(Self-released, digital)
Like any genre tag, Christian hip-hop can be a little misleading. Sure, there are artists such as Lecrae and Trip Lee who wear their theological heart on their sleeve. You hear their music and say, “Yes, this is religious music.”
Burlington rapper and producer Freddie Losambe’s catalog is full of spiritual themes and references while simultaneously more ideologically complex than purely devotional music. The endlessly prolific artist — his Bandcamp discography runs longer than the average Wikipedia article — has a deep, classically refined flow. As he shows on his latest record, Homeboy Megachurch, he’s a highly literate lyricist who doesn’t come off as pretentious or overwrought, even when he’s referencing Bible verses.
“What’s the point of being rich if you gotta be humble?” Losambe raps on “Crumble.” It’s a lyric that could pass for a G-funk-era track, but in this case, Losambe isn’t flexing or even doing the rap version of humblebragging — he’s musing on absolution and grace and asking questions about being righteous in a world that no longer seems to recognize the concept.
“I hope you learn from my example that dignity and class don’t dictate your compassion / That’s how taking care of people became my passion,” he raps on “Hank McCoy,” a track shouting out social workers and the “helpers” that Mister Rogers talked about. “I hope a bridge builder will be my legacy,” Losambe repeats over the track’s coda.
As a multi-instrumentalist, Losambe has made Homeboy Megachurch a sonically erudite record, moving in and out of ethereal cloud rap, classic boom-bap beats and even non-hip-hop styles such as indie rock. It’s an impressive album and another feather in the cap of one of Vermont’s most intriguing rappers.
Homeboy Megachurch is available at freddielosambe.bandcamp.com and on major streaming services.
This article appears in July 22 • 2026.
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