LIT Monthly – dj three6t feat. G.O.A.T.: Dallas Got Next (September 2007)

DJ three6t is having a release party and this one is special. Making it unique are two things: 1) he’s got some nice mixes and an up-front billing on a new disc with G.O.A.T. and 2) he just busted the chains of the Dallas penal system. That’s a release! And though it’s nearly impossible to outshine the lyrical wizardry of G.O.A.T., three6t does a great job. He samples the gamut of old school in multiple genres – from Chi Lites to Ozzy Osbourne – and drops them in just the right spots. The duo’s mastery of sexy-sultry grooves and lyrics shine on “Drivin’ Me Wild” and “Oh Girl,” but it’s G.O.A.T.’s slide into the “black” side that really intrigues. From the “In Tha Club” bangin’ of opener “Dallas Got Next” to booty grinders “Need Visine” and “Another Round,” this disc is much more ruff ‘n tuff than their debut. Fans of G.O.A.T.’s past mixtapes will still find plenty of his standby freaky-funky style (”On Our Grind”) and alcohol references. Lastly, the lyrics are stellar, of course, but dig on the straight talk of “I’m An Educator” and “The Last Laugh” and you’ll learn that, in this incarnation, G.O.A.T. ain’t playin’.

…“You Are Good” featuring G.O.A.T. and containing a haunting sample chanting “you are” and whose lyrics totally flip what the title of the song suggests.

Pegasus News

CD Review: GOAT’s Absolute Truth

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

There is something to be said for learning and studying one’s craft. Local hip-hop artist, GOAT (which stands for Grades of Absolute Truth), who has recently released his full length, solo album entitled Absolute Truth, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas, with a concentration in classical voice. Anyone familiar with music education in the United States knows that UNT has one of the premier music programs covering a broad spectrum of study. Those who take the time to check out Absolute Truth will be treated to GOAT’s passion for and knowledge of his profession.

The theme of alcohol pervades throughout the entirety of Absolute Truth, including a playful reference in the title (think Citron, Raspberri, Mandarin… there you go). The listener, however, is not underwhelmed with countless trite party references. Instead, GOAT covers several situations where alcohol can play a role, including at the party, in the bedroom, and even the tragedies that can occur when mixed with driving. Heavily infusing this theme of alcohol and excess into the entire album may make it difficult for most artists to differentiate between songs, but for GOAT the task is easily met. Each of his songs takes on its own distinct flavor, pulling from varied musical and lyrical sources.

According to GOAT, he is influenced by musicians like Talib Kweli, Brandon Boyd of Incubus, and Stevie Ray Vaughn, as well as the poet Edgar Allen Poe. When paying close attention to the Absolute Truth one can hear GOAT’s varied influences given voice. The album starts off with the sounds and voices typical of a bar setting, which lead into the first track, “Count Me N,” sure to be a frat party favorite across DFW colleges as the album gains in popularity. Then in “Hollowed LUV,” GOAT steps out of the hip-hop mold and breaks it down with a furious, rock-inspired passion that I haven’t seen from this genre in far too long. GOAT later brings in an early 90’s groove with the track entitled “Sexual Playgrounds,” featuring Stacia McNeil, which is reminiscent of L.L. Cool J’s old favorite “Doin’ It.” Creepy factoid: a simple Google search reminded me that L.L. Cool J came out with an album entitled G.O.A.T. in 2000. Coincidence? Ok yeah, probably, but I can speculate.

What struck me the most about this album were its depth and its ability to transcend musical and artistic genres. From hip-hop lovers, to rock enthusiasts, to spoken-word poets, most everyone will be able to find something to appreciate in Absolute Truth.

Link to article

Best Live Shows of 2006 (D/FW)

Harder Beat

December 2006

Harder Beat – Best Live Shows of 2006 (D/FW)

(December 2006/January 2007-Vol. 14-No. 7-Issue 154)

2) G.O.A.T. - Club Clearview

Five to See Live
Quick
August 2006

Quick…a product of The Dallas Morning News – Five To See Live With Ayo (hosts The Edge of Night on KDGE-FM) – Club Clearview (CD Release: “Absolute Truth”)

Odd Jobs

D Magazine

February 2007

D Magazine – Pulse: Odd Jobs (February 2007)

Justin Richard Griffith, aka GOAT, raps about things he would never teach his elementary students.

By day he is an elementary music teacher in a North Texas school district. By night Justin Richard Griffith, 25, morphs into GOAT (Grades of Absolute Truth), a skilled rapper who boasts among other things of the liberating effects of vodka.

CD Review: “Absolute Truth”

Harder Beat

September 2006

Harder Beat – Hip Side: GOAT - Absolute Truth, J R Griffith Music Publishing

(September 2006-Vol. 14-No. 5-Issue 152)

Dallas-based producer, musician, and MC, GOAT, brings a different and complex approach to hip hop.  The disc begins amidst the clatter of jubilant voices and talk within a bar setting—before GOAT extols the virtues of libation in “Count Me In.”  Mystical and classical violin sounds, humor, self-analysis and tight rhymes emanate throughout.  The theme focuses on alcohol, but does not simply glorify it.  Instead, the good times had while imbibing are offset with the consequences of drunk driving. The ear-gasmic eroticism of the duet “Sexual Playgrounds” has an R&B flavor that drips with anticipated carnality, while hidden track “…173″ begins with a melancholy piano solo and lyrics that seek to reconnect with a dearly-departed friend.  Absolute Truth successfully combines musicianship and lyrical content through modern sound, and listening to it is time well spent.