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“Portraying Christ In Our Music & Our Lives”
www.twitter.com/hisimagemag
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made it to the second
release of His Image Magazine. What a blessing! We have been getting a pretty good response from the public regarding the first publication and I hope that this issue is received just as well. In this issue you will read great stories from Malice (of the hip hop group, “The Clipse”) and CHH artist Lil Prophet. Both of these artist have a lot planned for 2011 and you do not want to miss their featured stories. Also, we have featured the Top 10 CHH Artist of 2010 list. This list was created to show the unsaved audience that Christian Hip Hop artist are lyrical and they are just as good as the secular artists at creating music. Some people say that CHH is corny and wack but this list will tell a different story. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard a few not so talented CHH artist but you cant let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch. Too many times one not so good artist turns a person completely away from the genre of music, and I think that is sad. There are tons of secular artist that are corny and wack as well but everyone has a preference. I want people to listen to the 10 artist on this list and then gravitate to other CHH artists. We are putting on display the “best” to make a point. So pay attention!
Lamont Thompson www.hisimagemagazine.com
CEO & Chief Editor
Editorial Statement
We
Poetry Corner
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Child Of God
B Y
K E Z I A
child of God yeah that's me chosen and called by He Who is able to keep us from falling i've seen so many fall by the wayside commonly described as the gray side where black and white collide and life seems to have less color and meaning unless one is abiding under the gleaming power of the Almighty some flighty ones choose to play with the loaded guns that satan has set before them attempt to run from God and to ignore Him but see that's when i implore them Above photo of Kezia don't be the devil's puppet suck it up when the going gets tough stay stedfast in the One Who always holds you up and knows His stuff rough comes with the territory but he who endures to the end tells a better story He wrote a letter for you and put His love all up and through what else does He have to do to prove His love for you? to all the non-believers i've encountered in my life i ain't afraid to admit that i get offended when you spit your ignorant, narcissistic garbage about the nonexistence of my Father how dare you even consider that God isn't real? Table of Contents chalking up nature's existence to chance and circumstance and happenstance and the big bang Page 2 spit game about how we descended from fish and apes Kezia “Child of God� saying Christians only serve a "god" as a way of escape you gotta be kidding me man Page 3 planets don't just pop up by chance CHH Editorial atmospheres and stratospheres and oceans and emotions and trees and leaves and seas and bumblebees and land AND man Page 4-5 all fall under the mighty hand of the Most High Lil Prophet Interview it's no lie what He's capable of a Mender of broken hearts makes them able to love Page 7-16 the ultimate Friend Top 10 CHH Artist of He Alpha'd the beginning and Omega'd the end 2010 so excuse me if i get a bit emotional but consider this a promotional ad for the best Dad any of us Page 18-19 could have ever had let's hear one time for the King Malice Interview let's hear it two times for the King and let's live at all times for the King
CHH Editorial
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What Is In A Name?
By: Ronald Smith (DJ Ronnie Ron)
Christian Rap, Gospel Rap, Holy Hip Hop what is the difference? If it is about the gospel of Jesus Christ it should not matter. Too many artist get hung up on titles in fear of being rejected by their secular counterparts. Why should we care if we are rejected? Jesus said in John 15:18-19 to paraphrase (The world hated Jesus first and you are not of this world and the world loves its own). We should not be ashamed to use the title's Christian Rap, Gospel Rap or Holy Hip Hop as the genre of music when using our gifts. Yes, I know this argument can go another way. We do not want to scare or run people away when we meet them. I actually had this conversation with some Christian Rappers. I think we fail to realize that we are promoting Christ and not ourselves. If they reject you, that is okay. When you present Christ, they are rejecting him. Christ said for us to shake of the dust in Luke 10:10-11 just to paraphrase. Rejection is a part of being a Christian. There is no other way around it. We must not forget this is ministry first. As an artist, you must first ask yourself why you are doing this? Our passion should be for ministry not industry. I am not saying do not handle your business, just do not lose focus of why you are rapping or even singing. Do not be consumed with selling records so bad that you lose your focus of the real issue. So many artist desire to rap or sing full time but do not take the time to perfect their craft. The church is still slow to accept rap music. So, your focus should be out in the streets where real ministry dwells. In conclusion, if you are a Christian Rap, Gospel Rap or Holy Hip Hop artist do not be afraid to represent Christ. Do not try to crossover in your content in hopes of more album sales. This is a result of losing your focus for ministry. If you are going to do gospel then do gospel. Don't straddle the fence. The bible says in James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. It is ultimately about your relationship with Christ. Ask yourself this question, am I concerned about Souls or Sales? Thank you for your time. Be blessed Vist www.thehiphoppraise.com for more CHH music and events
