Canton Jones may be a new name to some, but Jones has been around in the industry for some time now. He has already released three previous albums, toured all over the country a few times, and been nominated for a couple of GRAMMYs. That's not a bad resume for a guy who writes and produces his own music on this newest album, Kingdom Business.

The album starts off strong with "Livin' Clean," a fast-paced track laced with thumping sounds and moving lyrics. "Hater Day" speaks of showing love to those who are your enemies, while other tracks are about depending on God to get us through every day, looking to Him for everything, and the realization that even though we all look different on the exterior, the heart and our actions are what really matter. Another great track is "I Won't Stop," in which Jones talks about how making music for Christ is his dream and nothing will ever stop him from living it out. Lyrically, he goes on to say, "And start to push CD's in the middle of the street, cuz I got beats and a prophet gotta eat." On a musical level, the album delivers some unique and catchy beats with a good message throughout, while showcasing quite a few guest appearances.

There are also some scattered sore spots on the album at times, however. "24's" is a song thinly devoted to driving nice cars, and, like on this track, there are a few other times on the album where the chorus gets overly repetitive. All in all, more was expected from a GRAMMY nominated artist, but this is a decent album. If you're into smooth R&B with a blend of rap tossed in, you will enjoy Kingdom Business.

- Review date: 4/27/08, written by Kevin Hoskins