Yesterday the world-renowned Austin-based music and arts festival announced that gospel rap’s top label, Reach Records, will have their own showcase featuring the likes of Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii*, PRo, Andy Mineo, and KB.
Their event will take place on Saturday, March 17 from 9:30-12:30am at La Zona Rosa located at 612 W 4th Street, Austin, TX 78701.
Christian rappers have been a part of DaSouth.com's SXSW stage since 2009
This will follow the DaSouth.com Hip Hop Hope Unity Conference and CityTakers Weekend held earlier in the day at the Carver Cultural Center (1165 Angelina Street, Austin, TX 78702) from 10am to 4pm.
As it has in years past, the DaSouth.com stage will feature workshop sessions and panel discussions related to the functional realities of urban music ministry. And this year, instead of a mega-concert, the event will also contain a skills exhibition between MCs and DJs who will engage one another in friendly freestyle competitions for regional bragging rights.
Artists lined up for that event include Saul Paul, Gifted da Flamethrowa, J Kwest, Jerrell Johnson, Omega Sparx, Enlitenment, Too Phliy, and theBREAX. DJs include DJ Promote, DJ Wade-O, DJ Aslan, DJ Efechto, DJ Dort Vader, and DJ Stibs. Other special guests are also expected.
Finally, I’m told there will be a kickoff concert at a local church (Horizon Worship Center 1006 E. Yager Ln. Suite 115-A Austin, Texas 78753) on Friday, March 16 and that guys like J’son, Canon, High Society, and Thi’sl will be in town for performances before the Reach Records event.
Here's a sample of the panel discussion that took place at last year's event. Will you be there this year?
* UPDATE (02/07/12 - 2pm): This post originally reported that Tedashii would not be a part of the Reach showcase due to a prior commitment. I've since learned that the label is planning for him to be able to make this event.
SaulPaul presents his acoustic hip hop "music with a message"
On Thursday, February 2 SaulPaul, an acoustic hip hop “musician with a message,” participated and performed at the NFL PREP: Sports Career Expo, an official Super Bowl XLVI event held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The native Houstonian shared his “Tower to Tower” story of being locked away in a state prison in Huntsville, Texas (with a view of the guard tower) to changing his life and graduating from the University of Texas (which is known for its iconic clock tower.)
The expo was part of the NFL’s community outreach program and enlists professionals from all aspects of the sports industry to inform, educate, and enlighten over 1,300 high school student athletes about a myriad of career opportunities available within the professional sports industry. James Brown, the sportscaster from CBS Sports as well as Troy Vincent, Vice President of the NFL Player Engagement Organization, were in attendance.
SaulPaul, who currently resides in Atlanta, is no stranger to the sports world having previously performed at events around Super Bowl XLIII in 2009 and by offering his daily freestyle recaps of sports new for ESPN Radio in Austin.
His next project, #ShineRightNow, will be released this spring on ReRoute Records. Watch the video below for footage from yesterday's Super Bowl event with SaulPaul.
Houston Christian rapper Bobby “Tre9” Herring and Scott Free, founder of the Atlanta-based Freestyle Missions, are planning an 11-city tour designed to strengthen the gospel hip hop community in 2012. Beginning in Nashville, TN this weekend and ending in Chicago, IL mid-December, this tour aims to unite more than just the music artists it serves.
The Hip Hop Hope Unity Conference and City Takers event will travel through Nashville, Austin, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Alaska, Detroit, Los Angeles, Portland, New York, Oklahoma City and Chicago. Its mission is to unite, serve, train, and equip Christian hip hop artists in daytime workshops, then to minister to the lost and saved in the evening City Takers services.
“This is a tour that will multiply disciples into disciple makers, taking the focus back to the Great Commission. It is often difficult in the Christian hip hop music industry to promote your music and avoid losing sight of the mission. We address this issue and give artists the tools necessary to build the Kingdom of God,” Tre9 explained.
Two Christian hip hop websites, DaSouth.com (co-owned by Tre9) and HolyCulture.net, are both working together to push the vision. Artists such as Donny “D-MAUB” Harper, one of the main Christian rappers slotted for the City Takers evening service portion of the tour, were quick to respond to this unified effort.
“I am 100 percent behind Scott and Tre9 who have been instrumental in directing me towards a more mission-minded mentality. As a result, I’ve seen God bring an increase in opportunities for me to serve and grow,” said the 2011 KCA Award Winner D-MAUB.
Scott Free preaches on Atlanta's streets
City Takers services in Atlanta, GA and Hip Hop Hope Tuesdays in Houston, TX have both been around for well over two years, serving faithfully in their communities.
