The best albums, secular or Christian, are ones that you can play all the way through and use for all occasions. Everyone has that one album they can go to for dinner when company's over, driving on a sunny day, cleaning the house and vibing to in an introspective moment. Jas Knight just offered you another of those releases to keep on hand, with "The Psalter."
Knight presents this jazzy, neosoul offering as a contemplation of the Psalms. A Psalter is a collection of the Psalms for worshipers in olden times; Jas' Knight's Psalter covers several Psalms, repeating key verses that can be meditated on, with the mellow music serving as a willing vehicle for the uplifting reminders. "This is soul music," Da' T.R.U.T.H. aptly announces on "Psalm 91." Other guests include shai linne and R-Swift.
ShoBaraka dropped a song called "Word" yesterday. It may ring a bell with those of you who attended the Don't Waste Your Life concert.
"Word" will be on Sho's full-length release next year, titled "Lions and Liars." (For more on the release, and more on Sho, check out my recent interview with him for DaSouth, here.)
The song features a minimalist 808 and soul-clap beat. On the song, Sho sometimes clothes his words in a Jamaican-style accent, which coordinates with the woman on the chorus with an exotic dialect. "I walk with boldness like Revenge of the Nerds," Sho says of the strength he gets from the Word of God.
He also gives a shout-out to the Bible for shaping his life for better--encouraging him to serve wifey with breakfast, give to the poor, and to repent when he realizes he's been doing wrong.
Sho is keeping tight wraps on "Lions and Liars," but if this song is any indication, the album should attention grabbing and thought-provoking.
Until then, "Word" is available on iTunes and Amazon. There are also special promotions for the song on the Reach Records site. Get it for free by telling five friends, or if you want to pay, Reach allows you to name your price.
I gotta admit that sometimes I judge by the cover. In a positive way. A close examination of wording and images has often led me to thoroughly enjoyable entertainment that I would've never known about if I hadn't been nosy.
Jade Harrell's "Class Reject," released this summer, is the latest Exhibit A for me in this line of thinking. Her CD caught my eye in the urban section of my local Christian bookstore. Her punky hair, Day-Glo clothing and the title's defiant nod to not fitting into the norm stood out with panache.
I was not disappointed by dropping my cash on her album. "Class Reject" is a light-hearted, pop-leaning concoction of dance and rock, with reggae and even a retro R&B moment. Harrell's willingness to bend genres to her versatile alto is enjoyable.
My Top Tracks:
Into the Music: Futuristic escapism at its best.
Me and My Radio: Worship: No club, DJ needed.
Who Are You: Empowerment celebrated, with Ayiesha Woods.
You have probably heard by now that Jin, a secular rapper who, in the last decade, had a lot of buzz from winning freestyle battles on BET and ultimately being signed to Rough Ryders, recently released a Christian hip-hop song, "Welcome to the Light Club," on his Myspace page and his YouTube page.
The song, rhymed over Kanye West's "Amazing," starts out with Jin reading Matthew 5:14-16, with the words posted on the screen. With this nearly three-minute audio clip, Jin shines light on his new life as a growing Christian to the urban masses. "Jesus is the truth; with Him, freedom can be achieved," Jin proclaims on the song.
He lays bare his feelings on his past, of being a rising star in secular hip-hop, only to seemingly crash in a resounding, career-ending blaze after being defeated at a Fight Klub battle by Serius Jones. "Ego crushed, but it also taught me humility," Jin confessed. "I used to hear the side commentary and get upset with it/Until I realized what was said had some sense in it/No excuses for the stupid records that I made/Would I still be saying this if those records had got me paid?/I can't call it/Either way I'm trying to save/What's left of my soul and not just what's going inside my wallet."
