750. Hands and Feet with Prophet Link

[00:00:00] Sometimes I call them Kingdom Building Conversations because we try to have conversations that build within the kingdom.

[00:00:05] Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Prophet Link in this building, also known as Reverend Michael Link Alvarado.

[00:00:12] Let's get that clear, Reverend Michael Link Alvarado.

[00:00:14] Powerful voice in Christian hip-hop and a dedicated advocate for community transformation.

[00:00:19] Hailing from the Bronx, Prophet Link's journey combines his love for hip-hop, his deep faith, and his commitment to social impact.

[00:00:26] Raised on the sounds of hip-hop legends like Rakim, DMX, and Eminem.

[00:00:30] He later found inspiration in Christian artists such as Bizzle, Shobaraka, and Shaolin after his own faith transformation.

[00:00:36] We're going to talk about that, his new album, Hands and Feet, and everything going on.

[00:00:41] Y'all give it up for Brother Prophet Link.

[00:00:44] Praise God.

[00:00:45] What's good, brother?

[00:00:46] We got to get the ear horns.

[00:00:48] Tito, how you doing, man?

[00:00:50] Peace, Tito, man.

[00:00:52] I am blessed and highly favored.

[00:00:55] You look blessed and highly favored, brother.

[00:00:57] I'm good.

[00:00:58] You look blessed and highly favored.

[00:00:59] I love that jacket, by the way, man.

[00:01:00] Thank you.

[00:01:01] Yeah, let's see if they get that in the 2X.

[00:01:03] Yeah.

[00:01:03] I got you.

[00:01:04] Yeah.

[00:01:05] I got you.

[00:01:05] I got the hookup.

[00:01:05] Custom.

[00:01:06] Speaking of that, I don't want to forget, man.

[00:01:08] Speaking of drip, hey, big shout-out to Rick Montero.

[00:01:10] Thank you for sending the hat, brother.

[00:01:12] I appreciate the love so much, man.

[00:01:13] So proclaiming.

[00:01:13] Thank you for sending it.

[00:01:14] I don't wear a lot of yellow, but now you're inspiring me to get something to go with that.

[00:01:19] Yeah.

[00:01:20] Yeah.

[00:01:20] Thank you, brother.

[00:01:21] And you're in PA, so that's an easy look.

[00:01:23] Steelers.

[00:01:23] Well, yeah.

[00:01:25] I mean, this part of PA is Eagles country.

[00:01:28] Oh, gotcha.

[00:01:28] So you have to be careful, bro.

[00:01:30] Eagles fans are different.

[00:01:33] Let me just say it that way.

[00:01:34] I'm going to leave it at that.

[00:01:35] Eagles fans are different.

[00:01:35] And I'm a Washington Commanders fan, and so I've had a time or two where I've gone when

[00:01:40] they've played the Eagles and accidentally cheered when they scored.

[00:01:45] How dare you?

[00:01:46] Bro, you got to be thick.

[00:01:49] You got to be thick to do that.

[00:01:50] So my salvation is short because I'm a New England Patriots fan.

[00:01:53] I'm talking about Drew Bledsoe before they became good.

[00:01:56] Oh, you go back.

[00:01:56] Yeah, yeah.

[00:01:57] Before they became good.

[00:01:58] Drew Bledsoe.

[00:01:58] Okay, you go back.

[00:01:59] Let me ask you this.

[00:02:00] What's one thing that people who know you best, people like, man, I know, I know Link.

[00:02:05] That's my guy.

[00:02:06] I know Rev.

[00:02:07] That's my guy.

[00:02:07] Yeah.

[00:02:08] What's one thing you could share that even those folks would say, oh, wow, that's new

[00:02:11] to me.

[00:02:11] I've not heard that.

[00:02:13] That is new.

[00:02:15] That they've not heard.

[00:02:16] They would say, oh, my God, I can't believe I've known him for decades.

[00:02:19] Didn't notice about him.

[00:02:20] And didn't know that, man, this was a surprise to me, actually.

[00:02:27] And this only kind of came out through corporate fellowship with the brethren.

[00:02:31] Yeah.

[00:02:32] Is that I'm exploring and now taking vocal sessions to sing.

[00:02:36] Is that right?

[00:02:36] Lead worship.

[00:02:37] God has given me songs and music.

[00:02:41] And usually I just, I keep it to myself and I worship.

[00:02:43] Right.

[00:02:44] But I'm stepping into a new phase of actually practicing and getting my vocals tight and

[00:02:50] making it appealing and pleasing.

[00:02:52] Not just to the Lord.

[00:02:54] Not just to the Lord.

[00:02:55] Not just shower worthy.

[00:02:56] Yeah.

[00:02:56] But yeah.

[00:02:57] What stirred that up?

[00:02:59] Man.

[00:03:02] To actually get it.

[00:03:03] Yeah.

[00:03:04] To make you say, particularly to go through the pursuit of even taking classes.

[00:03:07] Vocal coach.

[00:03:08] Vocal coach.

[00:03:09] Yeah.

[00:03:09] Shout out to Cole Campbell.

[00:03:10] That's my vocal coach.

[00:03:11] Big shout out to Cole Campbell.

[00:03:12] Yes.

[00:03:12] Love your work, brother.

[00:03:14] Man.

[00:03:14] What really started up was this expression and this desire to have worship in an organic

[00:03:21] way.

[00:03:22] Right.

[00:03:22] The scriptures are clear that we should be singing spiritual hymns and songs to one another

[00:03:26] admonishing one another.

[00:03:27] Right.

[00:03:27] Right.

[00:03:28] And so several of the brethren I'm talking about in different instances, different times

[00:03:32] were like, yo, man, I heard you worshiping.

[00:03:35] You have a gift.

[00:03:37] And I'm like.

[00:03:38] Is it like doing a service that you were?

[00:03:40] I'm like, man, I rap because I can't sing.

[00:03:41] What are you talking about?

[00:03:42] Right.

[00:03:42] Like, yeah.

