Christian rap is big in Philly

November 27, 2007. Philadelphia, PA (Holy Hip-Hop News) "IT'S A simple love letter/I'm a write to my man . . ."
Sadiyyah "Zion" Latimer rapped about finding love from an unexpected source.

" . . . strange folks think I'm weird and they don't understan' . . . "


Her friend and fellow rapper, Ronald "Big City" Goodwin, stood next to her, bobbing his head as he listened to her rhyme.

" . . . how you got me in a whirlwind/I'm ya number one fan . . ."

They spill their life stories in the raw, poetic style that belongs to hip-hop. But they're rapping about Jesus.

" . . . when other people gave up on me, Christ, you handed me a chance," Zion rhymed, finishing the impromptu love song created during an interview at the Daily News.

Zion and Big City have joined Philly's expanding ranks of young rap artists who are abandoning their quest for hip-hop glory and fame to pursue a humbler Christian ministry.

Fans of these rap ministers are buying albums and flocking to concerts here - Philly's the biggest market in the Christian rap industry, says Big City - and around the country, even as mainstream hip-hop music sales have slowed.

Taking note of the rising local talent, the city's inspiration station, WPPZ-FM, Praise 103.9, has created a new platform to showcase their hits and messages: the locally produced show "Holy Hip-Hop and Rhythm and Praise."

For two hours every Saturday, starting at 7 p.m., hosts Zion, 27, and Big City spin the records of rising Christian rap stars such as Emanuel "Da' T.R.U.T.H." Lambert Jr. - a West Philly native who's appeared on MTV's "My Super Sweet 16" and Kirk

Franklin's HERO Tour - and South Philly's James "Prayz1" Frager and his band Tha Underdogz, who've been performing in the tristate area and along the East Coast.

Since the show debuted Oct. 20, the first-time radio hosts have been getting dozens of calls each week from listeners, said Zion, who's opened for the likes of Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel and Queen Latifah.

Big City, whose local Christian variety show, "Blessed Cafe," airs every Sunday on Channel 7, pitched the idea to Elroy Smith, operations director of Radio One, which owns Praise 103.9.

"It's not just about the music," Smith said of the show. "It was an appropriate time to do it for the kids."

Praise 103.9 is doing well with its gospel format, according to James Henderson, Radio One research director. He said the station ranked 21 out of 28 local stations in 2005, its first year, but was 13th in last month's Arbitron ratings.

Winning souls for Christ using beats and rhymes is hardly a new phenomenon. It started in the mid-'80s, but in recent years its popularity has ballooned as kids who grew up with hip-hop wanted to use it to express their spirituality. That's shaking up the turgid tenets of ol' time religion.

"Older pastors can't understand how rap is a vital tool for this generation," said Brian Weatherspoon, pastor of Tabernacle International Deliverance Church, in Norristown.

Most of Weatherspoon's congregation is between 18 and 35, which is secular rap's target audience. The young pastor, barely out of the hip-hop generation age bracket himself, said he's more than willing to cater to their worship preference.

"The lifeline is through the young people," he said. "God says, 'Use what you have to worship me.' "

Although Christian rap artists don't look or talk like ordinary missionaries - oversize white T-shirts, large hoop-earrings and knee-high leather boots are the outfits of choice - they make no apologies for it.

It's what is in them - not on them - that counts, and they say they've substituted lives and lyrics laced with drugs and violence for a godly message.

At one time, Nakesha "KeeKee" Ross, a recent guest on "Holy Hip Hop," couldn't record without chugging several beers and getting high on marijuana, she said. Under the influence, the South Philly rapper spewed lyrics about "hog-tying" and "gunning people down."

Now living in the Northeast with her husband and two daughters, Ross, 30, is a born-again rapper who hosts self-esteem workshops with inner-city girls along with her rap group, Four:13.

Lambert, 29, a graduate of the Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne, is content for now spreading the gospel through his music. Zion wants to bring him onto the show soon.

But Lambert said his ministry won't stop with hip-hop. He lectures at youth-oriented workshops in the city and throughout the country about spiritual improvement.

Lambert and Ross share the same goal that Zion and Big City had in creating their radio show: "to restore and repoint people in the direction of God," as Zion put it.

The show's format isn't just music. It includes segments called "Man-Up" and "Girl Talk" that are interactive discussions on practical ways to live a Christian life.

But make no mistake: Christian hip-hop is not about beating people over the head with the Bible, most holy hip-hoppers say. It's simply using the culture that younger generations are familiar with to create a more positive message.

But it's this very culture that continues to spur debate over holy hip-hop's true or faux divinity.

Despite the mass appeal of Kanye West's "Jesus Walks," religious critics still hold tight to conventional forms of "church music." Holy hip-hop artists are still confined to playing at afternoon church events and in cafes, Zion said.

But the tide seems to be turning, especially with the advent of hip-hop breakaway churches, according to Bakari Kitwana, author of "The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture."

These churches - free-standing ministries that aren't tied to a specific denomination - are springing up around the country in defiance of the staid worship services of more traditional churches, he said. Disc jockeys in place of choir directors, turntables instead of organs and free-styling emcees in place of hymnals are more the speed at hip-hop churches.

Although Tabernacle is not a breakaway church, Weatherspoon often inserts references to 1980s rap songs into his sermons, and he plans to dedicate a Sunday service to hip-hop praise and worship.

"I think we're going in the right direction by using what they love," he said.