The song begs the question, what's next for Jin? Making more hip-hop, with a positive, Christian-influenced edge has not been ruled out, he seems to say. "Common said he used to love H.E.R.; yo, she's still my baby/So it's only right I learn to treat her like a lady/You want raps about pimpin? Killin? Snitchin? Ballin?/You won't get 'em from me, nah, that's not my calling/God Almighty reached out/I mean it sincerely/He spoke to me like Morgan Freeman did to Jim Carrey," the MC states.
Following the release of the audio clip came a video, straight from Jin's kitchen in Hong Kong, and courtesy of his laptop camera. The nearly 10-minute video has answers to all of the questions that have been floating around Christian and secular hip-hop message boards for the past few weeks.
Jin notes that he has been surprised by all of the Web sites, including HolyCulture.net and AllHipHop.com, that have featured the song. With this exposure, plus that of the song being on his personal pages, Jin acknowledged that he has received a lot of e-mails and Myspace comments from people wanting to know if he's a Christian rapper now.
Jin's answer? Yes, without a doubt, he's a Christian. He still raps, albeit in Chinese lately, but he is not opposed to dropping more English tracks in the future. Is he a Christian rapper? "Hey, I'll let you call it," he says.
Though Jin basically identifies himself as a rapper who happens to be a Christian, he doesn't sidestep the issue of his faith, and the fact that he is relatively new to it. By listening to his account on the video, him giving his life to Jesus, unbeknownst to him, has been a long time in coming.
When Jin was eight years old, a beloved aunt of his, whom he has rhymed about previously, offered to have him stay with her in New York, to go to vacation Bible school. He recalls that he was not thrilled with the idea of summer school, but was amped to have a chance to see the Statue of Liberty and do all the other exciting things that his aunt, a devout Christian, had promised.
He agreed to make the trip from Miami to go to VBS. There, he made friends, but he also learned "the basic fundamentals--which is just God's love for all of us, and Jesus, and how great he was, and what a sacrifice he made." He went to VBS roughly between the ages of eight to 13, stopping when it became necessary for him to help out with his family's restaurant. "I accepted Christ at a young age. Never got baptized, but I accepted Christ as my savior."
Though the seed was planted, Jin notes that the relationship didn't grow, aside from him praying in times of personal need. But, God was working behind the scenes. "What I've learned in the last year is that God wants us to turn to Him when we're in trouble, but what makes Him even more happy is when we turn to Him when we're not in trouble, and just being grateful for what He's done for us, and what Jesus has done for us."
Jin getting back on the path to salvation became a done deal last year. Before he moved to Hong Kong, in May of 2008, he met a pastor in January of that year. He told the pastor about his past experiences with Bible school and his aunt. He doesn't divulge what else went down in that conversation, but ultimately that meeting, on a Friday, led Jin to get baptized right away, on Saturday.
"I'm still not a perfect angel now, there's still a lot of things that I'm fighting, there's still a lot of demons that I'm fighting, and a lot of personal devils that I need to overcome, but it definitely was the beginning of a new chapter in my life," he expressed.
Jin feels that God brought him to Hong Kong, where he thought he was going to explore a Cantonese hip-hop career. "As time passed, I realized that God planned all of this....I want to turn to Him now and express to him exactly how grateful I am. I've just been so blessed in the past year."
Now, "it's bigger than me," Jin said, expressing his desire to "publicly declare just how great God is." The rapper asked for us to keep him in his prayers.
He closes the video by acknowledging that he has said and done "some pretty ungodly things," but that he is certain that "the only thing that's going to...enable me to change is the grace of God and the power of God." For him, the journey is just getting started."
I was happy to hear that Jin had put out a Christian hip-hop song but, like many of you, didn't know what to make of it. Was he really a practicing, authentic Christian? Was he just trying to get shine in the CHH arena after having to bow out of the secular one? Was this a one-time deal?
Only God and Jin know what's next, but I have to commend Jin for being honest about his spiritual state of mind, and his love for Christ. I pray that his plain talking, his detailed testimony, and his willingness to confess why he loves the Lord will inspire others.