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Lil Prophet By Lamont Thompson Lil Prophet has been rapping since he was 14 years old. He started his own music label, “Real Word Records”, based off of Matthew chapter 28 at the age of 16. He found God while following his father around. His father was a pastor. At a young age Lil Prophet saw peoples lives being changed and he saw people who were excited about being saved. He said to himself that he wanted to be part of that. At the age of 14 he was ordained and put into training and classes so that he could gain the proper knowledge about the word of God. Lil Prophet states that he grew up on CHH. He listened to TBone, Pettidee, Gospel Gangstaz, Cross Movement, Holy Culture, etc. He would buy their albums and recycle their rhymes and make sure he knew all of their lyrics. Between the ages of 16 and 23 God opened up doors for Lil Prophet and he gained mentors that would help him with the music and the business side of the industry. His first prayer was for God to be able to use him as an vessel for other artist to record their music and to make record deals for artist to promote their music for Christ. At one point in Lil Prophet’s career he felt discouraged because he had the personality of a shy dude, he recalls. He was never the type of person in the streets or a gang banger, but he dealt with issues within himself. He had to overcome not believing in himself. He doubted if he could go out and proclaim the gospel, but God had to open him up for that to occur. He uses that situation as a testimony when he goes out and speaks to the younger kids. Jesus says that whatever we speak we can have it. Jesus will make room for our gifts. With the help of his mentors Lil Prophet never gave up and was encouraged to continue to seek Christ. Lil Prophet also says that every artist should have a covering. They should have a home church to validate their ministry and to help them when the go astray or need guidance. He says that without that covering we turn into wild fires and we think there is no higher authority above us. So that is a must for us artist to succeed. I asked Lil Prophet how has his family and friends responded to his calling in ministry? Are they supportive? Do they understand your calling? His response was, he lost a lot of people, but he still loves them. He says many are called but few are chosen. He realizes that God has a plan for everybody and he understands that gospel rap is not for everybody. There are times when you have to let go and that’s hard for him because he is a people person, but sometimes it’s just better to let go. Other than that his family, his friends, his church home and his full roster of label mates are 100% supportive. He also mentions that his brother KAS is a rapper signed on the label also. The label is not just CHH either, Lil Prophet states. It’s also gospel music, r&b and they have poets. Its something that every nationality can relate to. Christ doesn’t look at our skin color, he looks at our heart. That’s the vision that Real Word Records has.
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Lil Prophet says that he is happy that the foundation is already laid out for the artist on his label. He says that he had to grind so hard to get his name out by passing out flyers in the streets, calling all of the local churches to make them aware of his ministry for the youth, etc. The platform is already set for his artist to make music and make themselves heard. Lil Prophet says that he gets more excited when someone else on his label releases a project then about his own. Its all about giving he said. It’s about love. Jesus was a giver and in order for my mission to be reached, I have to give back Lil Prophet states. As we talked more about Lil Prophets discography, he lets me know that his first national album, “Versatile” was released last year and has been very successful. One of his personal favorite songs off of that album was a song titled, “That’s Me”. That song talks about marriage and the song is geared towards the saved and unsaved crowds. It uses marriage as a gate to reach people because God agrees with marriage. It is something that he honors. Another song is, “You Don’t Want Me”, which was recorded one day when Lil Prophets older brother came “2011 is going to be huge for Real Word Records” into the studio and poured out his heart about all the things he was dealing with. He was still in the world and struggling with the streets and dealing drugs. The song is saying to the devil you cant have me anymore because I choosing Christ as head of my life. Lil Prophet says that it means a lot to him that his older brother looks up to him and joined his label. That is confirmation to him that his ministry is doing the right things and showing the goodness of Jesus Christ. His number 1 favorite song is a new song titled “Propaduck” . We talked a little bit about the controversy around that song. Lil Prophet says that he understands that there are people that will not understand the calling that God has on his life and the direction of his ministry, but that is OK. That will happen to any ministry and there is nothing that anyone can do about it. He is shooting a video that will clear the air and address the misconceptions about the song. The new album, “To Infinity & Beyond” will be released in February 2011. He is also releasing a discipleship album letting people know what a disciple is and what a disciple does. This album will discuss teachings of discipleship and informing the people how to effectively be a disciple. He states that he uses a lot of examples and creative techniques to get his point across, but his music is rooted in the word of God. He mentioned that he has the proper credentials to teach on these topics. He attended bible college and received his degree to proclaim the gospel. He doesn’t just talk it but he lives it also. As we talked more about discipleship and ministering Lil Prophet mentioned that he recently went to Africa with CHH artist Pettidee, and that is one of his best experience since doing CHH. That was something that he had been looking forward to for the past three years. He recalls it being an awesome experience seeing how the people in Africa live and how they minister. It was a great experience and he plans on returning there soon. Lil Prophet wants everyone who reads this article to put Christ at the head of everything they do. Just do it for Christ and be encouraged. Keep pushing and believe by faith that you can accomplish your wildest desires. As long as Christ is first there is nothing that you cant accomplish.
