Perhaps not known much by name before, Shonlock’s full-length solo debut “Never Odd Or Even” is an attempt to distinguish the talented MC, songwriter, singer, and choreographer of tobyMac’s Diverse City band into his own eclectic brand.  Having grown up outside the church as an only child by a single mother, Shonlock’s life and the people who have helped shape it, has only helped fuel his music into this long-awaited album.

Kicking off the debut is his first single, “Something In Your Eyes,” which peaked at #1 on Billboard’s Christian Hit Radio charts and maintained that position for 7 weeks in a row!  A catchy tune that helped propel it into its chart position, the track mirrors what some may consider a love song, as Shonlock sings of “something in your eyes tonight, and it glows, letting me know, I’m never alone.”  Following the lead single, “Could U Be” poses a question common amongst new and veteran believers alike, “Could you be all I ever wanted?  Could you be all I needed?”  It is towards the end of the track that answers that question, giving us the hope and reassurance that yes, God is all we need and is the answer to what we want as well, especially in that most important relationship with his Son, Jesus Christ.  “Hello” follows next as the second single released to radio and currently making its way up the charts.  Serving as a song of encouragement, “Hello” is Shonlock’s way of telling us to shoot after our dreams and aspirations, step out of our comfort zone and serve Christ using our own individual talents.  This is represented well in the lyrics, “Wake up, don’t play it safe, the key to your freedom is in your faith.”  As long as what we are doing is God-pleasing, we should go after it!

The next trio of songs undoubtedly consists of my own personal favorites.  Leading off with “Simple Man,” the tune brings in a mix of hip-hop and rock that proves to be lots of fun, upbeat, and would make a great song to see in Shonlock’s live shows.  Seamlessly transitioning is the next song, “Bet Ya House” which has been defined as one of Shonlock’s own favorites to perform live.  Again, the upbeat and up-tempo beats give us good reason to see why it is one of his favorites to perform.  Last in the trio, “Set It Off,” goes into fooling you that the album would slow down a bit, but not yet!  “Set It Off” ramps up with brass and hyped up rhymes that carry throughout the whole song.

Keeping the album moving, “You Act Like” gradually brings down the beat, preparing for the following two songs.  Paralleling an upbeat ballad, “You Act Like” tells of how one loves the other so much that they would wait for them to clear up any issues before pursuing the relationship further.  Staying on track with the relationship theme, “Cheers” is a very personal song to Shonlock, describing the relationship he has with his mother.  Talking of his mother’s struggle with alcohol, “Cheers” leads into how her actions affected his life.  In a true declaration of a son wanting to love his mother as much as he could, the conclusion of the song talks of how it took Shonlock’s intervention and change in his life that pulled them together, with the grace of God, and restored the broken household.  It’s definitely a very deep and powerful song, coming from Shonlock’s heart and soul.  Riding on the tail of “Cheers,” “Scarred” follows a broken relationship and the hurt involved from bad decisions.  Starting out like a scene from a horror movie, only to be followed with a short dialogue by Shonlock to setup the song, “Monsta” brings the trio of slower songs to a heavier, guitar driven track, mimicking our battle against the world as the one of a monster, personifying us as the “Monsta,” going against what the world sees as ‘right.’

The last trio of songs rounds out the album, beginning with “Q2GO,” a fun song signifying Shonlock’s readiness to go do his thing.  “Get Free” follows next, going through a series of situations that revolve around addictions.  The purpose?  Instead of using excuses of hard times or whatever it may be, we should “Get Free” from the things that are holding us back and seek help to break us from the habits causing our lives to spiral out of control.  Fittingly concluding the album is the title track “Never Odd Or Even.”  Serving as a palindrome, spelling the same forward and in reverse, “Never Odd Or Even” sums it up in this verse: “Forever I’m in debt, I owe it all to you.  Your miracles are countless, cause that’s just what you do.”  Because we expect and know God does countless miracles daily, it is never odd to see him do so.  In that same respect, because of Christ’s work on the cross, we are forever in debt to him and can never get even.  A great ending song to his solo full-length debut, I do hope it becomes the next single to hit the radio airwaves.

Closing Thoughts

I will admit that before listening to the album I was a bit hesitant as to how it would sound, considering how “Something In Your Eyes” makes use of what those in the music industry call “auto tune.”  Thankfully, I was delightfully surprised at how the whole album sounded, and although there was some lacking in focus in regards to the message aspect of the album, Shonlock’s “Never Odd Or Even” is a great addition for fans of tobyMac (of course) and even similar acts such as Group 1 Crew and other pop/hip-hop styles.