In recent years, Christian rap fans have seen many hip-hop collectives come and go. Like-minded artists will come together, make some really dope music, and then (with some notable exceptions) drift their separate ways over time. The era of the true hip-hop group seems to be, by and large, in the past. Not so for Polished Arrow Music.
The ten-strong crew first began to consolidate in 2022, with the core three members–iNTELLECT, Procyse, and JusJames–building a foundation throughout 2023.
Now, Polished Arrow includes some of the best underground artists in our space, including members of Scribbling Idiots, The Tunnel Rats, and early Syntax Records.
It’s a true supergroup, too–that is to say, it’s a group made up of smaller groups, including BASECAMP and Souljornerz. All together, Polished Arrow Music includes iNTELLECT, Procyse, JusJames, MotionPlus, m1L, Griffin, Rich Colon, Kaboose, Tae Lamar, and Nikkuubeats.
Polished Arrow seems to take a relationship-first approach to music, rather than a collaboration-first approach. “My favorite thing about being a part of PA is the brotherhood!” JusJames told Midnight Donuts zine back in late 2023. “We’re not just a music group or label. We’re a brotherhood!” Perhaps it is precisely because they have prioritized supporting each other in life and music, instead of rushing to make a collaborative project, that the group has already had such a strong, fleshed-out run.
And they don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. With countless singles and more than twenty projects already under their belt (many of them full-length collaborations between members), their first group project, New Blood, is an album that is a long time coming.
From the opening cypher track featuring all eight emcees to the finale “Crew Love,” listening to New Blood feels like stepping back in time to the best days of Lamp Mode, Scribbling Idiots, and ChristCentric. It’s some of the best, freshest boom-bap hip-hop that Christian rap has to offer in 2025. “Polished Arrow Music strives to emphasize depth and creativity in lyricism, with Christ being the centralized theme,” the group states on their website, and this album feels like a solid thesis statement to back that up.
“We had been talking about making a group album for a long time, but we finally made it happen,” iNTELLECT said. “I’m excited to get this one out there!”
Listen to New Blood by Polished Arrow Music wherever you stream music!