“EnterMission” ends the year and decade on a high note in the missions field, as the title alludes to, and is a nice summation of the progress of CHH as a genre. To listen to this album is not only to please your ears and strengthen your soul, but to also take stock of the many, many talented rappers and singers we have spreading the Good News.

(for excellent songs, but sometimes a tendency for artistry to overshadow the messages)

When the ball dropped after 11:59 on Dec. 31, we said goodbye to a year and a decade. Neither time frame has passed easily. Time magazine has dubbed the years 2000-2009 “The Decade From Hell,” for the worldwide creep of crippling terrorist attacks, financial meltdowns, medical epidemics and pandemics, political faction wars, and a host of other dreadful things (reality TV overload, anyone?).

This past year was no prize either. I could go on about current events that have transpired from January through December 2009, but I'll focus in on urban music. Three notable events in the secular world were the death of Michael Jackson, following which many mourned the death of his unparalleled level of creativity, talent and work ethic; the latest “un-retirement” of Jay-Z, for which he first alarmingly pronounced “The Return of the God” on a self-promotional T-shirt and then sparked further controversy by deriding Jesus and the church; and the interesting love/hate relationship with Raekwon the Chef's “Only Built for Cuban Linx II” (an album, if you missed the mainstream media consensus, that was both critically acclaimed—making many secular Best of 2009 lists—but also panned by those same pundits for the over-the-top drug glorification).

Christian artists, take heed: The reactions of aficionados to these events tell us that people are starving for quality music, a large number of people are tired of negativity in music, and many people have much less tolerance for the misguided antics of self-deifying artists these days.

Just like people are hungry for more in the artistic realm, it appears many are hungry for more at the core of their lives. On a social scale, if  the last 10 years comprised the Decade From Hell, it goes without saying that Christians, both artists and laypeople, can do more to help people find the path to heaven into the next 10-year set. Maybe worldly circumstances won't change (the Bible promises they will get worse before Christ returns), but we certainly can do our part in inspiring others to find the peace of God and claim their place in eternity.

“EnterMission” ends the year and decade on a high note in the missions field, as the title alludes to, and is a nice summation of the progress of CHH as a genre. To listen to this album is not only to please your ears and strengthen your soul, but to also take stock of the many, many talented rappers and singers we have spreading the Good News.

As we learned from Teddy P's excellent “Word & Deed” earlier this past year, group compilations do not disappoint—a producer with a vision, plus a bunch of talented, passionate artists, equals a win for the listener. While “Word & Deed” had more of a mellow, backpacker sheen to the songs, DJ Official provides amped-up beats for the 20-plus artists to dumb out to. East/Midwest/South sounds, reggae-influenced rap, R&P and drum & bass are all represented, and themes on the songs come in two basic flavors: Songs that explain why missions are important in the lives of believers, and songs that encourage the listener to prepare himself/herself mentally and spiritually to step out of the comfort zone in an act of love for God.

An introduction from pastor Dr. Eric Mason (which also features 90 seconds of lyrical fury from R-Swift) explains that missions is embedded in the Christian identity. Roughly mid-way through the album, “Not My Own” has Stephen the Levite, Phanatik and Evangel, (with a clip from Rev. Dr. Mason) exploring the necessity of “soul fishing,” as laid out in the Bible, stating that God interacting with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and God planning to send Christ to redeem us were among the first evangelic acts. “Let's slay a lamb to save a man/Then make a man who needs the Lamb/Then send the Lamb down through the man's family line,” we hear as a summation of God's plan to give sinners an opportunity to come to him.

“Missio Dei,” by God's Servant, also gives a sonic dissertation on why we are to engage in outreach. The insistent combination of upper-register-pitched strings and conga drums energize you to hear the message and act on it. “Now, let's look at His incarnation/We see a great God gettin' with creation/Conveys grace and His will to shape it/Let's hone in on His demonstration/He ain't just come with the information/But His whole life showed the implications,” the Servant explains.

A series of additional songs mimic events of life in 2009 and beyond, to focus our attention on a great need for the lost to be reached. “Streets of New York,” featuring JAZ and Magellan, and “Streets of Philadelphia,” featuring Mac the Doulos, Young Joshua, Ackdavis and R-Swift tell fictitious versions of a few of the more than 8 million stories of sinners in these cities. “It's nothing like all the videos played, it's tons that they really don't say,” goes the chorus on “Streets of New York.” “Chaos,” which storms in on a menacing D&B beat, grabs your attention with Sho Baraka's heartbreaking vignettes of keeping it real gone wrong. Sho challenges people to conduct missionary acts out of love rather than a sense of obligation or, worse, a need to feel important.

Spirit-infused emotional appeals to convict and uplift are plenty. Tedashii, with the strength of a hyper, bass-heavy beat behind him, offers a prayer to consider while bumping this banger: “Everything I am, Lord, you can get it/Please sanctify me to live it as we walk on this mission,” he begs. “Chisel Me,” with Thi'sl, Json, K-Drama and Tedashii, and “Without You,” featuring J.R. and Lecrae, are other tracks that expose sin and fears we must overcome to be as effective as possible for the Lord.

To this end, “Love Fallen,”  with Gems, Jahaziel, Benjah and Dillavou, reflecting on a midtempo, rootsy reggae groove, reminds us that we are sinners who have only been saved by God's grace and, because of that, we have a reason to show gratitude by extending that mercy and love to others. “I'm only standin' 'cause His holy hands are holding me up/Yeah, bruv, God loves me; I know that He must/'Cause that man upon the cross was supposed to be us,” says Jahaziel.

I could label all of the songs on “EnterMission” as well crafted and of value to the spirit. Rather than get into why on the remaining songs, it's worth mentioning the one problem with the set: The artistry can sometimes distract from the messages.

“Get Busy,” which features Trip Lee, and “Go,” featuring H.G.A. and Tedashii, are the best examples of this. Trip Lee's take-it-to-the-streets motivation competes big time with the impressive thundering, minimalist beat. On “Go,” the challenge is more in the rapid-fire rhymes of the MCs. It would be nice to have lyrics for all the songs to fully digest the messages, but I would've been especially thankful for  cheat sheet for “Go,”a three-and-a-quarter-minute tornado of lyricism. Thankfully, DJ Official does pad several of the songs with arresting instrumental outros, which provides a little time to reflect on what you've just heard.

We may hope that the Decade From Hell doesn't extend another 10 years, but realistically, we have no promises of things getting better while we're in the world as we know it. Keeping our eyes on the eternal prize, and leading others to it, will certainly bring comfort. Using this album as a soundtrack will do the same.