It seems that new rappers, especially burgeoning southern artists, often fall into the clap-trap of mainstream hip-hop, with its empty insistence on objectifying women, celebrating wealth and opulence, and glorifying crime. On David and Goliath,Dee-1 resists the temptation. In fact, his latest effort is more than just resistance; it is rebellion, and Dee-1 certainly isn’t hesitant about what he perceives to be his mission. He seeks to not only abolish the mainstream hip-hop idiom, but to offer positivity in its stead.

Dee-1’s criticisms of hip-hop can be heard throughout the CD, with the most glaring example being his track, “Jay, 50, & Weezy.” Here, he rebukes the three hip-hop heavyweights in a hypothetical “dream” sequence for either having a negative influence on the rap game, or for shirking their responsibility as icons and mentors. The lines directed toward Lil Wayne have obvious resonance: “Lil Weezy, flow off the heezy / but we don’t feel your presence down in the Big Easy / shoutin’ out New Orleans at the Grammys, that’s cool / but how about donatin’ some cash money to help the schools?”

Many of his tracks are also very poignant as he laments the harrowing consequences of “street life”. On “Living Legend,” Dee-1 offers a compelling tribute to his friend and fellow rapper, Mckinley Phipps, who is currently incarcerated for manslaughter but maintains his innocence: “Through your lyrics in the past, I could tell you was conflicted. / A scholar and a thug, that’s the image you depicted. / Nobody from my city ever spit it like you spit it. / Somebody tell Obama, Mac was wrongfully convicted.”

Collectively, David and Goliath is a solid album by a talented lyricist. Dee-1 is an artist with a definite sense of purpose, and his overall message of striving for change against a Goliath, whether it be societal injustice, a wayward music industry, or anything else, is a very relevant and uplifting one. In this continuous struggle, he would probably have us realize, “We all have a little David in us.”