Saturday’s MOVE Tour will bring nationally-known gospel rap, pop, and R&B acts to Houston. Names on the bill include Jessica Reedy (BET’s “Sunday Best”), The Ambassador, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., Sean Simmonds, B.Reith, and emcee/producer/recording artist DJ MaL-Ski.
Like last year’s Misfit Tour, the event was organized by Xist Music and UpLift! Group. Compassion International ministry and Houston’s G.O.A.T. Radio are also listed as sponsors who helped bring the concert to our city.
In a recent interview
with DJ Wade-O, The Ambassador discussed the “MOVE” theme and said
“Because God is always moving, we should be too. Some people need to
‘move’ out the way, some need to ‘move’ forward because they’re standing
still, and others need to ‘move’ back because they’re off track.”
On July 17, the event released its official theme song. “MOVE
(Chasing You)” features all tour members in a hip hop-style “cypha” and
will be performed each night of the tour.
The MOVE Tour will take place at Christian Life Church, 6650 Rankin Rd. Houston, TX 77393 from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. Tickets can be purchased online at http://tickets.movetour.com/houston-tx.
On June 29, 2012 B.Reith released How the Story Continues Vol. 1 – a free hip hop mixtape that reimagines and continues to expand the theme of his recent How the Story Ends album.
I recently caught up with the acoustic pop artist via e-mail to
discuss the project, whether or not listeners are still surprised to
hear he raps, and which style of music is an easier way to share his
faith. Sketch: In today’s mash-up, multi-genre music culture, are
people still surprised that you rap? Why do you think that is the case?
B.Reith: Maybe not surprised that I rap, but hopefully surprised at
the depth of my rap skills. Being able to rhyme a few basic words is one
thing, but being an actual lyricist? That’s more of an anomaly.
Regardless of how multi-genre and mashed up our music culture is
today, hip hop is categorically an urban genre. My element of surprise
is that I don’t dress or talk “urban,” yet a portion of my music is
urban.
I think God has a sense of humor, deciding to place these diverse
gifts in me. I’ve been around diversity my entire life, it’s part of my
calling. I’ve learned to cherish it, embrace it, love it: relationally
and artistically. But diversity is rare, and that’s why it probably
surprises people.
Sketch: The new version of the song “Lonely Hearts Club” is
described as an “acoustic cello-beatboxing remix.” How in the world did
that come about?
B.Reith: Yea, so if you haven’t heard of Kevin Olusola you need to go and look him up ASAP. He is a cellist /beatbox virtuoso. I met him a year ago (before he became a part of the Pentatonix and won The Sing Off, since then his career has sky rocketed). He was touring with the band Gungor who
my manager Calvin also managed at the time. He was in Nashville for a
few days and we tracked some cello parts on “I’ll Get By” for my most
recent album How the Story Ends.
While we were in the studio we started talking about how cool it
would be to remix a song with cello and beatbox. “Lonely Hearts Club”
was perfect. We started it that night and then finished in L.A. earlier
this year. Kevin arranged it, slowed it down a bit, and gave it a whole
different vibe. I can’t believe I’m giving it away for free! Sketch: Which do you find more challenging: to write a hip
hop song (which tends to have a ton of lyrics) or an acoustic/singing
song (which tends to have less lyrics)? Why is that?
B.Reith: I think writing good, authentic and quality music is
challenging, period – no matter what the genre is. But I find that
writing hip hop is a little easier for me because I can just go with the
flow of a rhyme scheme and not be bound by the word limitations of a
melody. I think it’s harder to say what you need to say with less words –
especially when those words are bound by a melody. You have less words
to tell your story, so each one counts more, and they have to fit
poetically with the melody as well. It’s the same thing as communicating
with people. It’s easier to say EVERYTHING and hope they get the point
than having to carefully edit yourself and craft each word. That’s why
I’m glad I do both, I can slip in and out of them when I feel like it.
It’s the best of both worlds.
Sketch: Do you find that one artform, hip hop or acoustic pop, lends itself to conveying your faith better than another?
B.Reith: Well, it depends on how the song comes about. Sometimes I
feel as if God is writing through me, and I find it very easy to convey
my faith through my writing because it’s pouring out of me. Verse 1 of
“I’ll Get By” was like that.
Other times it takes everything I have, and then some… and then some
more – to labor over every lyric and carefully craft my words so they
can hit the listener in an authentic, creative, and emotional way
they’ve never heard before. I think that softens people’s hearts. Verse 3
of “I’ll Get By” was like that, took a LONG time because of how
sensitive the topic I was speaking on.
So I would say regardless of the genre, conveying my faith in a
refreshing, artistic, non-stale, non-recycled sounding way takes some
deep digging. Maybe hip hop lends itself to that slightly more because I
have room for more words, but then again, it’s hard to sound authentic
and not cheesy. So… to answer your question, I’d have to say both! Sketch: Are there any songs where you prefer the album
version over the mixtape version or vice versa? Or is that like asking
you which of your children is your favorite?
B.Reith: I think I like the mixtape remix of “Simple Days” because of
the sincerity of the new rap leads over those classic samples. It has
more passion and more relevance; it’s more personal to me. And “Lonely
Hearts Club” and “Drawing Board,” well, the remixes are so different,
new and fresh to me right now, I guess I always favor my newest ideas.
If I ever have children I hope I don’t treat them like that.
Download How the Story Continues for FREE at breith.com
Blue-eyed soul brother B. Reith unveiled a new song, "2 Steps Forward" from his upcoming How the Story Ends album, at last week's MISFIT Tour stop in Houston.
The singer/rapper, who is from Wisconsin and resides in Nashville, seems to have an affinity for the area, having filmed his "Comeback Kid" video in downtown Houston and in 5th Ward and unveiling the HTSE album name at a July "Boomin' by the Bay" concert in Kemah.
Word is that he'll be returning to H-town on November 5 for a "Rock the Night" concert for NGEN Radio.
What do you think of his more hip hop sound from the clip below?
Sketch the Journalist is a freelance hiphop writer living in the thriving country metropolis of Cut-N-Shoot, Texas. Down with gospel rap since Stephen Wiley’s “Bible Break” in 1986, he has chewed, reviewed, and interviewed most of Christian hiphop’s major players. Sketch holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Sam Houston State University and was once an intern at the New York Times Houston Bureau. He can be reached at sketchwrek@dasouth.com.
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