[00:03:43] No.

[00:03:43] Right after or maybe days after.

[00:03:45] Like, yo, man, I just I wanted to tell you this other day, but I didn't catch you after

[00:03:49] service or after we after fellowship or whatever.

[00:03:52] Man, you have you have a voice.

[00:03:54] You have a voice that that speaks the heart of heaven.

[00:03:56] And I was like, what?

[00:03:58] That sounds insane.

[00:04:00] And I'm like, you know, as a little kid, I always wanted to be an R&B singer, but I

[00:04:04] didn't have the voice for it.

[00:04:05] So that's why I started rapping.

[00:04:06] Right.

[00:04:06] So it's like to hear that, that that's something new to everybody.

[00:04:10] That's beautiful, man.

[00:04:11] Even my wife was like, oh, OK, you're taking vocals.

[00:04:14] There's always something nice about when preachers can sing.

[00:04:18] You know, when you think about it, I'm going way back.

[00:04:20] Like Carlton Pearson.

[00:04:22] I know people struggle with, you know, where he fell off and came back.

[00:04:24] But think about it.

[00:04:25] He would be preaching and then all of a sudden, I don't know the Lord.

[00:04:28] We'll make a way.

[00:04:28] Get in a song.

[00:04:29] Right.

[00:04:30] This is something in the whole room is moved.

[00:04:32] Yes.

[00:04:33] You know, when you can go from preaching to singing and come back to preaching or whatever

[00:04:37] you were doing.

[00:04:37] I've seen some preachers, man.

[00:04:38] They're just doing the announcements and then they feel something and just start singing.

[00:04:41] And it moves the whole place.

[00:04:45] I mean, that's the harmony and the melody of the psalms.

[00:04:49] The psalms were like that.

[00:04:50] They would be giving a whole admonishment to the assembly and to the congregation and

[00:04:53] then all of a sudden burst in song.

[00:04:55] Yeah.

[00:04:55] And then a melody rings out.

[00:04:57] Yeah.

[00:04:57] You know, this project you dropped to me has not only substance, but the direction of

[00:05:04] it, I think, is so the underlying message of it is poignant.

[00:05:09] Praise God.

[00:05:10] To be the hands and feet of Jesus.

[00:05:11] I want to take our time getting to it because once we get to it, we just want to have fun

[00:05:14] and want to play songs and all that.

[00:05:16] So let's go back.

[00:05:17] Yeah.

[00:05:17] What, you know, in your intro, you grew up on Rakim, DMX, Eminem.

[00:05:23] How'd you get to Bizzle, Shobaraka, Shailene and such?

[00:05:27] Man.

[00:05:28] So actually my first introduction to Christian hip hop, Christian rap, holy hip hop, however

[00:05:33] people want to identify with it was my, at the time, my youth pastor, who is now the

[00:05:39] associate pastor of our former church that we moved on from.

[00:05:43] But Carlos Feliciano, AKA the first soldier who's now, it's just Los.

[00:05:49] Yeah.

[00:05:50] And I'm talking about he's performed on, you know, Gospel Fest, McDonald's.

[00:05:53] He's won awards and stuff, but he always kept it with a evangelical kind of mission and

[00:05:59] vision.

[00:06:00] He put me on to, my first exposure was Concrete Angels, which consisted of that album.

[00:06:09] I think it was a mix.

[00:06:10] I don't even know if it was a full album.

[00:06:12] I don't like that one.

[00:06:12] Richie Righteous.

[00:06:13] You had Sergeants.

[00:06:15] I mean, Sean Slaughter on there.

[00:06:17] Yeah.

[00:06:18] Lavoisier when he was repping, you know, A Omega.

[00:06:20] I mean, he's still repping, but A Omega, Global Military.

[00:06:24] Yes.

[00:06:24] Yes.

[00:06:24] Who else you had on there?

[00:06:25] Oh, man.

[00:06:26] Wow.

[00:06:26] K-Drama was on it.

[00:06:27] Young K-Drama.

[00:06:28] Oh, Young K-Drama.

[00:06:29] Yes.

[00:06:29] Yeah.

[00:06:30] Oh, man.

[00:06:30] That was my first exposure to Christian hip hop, man.

[00:06:33] And I ran that.

[00:06:34] See, I still got two copies of it, physical copies.

[00:06:38] And man, so when I first got saved, right, to keep it ABC short, right, you know, but when

[00:06:45] I first got saved, hip hop was an idol for me, right?

[00:06:49] It was the father that I didn't have growing up.

[00:06:51] I didn't find out who my father was until two years ago.

[00:06:54] Oh, wow.

[00:06:55] Literally, at age 36.

[00:06:57] Wow.

[00:06:57] Find out who my dad is, find a whole family and a whole story that, you know, brought a

[00:07:02] different sense of my identity that I, not that I was missing, but definitely filled a

[00:07:09] space that would allow me to worship the Lord without an orphan heart.

[00:07:13] Okay.

[00:07:14] We'll come back to that.

[00:07:14] We'll come back to that.

[00:07:15] So let's stay here for a second.

[00:07:17] So got saved.

[00:07:18] Yeah.

[00:07:18] And God just removed that whole thing.

[00:07:21] No, no, no.

[00:07:21] I want to come back to you.

[00:07:22] Oh, you want to find your father?

[00:07:23] Yes, man.

[00:07:23] Okay.

[00:07:23] Let's do it.

[00:07:24] Please.

[00:07:25] So unpack a little bit to the extent that you're comfortable.

[00:07:28] Yeah.

[00:07:28] You haven't known your father all your life until two years ago.

[00:07:31] Yep.

[00:07:32] What was that?

[00:07:32] Well, first of all, how'd you find him?

[00:07:34] And then second of all, what was it like?

[00:07:37] So here's the sweet and sour part.

[00:07:39] I'll never get to meet him because he died in 97.

[00:07:42] Oh, I'm sorry.

[00:07:43] He died in 1997.

