Two and a half years after he began his journey, Florida rapper K'nek is back with the next chapter. The Journey II: The Climb sees K’nek continuing on his trek to be where and who God has called him to be. The album is a natural stylistic progression from his previous work, using different styles of rap and hip hop to present his message. That being said, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that The Journey II is primarily a trap album, with a lot of the beats sounding similar to the work of modern trap artists like nobigdyl. and WHATUPRG. Unfortunately, this can cause the album to become a bit repetitive, as some of the songs sort of blend together and feel a bit too similar. There are definitely still some stand outs, however, such as “Harvest Bound” and “A Prayer Away.” Both of these tracks feature more melodic hooks that are catchy and rather comforting. On that note, The Journey II specializes in encouraging the listener to keep moving forward, in part by K’nek going through his own life story and battles. He touches on losing his kidneys (“The Journey Continues”), fighting against his own inner voices (“The Climb”), and inevitably finding God’s presence through all of it (“A Prayer Away”). Ultimately, that’s the most important thing about the album, and K’nek is careful to put that message front and center as he glorifies God through the hardships. Fans of K’nek’s debut should be more than pleased with The Journey II. If you’re new to his music but you like modern hip hop, go check out the first album and then give this one a shot, too.

- Review date: 4/29/25, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com