Christian Hip-Hop • Southern Soul • Testimony
Plain James Proves Testimony Still Matters
Keep It Pushin is Southern, soulful and grounded in Scripture, but its greatest strength is the way Plain James turns personal battles into a testimony that points every bit of the glory back to God.
Why this project stayed with me: Plain James does not simply tell listeners what the Bible says. He shares what it looked like when he had to live it through grief, depression, responsibility, pressure and growth.
Five songs were not enough.
My only real complaint about Keep It Pushin is that it ends too soon. Plain James is fully capable of carrying a project without depending on features, but the guests on this EP fit naturally and strengthen the message without taking the spotlight away from him.
The result is a short, focused project that feels Southern, soulful, seasoned and unapologetically biblical.
TBK247 does not review every project.
Full reviews are reserved for music that continues speaking after the first listen. Keep It Pushin gave us something deeper than production and bars to discuss. It gave us testimony, biblical application and a reminder that God can use one person’s story to reach another.
Southern, soulful and unapologetically biblical
There are projects you appreciate because the production is polished. There are projects you enjoy because the bars are clever. Then there are projects that make you stop and examine your own walk with Christ.
Plain James’ Keep It Pushin did all three for me.
Plain James has never been afraid to call things out, stand on Scripture or challenge the culture. What stood out on this project, however, was how willing he was to share his own battles.
He did not simply tell listeners what the Bible says. He showed us what it looked like when he had to live it.
Plain James does not make himself the hero of his testimony. He redirects the glory back to God.
The project speaks in two directions
The more I listened, the more I realized that Keep It Pushin is not simply an EP about perseverance. It is an EP built around testimony.
Someone outside the church could pick up this project, connect with the honesty, learn biblical truth and possibly experience conviction. Plain James does not water down the message, but he presents it through real life instead of preaching at people from a distance.
At the same time, the music speaks directly to the body of Christ. Believers hear reminders about grief, endurance, humility, false spirituality, conflict, Christ’s return and keeping God at the center of everything.
Plain James challenges the world, but he also challenges the church to live what it claims to believe.
What makes it remarkable is the way he shares his personal battles. When he talks about losing his parents, depression, responsibility, hardship and where God brought him from, it becomes testimony instead of theory.
The message becomes simple: Jesus met me in this. Jesus carried me through this. Jesus changed me. If He did it for me, He can meet you too.
Yet Plain James never tells the story as though he overcame because he was stronger than everyone else. He walks humbly, removes the spotlight from himself and directs every victory toward the glory of God.
Songs That Stayed With MeFive songs, one consistent testimony
Gettin’ It
Featuring Allico Ace • Truth Over Counterfeit SpiritualityPlain James wastes no time letting listeners know where he stands. “Gettin’ It” challenges the growing fascination with crystals, sage, horoscopes and other forms of spirituality that people place their hope in, even though those things will eventually fade away.
One of the strongest observations is how quickly people discredit the Bible without ever taking the time to read it. Many will research zodiac signs, conspiracy theories and self-help philosophies while deciding what they believe about Scripture without opening its pages.
Plain James is not merely attacking people. He is exposing the inconsistency and challenging listeners to examine what they have accepted as truth. Allico Ace fits naturally, adding energy without pulling attention away from the message.
Drip Drop
Grief • Depression • Responsibility • Psalm 34:18“Drip Drop” is where the project becomes deeply personal. Plain James speaks about watching his mother take her last breath and losing his father while walking in the park. He also touches on depression, and while I cannot say with certainty that it came directly from losing his parents, the connection is difficult not to hear.
What affected me most was hearing him explain that he did not have time to grieve because he had to take care of his daughter.
Responsibility often comes first. Grief gets pushed to the side. We keep working, providing, parenting and showing up for everyone else while quietly wondering when we are going to have time to heal ourselves.
Plain James captures that tension without pretending faith made the pain disappear. Instead, the hook points listeners toward the truth of Psalm 34:18: the Lord is near to the brokenhearted. He encourages listeners to cast their tears on the Heavenly Father.
He does not glorify suffering. He glorifies the God who meets us in suffering. Pain can become a crossroads. It can push us toward Christ, or toward the things we hope will numb what we feel. Plain James reminds us which direction leads to healing.
No Pain, No Gain
Featuring UKnowFro • My Favorite Song?This may be my favorite song on the EP.
Maybe.
Built around the familiar soul of Betty Wright’s “No Pain, No Gain,” the song brings the Southern identity of the EP fully to the surface. Plain James brings Atlanta energy, while UKnowFro, one of my favorite Christian rappers, brings Memphis flavor.
The record is not empty motivation. It is about perseverance, spiritual preparation and refusing to let pressure knock you out of position.
The storm is coming. The question is whether we are rooted deeply enough in God’s Word and walking closely enough in His will to bend without folding.
Can we stand the rain? Plain James is not talking about New Edition and Johnny Gill. He is asking whether our faith can survive real pressure.