Visit Websites to find out more about Lil Prophet and the Real Word Records Artist www.realwordrecords.com www.myspace.com/realwordrecords www.twitter.com/lilprophet www.lilprophetmusic.com
^ ^ ^ Affiliates who helped with the judging of this list: JustparaDox // DJ Ronnie Ron // Dj Mixstyles DJ D-Lite // Tyler Chenault // Power Voice Media SA Mixtapes // DJ Will // Ms Boss Lady Kellus Hvnbnd
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#10 About:
Reaction to the #10 selection “We don't do what we do for recognition but we appreciate the recognition. Thanks for the love!”
For more visit:
Based out of South Florida, this trio has been lighting up the Hip-Hop scene for quite some time. After two critically acclaimed albums (Worn Soles, 2007) (Dope Beats, Good News, 2008) and extensive travels throughout the country and world, Rhema Soul is back with a fresh sound and energetic show. The success of singles, “Giving it up”, the worship infused, “All You Are” featuring Hillsong United, and “Steez,” propelled Rhema Soul to a new level, earning them awards, (Just Plain Folks Music Awards winners for Best Hip Hop album) nominations, (The music video for “Steez” was nominated for Best Video by The Gospel Music Channel) and rave reviews. “We don’t like to be labeled, so we let the music speak for itself,” says the female emcee of the group, Butta P. From Worship to Hip Hop, the seasoned Rhema Soul has carved a unique path entirely their own, one which is sure to cater to mass audiences of all backgrounds and musical preferences. Ultimately, the heartbeat of Rhema Soul is ministry, communicating a message of love and hope, through the medium of song. “It’s more than music, says Butta P. “It’s a movement.” Rhema Soul's latest national release, Fingerprints, an eclectic mix of Hip Hop and Soul, is available now through Good City Music and Infinity Distribution.
www.rhemasoul.com
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Biography Imagine a rap artist who in his music balances comedy, weightiness & relevance in order to impact crowds with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Meet the artist, K-Drama, a 26-year-old writer & producer who acts out the King on beats, encouraging people to evaluate their selves & make change as necessary. His gift has made room for him in the Christian Rap genre as he has produced for great artist such as Lecrae, Flame & Tedashii & has featured vocally on songs with Sho Baraka, R-Swift & over 100 other artists across the world. K-Drama has also partnered with Christian MMA clothing line, Jesus Didn’t Tap, crafting 2 theme songs for the brand.
K-Drama
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Born A. Regis Jones in Cincinnati, OH, he had a difficult childhood. In 7 years, he attended 5 different schools. Regis oftentimes felt neglected, so he lived for attention & affirmation. At Sunday service, he quoted Bible verses in hopes to impress members while at school he did the total opposite to impress his peers. Regis lived a double life. It wasn’t until his friend, Marquez Patterson died at the age of 13 of a heart failure that Regis had a rude awakening. He realized that life is short and no man knows when he’ll die. Hence, Regis became a born again Christian at Marquez’s funeral without an altar call. Through God, Regis sought out the purpose of his life. Without intentionally looking, Regis discovered part of his purpose through another Christian rapper performing at an out of town youth retreat. Though Regis never rapped prior to salvation, Regis was encouraged by the Holy Spirit to pursue rap ministry as a means to evangelize to sinners & encourage Christians in their walk. As Regis was penning songs, his Pastor, Ronny Lott, took note of his interest & invited Regis to perform in his 1st concert alongside Grapetree Records act, Preachas In Tha Hood. After a successful performance, Regis (now known as K-Drama) began ministering in outreaches, prisons, schools, churches, festivals & anywhere he had an opportunity to perform. Over time, he made 3 albums before signing his 1st recording contract with Holy Hip Hop Music/EMI Gospel. This spring boarded his career, opening many opportunities for him to spread the love of Jesus Christ through his music across the United States. His 5th album, BoomBaptism, garnered his most popular song to date, “Air Jordan” which was a phenomenon in the Christian Rap genre. This song was remixed over 70 times including “Kobe Bryant On Em’” by Sho Baraka which ended up being included on Sho’s latest album & featured K-Drama on the 3rd verse. Now signed, with premier record label, Cross Movement Records, K-Drama’s platform has been graciously extended, charging Christians to workout spiritually through his debut CMR release We Fit: The Workout Plan. Provident-Integrity/Sony Music distributes this album. K-Drama is a proud husband & father of 2 small children. He volunteers for CeaseFire Cincinnati, an anti-gun violence campaign curbing gun violence through grassroots public education. A greater amount of humility & joy has been demonstrated through him because God has transformed him & solely orchestrated his life. By trusting in the Lord, God has directed K-Drama’s path.
