Imagine, Nov. 18/19 1996 - walking into your local wrecka store on the first Monday/Tuesday after became free from his WB contract. Less than a week ago, he'd performed a brief mixture of new and old songs on a live tv broadcast with his new band. You're excited about the new album - to hear what freedom sounds like for the man who's been a 'slave' for so long. You pick up a copy of the new album, pay for it, take it home and put it straight into your cd player, volume pumped up high. And it begins:

"With an accurate understanding of God and his laws, they went about the work of building a new nation: The Rainbow Children."

What if...?

From the musical point of view it would had been a much better experience than Emancipation, of course. But with these lyrics , after all the "Come" and "Gold" stuff, he would had shocked his fans a lot, i think.

There certainly wouldn't have been any "ducks" and no
"pants kicking" on it back in 1996.

There would have been "fucks" and "asswhoopin'" on it.

if released back in 96 He would have been seen as having still Sime sort of edge.timing does make a difference.The Content would have gone over alot different than as to now.People still on a Wider Market were still kinda Interested in Him at that time.