The decision to name your first EP released as a Christian artist after a book or gospel widely considered non-canonical by those within your faith is a bold choice that requires a strong will and a bold artist to stand behind. The idea of it being a mixed and contested message, either about the mother of Jesus Christ or Mary Magdalene, has yet to receive any sort of closure besides basic theoretical conjecture, but the book is still something people in the faith turn to regardless of pieces of the book being absent from the finished product. For New York-based Christian musician Heistheartist, this seemed to be the exact type of controversy needed for a first extended-play outing within the genre of Christian pop/hip-hop, and it fully works in favor of the sound he’s got in his grasp as HITA is anything but traditional.
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Heistheartist, the enigmatic alter ego of LeeMann Bassey, is making his mark and making it well with the six-song Book of Mary; the great lengths HITA goes to present an album that functions as much for the religious crowd as it will for those less educated in the faith are admirable, and upon first listen some might not even recognize the EP’s core religious themes. The artistry on display gives full attention to the songwriting credits above all else, and the genres explored in HITA’s debut are wildly impressive. Never does the project seep into an expected territory, choosing instead to swing for the fences with its ambitious genre-flips and subtly-layered lyrics that never fully deliver a painted portrait one might expect when it comes to music with one foot firmly planted in religion.
Featuring songs “Virgin,” “If I Were A Virgin Again,” “What Did I Do?,” and “Childish,” as well as two different remixes of the latter, The Book of Mary contains a loaded hand of songs that all showcase different pieces of HITA’s talent as a musician and songwriter. Ranging from fully fleshed-out hip-hop singles to intermission segments that almost feel too cinematic to be contained to a single EP, the material rises above what one might expect from an artist’s first full musical outing. The showmanship and eagerness on display work greatly in favor of the four short songs that precede the remixes, functioning as a sample platter that teases an even greater release still waiting to see the light of day.
PRE-ORDER EP: https://ffm.to/thebookofmary
The ambitious choice to stick with The Book of Mary as the EP’s title makes all that much more sense when the album concludes, as the traditional approach to gospel and praise has long since been reinvented in Heistheartist’s vision and prose. Those expecting something familiar shouldn’t shy away from the EP, as it still offers a uniquely poignant approach to modern contemporary religion, but crack open The Book of Mary with an eager mind ready to re-learn what you have preconceived about religion in popular music. Heistheartist will gladly lead the way on your new journey.
Jodi Marxbury