There aren’t too many 80’s babies that don’t remember the hit show "Saved By The Bell". Featuring a variety of teens trying to navigate through high school life, the show often showed the students getting into situations that they usually ended up getting out of completely, or just by the skin of their teeth. St. Louis native Robby Jerome presents, Saved By The Bell, and takes the nostalgic metaphor to a place of grace with this new album.

1. Imma King: After flipping the opening music from "SBTB" for the intro, Rob gets straight to work over a Sade sample. With a smooth guitar groove and steady drum beat laying the foundation, RJ spits about being victorious in Christ over many tempations and trials. The styling of this track gives perfect occasion for RJ to show off his heavily drawled flow, and this song sets a high standard for what’s to come on the project.

2. Praise feat. P-Dub & Chasedy: P-Dub starts this track off with a little R. Kelly sounding run and then gets right into his trademark sound for the hook. Chassedy proves her worth to this album soon after as she joins the fray. The free-flowing 2 minute and 50 seconds song has a cool arrangement that stays away from being too predictable. Rob Jerome adds a few bars over a good instrumental that makes this a complete song.

3. Where Yo Mind At: No other singer is credited on this song so I’m going to just guess RJ did a little harmonizing on the hook. This song is an exhorting cut for women, as he almost seems to be “interviewing” his future rib. I’m liking the beat on this song, it kind of reminds me a little of a more polished product that Grapetree should have been putting out back in the day. This definitely is one of the standout tracks that could make for a smooth video.

4. Thankful feat. Brandon Rivers: So far this album is showing me that Robby Jerome has a heart for worship, this is the second track that is more focused on praise. Brandon Rivers does decently on the hook and this is a pretty good song overall.

5. Where Would I Be feat. Cheneta Jones: After showing he has some preacher about him on the testimony- focused “Praise Break” interlude, Rob jumps into this testimony by song. Musically, this song felt like it was missing something even though Ms. Jones did fairly well on the hook. Lyrically Rob is effective in putting his experiences and feelings out for the encouragement of the listener, but the song didn’t come together overall.

6. Breakthrough: This song changes the album’s flow completely as Rob proves he can sing a little bit. Using a synth and drum heavy beat to work over, RJ speaks more encouragement to those who are going through tough times. In all honesty, this has some “crossover” quality to it when looking at the CCM, Urban Contemporary markets. I definitely like this song in sound and intent.

7. Never Said feat. Rio: It's all about a STL connection as RJ reaches out to his residence’s ”kuntry boyy”, Rio. Using a strong bassline, subtle pianos, and solid drum programming for a backdrop, both rappers exhort believers new and old. The raw passion in each of their deliveries helps bring this song home and is a sure standout on this album.

8. Jesus Juice: Let’s go ahead and get right to it, I can not cosign the whole gimmick of “Jesus juice”. Earlier I mentioned an element to this project that reminded me favorably of Grapetree, but this reminds me of the negatives of the now defunct label. Though I understand what point RJ is ultimately trying to make, the concept definitely doesn’t stick. Musically the track is cool, with a laid back feel to it, but this is a skip right here. 

9. The Big Head: In order to further appreciate this track, you must first listen to “Spirit Of Pride”, the spoken word track that precedes this one. To say it is powerful is an understatement. As for this track, the first me thing I have to mention is that it musically reminds me of some early Outkast. The hook is kind of cool, though it may be an acquired taste for some. 

10. Try Him Out: This song is worth hearing all the way through for what’s being said. The instrumental is cool but not really something to make you want to repeat for that reason. Even so, its about more than music and I still see this piercing the heart of an unsaved listener since the project has been pretty good so far.

11. Never Gonna Let You Go feat. Cheneta Jones: Another song that’s kind of underwhelming musically but fits in with the theme of the project. I like how Rob flipped a quicker flow on this one, adding in some harmony as he speaks words of devotion to the Heavenly Father. Cheneta Jones sings on the hook and added in some double time vocalizing as well, so the arrangement was executed well.

12. Anointing feat. Chassedy Torrence: Rob brings this project to a close with a worshipful piece, utilizing his respectable singing ability again. Chassedy adds some nice support harmony to this song and I’m definitely impressed with her contribution to this project.

Categorical Ratings Breakdown:

Originality/ Creativity (3/5): When I look at Robby Jerome as an artist, I see someone who is talented in three major areas of artistic expression. I think he probably is seen by most as a rapper, but beyond that he showed himself to be a more than competent singer and effective spoken word artist. There may be others who sound similar on any of these 3 fronts, but I truly believe RJ is his own artist.

Lyrics (3/5): From a standpoint of lyricism, there are many approaches to effectively conveying points, beliefs, problems, and THE Solution- Jesus. I felt the heart of the matters Rob spoke on as he painted the pictures with raw narratives. Considering that the focus of the album is the Lord’s unmerited grace, this method of writing is effective. He found his pocket of comfort with straightforward rhyming, which works well even is there wasn’t an abundance of memorable lines. It also would've been interesting to hear at least one song that pulled some name or episode references from SBTB, the show. The spoken word interludes actually showcased his writing most effectively to me and possibly help make this album worth a sampling.

Delivery (4/5): I always feel like the key point of delivery is whether a listener can relate and/ or believe an artists lyrics when spit or sung. Rob ranks high in this department, and I can definitely feel the heart of sincerity he shows all over this album. Whether thanking the Lord for His protection, examining his own heart, or challenging believers to trust God, I don’t doubt anything I hear. This applies to his singing and spoken word delivery as well.

Beat Selection/ Production (3/5): This project has a good musical quality, not spectcaular but in the higher percentile for this genre. Featuring music from Ensayne Wayne Music Group, Sea Notes Productions, and ILL Mac Music- minus radio staples (Lex Luger kits and autotune)- RJ had a solid musical backdrop to work with . I honestly felt that this album shot out of the gates but lost steam by the time it reached the finish line. The mix and master  for this project was pretty good, I didn't really feel anything was distorted or off there.

Concept/ Arrangement (3/5): The use of Saved By The Bell as another way of saying "saved by grace" was clear and evident in the tone of each song, though nothing was ground breaking in presentation. As I said before, it would have been interesting to see how the show could have been weaved into the concept to further validate the title. Track listing for this project was actually organized pretty skillfully, as it seemed that one song set the table for the next pretty consistently. Although some songs touched on similar subjects in a similar way, this lineup helped break the monotony a little bit.

By no other means is man saved but the name of Christ and the grace extended as a result of belief in Him. That is the central message being pushed by Robby Jerome here on Saved By The Bell. I'll ring the bell 3 times for this album, a solid introductory effort from the St. Louis musician with talent to look out for. If you're looking for some honest music that doesn't bend to fit trends, give this project a look.

For More Info:

www.robbyjerome.com