[00:07:44] Um, but the, the shortest version is, uh, and I have permission to share this.

[00:07:50] And so it may bless somebody, but I'm my mom's fourth pregnancy.

[00:07:56] Um, and my mom is deaf.

[00:07:58] So actually my first language is American sign language.

[00:08:01] Yes.

[00:08:02] Um, and so her trauma, she was kidnapped at 12.

[00:08:05] Um, you know, uh, just savagely abused in all the ways you can think of and imagine, um,

[00:08:14] dropped back off two weeks later, went through those traumas.

[00:08:17] So by the time she became a teen and, and she just had no expression, nobody that communicated

[00:08:21] and signed within the family.

[00:08:23] So she looked for love in all the wrong ways, all the wrong places.

[00:08:26] My older aunts were the ones that took her to the clinics to take care of it.

[00:08:31] She had no idea what was going on.

[00:08:32] So by the time she was pregnant with me, my grandmother was the one that caught her throwing

[00:08:37] up in the bathroom.

[00:08:38] Right.

[00:08:39] So the love story between her and my dad, uh, Victor Rodriguez, um, is that they were, you

[00:08:46] know, in love teens.

[00:08:48] Right.

[00:08:48] Uh, she's like a year.

[00:08:49] She, my mom is a year older than my dad was.

[00:08:52] Um, and you know, they sweethearts and it turns out that my mom's childhood best friend is

[00:09:00] my great aunt.

[00:09:02] And so like, my mom's childhood best friend, Maribel, shout out to Maribel.

[00:09:08] She's probably going to see this interview later.

[00:09:09] Um, she's, she's deaf as well.

[00:09:13] Yes.

[00:09:14] She is my dad's aunt.

[00:09:16] She's married to his uncle.

[00:09:17] Gotcha.

[00:09:18] So I'm growing up around these people, not knowing this whole time that this is my family.

[00:09:24] Gotcha.

[00:09:25] Right.

[00:09:25] And then there was a disparity.

[00:09:26] So by the time they were madly in love, you know, sweethearts, whatever.

[00:09:30] And when my grandmother discovered that my mom was pregnant, she kept her home, kept her

[00:09:34] away.

[00:09:35] My dad couldn't find her.

[00:09:36] He knew she lived in the projects, but he didn't know which projects.

[00:09:38] So they, I heard this story later on from my aunts.

[00:09:41] They were looking for her.

[00:09:42] They were looking for my mom.

[00:09:43] And so, um, how, how it ended up happening was on my birthday, uh, was on vacation with

[00:09:49] family.

[00:09:50] My sister pulled up.

[00:09:51] We were in Virginia.

[00:09:52] Sister was living there at the time.

[00:09:53] Uh, we have different fathers.

[00:09:55] I'm the only one from my dad and my mom.

[00:09:57] Then I have two siblings from a different, uh, another gentleman who was my stepdad growing

[00:10:03] up.

[00:10:03] And, um, I'm talking about, uh, I don't consume alcohol anymore, but, uh, at the time was still

[00:10:11] enjoying not drinking to get drunk, but, uh, you know, would enjoy bourbon.

[00:10:16] I like, like bourbon whiskey, that type of stuff for the taste.

[00:10:20] Um, a little bit of a connoisseur with that was making my own.

[00:10:23] But at the time, uh, my brother-in-law, uh, was giving me a toast.

[00:10:28] He was like a toast.

[00:10:29] They brought a bottle of some aged whiskey from Virginia.

[00:10:32] Larceny is called.

[00:10:34] And he's giving me a toast, you know, like you should, you, you shouldn't even be here

[00:10:38] according to the world.

[00:10:39] Right.

[00:10:40] And man, God has saved you.

[00:10:42] He's blessed you.

[00:10:43] Like you've been a blessing to my life and to your sister's life.

[00:10:46] And here's two more years of your life.

[00:10:49] Right.

[00:10:49] We're in the middle of taking a shot.

[00:10:51] And my sister goes, oh yeah.

[00:10:52] Um, I spoke to Maribel and I think we found your dad.

[00:10:55] So I was like, what?

[00:10:57] What?

[00:10:58] How'd you react in that moment?

[00:10:59] Just hearing those words.

[00:11:00] I was dumbfounded.

[00:11:01] Yeah.

[00:11:02] Because now this was the second time.

[00:11:05] But this time she was sure.

[00:11:07] The first time they thought they saw him on a train years ago, I think I was dating my

[00:11:11] wife.

[00:11:12] We weren't even married, married at the time.

[00:11:14] Um, and they thought they met my mom recognized this gentleman on a train and was like, oh

[00:11:19] my God, I think that's, that's Michael's father.

[00:11:22] We met in person, met my potential grandmother.

[00:11:26] Turns out dude is not, it's not him.

[00:11:29] Right.

[00:11:29] Okay.

[00:11:29] So I already had a false call years ago.

[00:11:31] So now I'm like, man, I don't.

[00:11:33] Kind of skeptical.

[00:11:34] I'm like, what?

[00:11:36] Yeah.

[00:11:36] Trying to process.

[00:11:37] And so one thing led to another.

[00:11:39] Finally, we just, um, I spoke with my aunt Maribel and we got on, we, we, we had to, we had a

[00:11:46] video chat for at least three hours and she was breaking it down because she didn't even

[00:11:51] think that it was who it was.

[00:11:53] She was convinced that it was someone else because of my features, my appearance, so on

[00:11:57] so forth.

[00:11:58] Right.

[00:11:58] And, um, man, she was like, but it makes sense.

[00:12:05] Now, mind you, she wasn't even telling me or communicating that it's her nephew.

[00:12:08] Right.

[00:12:09] Right.

[00:12:09] But she's like, I, it makes sense.

[00:12:11] Let's see.

[00:12:11] You should get a DNA test, go through ancestry.

[00:12:15] Cause that's how we did it.

[00:12:17] Thank God I didn't go through me 23 because they had this whole info leak.

[00:12:21] Right.