Consider this a sizable spiritual coup d'etat, even if Jin doesn't drop another obviously Christian rhyme. He still has many fans, who are potential souls for Christ, as noted by approximately 200 comments each for the "Light Club" video and the explanatory video, titled "Jin....From battle rapper to Christian rapper?!"
"yungblackcat," a commenter to the "Light Club" video post, recalled how Jin never tried to embarrass his foes in freestyle battles, but rather tried to overcome with lyrical ability. "That's what I always liked about you. And now you're saved, that's even better," he expressed. Of the testimony video, "amberannan" said, "I feel the Holy Spirit in your words. What a wonderful testimony. You inspire people like me who are living in Today's world. We can be young, modern and Christian. Thank you." "Onlywon" added: "Much love Jin. Been prayin' for you for years. A real blessing to know that God answered both of ours." Let's hope that Jin's testimony inspires others to consider a life for Christ.
One thing I've learned recently when hip-hop and Christianity have crossed paths in the news is that secular fans aren't necessarily as close-minded to Christian beliefs or as "brainwashed" by the world as some of us may think they are. I was impressed by the number of people on popular secular hip-hop site The Smoking Section who didn't fall for the okey-doke when Jay-Z released a T-shirt emblazoned with "The Return of the God," referring to himself, in promotion of his new album. Comments on that particular post called the pronouncement blasphemy, expressed displeasure at Jay-Z for equating himself to God or, at the very least, complained that the T-shirt was in bad taste. We may have good opportunities to help make a positive change in others' lives.
I would hope that hearing a story like Jin's, of secular rappers heeding God's call, will become more and more commonplace, whether those who are called continue rapping, in a Godly manner, or simply leave the secular arena to focus their personal lives on Christ. I hope that we will give these people the support that they need as new members of the body. We need to recall the struggles we faced in taking that step forward; imagine how much more challenging it must be for someone in the public eye to shed a negative identity that has given them psychological and financial worth, or to quiet the voices of industry folks and "friends" who don't have their best interests at heart, to hear God's still, small voice. Just as it has been a process for us, it is a process for people like Jin. The same goes for any fans of Jin's who want to find out more about his God. Let's show people the love that the Holy Spirit has given us--the clothes of compassion described in Colossians 3:12-13.
A trip to Gospelpundit.com reminded me that Kierra "Kiki" Sheard's "Kiki's Mixtape" is coming out next week as well.
Take a trip over to EJ's page to hear an exclusive, the track "Teach Me." The midtempo song has a smooth, live neosoul sound, with percolating drums framing Kiki's lush vocals. "Lord, teach me to be like you, I wanna be pleasing/I wanna trust you, I wanna be like you," she prays.
World-famous reggae veteran Papa San, having come to Christ more than 10 years ago, has released another Christian offering, "Higher Heights." The 16-tracks don't skimp on the "style and fashion" that fans of the former secular toaster, an annual performer at Jamaica's legendary Sting concert, according to a Wikipedia page, came to love from him.
Papa San, dubbed "Marathon Man" for regularly offering a barrage of popular songs at once, has done it again. All of the songs on "Higher Heights" are enjoyable, for different reasons. Styles range from organic, rootsy tracks to dancehall-flavored ones. Topics range from praising God to church goings-on, to uplifting city dwellers.
Secular reggae interestingly mixes "spiritual" fare into its popular music without anyone protesting, though many of the songs are Rastafarian in nature. Its refreshing to hear quality Christian riddims from Papa San.
My Top Tracks:
Fa Sure: Jesus has the cure.
Higher Heights: Call 'pon the flock's Shepherd.
Ina the Ghetto: Hope for the concrete jungle.
Disaster: Easygoing percussion under convicting lyrics.
Psalms says to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord," but it essentially gives us carte blanche on the "how" of it. Thankfully, there are many flavors of praise music for our many moods and needs.
