77. EP Review of No Sermon by Lohim

Originally Published on January 6th

About the Artist

Independent music is interesting to me for several reasons. One of the best parts about independent music is the fact that there is no red tape to navigate. There are no producers saying, “Don’t do that, do it this way.” There are no labels saying, “We don’t want to release this because this isn’t what Beyoncé’s doing.” Or Taylor, or Billie, or Kanye, etc. In many ways, we are getting unfiltered, unedited interpretations of artists’ perception. Most artist have relevance in mind, of course, but they’re typically the ones calling the shot on how that’s defined. 

I appreciate the work of every single recording artist, big or small. But the fact of the matter is some artists have a better understanding of what is going to be impactful and what isn’t. Some artists are very clearly fixated on a time, or a style, and they struggle with transcending the eras that inspired them. To be critical for a moment, this paradox seems to be more common in the genre of hip hop. I am a huge fan of hip hop music and I really look forward to listening to/reviewing submissions in that genre. Even though, I really enjoy going to the places that each submission takes me, sometimes I find it difficult to find inspiration for reviews that I can’t relate to our culture today. It just means that, when I find that album that hits all the right marks, it’s all the sweeter. 

So, let me introduce you to Lohim. Calling Mexia, Texas home, Lohim (Richard Walker) grew up bouncing around Texas until finally residing back in Mexia, the city of his birth. Always having a passion for music, he found himself taking a break to handle life, like most independent artists. And like most independent artists, he couldn’t ignore his call to create forever. After a 9-year absence from the scene, the loss of his mother in 2021, and a move to Austin, TX to help his father with his business, Lohim interjected himself back into the music scene for one big reason. To unload. In 25 years, he’d lived more life and lost more than most. It was time to tell his story. 

2024 would see 3 EP releases by Lohim; each one more enriched in culture than the last. His first release of 2024, 4 Me, a 11 minute, 5 song piece released in March. He would follow this with August’s Sa Boy Who Kissed Da Sun, another 5 song EP. Then, on Christmas Day, he gifted listeners with his third EP of 2024, No Sermon.

About the EP

No Sermon is a 5-song, 11- minute EP that released on December 25th, 2024. Each song features Lohim on vocals with track number 4, No Pressure featuring a collaborative effort with NOWHEREFOUND!. No Sermon is exclusively a hip hop record, revolving around the same theme that it is “not a sermon.” Musically, the beats, mixes and samples showcase a diversity of sound; utilizing vocal arrangements, strings, synths, organic beats, and organic bass accompaniments.

About the Music

The overall undertone of the work is incorporating a correlation to biblical reference to the real world. Not to say this album is “preachy” or “religious.” In fact, to form, Lohim tells us this is not at all a sermon. In spite of that, his point is life will always present people with “Judases,” moments where our fate is our fate; if we’re meant to die then so-be-it, for example. And like religion, there are understood rules. Spoken and unspoken rules that demand respect. For instance, earning a name for one’s self, sometimes comes with the price of placing a target on our backs. “Civilized” people will sooner bury their competition rather than come up with an honestly competitive product. Why innovate when it’s easier to destroy? Look at politics: when was the last time we heard a politician unfurl a plan that will solve problems? Now when was the last time we heard a politician trash their opponent’s plans or policies? Most of the time, they trash these notions without even saying what it is that they’re trashing.

Lohim sets his sights on culture. No Sermon is an admission that he’s in the thick of it with the rest of society. He’s unafraid, he’s willing to take the risks to get ahead, and though he’s in it, he’s no fool. He knows what he’s getting into. 

The first track, To Be Loved, is a look at the irony of what it means “to be loved.” For instance, the line “When it’s all said and done, we really try to kill for nothing,” Lohim makes a point out of how unnecessary and frivolous people will choose to end a life of somebody. How we don’t contemplate the gravity of that decision. Ending a person’s life. This is all we get. And somebody will take it for paper. For a jacket. For a car. 

Debt is a song that is about standing by one’s self. Knowing one’s self. Surrounding ourselves with loyal people and being loyal. Being real and being authentic. 

No Pressure has a very cool musical arrangement, almost bringing an old school feel with the loop. Piano mixed through the crackling of an old record  and box and bucket style beats. 

Lyrically, Lohim and NOWHEREFOUND! rhyme over the course of this 3-minute song. Lohim navigates through his “No Sermon” message; addressing his power over his own fate. Taking the power away from those that would challenge him. Saying, “if you gonna shoot me then shoot. That’s on my Momma boy,” Lohim isn’t saying that’s he’s not afraid of death. He’s saying if that’s how he’s meant to go, then he accepts it, as if he’s got nothing left to lose.

My favorite song on the EP is No Face God, hands down. Musically, the loop is an old-timey, classical string arrangement over an organic beat. Almost like a 70’s sound. Lyrically, I think Lohim is on point for all of this EP. But his lyrical performance in No Face God is so good, it just stands out above all the other tracks. My favorite line is “God must be a real n*gga because that n*gga made me,” a theme that he revisits on a couple of occasions throughout this song. The line is so profound and so powerful because it is a testament of its author. Lohim is saying “I know who I am. And because I know who I am, god must be this because of what I know of myself.” It’s an indirect way of knowing his own worth. It’s not a clout-chasing theme either because he acknowledges his own need to grow humility in the experience as well. Talking about god’s capacity to understand the struggle of his culture. His forethought to get the author out of situations that are “too big” for the author to experience alone. 

I love how spiritual, yet unorthodox the message of No Face God is. It’s as if Lohim is praying from the streets, not the church. His life hasn’t afforded him a steeple, a pew, a stained glass window, or a preacher with a sermon. His life has given him an open sky, a volatile culture, a capacity to be selective of the people he trusts. Real problems. Most importantly, an understanding that if he wants solutions for these problems, he better come up with them. Because society isn’t trying to help him. They’re more likely to feed off of his problems. But, in all of that, he doesn’t feel abandoned by God. He feels like God can relate and he never gives him more than he can handle. 

Final Thoughts

In a world of people arguing who has it harder, it can seem like we’re all just shouting in the wind. In “No Sermon,” Lohim has found a way to quiet the noise and offer up a very real perspective. He acknowledges the struggle we all face. In fact, he understands that the struggle is the point. He is saying this is what we get. It’s not all good. It’s not all bad. Sometimes when it’s good, the bad will try to take it from us. And sometimes when the bad has us, good things prevail. It is a raw, philosophical understanding of life. It’s finding an unconventional path to faith. Lohim has found a way to appreciate and respect sunshine and cloudy days. I’m here for it.

Check out Lohim on all of his social media platforms. You can hear the rest of his bodies of work on Spotify. You can follow him for up-to-date news on Instagram and Threads. 

No Sermon is streaming everywhere now. Go press play!