www.k-dramamusic.com
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*Biography* Donny
"D-MAUB"
Harper
#8
is Dedicated to Making All Underestimaters Believers......it's what his name stands for. Like most thrown onto to the platform of ministering the word of God, this young man has seen his share of trials and tribulations. When his childhood friend, Robert "Lazarus" Smith pulled him aside and introduced him to Christ, Donny took the role full on. Tragically losing his mother in 1997, D-MAUB finally saw D-MAUB’s reaction to being selected for the #8 spot that there was more to life than what he “WOW! That was the 1st thing that came to my mind and a big kool-aid had been doing. He accepted the invita- smile stretched across my face! I couldn't believe that out of so many dope, anointed artists that's out here giving God glory, I would be in your tion and started turning a skill he has top 10! I am very thankful that you appreciate my music ministry on this always possessed to glorify God and level. I don't rap to be in the top 10, or to receive awards, but when I am spread his awesome testimony of comgranted with these things I am definitely grateful. It encourages me to continue to do my best, knowing that people are effected in a positive way ing through tough struggles. He wants by my gift. Thank you.” people to know that we can have fun and draw men to Christ through his lyrics and beats. But most of all he desires to draw all to Christ. He's also known as the #1 YOUNG "CUT-T" , which stands for Courageously Upholding The Truth. When D-MAUB talks, people listen, they relate, they think and things change!! D-MAUB has had the pleasure of ministering alongside national recording artists Nicole C. Mullen, Bootsy Collins, k-Drama, Karen Clark and Kierra Sheard, Electric Church, Mars Ill, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., E.Cross, and Tye Tribbett and G.A.. He also has submitted his voice to local commercials such as Deveroes clothing store. He participated the Queen City Fusion BET/Soundstage in 2004. D-MAUB has appeared on the Sony Playstation 2 games Grand Turismo 4, NBA Jam, ATV 3 and MLB 2005. Another piece of the vision came together in 2005 when Donny branched out and began his own label, One Route Entertainment. He and a group of dedicated friends have big things in store that include music, clothing and educational platforms. One Route Entertainment has been making strategic moves to achieve goals, most recently attending the 2008 Holy Hip Hop Awards and Artist Showcase in Atlanta, Georgia. D-MAUB is featured on the Holy Hip Hop :Takin’ The Gospel To The Streets Volume 4 Compilation for 2006 distributed worldwide by EMI Gospel. D-MAUB has released 4 albums, The Unexpected in 2002, Tymeline in 2005, Life Over Death in 2007, and both The Release and Urban Legend in 2008. In 2009 he presented "Crazytones", the ringtone album, "Crazy Text Tones" and "The Follow Up" EP. D-MAUB was among the honorees for the 2009 Holy Hip Hop (EMI) Awards and Artist Showcase to be held every January in Atlanta, Georgia. He also acts and has been featured in the stageplays “Go Get Your Life Back” and "Secrets". In October 2009 D-MAUB and One Route Entertainment secured national distribution with Dedicated Music Group/Universal Music Christian Group. He continues to work with local and national productions and participate in events both in and out of his hometown. Donny was born, raised, and currently resides in Cincinnati Ohio with his wife and children.
Visit http://onerouteentertainment.com for more from D-MAUB
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Mouthpi3ce
#7
#7 Website www.mouthpi3ce.com
A B O U T
So who is MOUTHPI3CE? He’s an artist, producer, author, and minister happily married with two beautiful sons and daughters. He is the son of a preacher and musician. The Founder and CEO of Grizzly Music Entertainment and Co. Founder (3hp records artist)of “Fighting for Forever Ministries” shared with his wife Maisah Houston. FFF is a ministry geared to empowering marriages for God’s divine purpose and Glory. He was born in Anniston, AL, raised in Atlanta, GA under the leadership of Pastor Creflo and Taffi Dollar of World Changers Church International. At World Changers Church International he has had the honor of serving as Director of Music at Inline Student Ministries. MOUTHPI3CE is not just a name but a call from God to speak to an un-reached generation by means of music and public speaking. Since accepting his call he has had the opportunity to preach, speak and perform at many churches, schools, and detention centers across the United States. The characteristics that separate MOUTHPI3CE from a host of similar artist in the music industry are his creative ways of delivering a message. He has a God given gift of finding new ways of introducing Jesus Christ. Unlike many others he does it without sounding so preachy and that’s even when he’s preaching. To the Kingdom’s gain many have accepted Jesus Christ as a result of his call. His charisma and swagger makes the music attractive and desired among his peers saved and unsaved alike. This is a quality much needed in such a perverse generation as today. With all that said his die hard love and passion for Jesus Christ makes the anointing upon his life evident and undeniable. Before God is done with him, he is sure to have spoken a mouthful to the world.