[00:12:21] Right.

[00:12:22] They stole people's blood.

[00:12:23] Yes.

[00:12:23] I saw that.

[00:12:24] Yeah.

[00:12:25] A couple of weeks ago it was right.

[00:12:27] Yeah.

[00:12:27] It's fresh still.

[00:12:28] And so the testimony that she was sharing was that they just had discovered that another

[00:12:33] young man for 30 years that was growing up around them that they thought was just the

[00:12:39] son of a friend turned out to be her direct nephew too.

[00:12:42] Hmm.

[00:12:43] Hmm.

[00:12:44] Hmm.

[00:12:44] So she's like, we just found out he's our nephew.

[00:12:46] Cause they did it.

[00:12:47] He did a DNA test cause for a different reason, for a different reason, just to find out his

[00:12:51] heritage or whatever.

[00:12:52] And then he found out he connected with my cousins.

[00:12:55] Right.

[00:12:55] They linked up.

[00:12:56] So they was like, you should do it.

[00:12:57] Right.

[00:12:57] So did that, had a conversation with my, my father's sister got connected and I was like,

[00:13:04] Hey, you know, uh, I think I might be your nephew.

[00:13:09] Um, and she had my phone number.

[00:13:12] She had my phone number because my grandmother on my father's side, my paternal grandmother

[00:13:18] found me on social media and asked Maribel years ago before she passed, who is this young

[00:13:25] man that you keep liking his photos and liking his content on Instagram?

[00:13:30] And she's like, Oh, that's Michael.

[00:13:31] He's needy ass son, this and this and that.

[00:13:33] Right.

[00:13:33] She said, that's my grandson.

[00:13:35] Hmm.

[00:13:36] And somehow she pulled, I'm assuming that my phone number was associated with Facebook

[00:13:40] at the time.

[00:13:40] Right.

[00:13:40] And you know, I had a little bit of a following and, um, she got the number off of there,

[00:13:45] but never contacted or reached out that I'm aware of.

[00:13:47] Gotcha.

[00:13:48] And she passed the number along to my aunt and then my aunt held onto it because they

[00:13:52] were grieving the loss of their mother.

[00:13:54] But her dying wish was find my grandson.

[00:13:56] Gotcha.

[00:13:57] So she had my phone number.

[00:13:58] Right.

[00:13:58] And I'm like, yes, that's my phone number.

[00:14:00] She said, Papito, I think, I, I think it's true.

[00:14:04] I think you're my nephew.

[00:14:05] Wow.

[00:14:05] Wow.

[00:14:05] I did the DNA test and I ended up getting matched to Maribel's daughter.

[00:14:08] Got it.

[00:14:09] And then that's when we confirmed.

[00:14:10] But he's already passed.

[00:14:11] Yeah.

[00:14:12] He passed in 97, found out I got an older sister.

[00:14:14] She was hit by auxiliary police in NYPD auxiliary vehicle, uh, in like 95.

[00:14:23] Right.

[00:14:23] 95 or something like that.

[00:14:24] She dies.

[00:14:25] I had twin sisters.

[00:14:26] I don't remember if they're, they were born before or after me.

[00:14:31] Um, they passed away too.

[00:14:33] After about a year.

[00:14:34] And I have a younger brother who never met our dad either.

[00:14:38] Mind you, my younger brother is Victor Jr.

[00:14:41] But I'm, I'm not technically, I'm literally the firstborn son.

[00:14:45] Got it.

[00:14:45] And so I'm not Rodriguez.

[00:14:47] I'm Michael Alvarado.

[00:14:48] Alvarado's my maternal list.

[00:14:49] Wow.

[00:14:50] Man.

[00:14:50] Thanks for sharing that.

[00:14:51] Okay.

[00:14:52] So now back to the, why that's man, I, you know, that, um, our connections with our

[00:14:57] fathers, man, are so important and so jagged in our community.

[00:15:03] You know what I mean?

[00:15:04] It's like a, it's like a hacksaw jaggedness in terms of the, the, the, the spans of the

[00:15:10] stories you can hear.

[00:15:11] If you walk, if you walked up into any barbershop and said, everyone's sitting in the stool.

[00:15:16] Tell me about your relationship with your father, the variety of the stories.

[00:15:21] I think we'll overwhelm you.

[00:15:23] You know what I mean?

[00:15:24] And so, um, man, um, salute, salute to you, man, for having the courage to, to pursue, uh,

[00:15:30] despite the skepticism and everything else at this age, man, I can, I can imagine brother.

[00:15:35] I can imagine.

[00:15:36] I had, I had a, yeah, we're going to stay with you.

[00:15:39] So back to, um, so, so talk about that transition.

[00:15:42] So you find, you know, Bizzle, Shobaraka, Shalyn and the concrete piece first.

[00:15:46] What was it like trying to, cause you said hip hop had become an idol for you.

[00:15:50] How'd you move away from that idol?

[00:15:52] How did you, you know?

[00:15:53] So I, uh, when I got saved, uh, December of 2006 had a radical conversion and, um, hip

[00:15:59] hop was an idol because they became that dad that I didn't have, which is such a wonderful

[00:16:04] thing.

[00:16:05] Retrospect what I think, when I think about it, because now that I've entered into this

[00:16:09] community where for the first time ever in, in, in now 17 years, but, um, prior to maybe

[00:16:16] 16 years plus being saved, walking with the Lord, being connected to community, you know,

[00:16:22] living out the newness of life, right.

[00:16:24] That's written up in scripture and, um, living this thing out.

[00:16:28] My wife and I have never had spiritual parents that we were living life with, right.

[00:16:32] And I'm not talking about church on Sundays and I'm not knocking anybody.

[00:16:35] I'm not knocking the institution of church.

[00:16:37] I'm not knocking the fellowship of the brethren in that case, but to enter into this community

[00:16:41] and now find that God sends spiritual fathers.

[00:16:46] And oftentimes we looking for that one to replace the one that was absent.

