by John Bush
After years of mediocre, overly rock-oriented crossovers between gospel and the rap scene, Kirk Franklin & the Family led a resurgence in the field with albums that did equally well in both areas. I Can See Clearly Now by Gospel Gangstaz is the next step in the evolution, with all aspects of the album -- production, rapping, lyrics -- up to the level of (if not superior to) secular hip-hop. The tight grooves and excellent gospel background singers make the title track a highlight, and though a few other tracks are somewhat derivative of contemporary rappers like Busta Rhymes and Master P, I Can See Clearly Now works just as well with secular listeners as it does as praise music.