“You got to face the darkness if you trying to shine. Ain’t no time to whine. Get back on your grind. All that complaining ain’t gonna change your situation. Keep on pushing until you reach your destination.”
Growth should produce gratitude, not pride
“Got them old twenties but I’m still humble because I remember when I didn’t have a dime.”
That line is about more than money. It is about remembering where God brought you from so success does not make you arrogant. Pain taught gratitude. Lack taught humility. Life may look different now, but UKnowFro refuses to act as though he arrived there by himself.
Caught Up
Christ’s Return • His Bride • Every Knee Will Bow“Caught Up” immediately carries a soulful feeling that reminds me of Anita Baker’s “Rapture of Love,” but Plain James redirects the idea toward something much greater than earthly romance.
He is talking about Christ returning for His bride.
Someone may come for the soulful production, but before the record is over, they are thinking about eternity. Jesus is coming back, and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Plain James understands how to meet listeners where they are without compromising the message. The sample may sound like a love song, but he is pointing toward an eternal love and promise.
Show Love
An Old Soul • Biblical Love • Spiritual MaturityI cannot identify the exact sample, but “Show Love” has the warmth of classic Isley Brothers soul. On this track, Plain James sounds like a young man with an old soul.
That description fits the music, but it also fits his understanding of Scripture.
“Show Love” is about refusing to hate someone because they offended you or because the two of you had a disagreement. It is about communicating in love without pretending the conflict never happened.
That is Bible.
It is easy to quote verses about love when everyone agrees with us. Spiritual maturity becomes visible when somebody offends us, misunderstands us or handles a disagreement badly.
Plain James does not present love as a weak emotion. He presents it as obedience, discipline, humility, self-control and the refusal to let bitterness take over. The song shows that he is not only familiar with the Word. He is seasoned in it.
Seasoned by life and grounded in the Word
The biblical grounding is present across the entire project. Plain James challenges false spirituality on “Gettin’ It.” He points brokenhearted people toward God on “Drip Drop.” He connects hardship, endurance and spiritual preparation on “No Pain, No Gain.”
He declares Christ’s return on “Caught Up,” then applies biblical love to real conflict on “Show Love.”
Plain James sounds like a young man with an old soul, seasoned by life and grounded in the Word.
Listen While You Read
Press play on the full Keep It Pushin EP and hear the testimony for yourself.
The music is the doorway, but Christ is the destination
Plain James has the ability to reach someone who may not consider themselves part of the church. That person may be drawn in by the soul samples, the Southern production or the honesty of the stories.
While listening, they may learn something about Scripture. They may recognize their own pain. They may even feel conviction.
But the project is not only for the person outside the church. It also speaks to the body of Christ. It reminds believers that faith must still function when we are grieving, depressed, offended, under pressure or finally experiencing success.
Plain James understands the value of sharing a testimony. He lets listeners see what Jesus carried him through so somebody else can believe that Christ can meet them in their own situation.
The remarkable part is that he does it with humility. He acknowledges the progress, but he does not take ownership of the glory. He reflects it away from himself and directs it back toward God.
Plain James and Trackstarz deserve their flowers
Before I close, I want to give Plain James and the entire Trackstarz team their flowers.
I have been watching Trackstarz on and off since we started TBK247. Long before we were rebuilding our website, expanding our music coverage or working to grow our own Christian media platform, Trackstarz was consistently covering Christian hip-hop, having real conversations and serving the culture with excellence.
When Plain James joined the team, I felt like he brought something different. He did not replace what was already there. He added another lane.
His perspective, personality, Southern background and biblical foundation fit naturally with what Trackstarz had already built.
I also admire Trackstarz as a ministry and a media company. If there is a platform in our space that I would study as we continue building TBK247, they would be high on that list.
Not because I want TBK247 to become Trackstarz. God has given us different assignments. TBK247 is growing into a broader Christian media platform that includes music, books, podcasts, devotionals, journalism and storytelling. Trackstarz has shown what consistency, integrity, faithfulness and longevity can look like within Christian hip-hop media.
Excellence recognizes excellence, and faithfulness recognizes faithfulness. Their work deserves respect.
Plain James shares the pain, but he gives God the glory.
Keep It Pushin covers false spirituality, grief, depression, responsibility, perseverance, humility, Christ’s return and biblical love in only five songs. The production is soulful, the Southern influence feels authentic and the features complement the project without overshadowing it.
Most importantly, the testimony feels genuine. This is not an artist trying to convince us he has life figured out. This is a believer pointing listeners toward the God who carried him through some of life’s hardest moments.
If one person hears Plain James’ testimony and comes to Christ, this EP accomplished something greater than streams, numbers or awards.
My only question is still the same: Why was it so short? 😂
Listen to the testimony for yourself.
Spend some time with the full EP, sit with the messages and decide which song continues speaking after the music stops.
TBK247 album reviews are selected for thoughtful discussion and reflection. They are not numerical ratings or claims that a project is perfect.