“For us this is more than rapping on the mic. It stretches into feeding the homeless, looking after orphans, mentoring at-risk youth, visiting those in prison, providing toys or school supplies to under-served families, being active in schools with positive assemblies, remodeling homes for the elderly and more," Scott Free said.
"Tre and I have been fortunate enough to establish non-profit organizations that keep us in full time ministry. We want to share that with our fellow brothers who we know have a calling of their own."
Walking what they talk, a collective of Christian MCs and producers will be using profits from their new compilation album to raise funds for an African school. At the time of this post, it is ranked #10 on iTunes' Hip Hop/Rap Albums sales chart.
The project, titled King Kulture, contains never-before heard tracks from artists like Lecrae, theBREAX, Braille, Sho Baraka, and GRITS. It was organized by the popular gospel rap hub Rapzilla.com and will benefit Ecole de la Borne, a school started by the site founder’s missionary grandparents.
“The literacy rate in the Congo is 66% versus 99% in the United States,” Rapzilla co-owner and editor-in-chief Chad Horton said. “We’re doing a project that is going to benefit people there who haven’t been afforded the same opportunities that we have.”
Track Listing: 1. Welcome to the Kulture – George Moss (produced by Tony Stone) 2. Beautiful Thing – GRITS (produced by Mo Henderson and Michael Millionz) 3. Lift Up – Braille (produced by Theory Hazit) 4. Faith – Dezcry (produced by C-Life) 5. Get Wise – Sho Baraka (produced by Swoope) 6. Breaking Out the Box – theBREAX (produced by Jruckers) 7. It’s Going Down – Benjah ft. Watchman, and Stefan Otto (produced by Benjah & Sky) 8. Drop It On Em – KJ-52 ft. Japhia Life and Kelly Kelz (produced by Tony Stone) 9. Nothing For Us – Eshon Burgundy ft. HotHandz (produced by HotHandz) 10. Fight On – Young Joshua (produced by Chrys Beats) 11. Beautiful Struggle – Yaves The Street Pastor ft. Ron Riley (produced by Cephas) 12. Don’t Leave the Dash Out – K-Drama (produced by GeeDa) 13. Stop – Jeremiah Bonds (produced by @rocdomz) 14. King Kulture – Beautiful Eulogy (Braille, Odd Thomas, Courtland Urbano) ft. Theory Hazit and Lee Green (produced by Courtland Urbano) 15. Bars – T-Word (produced by D-Hood) 16. New Shalom (Dubstep Remix) – Lecrae ft. PRo (produced by Karac)
From the Better-Late-Than-Never Department: A few items related to our recent holidays have just hit the web.
The first includes my interview with Yadah Da King Radio from Thanksgiving.
I always feel odd when I'm asked to be on the other end of interview questions, but I appreciate the good folks at YDK Radio and decided to play ball. The piece aired live in November and is now posted for your on-demand listening pleasure.
During the course of our convo we discussed how I became a follower of Jesus, how I got involved in writing about Christian hip hop, and about where I think the movement is headed.
Christian rapper Rawsrvnt and Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade
This past Saturday Houston gospel singer Yolanda Adams and Christian rapper Rawsrvnt were invited to perform at a surprise brunch to celebrate the 30th birthday of Miami Heat basketball star Dwyane Wade. The event kicked off what is said to be a week-long celebration for the former NBA champ and gold Olympian whose actual "born-on" anniversary is Tuesday, January 17.
South Florida native Rawsrvnt, who is known offstage as Eddy Puyol, said the opportunity came about when Wade’s mother, Jolinda, saw him perform at an event for the Tree of Life non-profit organization.
Without knowing she was in the audience, Puyol rapped his song “On Fire” which includes a reference to Dwyane Wade. He said that Ms. Wade, who is a pastor at a Chicago church her son purchased for her, made it a point to meet Puyol afterward and share a word of encouragement.
“She told me she loved the song and thought it should be played in the Miami Heat’s arena as the team’s new anthem,” Puyol said. “She also talked about raising Dwyane to be a man in the physical sense and wanting to continue to pour into his life in the spiritual sense. Months later, I received the invitation to perform at his birthday party.”
Rawsrvnt and Jolinda Wade
Saturday’s intimate affair was attended by a select group of Wade’s family and friends and held at the W South Beach Hotel and Residences. A healthy buffet was served alongside chicken and waffles inspired by Los Angeles’ famous Roscoe’s restaurant.
Rawsrvnt said he opened the party with a performance of his “I Gotta Feeling/Take It All” mashup of the Black Eyed Peas and Hillsong United hits and then turned the stage over to Adams who sang the Marvin Sapp chart-topper “Never Would Have Made It.”
