Yellowknife (Dec 22/06) - Is it that time of year already? Nearly 12 months to the day after completing his Arctic Reign trilogy in 2005, Godson is back with another CD, Freezing Point.

Nearly one month to the day after his last release, Godson drops another album. The Yellowknife rapper (aka Aaron Hernandez) poses with his eighth release, Freezing Point, backstage at CD Plus in Centre Square Mall. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

"I wasn't planning on doing another release this year," he says. "After all that Idol stuff, I just had the drive to do it."

That "Idol stuff," is the whirlwind of the last 10 months, which saw Godson travel back and forth to Vancouver and Toronto at the behest of Canadian Idol.

In case you forgot, the workhorse rapper/producer tried out for Idol when the show came to Yellowknife. Although he didn't make it into the competition he was asked to write a song for the new season. He was brought down to Toronto to shoot a video (which aired nationally to start the season premiere) and performed at the Idol wrap party.

"I've been recording since the week I came back (in September)," he says.

With a box of CDs just arrived and the album's first single, Like This (The DJ), pumping through the speakers, Godson says the new album has more of a "party" vibe, with faster tempos, danceable beats and upbeat rhymes, moving away from some of the slower, more socially-conscious work he has become known for.

"It takes me back to my old days with Unonymous (Inc., his first group)," he says. "It's more of a fun CD; I don't stress too much on some issues.

"It's what I've always liked to do. I like to see people having fun with my music on the dance floor."

The new sound is still distinctive Godson, with the same driving bass, catchy keyboard hooks and sparse sampling backing up his tight rhymes. An early highlight is the title track, which buzzes along with a smooth menace, leading into a violin-sampled chorus.

"I go for the hook first," he says of his writing style. "It's always the hook (people) jump on."

Now with eight albums released and nearly 5,000 records sold over a decade of hip hop, Godson has a few new things on his plate, like family life. This summer, he got married to his fiancee, Melissa, and the couple have a child on the way.

"I'm trying to balance everything out now," he says. "Obviously, my priorities will all be shifting."

Shifting priorities or not, it's going to be a busy 2007; Godson is hoping to shoot a video for the album, will be performing at the Cultural Festival for the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, has a regular DJ spot at the White Fox, a CD release concert to plan and (possibly) a manager to help with the business side of things.

"It's somebody Northern," is all Godson could say.

Freezing Point is available at CD Plus in Centre Square Mall. The first single, Like This (The DJ) is also available for streaming on Godson's Myspace page: www.myspace.com/godsonmusic.