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Lavyss aka Bizzle Bio: Born with a God given talent for music in general, the Los Angeles raised M.C. Bizzle (born Mark J. Felder) wrote his first rap verse at no older than 8 years old and also started writing R&B around that same time. He, now at 26 years old, has 18 years under his belt as a writer and the experience shows in his sound and versatility.
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Between the years 2004-2008 Bizzle released L.A.V. Mixtapes Vol. 1-5 in Southern California. He then released Dirty West Mixtapes 1 and 2 with 360 Records in Houston TX, and went back to CA to release his biggest yet, “Certified Mixtape”. In 2005 he was offered a deal by 360 Records out of Houston and declined. Two years later he was offered a deal by Barry Hankerson to sign with Blackground/Universal, but he also declined that offer. He’s also put on many successful shows as the headliner and opened up for artists like Lil Wayne, Juelz Santana, Lil Boosie, and more. He’s also worked with platinum producer Chink Santana, Darock Ramos, Stack Bundles, Lil Eazy E, Roccett from CTE, Dirty Birdy,Pretty Willie aka P-Dub, Mouthpi3ce, Chino XL, Twank Star from Nappy Boy, and many more including a compilation project feat. Ne-Yo, The Game, Nelly, David Banner, T.I., Akon, and many more.Bizzle spent 3 years preparing his debut album “Grind Pays”. With multiple singles gaining momentum, his myspace plays quickly reached over 500,000.With his street buzz in the Los Angeles and I.E. areas and his success on myspace, the expectations for the album were big, but God had bigger plans for Bizzle. In 2008 Bizzle started attending church more frequently and his realtionship with God grew even stronger. As a result of this he felt he needed to take his music in a new direction. In January 2010 he released the track “You Got Some Explaining to Do”, a song directed towards Jay-Z, calling him out on his negative references towards Jesus in his raps; which caused a lot of contraversy. The buzz was bigger that he could have ever imagined. After continuesly being called the “Christian Rapper” that dissed Jay Z, Bizzle deceided that he wanted to continue his movement to bring Glory to Christ through his music. He realeased his first Christian Mixtape entitiled “The Messenger” in March of 2010. “The Messenger” was a huge success, receiveing over 50,000 downloads and creating an even bigger buzz on the internet, with his views on Worldstarhiphop.com, Allhiphop.com, Mediatakeout.com, Bossip.com, youtube.com, etc… totaling well over 1 million. He currently resides in Houston Texas where he is preparing for the release of “The Messenger 2″ mixtape due out in June, as well as working with producers Beanz N Kornbread (Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, and more) and Cameron Wallace (Beyonce’s “Upgrade You” Feat. Jay-Z) on his untitled debut album. Bizzle has done countless interviews on websites and radio shows such as Kingdomswag.com, Dasouth.com, Holla-Fest radio, itmlive radio, G1 Magazine, NFormD TV just to name a few. He was also invited to perform at one of the largest music festivals in the United States, the South by Southwest 2010 Music Festival and Conference in Austin, TX., but he has bigger plans for 2010.
www.iambizzle.com
Sho Baraka
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About Sho:
Born in Canada, but raised in Cali, communicating a message as an artist has always been a part of who Sho is. Introduced to Hip Hop at a young age, he grew to love its content and attitude. Living in Southern California during the height of Gangsta Rap presented its challenges to many youth, as well as Sho. In high school Sho and some friends from his neighborhood formed a rap group that began touring with major recording artists. But his life took a different turn after the rap group fizzled, and close friends were killed and others incarcerated due to the gang life they led. The message of his life began to change.
#5
He decided to heed his father’s advice and apply to college, pursuing education instead of the streets. At the time, Christ was not a part of his life, but his older brother, his father, and a leader at his church, had always promoted education and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Sho continued on to Tuskegee University, and it was there, that the seeds that they planted in him finally took root. While in college, through the lives of some solid Christians on campus, the Lord rescued him and redeemed his heart. Sho’s message changed from promoting himself and Hip Hop to promoting Christ, and now he wants the world to see the Lord at work in him. Our popular culture today elevates the lifestyles of rappers who promote ideas that only destroy our culture, but because of God’s grace Sho has a different message: “Turn My Life Up” What if the Programmed Culture could see the change Christ made in him and be transformed by God’s Grace to impact lives and revolutionize our world? Not desiring fame or personal glory, Sho invites you to listen to his message and see how God can “Rebuild the Culture”
Find more about Sho Baraka @ www.reachrecords.com
Pro’s reaction to being selected for the #4 spot
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“It's an honor to even be considered a great artist! I just pray that the Lord can use my platform to make his name known”- Pro
Fo-cus [foh-kuh s]
Pro
//
–noun 1. a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity.