“The party was full of surprises," Puyol said. "Dwyane didn’t even know it was going down. It was real cool to hear some of the childhood stories shared by family members and see his reaction when his 91-year-old grandmother showed up just to love on the boy.”
Rawsrvnt on stage at Dwyane Wade's 30th birthday party
Puyol said he closed his second set with a performance of “On Fire” after Pastor Wade led the audience in a group prayer for the quick healing of Dwyane’s recently injured ankle.
No stranger to the mainstream entertainment scene (Puyol appeared as a bachelor on the reality dating show Donald J. Trump presents The Ultimate Merger and led a pre-race NASCAR chapel event after “On Fire” was selected as the intro theme for driver Michael McDowell), Rawsrvnt said he believes the party invite was a divine call to his specific mission field.
“People just want to enjoy life. But unfortunately they often believe there is no joy in Jesus,” Puyol said. “Hopefully my music and lifestyle can help change that misconception.”
“We simply can't afford to keep the world's greatest message trapped inside the four walls of the church,” Puyol said.
When I saw that popular secular rapper Rick Ross dropped a free mixtape last week with the first song’s title being “Holy Ghost” I knew a vocal member of our Christian hip hop community would probably respond.
Late Monday, January 9 he released his own version of the song on YouTube – something he calls a “response record” and not a “diss.”
Gifted’s “Holy Ghost” uses the same backbeat but attempts to take the song’s original artists (which includes Sean “Diddy” Combs) to task for their public “disrespect of God.”
They say I’m gettin’ money, must be illuminati Talking to the Holy Ghost, in my Bugatti He knockin’ on the do’, don’t let the devil in He knockin’ on the do’, don’t let the devil in
And
You talkin’ to the Holy Ghost I’m smokin’ ’til I overdose When I **** she let the ***** soak Even my lawyer be askin, "Is it dope?" Never break the code, shock me with a million votes I’m forever dope, touched by the Holy Ghost
“It’s obvious he [Ross] is going out of his way to disrespect God. We can't say he is doing it for pub because he is already a top seller. So what he is doing is from his heart,” Gifted explained to me via a Facebook chat on Monday night. “When I heard that song it immediately sparked my brain to reach out.”
The tactic of using a rapper’s own song/lyrics against him is a time-honored tradition within hip hop. In fact, Monday was also the day that Chicago artist Common raised the stakes in his beef with Toronto’s Drake when his version of “Stay Schemin” from Ross’ same Rich Forever mixtape hit the Internet. However, Gifted denies such retaliation and battle rap actions inspired him to rework “Holy Ghost.”
“I've been aware of Common and Drake's beef for a while. On top of that I don't consider what I did a diss. I consider it more of a rebuttal. That’s why I was careful with the wording,” Gifted said.
He said he created the song to hopefully let Rick Ross hear a different point of view and create a dialogue.
“Everything in that song is what I would say if I were ministering to him face-to-face,” Gifted said.
“I am a proud Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ. So if you say you are too but the character or action you display is against the belief, then you open yourself up to be questioned and corrected by other Christians,” Gifted said.
Gifted said the same thought goes for Diddy who has publicly professed to be a Christian. During our online chat, Gifted pointed to Matthew 12:31-32 from the Holy Bible which states:
31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
I told him I knew that passage had varying interpretations among Christians and asked if Gifted believed that with this song Ross and Diddy committed the "unforgivable sin" and will therefore go to hell because of this track.
Gifted replied: “Well, blasphemy is defined as ‘A contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity,’ so yes, the things said in the song are blasphemous.
“Will this song send them to hell? No, I wouldn't make that broad generalization. I truly believe as long as there is breath in their bodies they can repent. God judges the heart of man.”
The episode recalls another Houston Christian rapper (Bizzle) who jumped to prominence a few years ago by recording and releasing “Explaining to Do: Jay-Z Expose” after the questions arose about the New York MC’s imagery and lyrics concerning Jesus Christ.
I know that Gifted has spoken and worked with Bizzle on several different occasions and asked if he believed these type of response records were an effective form of hip hop ministry.
“Our battle is not against flesh and blood. So it’s our job to keep dialogue open. I can't minister to a person by disrespecting them,” Gifted said.
“So no, I don't suggest for us to look at these cats like our enemies. I do suggest for everyone to do what God has called them to do. Don't start jumping in this type of stuff if you are not led. If you are going to rebuke, do according to how the Bible says do it.”
Your thoughts?
* Full disclosure: I was a part of The Fence's editing and production team.
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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