[00:16:51] Right.

[00:16:51] And so I was able to enter this community without that orphan heart.

[00:16:55] I had a healed heart before I entered.

[00:16:57] So I don't got none of these complexes and, and, and, and complications and complexities.

[00:17:01] And then, so back to when I got saved, um, hip hop was an idol for me.

[00:17:07] I worshiped it.

[00:17:08] It was the dad I didn't have.

[00:17:09] That's why like business dear hip hop was one is, is, is still one of my favorite ministering

[00:17:15] song.

[00:17:16] Yes.

[00:17:17] To me, I, I kind of say, kind of see him as a, as a Proverbs rapper, right.

[00:17:20] He's a parable rapper.

[00:17:21] Yes.

[00:17:22] Really?

[00:17:22] I think seven is more of the Psalmist and biz is definitely, uh, uh, a parable rapper.

[00:17:28] Right.

[00:17:28] But that dear hip hop and just the notion of, of hip hop raising a generation.

[00:17:34] Right.

[00:17:34] That was me.

[00:17:35] Cause then it was a transition from Eric B, Rakim, Slick Rick, right.

[00:17:40] The, the classics, right.

[00:17:41] Um, um, the legends.

[00:17:43] And then now we have 50 cent G unit dip set.

[00:17:47] And then this whole shift of the culture.

[00:17:49] And I went along with it because now I realized, Hey, the type of guy that I really was, that

[00:17:54] I really loved video games and comic books and playing outside and playing sports.

[00:18:00] Um, right.

[00:18:01] Love to who play basketball, but I'm five eight.

[00:18:03] Right.

[00:18:03] And you know, it was always lightweight.

[00:18:05] So I was like, you know, basketball is not going to be my way out.

[00:18:07] So I could write really well.

[00:18:09] Let me pursue this.

[00:18:10] Yes.

[00:18:10] And, um, man, God removed that completely.

[00:18:13] So I couldn't write anymore.

[00:18:14] Well, I've been probably faithfully doing music and writing and always considered myself

[00:18:20] a spoken word artist more than anything.

[00:18:23] Um, since about 14, like consistently, like really committed to doing this writing way earlier

[00:18:29] than that.

[00:18:29] Yeah.

[00:18:30] So hip hop was, was what raised me.

[00:18:32] It was the culture.

[00:18:33] I learned, I learned relationships through hip hop.

[00:18:35] I learned, uh, one love hygiene, style, style, everything.

[00:18:41] All of my concepts for life were gained from hip hop.

[00:18:45] As soon as you said, uh, learned, learned, learned, uh, relationship.

[00:18:48] I remember Houdini's one love.

[00:18:49] Was that before your time?

[00:18:50] Houdini, one love.

[00:18:52] I definitely was growing up on all of that stuff.

[00:18:53] Gosh, man.

[00:18:54] You, yeah, you make me feel old, bruh.

[00:18:56] So, okay.

[00:18:57] So it must be the LL, one of the, one of the LL songs.

[00:18:59] You probably remember one of those.

[00:19:00] All right.

[00:19:01] Let's talk about hands and feet.

[00:19:02] Amen.

[00:19:03] What's the concept?

[00:19:04] I mean, I know the concept, but I want you to explain the concept.

[00:19:06] What's the concept as you saw it?

[00:19:08] Man.

[00:19:09] Uh, the, the conviction.

[00:19:11] The conviction that came with me not treating this as a vehicle to reach people consistently

[00:19:19] because now I associated me producing or producing a work, a body of work to put it out there

[00:19:27] to reach people and the reception or the reach being the determining factor of me supposed

[00:19:34] to be doing this.

[00:19:35] Is this your early stage in Christian hip hop?

[00:19:38] Uh.

[00:19:39] Is this you observing yourself early stage?

[00:19:40] Man.

[00:19:41] Man.

[00:19:41] So going, going back to the question of removing.

[00:19:43] So I couldn't write, I couldn't, like I had writer's block completely.

[00:19:47] I couldn't even touch it, but I was able to consume it little by little.

[00:19:50] So now I get introduced to the business, right?

[00:19:52] To, to, to, to the reach, the whole reach records camp.

[00:19:55] Yes.

[00:19:55] To the shy lens and the humble beast.

[00:19:57] Yes.

[00:19:57] And, uh, man, shout out to infantry, right?

[00:20:01] Sean Burgundy.

[00:20:02] All of these, like all of these varying.

[00:20:04] And my palate is, is like super theological raps.

[00:20:08] And then I like the super bounce, maybe consider commercial pop stuff too.

[00:20:12] But, um, all the way from like 2007 to 2012, 2013 was when God was like, okay, you're mature

[00:20:23] enough now to handle everything that I have bestowed upon you.

[00:20:27] Right.

[00:20:27] Gotcha.

[00:20:28] So, um, the conviction came in like 2020.

[00:20:32] So I dropped a couple of singles and I was writing.

[00:20:35] This project has been written probably since like 2021.

[00:20:38] And so it's been three years in the making.

[00:20:40] And I chopped up with Riggs.

[00:20:42] I was like, yeah, well man, God placed this, this, all of this on my heart.

[00:20:46] All the songs were pretty much done.

[00:20:48] So now it was just the beat selection process.

[00:20:50] Gotcha.

[00:20:50] And he, man, he shared a folder with me.

[00:20:53] And then I was in studio with him a couple of times.

[00:20:54] Like, yo, let's listen to a couple of joints.

[00:20:56] And I was like, oh, perfect, perfect.

[00:20:57] This one, this one, this one.

[00:20:58] And it was just God.

[00:21:00] Um, and shout out to R Swift for rejecting one or two of the beats.

[00:21:05] He didn't want them.

[00:21:06] So I got him.

[00:21:07] Praise God.

[00:21:08] That's good.

[00:21:09] That's good.

[00:21:10] So that, I mean, that's what led to hands and feet and really the heart behind it.