#4
We all have focus. We all have something that determines our navigation through this maze we call life. The question is where is your focus? When asked this question, Pro responds with a one word answer... “Christ.” “If I focus on anything other than that I lose.” he elaborates. “The idea is to be like the racehorse. Many racehorse trainers believer that blinders keep the horse focused on what is in front of him, encouraging him to pay attention to the race rather than other distractions. So believe I got my blinders on!” Born in Pontiac Michigan and raised in Middle Tennessee, Pro has been exposed to many things that have crafted his music immensely. Unfortunately, Pro shares the same story of many urban youth today. He was raised in a single parent household by his mother, with no real father figure, and surrounded by a culture that preaches arrogance boldly. But rather than focus on the negative, Pro emphasizes the fact that through the blood of Christ, anyone can be free!
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Sean Slaughter The Prototype is the fifth solo album from the Grammy nominated artist which features the smash hit “ Who We Are” The Prototype also features: Arrow Recording artist Canton Jones on “ Survivor” which is slated as the second single in addition to BEC Recordings artist KJ 52 on “ I'm Gone” and D-Maub on “ Get at You”. His previous offerings Die Daily and Man of Fire which featured Cross Movement artist JR on “ Flesh Killer” are critically acclaimed and has been a favorite for DJ's and fans. Sean has traveled nationally and internationally for the last 9 years and shared the stage with Ty Tribett, Andre Crouch, and kirk Franklin to name a few. Sean has performed the first single “Who we Are” on TBN and is slated to begin the Prototype Tour in the fall with new Urban Gospel vocalist CMO also featured on the project. The Prototype project was entirely produced by industry veteran PROS aka PL Sweets. Slaughter Music has embarked on a unique concept of viral promotions by filming a short film released in five weekly album trailers leading to the “Who We Are” music video and album release date.
#3
Website:
www.seanslaugter.net
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Biography
#2
Trip Lee
As kids, most people aspire to be famous, but few actually achieve fame. Some come close, but most begrudgingly let go of their childhood fantasy once reality arrives. Trip Lee was just like most kids, except that the reality of eternity is what made him loosen his grip on worldly fame. William Lee Barefield III, better known as Trip Lee, was born and raised in Dallas, TX. As a young boy, Trip Lee had dreams of being a professional athlete or famous rapper, and he began to hone his lyrical skills at the age of 12. “I rapped about random stuff…how hot I was, how many girls I could pull,” Trip says. But upon giving his life to Christ, at age 14, his focus changed from fortune, fame, and women to serving and ministering the Gospel. Trip slowly recognized that all of his life should be centered around Christ. “One day, I just decided, I’m only doing Christian hip hop. Rappers like Ambassador and Da Truth helped provide a model for how I would begin to do that,” he says. He also had an immense desire to learn and teach the Word of God, so he became a leader in his youth group and preached his first sermon at age 17. In 2004, Trip met Lecrae at a concert; months later, after talking and building with each other, Lecrae began to disciple him. While still in high school, Trip was given the opportunity to pen a few devotionals for the Reach Records website that dealt with theological matters and showcased his spiritual maturity. Trip signed with Reach Records, and his debut album, “If They Only Knew,” hit stores nationwide a few days after his high school graduation. His first full-length album introduced hip-hop fans to his distinct southern sound, unique delivery and gospel-saturated lyrics. That same year, Trip was also featured on the Dove Award-nominated, timeless classic “Jesus Muzik” with label mate Lecrae. His sophomore album, “20/20,” was released in 2008 and garnered much success, breaking into the Billboard Top 200 and reaching #11 on the Billboard Christian albums chart and #4 on the Gospel chart. Back with his third studio album, “Between Two Worlds,” Trip offers a collection of reflections on life in a fallen world. True to form, his hope is that his reflections not only resonate with listeners, but also point to Jesus as the Hero. Since his first album release, Trip has traveled the world doing concerts for thousands of listeners, and his last three summers have been spent on tours (national and international) with his Reach label mates. His Christ-centered hip-hop message has also built a platform for him among churches and other Christian organizations, which has led to numerous opportunities to preach and teach at conferences and other events. Trip now resides in Philadelphia, PA with his wife and is pursuing a degree in Biblical Studies at Philadelphia Biblical University. He is the leader of the small groups ministry at Epiphany Fellowship, where he also preaches and teaches when called upon. Trip’s unending desire is to proclaim the grace and beauty of Jesus Christ to anyone that will listen; ultimately, he hopes this journey will someday lead to pastoring a church.