Meanwhile, the decline in commercial hip-hop record sales continues as the public wearies of its stale and often offensive content. This might be the boost its antithesis needs to catapult to the forefront of the Christian-music industry, some say.

"Quite frankly," Big City said, "the kids are tired of [mainstream hip-hop]. I think they're looking for something more."

Corey Red & Young Dirty respond in new book 'CAN HIP-HOP BE HOLY?': Author explores practicality of holiness in hip-hop.

December 14, 2007 (Holy Hip-Hop News) Saideh Browne, former Hip-Hop industry insider and personal assistant to rapper KRS-One, uses her journalism skills to investigate the viability of holiness in Hip-Hop culture.

After questioning many of her peers and conducting countless interviews with "seasoned saints," Saideh began her research; determined to conclude if the culture and lifestyle she loved could be used to glorify God. The book's compelling question not only creates a starting point for dialog but opens the door to cross generational/cross denominational worship; if the holiness in Hip-Hop can in fact exist.

"I grew up in Hip-Hop and after dedicating my life to God I thought I'd have to abandon my Hip-Hop lifestyle," says Saideh Browne, author of Can Hip-Hop be Holy? "I ingratiated myself with the Holy Hip-Hop culture but quickly questioned its authenticity because it looks and sounds just like secular Hip-Hop and rap music."

Designed as an anthology, Can Hip-Hop be Holy? contains responses from gospel rappers, media personalities, celebrities and a host of everyday people. Some include:

Gospel Rapper, Nova 4 Jehovah
Djuan Coleon, co-CEO The Good Life Media Group
Encouragement Speaker, Derrick Hayes
Sean Pennington, CEO Flipside Entertainment Agency
Rapper and Social Critic, Corey Red
Radio Personality, Oliva Fox and others

Respected in both the secular and gospel Hip-Hop circles, Saideh's book provides both insight and scriptural references to substantiate and refute the holiness of the culture 48+ millions call Hip-Hop.

New Artist of the Year
Group 1 Crew; Group 1 Crew; Fervent Records/ Curb Records/ WB
Bishop Noel Jones Presents The City of Refuge Sanctuary Choir; Welcome to the City (Here in L.A. & a HeadzUp FM Supporter) ; Tyscot Records/Alpha Dog Records

Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year
The Cross Movement; HIStory: Our Place in HIS Story ; Cross Movement Records
Joe L. Da Vessel; Testimony: 1 Lyrics 4 Life ; D.A.A.S. What's Up Entertainment
Pettidee; Resurrections...Past, Present, and Future... ; Sony/ BMG/ Soldier Sound Records
PAJAM Presents 21:03; Twenty One O Three; PAJAM/ Gospo Centric/ Verity/ Zomba
Various; BG Records Presents Gospel Skate Jams Vol. 2; BG Records

What's NICE about the Stellar Awards is we don't have to SHARE a spot with Rock nominees like the GMA Awards. So if your reading this GMA heads, time to get with the times and give Holy Hip-Hop it's own spot. Ya heard me?

_____

 DA' T.R.U.T.H. announces UK Tour

November 3, 2007. (Philadelphia, PA) UK Gospel Music print publication, Gospel Link, has announced a UK Tour featuring the Stellar award-winning US Gospel Hip Hop Artiste DA' T.R.U.T.H.

His featured live appearances will include Gospel Link's first event under the branding 'GL LIVE' on the 28th December 2007 in Birmingham and the 2nd January 2008 in London.

The event will be supported by a cast featuring some of the UK's best artistes.  This initiative marks the 1st Anniversary of the successful re-branding which saw Roger Moore move his magazine from a consistent Birmingham-focused periodical to a full fledged guide to Urban Gospel Music in the UK.  The publication has increased the diversity of its focus, and has recently interviewed the likes of Deitrick Haddon, Four Kornerz and this year's MOBO award winners G-Force.  Christophe Pierre of DesignbySPIRIT, the architect of the re-branding, commented on the selection of DA' T.R.U.T.H.  He said, "Gospel Link is all about the youth, a generation that the church is in a constant struggle to keep. Mainstream music has been shaping our youth culturally, socially and spiritually through not so subtle programming in music.  ”Our goal is to offer them positive alternatives. When Roger Moore decided to extend the Gospel Link brand into events the first thing we did was take the temperature of the streets and one name kept coming up... 'DA' T.R.U.T.H.' We are responding to what they need, not what WE think they need and that's what GL LIVE is about."  2006 saw DA' T.R.U.T.H. supporting Kirk Franklin on his Hero tour and performing at a host of major events and festivals including Bishop T.D. Jakes' MegaFest.  Emanuel Lee Lambert Jr. AKA DA' T.R.U.T.H. is an urban missionary to those influenced by Hip Hop culture. He will be making appearances ranging from live concerts to speaking engagements.  Over the past year DA' T.R.U.T.H. released two projects almost back to back. His live DVD 'DA' T.R.U.T.H. & Friends' and his album 'Open Book' lead by the hit single 'Who Am I' featuring Tye Tribbett.  The follow up single 'That Great Day' will soon be released in the UK and features Pastor Donnie McClurkin on the hook.  This entire album carries great meaning for him, He has said: "Each of us is writing a book. The question is: How does your life read now and what will be your legacy? My goal with Open Book is to encourage each of us to live Jesus consumed, truth driven, intentional and transparent lives in order to make the sight of Christ attractive (2 Corinthians 3:2; Matthew 5:14-15). I can't wait to share it in the UK this December!"