There’s an authenticity in “Hallelujah” that takes hold of you. Deca OTA and Hunnid2Hebron aren’t trying to reinvent gospel rap here, they’re just being painfully honest over a Sade sample, and that’s enough.
The “Pearls” flip adds depth. That ethereal vocal loop from Sade creates this dreamlike atmosphere that both MCs navigate with surprising ease.
The bassline rolls thick underneath whilst choppy drums give it proper bounce, turning what could’ve been a sombre meditation into something you’d actually nod your head to. It’s tastefully produced without being overworked.
Deca OTA opens with bars about pain, stashing love, closing hearts, the usual redemption arc but he sells it through specificity rather than platitudes.
When Hunnid2Hebron joins, there’s genuine chemistry. Both artists bring this conversational cadence that keeps things grounded.
They’re not performing spirituality; they’re working through it, trading verses like they’re comparing notes.
The Prodigal Son framework runs through everything, though they never explicitly spell it out. Deca references his secular music past, Hebron nods to his time inside, and both position their faith as something earned through struggle rather than inherited. They do well not to sanitise their story.
That said, the track could’ve benefited from a melodic break or sung hook to cut through the density.
Two minutes of straight bars, no matter how sincere, starts feeling one-note by the second verse. A pause, a vocal run, something to shift the energy would’ve elevated this from solid to standout.
Still, “Hallelujah” does what it sets out to do. It’s faith-based rap that doesn’t feel like propaganda, redemption narratives without the prosperity gospel sheen.
Taken from Deca OTA’s upcoming The Human Condition (12th December), it’s a promising preview of what’s coming.
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