www.reachrecords.com
Bio
#1
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Lecrae
An unlikely story stands behind the man known to many as Lecrae. From the south side of Houston, to a leader in the movement of urban reform, a rocky road provides a window into the grace he experienced through out his life--with every situation molding him into the artist and leader that he is today. Born and raised by his mother, in a poor community, Lecrae Moore moved around a lot, giving him the versatile background and cultural awareness he carries with him. San Diego, Denver, and Dallas have once been home to him and the street life he idolized and pursued. Along the way, like many in the inner city, he took to rapping as a way of communicating his thoughts. It wasn’t until after high school that his hobby became a passion, and Jesus Christ redeemed his Hip-Hop background. At 19-years-old, at the encouragement of a Christian leader, he had attended a conference and heard James White delivering the message. In that moment, sitting in a chair, his world was flipped upside down as the Holy Spirit convicted him of his sin and need for a Savior. Almost instantly, his renewed heart spilled over as he printed his testimony and passed it out across the University of North Texas campus. The next five years included many struggles and victories before he teamed up to found Reach Records, releasing his first album at the age of 25. Calling Dallas home, Lecrae had remained content using his gifts of speaking and rapping while volunteering at a juvenile detention center, but the Lord had different plans, and he soon began working on his debut album. Pouring out a genuine discussion of life issues and a passionate, unashamed pursuit of Jesus Christ, Lecrae released Real Talk. Listeners responded by quickly noting him as an emcee that meets people where they are by delivering transparent, relatable, and impactful messages. As Lecrae continued to make his mark in the music industry, he realized the stage wasn’t enough. He wanted to see a deeper impact in urban culture. There needed to be a culturally relevant and biblically solid resource center to help train the next generation, so he co-founded ReachLife Ministries in 2005. The non-profit organization exists to partner with other organizations in equipping local leaders with culturally relevant tools and media projects designed to strengthen communities with the word of God. ReachLife is another vital piece in the larger vision of seeing a reformation in urban culture. Since then, Lecrae has released the groundbreaking album After the Music Stops and the first Christian Rap album to ever sit in the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Top Gospel Charts--Rebel. Led by the classic single‚ “Jesus Musik,” After the Music Stops slowly spread to the mainstream market with other hits such as “Praying For You” and “Send Me.” Aimed at building an audience of disciples, the album sat on Soundscan’s Christian Hip Hop/R&B chart for two years after releasing in 2006. While Rebel, released in 2008, also garnered much success--spending 78 weeks on the Billboard charts. A graduate of University of North Texas, Lecrae now resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife and children. He and his wife are small group leaders at Blueprint Church, and his passion for impacting urban culture persists. With three successful albums to his name, touring worldwide along with the 116 Clique, and inspiring a generation of young believers across the globe, Lecrae is humbled by his position in leading others towards Christ. His hope is that Reach’s impact will spread far beyond simply the music and into the lives of individuals across the world, ultimately exalting Jesus Christ.
www.reachrecords.com
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Listen to CY's new singLe, “godz'iLLa” ft. Young joshua of Cross Movement Records
Single Info: Godz'illa Featuring Young Joshua is from CY's fourth overall soon to be released album, "High Wire Act" at a later date. It is a creative worship song referring to God is illa or greater than anything we all can think or imagine, beyond our wildest dreams! Also using a creative conceptual theme of the Old School Godzilla movie that many people can relate to.
