Spiritual Minded is rapper KRS-One's fifth official album. It was released in January 2002 on Koch Records. KRS-One's Christian lyrical content came as a surprise to fans and critics, as he had previously written songs critical of Christianity and organised religion. The album also makes references to the Temple of Hiphop, founded by KRS-One. - Wikipedia

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Years go by with nary a peep from the Godfatherof Rap, KRS-ONE, and now he’s blessed us with his second album in lessthan a year. Previously, when KRS made a spontaneous return to the game, itwas cause for celebration—witness 1996’s “Step Into a World,”as vital a single as the man ever released. But with age comes rust and withrust comes weakness. Spiritual Minded is, first, no Criminal Minded.This is a gospel album of sorts: honoring God one minute, bigging up self-improvementthe next. KRS’s reasoning for such a switch in styles? “Look aroundfor conscious rappers,” he instructs on “South Bronx 2002,” “Yo,there ain’t none left. I’m holding it down.”

Perhaps, but even the Lord himself couldn’t listen to this ramshackle remakeof a genuine classic without wincing at least once. KRS is at his loosest lyricallyon this track, but it still doesn’t hold a candle to his early work. Elsewhere,Spiritual Minded only digs deeper ditches. There’s spurious pontificating—“TVis wack/ They wanna show us beating Iraq/ when the question is ‘where ChandraLevy at?’”—and, of course, preaching of the real kind: “Howlong you gonna ignore God’s law?”

Preaching to the unwashed is dirty work, and kudos to the evolved KRS for givingit a go, but you’ve gotta fight fire with fire, not just brimstone.