An up-and-coming emcee who's been steadily dropping mixtapes and street albums for the last dozen years, Japhia Life is finally unleashing his first official joint and hopes to break through with this collection of extremely personal music. Proudly Christian but not necessarily a "Christian rapper," he rhymes about a wide range of topics, including the shadiness of money-hungry clergymen ("Pimp"), troubled celebrity starlets ("Letter to Lindsay"), and finding his dream girl (the serious funky "Dime," propelled by fuzz guitar and organ). Production-wise, he keeps things diverse, with a strong mix of throwback-minded, sample-based material as well as more modern electro-powered jams ("Pitchfork") and hardcore rap-rock ("Lifey's Revenge"). Whether he can crack the big leagues remains to be seen, but Westside Pharmacy is a lot more compelling than most of what passes for "hot" these days. Other highlights include the Kanye-esque "Small World" and the Jungle Brothers–channeling "I Will Watch You."