[00:21:14] And the message was that if, if we were really about being the body of Christ and operating

[00:21:21] as the body does and bringing our supply, every joint brings its supply.

[00:21:26] And so if we really operated in that way, we would see a completely different society.

[00:21:31] We would see a different landscape for the culture and for the kingdom.

[00:21:35] Right.

[00:21:36] We, it would be different.

[00:21:37] And so this was, this was a lot of venting.

[00:21:40] Um, every single verse on it was really like out of my own journal, speaking to myself.

[00:21:45] Yeah.

[00:21:46] And then speaking to those that God has allowed me to preach the gospel to and to disciple and,

[00:21:50] and to, uh, usher in, you know, be used to care for them as they're walking in this

[00:21:56] newness of life as well.

[00:21:57] Right.

[00:21:58] Um, and so that's really what it was.

[00:22:01] It was, it was talking to the youth populations that we work with.

[00:22:04] Right.

[00:22:04] I run a, I run a for-profit and a nonprofit organization.

[00:22:06] We work with high risk, at-risk youth because I was one.

[00:22:09] Right.

[00:22:10] My testimony is I was, uh, I was pronounced dead twice on the operating table by the age

[00:22:14] of 18, shot at 16, jumped and stabbed two different times at 18, 19 and pronounced dead

[00:22:21] on the operating table.

[00:22:23] So, but that's not even what led to my salvation.

[00:22:24] Like the people hear that and they're like, Whoa, no wonder you came to the Lord.

[00:22:27] No, it made me worse because then now I had this puffed up idea that no one can kill me.

[00:22:32] Right.

[00:22:33] I'm untouched.

[00:22:33] I'm God's anointed without even knowing who Christ was.

[00:22:37] Um, and so it was, it was all of the messaging on is intentional with the gospel message, kingdom

[00:22:45] talk and, and, and admonition, not, not a rebuke, not a rebuke, but more of an exhortation

[00:22:51] and admonition to the body.

[00:22:53] And every single track is inspired by conversations that I've had with the people that are on the

[00:22:58] project.

[00:22:58] These are people that I've had real conversations with.

[00:23:00] We have real relationships, love them dearly, pray for them.

[00:23:04] They pray for me.

[00:23:05] Um, and we're laboring and doing this work.

[00:23:07] So that's good.

[00:23:07] Man, that's good.

[00:23:08] That's the heart behind hands and feet.

[00:23:10] Just really being the body of Christ.

[00:23:11] I love starting.

[00:23:12] I love that you started with the, uh, the introspection, you know, of self and observing

[00:23:17] yourself because, because that's the hardest thing to do.

[00:23:19] A lot of times we want to focus on change in the world and we have an external view.

[00:23:24] We're examining everything else.

[00:23:27] Yeah.

[00:23:27] Taking the internal journey.

[00:23:29] That's the, that's the, that's the harder journey.

[00:23:31] It's me.

[00:23:32] I'm the problem.

[00:23:32] That's the harder journey all day.

[00:23:34] Pulling that mirror up.

[00:23:36] And I mean, but it only makes sense if you consider our Lord, right?

[00:23:40] If you consider Jesus, if in order to follow him, I have to deny myself and pick up my cross

[00:23:48] and walk, then it's not about me.

[00:23:53] Right.

[00:23:53] It's never about me.

[00:23:54] The gifts of the spirit are not about me.

[00:23:57] They're for the edification and the building of the, of the body.

[00:23:59] Like there's no aspect of the gospel and the new Testament at all.

[00:24:03] Even the old Testament, there is no aspect of the individual.

[00:24:06] But that part right there, it's not about me.

[00:24:09] I never forget.

[00:24:10] Uh, hopefully he doesn't mind me saying this.

[00:24:11] Big shout out to my brother, Scott free.

[00:24:13] Scott is Scott.

[00:24:15] That's my bro, man.

[00:24:15] When I, when I get to Atlanta, I try to break bread with Scott.

[00:24:18] And, uh, one day we were at lunch, uh, Papa dough, love Papa dough.

[00:24:22] And, uh, man, you get Papa dough to be a sponsor.

[00:24:24] Um, but we're Papa dough, man.

[00:24:26] And we're talking and I was telling him about some things I was wrestling with.

[00:24:29] And he was sharing some of his as well.

[00:24:32] And he said, but it's not about us.

[00:24:33] Right.

[00:24:33] He's like, like, Holy coach is not about you.

[00:24:35] Right.

[00:24:36] It was like, yeah, of course.

[00:24:38] But it made me stop for pause for a second.

[00:24:40] Like, yeah, yeah, it's not to make sure you was aiming the right way.

[00:24:43] Right.

[00:24:45] I think we all have to do that every now and then.

[00:24:46] We have, we have, you know, we're in those conversations where iron sharpens iron and we are, have the opportunity to have someone softly check us or remind us, um, take advantage of that.

[00:24:58] I encourage people take advantage of when you have somebody who's speaking into your life, whether, uh, abruptly, assertively, passively, whatever.

[00:25:07] Or just take, just take it in.

[00:25:09] Which to my brothers, man, I would, I would exhort you in the Lord.

[00:25:13] Like, that's why God sends fathers.

[00:25:16] Right.

[00:25:17] If you look at scripture, it says older men.

[00:25:20] Right.

[00:25:20] Teach the younger men.

[00:25:22] Right.

[00:25:22] That's plural.

[00:25:23] Right.

[00:25:23] Right.

[00:25:23] And so God sends a multitude of different people at different times and periods and seasons to speak a rem word.

[00:25:30] I had a similar, uh, experience with Scott.

[00:25:32] Did you?

[00:25:33] At Flaper Fence.

[00:25:34] Because, uh, Pastor Tommy, shout out to Urban D.

[00:25:36] Love him.

[00:25:37] Uh, Pastor Tommy Colon.

[00:25:38] Um, he pulled us into a room, all the, all the pastors and leaders of ministries, urban ministries.

[00:25:44] He pulled us into a room and had a nice intimate, I think it was just the Lord really.