Shachah, “four dudes from So.Cal,” defies staying in one lane on their latest, "Let the Light in." Rock, pop, and reggae (with Jahaziel dropping in on ragga toasting duties) moments are all present. The group hit my ears lovely with the collabo they did with John Wells (aka The Tonic), "Deliver Us," a rousing rap-rock hybrid. Hip-hop shows up elsewhere, thanks to Brenden Mcpeek from the group, as well as The Tonic and Phanatik.
Shachah is Hebrew for "worship," and the guys definitely bring the noise. If you want to diversify your praise experience, this album will do nicely.
My Top Tracks:
None Foresaken: Jammin' reminder of God's promises.
Man, I should've been at my computer on Labor Day! I read the Tweets via phone about this song, featuring the Frontlynaz, J.R., Eddie Nigma, J. Johnson and Viktory, but just listened to it today.
That's what I get for sleeping. This is straight heat, from the MCs going in, to J.R.'s impassioned chorus, to Wit's sonic alchemy--a little bit of the original G-Styles beat, a little nod to the old school (I'm hearing the flavor of Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full" and Boogie Down Productions' "The Bridge Is Over," I believe?) and a smattering of futuristic keyboarding.
Song is available for download at Da South. It needs to be in your iPod, stat.
I heard this song on the DJ Wade-O Radio Show a few weeks back but didn't get to check the playlist to see who the personnel was. A Web crawl for new music solved the mystery for me!
The artist is S.O., which is an abbreviation of his name, Seun Otukpe. S.O. hails from Durham, UK by way of Nigeria. He began his hip-hop ministry in 2006, according to his Myspace page, and has been on tracks with UK CHH gospel acts including Jahaziel and Four Kornerz.
If you haven't already, feast your ears on "Love Is:
The song, produced by Battle Axe, has a classic hip-hop sound, with a sparse boom-bap beat embellished with a light touch of piano. On it, S.O. gives praise for God's love, the realest there is. "True love is found in the Gospel," he reminds us.
Want more from S.O.? He is currently hard at work on writing and recording for a future EP, to be called "Bridgin' the Gap." Battle Axe will be producing all the EP tracks.
Confession time: As a new CHH fan (going back to late last year), this is my first listen to veteran MC Knine. But it's not my last! The "Robots Have Feelings, Too" theme reinforces that Christians are not the blind, following "robots" of stereotypes, but rather multidimensional, caring people who have found the true solution for the pain and fear of life. Knine also skillfully shows we have style and flava, too. With a relaxed flow, the sometimes humorous, sometimes profound lyrics cover everything from the 10 Commandments to how fans should cope when he dies. Sonically, no secular artist is safe. Beat jacking victims include Ciara, Notorious B.I.G. and ODB. Even the annoying DJ Cannon mix tape drop gets ethered. At 27 tracks, this mix tape is a generous, filling appetizer until The Dogg's next album drops.
My Top Tracks
Thank the Lord: A laundry list of reasons why.
Breathe: US and UK flows? Brilliant!
But He Said: Believe the Lord's report.
It's Not a Game: Tons of clever sports metaphors.
The 10 Commandments: Rundown translated for hip-hop generation.
Everything: Clever sample use for praise.
On top of the World: Where God's mercy places you.
The URL of this site is Prodigalreturn.blogspot.com to mirror the Bible's story of the prodigal son because, like that son, many of God's sons and daughters are making our way back to the Holy Father after trying things our way and getting into all sorts of trouble. I am setting out to have a stronger relationship with the Lord, and plan to share with you encouraging music, books and other things that inspire me. I have been a reporter and editor for industry and publishing. I have covered business management, health care, and secular urban music (including a couple reviews in The Source and an internship at Rolling Stone). I plan to use the skills I learned from the School of Hard Knocks and Temple University to help you (and me) in our spiritual search.
I am a Christian and a writer. I love music and am also winning at the battle of the bulge! I have a blog on urban Christian music and one on how to lose weight but not lose taste when it comes to food choices. Please feel free to check in from time to time on my progress with my Christian journey and my weight loss!
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