Bilistic & J. Roberts – Divine Detours (Album Review)

Today’s review features Bilistic and J. Roberts’ new album Divine Detours. 

Born in Irbid, Jordan, Scott Al-Tall’s early life was marked by instability and hardship, but early in his life, his mother brought him and his twin sister to America, where the family, without a father, continued to struggle financially. Scott had a rebellious adolescence and soon found himself in the grip of the criminal justice system, complete with a prison sentence.

Emerging from prison, driven by a desire for self-expression and a need to create, turning poems into songs, Scott founded New Life Records in 1998. For the next 25 years, under the moniker Bilistic, he poured his heart and soul into writing, producing, recording, and performing music. He amassed an impressive catalogue of over 30 albums, consistently pushing creative boundaries and refusing to be confined by genre conventions.

Bilistic’s “innovative spirit” led him to create two entirely new genres of music. Under the alias Haight Ashbury, he pioneered ‘Hippie Hop,’ a vibrant fusion of classic rock from the 1960s and 70s interwoven with the rhythmic energy of hip hop. He then delved into the nostalgic charm of the 1950s, birthing ‘Doo Wop Hop’ as Staccato, a unique blend of Doo Wop harmonies and hip hop beats.” Scott also owns N.L.R. Studios in Wichita, Kansas, where he honed his musical production skills and also ventured into videography, photography, and custom apparel design.

Just when he thought he had explored every avenue of artistic expression, a profound shift occurred in 2025. Scott found God. A transformative experience, fundamentally altering his life’s trajectory and artistic vision.

Fueled by his newfound faith, his music has taken on a new dimension, with a focus on glorifying God and reaching out to those who, like himself, are searching for meaning and redemption. 

In this spirit, he partnered with Jeremiah Roberts to create his first Gospel hip hop album, ‘Divine Detours.’ Bilistic hopes that the album’s message will resonate with those who might not typically gravitate towards Christian Hip Hop, offering a beacon of hope and bringing them closer to God through the power of music. “This project marks a new chapter in my artistic journey, one driven by faith, purpose, and the desire to share the life-changing message of God’s love with the world.”

Christian hip-hop. Ok, cool.

So let’s have a listen …

The first song on the album is called Opening Prayer, as you might expect on a Christian hip-hop album. It is an actual prayer, asking God to affect those who are listening.

I Believe starts off a strong Gospel singing track about being unworthy of God’s love, but believing anyway. Then the flow starts, nice production. Nice rhyme choices. The rap interweaves with the Gospel vibe below. I like the vocal effects used near the end of the song.

I Don’t Think They Know starts off with a strong acoustic guitar motif. Full band. “I don’t think (insert rhyme phrase).” “Music’s always in my head, even when it’s quiet out.” Nice bass and guitar line driving the track. I can hear keyboards, and a church organ helping to lay down a cosmic vibe.

Reflections of Me. “In the mirror, I found a stranger, looking back.” Nice track, cool vibe. Singing mixed against rap vocals. The singing vocalists are really nice and go well with the rap that Bilistic lays down. The singing provides the chorus and structure of the song, with the rap peppering the track.

Choices starts off with a keyboard and some vocal oohs. “Life is a fight everyday you’re alive.” The vocal starts with singing, then the rap kicks in. Nice delay on the hip-hop vocals. The singing is like that of a gospel choir. I appreciate the “like it was obliterated” line at the end of the song.

Guide Me starts with the singing mantra – “Guide me oh Lord, guide me where I’m supposed to be.” The rap here is very effected by the gospel soundtrack underneath. The vocals are mixed loud and very clear, but still sound good against the mix. I appreciate the level of production on this album, very nice. Nice somber piano riff to take the song out.

God Is Real again starts with singing against an acoustic guitar motif. Then the rap flow begins, lots of delay and multiple voices in the mix weaving the story together. I like how the artist is interspersing the rap portions of the song with the gospel singing. It makes for a beautiful soundscape.

None Left creates the message: What would you do if you could change any part of your life? The rap flow is very musical and staccato in this song. “Why do we only have one day to celebrate Thanksgiving?” The song suggests finding a “deeper connection” to guide your life choices. A very nice horn riff and keyboard solo, very tasty. The gospel voices on this album are well-worth the listen, even if you took away the rap altogether, but the mixing of gospel singers and rap artists make things interesting.

Welcome to the World again starts off with gospel voices and a keyboard. The raps are all about coming to the Lord. “Welcome to the world of the living.” A song about finding a better way to live life, rather than just getting through the next day. I like how the flow mixes with the gospel vocals. This could become a big new musical style for reaching young church audiences. “Listen to the guitar, get lost in it.”

We Worry starts with an Irish-like keyboard riff, more male gospel singing. Then the rapper kicks in. “We worry about our loved ones, we worry about our kids.” Not sure I’m digging the gospel half of this track, but the rhymes are strong, and the song fits with the rest of the tracks on this album. “Can you comprehend how long eternity is?” And yet, “We worry about our looks.” Nice use of delay at times on the vocals to help them stand out.

Chasing Dreams starts off with a nice compressed lead guitar solo, then the vocals “I feel like a bird, I’ve been chasing dreams.” This is more of a Christian funk rock tune, then the rap flow begins taking the song to another level. I can hear this song getting radio airplay on Gospel stations.

Devine Detours Interlude is a speech explaining the meaning of a “divine detour.”

Devine Detours starts off with a very cinematic soundtrack, complete with horns and a nice swing band. Very campy, but in a good way, this one. 

Glory to God, “the most high, I praise him every single day of my life.” The gospel vocals are nicely layered against the rapper’s flow. Very nice track.

Life as an Addict, “is hell on earth.” Lots of voices singing create a choral effect. Then the rap flow begins, “everybody’s addicted to something.” There’s got to be a better way, the theme of the song. “Save me from my vices.” The rap flow is excellent in this song. Then they throw in a Beatles-like musical break in the middle of the song. Digging the lead guitar solo! Man, what a great track.

Take Me. I’m taken by the use of slow consistent finger-snaps providing the rhythmic background of this track, it’s very hypnotic against the rapper’s flow. Very nice production on this track. The singing is great.

God’s Children – “We are all God’s children, love is resilient.” A song about love. I like how the rap lays against the gospel R&B vocals on this one. Love one another is the message of this song, wrapped in a beautiful and tight musical package. I really like the way the track breaks down in the middle. Very lovely advanced songwriting trick put to great use here.

Time for Change starts with Gospel singing, then the rap breaks in with a heavily effected vocal, then a regular vocal. You really have to hear this album. I’m mesmerized by their mix of gospel singing with hip-hop flows. All the instrument parts on this album are well-recorded and sound great. Loving the lead guitar solo toward the end of this song. Very rocking song.

Thank You … for being a friend. Has a very hip-hop feel against a very contemporary musical bed. I’m digging how the singing vocals lay against the rap flows. A song to say Thank You to the Lord. Very nice job mixing the vocals, and clever use of delay and reverb, to interweave the vocals.

Closing Prayer is a real prayer.

Well, I had my doubts that this concept would work, but I’ve got to tip my hat to Bilistic and J. Roberts for actually pulling this off! Well-played.

SCORE/Outstanding: This new album “Devine Detours” by Bilistic and J. Roberts is off the charts! Pioneering a new genre of music, Christian hip-hop, which might have wide appeal to young Christian audiences and non-Christian audiences alike. The musical instrument  performances, vocal performances, and advanced production on this album are top-flight. Everything sounds great. Well done, truly outstanding. If you’re a fan of hip-hop mixed with Gospel, soul, or R&B tracks, I highly recommend this album! Much love, Beth

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