I had the worst day of my life. The loss of my son changed me forever. I experienced grief and sorrow to the depth of my soul. The veil was lifted, the smoke cleared and all I had was pain... ...The reality of being a Christian and suffering so harsh a thing was hard for me to grasp. This album is my journal shared publicly with everyone during this difficult journey as I worked to understand all I felt, experienced and believed. I am human, I am hurt, I am his. By his grace I am what I am. I pray this will be an album that all can feel, even if you can't relate, and be moved to true emotions about the reality of life in a harsh world with a loving God, below paradise.
The album is described as an auditory journal that traces Tedashii's life over the last two years, from the death of his son, the strains this placed on his marriage, and the peace and grace he received from God throughout this time. In an interview with Reel Gospel, Tedashii explained that beyond dealing with suffering the album is also "a reflection on the fall, the result of the fall", and that the message that he is sharing on this album is that "We live in a fallen world with a loving God... Both are true, and to ignore one and only receive the other you dismiss how great a love God has for us." In addition, Mark Ryan of New Release Tuesday states that "The lyrics are personal, his flow is on point, the album's production values are not in question and each and every feature is perfectly placed and works brilliantly in this album."
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