GloRilla, the Memphis rapper known for songs such as “F*** N**** Free (Let’s Go),” “Nut Quick” and “Opp S***,” just made a song with worship group Maverick City Music. That definitely wasn’t on my bingo card for 2024.
“GLORIOUS” is GloRilla’s 15-song album that dropped Oct. 11, and includes her new “gospel” song with Maverick City. “RAIN DOWN ON ME” sits smack-dab in the middle of this album that conveniently features artists Sexyy Red, Latto and Megan Thee Stallion.
The album’s 42-minute runtime could be described as 39 minutes of the promotion of drug use, violence, swiping credit cards and adultery, and three minutes of Glo saying sorry to God while Maverick City stands in the corner of the studio — because I didn’t even hear them on the song.
Besides the mockery of God and religion in general, there is just so much wrong with this album from a musical and instrumental standpoint. Glo proved once again she’s as one-dimensional as they come, sounding the exact same as she did when she broke onto the rap scene in 2022.
Her lazy lyrics, recycled beats and overly provocative messages have contributed to the death of trap music. This is coming from the guy who has reviewed Gunna, Lil Baby and 21 Savage in the past — but seriously trap music is 6-feet under and Glo is covering the coffin with its first fistfulls of dirt.
“GLORIOUS” isn’t really worth mentioning. The features disappoint as Glo was only able to find talentless yappers, and the only good thing I can find about the project is Glo’s ability to stay on beat. “GLORIOUS” is only going to find the headlines because of how twisted and hypocritical the whole thing is, and because watching Maverick City try to dig themselves out of this hole is going to be more entertaining than the album.
“Watch over my haters, they the ones that make me go the hardest / I just want us all to win, I just want us all to prosper,” raps Glo.
Mind you, five songs earlier she was rapping, “Me and my b****** go gnarly / We gon’ step on s*** regardless (Stamp that) / Get my goons, swipe that b****, and now dispute the charges (On gang).”
Those are some violent, hateful lyrics from someone claiming she wants God to help everyone prosper. Glo continues on giving God the glory for all blessings and success in the music industry, yet raps that if music hadn’t worked out she’d probably be committing fraud to get the bills paid. For every uplifting lyric on “RAIN DOWN ON ME” there’s several explicit verses across the album to refute it.
Now I’m not sure who looks worse following the release of this bootleg worship song — Glo or Maverick City. Without a doubt, Jesus ate with the tax collectors and sinners in the book of Matthew. He loves the broken, imperfect souls, but he also wouldn’t let a lost soul remain lost. I didn’t have a problem with Maverick City making a song with Glo until I realized literally every other song on the album follows Glo’s typical vibe.
The songs glorify everything Maverick City — as a worship group — should be against. Glo places so much emphasis on her sex life and hook ups with random men, that then rapping she worships God with all of her 5-foot frame just feels so twisted.
To make matters worse, the song directly following “RAIN DOWN ON ME,” “GLO’S PRAYER,” is a complete mockery of what it means to pray. The only thing she’s come to God for is to get a random guy off her mind, but apparently this love-interest fiasco isn’t that big of an issue to her since she raps, “Asked if he my only n****, I said, ‘No, but you my favorite one’ / Nah, for real.” Again, another contradiction in an album covered in hypocrisy.
I don’t want to sit here and write this review like I am some saint with a perfect record — I’m far from it. But it’s one thing to admit to your sin and repent, and an entirely different thing to acknowledge your sin for three minutes and then gloat in it for the remaining 39 minutes.
Shame on Maverick City. If their excuse for pairing up with one of trap’s most provocative artists was to introduce Christians to a different genre of music, that can be easily shot down. Christian rap is on the rise, and I’m sure gospel rappers Lecrae, Caleb Gordon or KB would have jumped at the opportunity to collab with one of gospel’s most prestigious groups.
“You don’t have to be perfect, no / You can come with your mistakes / That don’t disqualify you from getting a blessing,” sang Kirk Franklin to complete “RAIN DOWN ON ME.” The highly regarded gospel singer and producer speaks a lot of truth with that outro, but what he failed to mention is that ignoring what scripture says is an action God will never bless.
I’m no better than Glo, and she’s no better than me, but her lyrics contradict themselves and “GLORIOUS” is a twisted album. With as much experience in gospel music as Franklin and Maverick City have, they lost the majority of their credibility by associating themselves with such a blasphemous album.
I’m not going to tell Glo what she can or can’t rap about. But what I will say: Don’t drag God into your grotesquely secular project. It would have been better to leave Him out of this, rather than give him three measly minutes on your mediocre album.
But then again, Glo made it clear who she is on “HOW I LOOK.” According to her track with Megan Thee Stallion she’ll be “laughin’ to the bank with her titties out,” so what does she care what you and I — and God for that matter — think about her album.