[00:25:47] He didn't have it planned out, but he pulled all of, all of the pastors and ministers in a room.

[00:25:52] And we had a talk, man.

[00:25:54] And at the end of it all, who, who kind of like just seals it, who seals it?

[00:25:59] Pastor Scott free.

[00:26:00] And he says, man, be sure that as you're doing this work, as you're doing this work and you're committed to these communities and where God is leading you, that you don't forget to be broken and transparent before the brethren and allow the brethren to take care of you.

[00:26:16] Yeah.

[00:26:16] Because you will burn out.

[00:26:18] And then he expressed, he shared, he shared from his experience how he had to take a whole sabbatical.

[00:26:22] That's so good.

[00:26:23] Took a whole sabbatical away because he was pouring out and pouring out and pouring out and not having the intimate, deep, uh,

[00:26:30] and, and so he was, he was, he was giving his fly, giving flowers to those in the room that have called to check up on him.

[00:26:36] Pastor Tommy was always checking up on him, right?

[00:26:38] Cause it's crossover Atlanta.

[00:26:40] It's crossover Tampa.

[00:26:41] They, they're living life together, living out this gospel.

[00:26:44] And we're, we're called to bear each other's burdens.

[00:26:46] And so he just, man, he sealed it with that.

[00:26:48] I had a very similar moment.

[00:26:49] I had to stop and think like, whoa, I can't be committed to pouring out if I'm not allowing myself to be restored and replenished and refreshed.

[00:26:57] Amen, bro.

[00:26:59] So I'm interested in some of the thoughts into the, um, the construction of the album, particularly, you know, I think we're in more of a single based culture, you know, where, you know, single, single, single, single, single, single.

[00:27:12] But when albums come, I like to listen top to bottom.

[00:27:16] I'm old school that way.

[00:27:17] I want to hear the whole thing.

[00:27:18] And on repeat.

[00:27:19] Yeah.

[00:27:20] And so what was the thought process?

[00:27:21] Like you opened with NYC, the intro feature in Say Live at the Corner.

[00:27:25] What, why'd you open the album that way?

[00:27:28] Um, man.

[00:27:31] So I think the whole push and motivation to even do the album, because I almost fell, I almost fell into the deception.

[00:27:40] Like, man, the landscape now, everybody's talking about dropping singles, singles, singles.

[00:27:44] Albums don't really perform.

[00:27:46] But I'm like, wait a minute.

[00:27:47] It's not about performance.

[00:27:48] It's not even about the plat.

[00:27:50] I had to be reminded of a word the Lord gave me years ago.

[00:27:52] So it's not about the platform you're on.

[00:27:55] It's about the audience you're in front of.

[00:27:57] Yeah.

[00:27:58] So I had to remind myself in that, or the Holy Spirit reminded me of that.

[00:28:00] And then I was like, okay.

[00:28:02] And that, that voice, that, that's an actual voicemail.

[00:28:06] Like that's not recorded.

[00:28:07] That wasn't staged.

[00:28:07] Gotcha.

[00:28:08] That's an actual voicemail.

[00:28:09] And the conversation that proceeded that him calling me was talking about a whole bunch of stuff, literally the rest of the album.

[00:28:18] Yeah.

[00:28:18] And so that was the, the, the provocation for me to actually do the album and put out the body of work because of the collective message of it.

[00:28:25] And so if you listen to the project, it is very NYC, very boom bap.

[00:28:30] You know, I put a little drill in there because of the young boys we, we, we, we ministered through, through our nonprofit organization.

[00:28:36] That's why the title is B wise NYC.

[00:28:40] NYC stands, stands for nurture your community.

[00:28:42] That's the organization.

[00:28:44] And so a little bit of drill in there, but mostly classic boom bap, hip hop, nineties feel early two thousands.

[00:28:52] Right.

[00:28:52] You got that on, I love New York with that 50 cent.

[00:28:55] I get money.

[00:28:56] Right.

[00:28:56] Like that, that knock, that beat.

[00:28:58] Yes.

[00:28:58] And man, I started with that because that was a spoken word piece.

[00:29:04] Originally we, we had found the beat for it.

[00:29:06] And then Rich was like, you know what?

[00:29:08] Let's try something recorded acapella and then we'll find the beat for it.

[00:29:12] Okay.

[00:29:12] Yeah.

[00:29:13] And then the way it came out, we was just like, nah, let's leave it.

[00:29:16] Let's leave it acapella.

[00:29:17] Cause this is genuine to who I am.

[00:29:19] I'm actually, I consider myself a Psalmist and a spoken word artist over, I don't want to identify as a rapper.

[00:29:26] Even those close to me, they'd be like, yeah, you know, he's a Christian rapper.

[00:29:29] I'm like, yeah, amen.

[00:29:30] Amen.

[00:29:31] That's what you call me.

[00:29:32] Right.

[00:29:32] Right.

[00:29:32] Right.

[00:29:33] My wonderful teacher.

[00:29:34] Yeah.

[00:29:35] Pastor David Tyree.

[00:29:37] He says this, he says, you know, the problem with platforms is that you're on that platform

[00:29:41] and behind that podium telling people who you are, but that's not really what the case is.

[00:29:46] You are who people say you are, which is why Christ said, who do the people say that I am?

[00:29:51] Some say Elijah, some say the prophet, some say this.

[00:29:54] Who do you say I am?

[00:29:55] Yeah.

[00:29:56] Yeah.

[00:29:56] And then he blesses Peter because this was revealed from heaven.

[00:29:59] Right.

[00:30:00] It's who people say you are and who people accept you as.

[00:30:02] Yeah.

[00:30:03] So starting it off on a, on a spoken word note.

[00:30:06] And, um, man, that, that kind of opens it up.

[00:30:09] Yeah.

[00:30:10] And if you really kind of break down what's being spoken there, um, it was just really my

[00:30:14] heart.

[00:30:14] Just not, not trying to bash the brethren, but more of an admonishment and an exhortation.

