Theophanies is the second album from hip hop duo Hazakim. The album was released on June 23, 2009, through Lamp Mode Recordings. Although "Theophanies" was Hazakim's second album, it was their first studio album to be released on a record label with national distribution. "Theophanies" helped to establish Hazakim's unique sound and approach to lyricism in the christian hip hop genre.
Background.
Following their independent 2001 release titled "Hip-Hologetics", Hazakim signed with Lamp Mode Recordings in 2007. "Theophanies" was released by Lamp Mode Recordings two years later on June 23, 2009. It was produced entirely by Hazakim and contained guest appearances from fellow label-mates Shai Linne and Stephen the Levite as well as MuzeOne. Messianic Jewish scholar Dr. Michael Brown is also heavily featured throughout the album.
Music and lyrics.
The musical backdrop of "Theophanies" features a unique blend of East Coast hip-hop with melodies and sounds synonymous with Middle Eastern music. While the lyrics are nearly entirely in the English language, sections of the album contain Hebrew. The lyrical content of "Theophanies" focuses heavily on the theological concept of theophanies in the Old Testament. The premise of the album is that Jesus of Nazareth, most often referred to in the album by his Hebrew name, Yeshua, is the ultimate revelation of God to man. This divine Messiah, they argue, appears throughout the Hebrew Bible as the divine Messenger of God's presence, and revealed Himself in time and space, most definitively, as Jesus of Nazareth. Throughout the album Hazakim cites, in rap form, passages from the Hebrew Bible where a divine visitor, who seems to carry the prerogatives and name of the God of Israel, manifests in a physical form. The album ends with a declaration that this messenger was, in fact, the pre-incarnate Son of God, Jesus. In this way, the album makes a case for the deity of Jesus using the Hebrew Bible. This concept of Jesus's pre-incarnate appearances in the Old Testament is known in Christian theology as a christophany.
Reception.
"Theophanies" was met with positive reviews. Rapzilla critic Claude Atcho wrote, "Overall, "Theophanies" is nothing short of remarkable." Due to the positive reception "Theophanies" received, Hazakim's subsequent album, "Son of Man", was able to crack multiple "Billboard" charts, despite the five year gap between projects.
References.
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