It's a rare thing to place a CD in my player, and let it play all the way through without skipping any songs. This is exactly what happened when I put John Reuben's debut album Are We There Yet? into my player.

This twenty-two-year-old rapper from Colombus, Ohio has something for everyone. "I don't set out to be diffrent. It's just what I feel," he states on his official website, "I listen to a guitar, or hear some real emotional indie-rock or something, and I think it would be cool to lay a thick beat under that dark guitar."

Opening with "Divine Insperation," a great head bopping tune, Reuben begins to take you through a journey of hip-hop, alternative-rock, and pop. "Divine Insperation" segues into the all-famous "Do Not," the song, which was also made into Reubens first video, will make you want to dance and yell along, "Do not tell me what I can and cannot do when I rock!"

Reuben mixes it up a bit with "X-ray." A fascinating track with nice drum beats, great bass, and rockin' electric guitar, all laced with Reuben's deep lyrics.

The album ends with "God is Love," featuring Toby Mac of dc Talk (also co-founder of Gotee Records, home to Reuben). "God is Love" is a catchey sing-a-long pop song sure to please. John Reuben is sure to gain many fans through this debut album. From serious issues to just plain old having fun, John Reuben is one of the most promising new hip-hop artists to hit the scene.

- Review date: 4/11/01, written by Chanile for Jesusfreakhideout.com