The opening title track of Tony Tillman's 2013 album Mic Check is nearly worth the price of admission alone. Tillman pumps more muscle into Christian hip-hop than most of his contemporaries—he’s experienced and has survived a hardscrabble life, which fuels his gripping narratives. Bronx-based singer Kelly “Kelz” Flores pipes in on “Deeper.” Even though Tillman takes a softer and ballad-based approach to this number, the result at times comes off like a pitbull in a china shop. But Kelz’s butter-smooth singing nicely rounds out the song's rougher edges. Tillman watched his 16-year-old uncle die at the hands of thugs, so there’s a lot of heart and emotion pouring out of the outstanding track “Gangsta.” Here Tillman confronts his distain for the banger lifestyle with an admirable amount of empathy and a challenging dose of forgiveness, as his rhymes hope to encourage young wayward men to seek change. Chad Jones, Canon & Derek Minor are featured in the closing "Grizzy."