Purchase CY’s Albums HERE! www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Cy www.cdbaby.com/cd/cy www.cdbaby.com/cd/cy2
Album info and concept: The album project titled High Wire Act is a creative album and the sequel to the Circus World Event..The Ringleader Album. The High Wire represents the High Wire Act that tight rope walkers walk and balance on during the circus show. The High Wire also represents the narrow bridge road that leads to eternal life which believers in Christ must walk as spoke of in the bible, and in order to balance on that wire, we need Jesus Christ as our balancing pole. The High Wire Act also displays other messages such as humility, being on top, while CY brings a high level of energy with tracks produced by CY, Phillip Moore, Tony Stone, Vohn Beats, Jim Natural and more. Guest artists are Young Joshua, Tony Stone, One Dose, Von Won, FireJaws, Gina V., Tannie, Ish, Gifted, Tre9, Kent & Shellee Coley, Manni-Starz, MiKalibur, Titus, D.Steele, Hozey and more..... CY- Executive Producer/Artist Complex Melodies Productions CEO Much Luvv Records Inc. www.soundclick.com/beatsbycy (LISTEN TO BEATS ON SALE HERE) www.dasouth.com/complex (OFFICIAL ARTIST WEBSITE) www.myspace.com/cyofmuchluvv www.facebook.com/circusworld www.twitter.com/cyholla http://www.youtube.com/user/cytheringleader (VIDEO PAGE) cyholla@gmail.com (Primary Email) cy@dasouth.com
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By Lamont Thompson
//Hip Hop artist Malice from the group The Clipse, has a powerful story to tell the world. He has seen a lot, he has done a lot, and now he feels it’s time to tell the world the real story. Malice started the interview letting me know that he was no stranger to the church. At a young age his grandmother kept him in the church on Sunday mornings whether he wanted to be there or not. Malice feels like he just grew up with the religion that his grandmother introduced to him. When someone asked did he believe in Jesus Christ, he knew the correct answer was yes, but he never truly focused on the price that Jesus paid for us all. Malice was not studying the word or trying to build a personal relationship with Christ, he was pretty much just going through the motions, like many of us. He states that he is really thankful for his grandmother for her prayers, because even when he didn’t know, she knew. Her prayers kept him. On the music tip, Malice began to take a liking to music around the 6th or 7th grade. He and his cousin would write raps. Never was it his focus to be a big rapper, but Malice says that he has been blessed with a gift of speaking, articulating and conveying messages. Hip hop to him was just a hobby. Something that he loved to do. He always knew that he could rap, but never believed that it would take form and come to the light. It always seemed to be more of a distant dream. It wasn’t until he hooked up with the Chad & Pharrell, of The Neptunes, and he saw them making power moves that Malice realized that the once distant dream, was actually reachable. Then he started to pursue getting a record deal and was successful after two years in pursuit.
This is where things get really interesting for me. You work hard for two years and now it’s time for the big payback! You have money, you have women, you have your name in flashing lights, so I had to ask Malice was it everything he wanted and hoped it would be?
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Malice responds saying that it was the complete opposite. He states it is everything that you would expect it to be, but if you are wise and your eyes are open you can see that a lot of the things you wished for are not fulfilling. It you are wise you will probably come to the realization that everything that you thought looked glamorous or exciting is actually shallow. He realized that everything that you do and God is not involved in it, it will lead to destruction. Many of Malice’s friends have been killed and his entire entourage has been arrested and sentenced to major time in jail. He watched himself and his peers come up and get blessed with material things and he has also seen those material things get stripped away. That’s why Malice’s movement now is for the children or the younger generation that aspires to become artist, athletes and musicians. He believes that there is nothing wrong with wanting to be these things or having money, but it is important that a person be grounded first. If you are not grounded in the word, these riches in the flesh just mean you no good. It will lead you down a horrible path. The Clipse have always created music that is genuine and are real experiences that they have been involved in, and Malice only feels that is fair to speak about the ups and the downs. Malice had to ask himself a question. He asked himself why was he not fulfilled in the position that he was in? He could get any girl he wanted, he could purchase any car. Buying clothes and jewelry, but there was nothing in it after a while. The high never lasted. Malice had a friend that once told him that there was no glory in what he was doing. That was a conviction moment for Malice, because he realized he was not bearing the right fruit.
I asked Malice what was the defining moment when he realized that things had to stop and he had to do works for the kingdom of God? Malice said there were actually a few of these moments. One of the things that really hit home was when his manager and his friends were arrested by the feds when they were returning home from a trip to Miami. Before they could even get home, the feds were waiting for everybody. After that situation it became hard to keep rapping about the things that he was rapping about. When he looks at the children of his friends that are now in jail or when he takes them to visit their father in jail and he watches them look at their father behind the glass, he says, there’s no way you can witness that and not think about what you are saying. He admits that everything he was rapping about is true, but it can be portrayed wrongly by different listeners. Some people may think that it’s cool, but that is not the message that Malice aims to promote. Malice has a new book where he will share is full testimony. He feels that he went through these trails to help out other individuals. Malice wants everyone who reads his book to walk away knowing that Jesus Christ is Lord. His book is titled, “Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind & Naked”.
//Sidenote: I asked Malice will he start doing CHH. Malice says that he doesn’t think he will do Christian Hip Hop, but he doesn’t know what the future holds. For him there is a fine line that he has to balance to bring new people to the gospel. He feels that he is relatable to a certain audience and he will continue to be a vessel to them. If they believed him three albums ago, then his listeners will still believe him now. Find more from Malice @ www.maliceoftheclipse.com, www.maliceoftheclipse.tumblr.com and twitter.com/Malice757