C. Rich

Back in July, we brought you the video for C. Rich’s “Let It Go,” the first promotional material ahead of his next project, Certified Organic. After years of planning, we’re happy to bring you C. Rich’s best album to date, Certified Organic. Teaming up with Derek “DC” Cannon, C. Rich’s Certified Organic represents a shift away from the crowded Chicago hip hop scene with his R&B vocals. However, joining him are Chicago rappers Vic Spencer and Pavy as the two sole featured artists on the album.

I’ve known the crooner for over 12 years, and I can say with confidence that C. Rich has been working up to this moment as long as I’ve known him. I used to joke around and call his music “R&B sex music” as a testament to his smooth voice (with a slight reference to some of the sex songs off of 2010′s Rich Beyond Measures), but Certified Organic features growth in both C. Rich’s voice and lyrics.

An extra layer to C. Rich’s music acumen is his ability to actually write music. “Blue Dream,” my favorite off of the album, features a full band consisting of a horn section (trumpet and sax), drums, and an echoed guitar playing ska chords. It’s in these stripped down, live-recorded instruments that the Certified Organic name truly comes to light. While the first half of the album features some admittedly well-produced tracks, with the newly-remixed version of “Let It Go” standing out, “Blue Dream” and “Come Back” are the highlights of the album for both the live instrumentation, but also the “departure” from the overproduced sound that has come to represent R&B. - Ruby Hornet