[00:30:19] That's good.

[00:30:20] I felt like that's what God gave me to say.

[00:30:21] So that's good.

[00:30:22] And I heard you say, you know, for you to, to that very point, we were talking about this

[00:30:26] before we got on the live, uh, you know, for most the idea of being a Christian hip hop artist

[00:30:31] is, you know, developing a platform turning it into, let's call it some income and then

[00:30:37] maybe turn it into full-time income touring, going on the road and all that you're saying

[00:30:43] not for me necessarily.

[00:30:44] No, the Lord showed me that very early on.

[00:30:47] And I actually, I got a taste, I got a taste of what it could look like because I, um,

[00:30:54] want to start at B wise incorporated that the origin of B wise incorporated actually was

[00:31:00] to support the music.

[00:31:02] And if you're an artist, you got to have merchandise, right?

[00:31:04] That's how it started.

[00:31:05] Gotcha.

[00:31:06] Um, and was to support the music and be able to pay for it.

[00:31:08] Cause I got to buy beats.

[00:31:09] I got to pay for production.

[00:31:10] Cause I'm, I'm not a producer.

[00:31:11] So, um, so it started with that, but early, I want to say 2012, 2013.

[00:31:17] Um, and I'm talking about where we're at this stage, at least from my perspective, I'm seeing

[00:31:23] people actually being able to do this and sustain it because I knew it wasn't the Lord's

[00:31:28] will to do this.

[00:31:29] I don't think anybody should be doing music unless you have the resources and the plan to

[00:31:34] sustain it.

[00:31:34] Yeah.

[00:31:35] You got to, there's nothing wrong with making money.

[00:31:38] Um, if that's your soul, if that's your soul idea, like the only purpose and plan is so that it can

[00:31:45] produce and provide an income as you minister for the Lord, then you need to question whether

[00:31:50] you're serving God or you're serving mammon because mammon provides all things.

[00:31:54] That's real money provides everything in this life, at least until death.

[00:31:58] Yeah.

[00:31:58] So you got to question that, but, um, I'm talking about, I started seeing success speaking engagements.

[00:32:03] Um, I'm preaching at churches.

[00:32:04] I'm getting booked all over the place.

[00:32:06] I got folks making requests, getting willing to fly me out to certain places because of

[00:32:10] my testimony and because the delivery of the music, mind you, no, nothing recorded.

[00:32:15] Everything that I'm writing, performing and sharing is not recorded is just reciting to

[00:32:21] myself in front of live audiences.

[00:32:23] And God just showing favor, man.

[00:32:25] I'm talking about, man, when we were broke and didn't have pampers and get a love offering

[00:32:29] of $250, praise God, not even asking, not even agreeing for it.

[00:32:34] Right.

[00:32:34] Like, Hey, we want to raise up an offering for this wonderful minister of the Lord.

[00:32:37] Praise God.

[00:32:38] Like I started to see that, but absolutely, you know, being married at the time we only had

[00:32:42] two out of our four children and I saw it right away.

[00:32:46] I was like, nah, this is going to take me away from my wife.

[00:32:49] I need to keep that marriage bed sacred.

[00:32:52] She's at, she's a stay at home mom.

[00:32:55] She's already all day with them kids.

[00:32:57] And I'm working and bringing home the bacon as they say, right?

[00:33:00] Like I'm bringing home the beef bacon.

[00:33:02] Praise God.

[00:33:03] No point.

[00:33:05] And so, yeah, I, I, I heard from the Lord very early on.

[00:33:10] This is not the route that I'm leading you in, but I, I mistook that I'm, I was mistaken.

[00:33:17] Mistook is not a minor word, right?

[00:33:19] Mistook should be a word.

[00:33:20] It should be a word.

[00:33:21] It sounds right.

[00:33:22] I was mistaken in my understanding that the Lord was having me set that down and that

[00:33:27] that was not to be used.

[00:33:29] He was just saying, no, this is not the way and the route that I want you to take.

[00:33:34] And so I kind of like put it down for a couple of years and, um, started, I dropped some here

[00:33:40] and there years after maybe 2014, 2015.

[00:33:43] And the purpose was because, uh, I was a supervisor, program supervisor for a cure violence site.

[00:33:50] That's the new now known as the New York city crisis management system.

[00:33:53] And so we're working with high risk at risk youth talking about gun carriers actively in gang life.

[00:34:00] Right.

[00:34:01] And band watching, I still think about it to this day, watching my young boys get, you know,

[00:34:06] reporting to the scene where one of our kids were killed in the street or shot.

[00:34:11] And now I'm visiting them in the hospital and I'm, uh, praise God for, for, for being certified

[00:34:15] and ordained as a chaplain, uh, gave me access in places, being able to walk into courtrooms

[00:34:19] and represent and on behalf of these young people.

[00:34:22] Um, but seeing this, that that's what led my heart to share more because I noticed they

[00:34:27] would listen to me.

[00:34:28] So even if it wasn't something, uh, you know, Bizzle got this line in, in, I mean, I forgot

[00:34:33] what, what, what song it is like.

[00:34:35] You can't rock with it cause it's not you, but Snoop, uh, but game rock red, Snoop rock

[00:34:39] blue.

[00:34:40] You ain't never bang in your life, but you rock too.

[00:34:42] Right.

[00:34:43] But you cop too.

[00:34:44] Um, like you listen, you, you've already proven you'll listen to something that you don't

[00:34:48] necessarily identify.

[00:34:50] So even though they didn't identify with Christ, they didn't identify with clean or, or living

[00:34:55] holy or anything like that.

[00:34:56] Right.

[00:34:57] They would listen to me because of the relationship I had with them.

[00:34:59] Yeah.

[00:34:59] And so I kept dropping stuff more on the kind of just to have it accessible to them because

[00:35:04] they, they asked for it.

[00:35:06] And that's when I learned like, man, it's, it's really about the audience that God places

[00:35:11] you in front of.

[00:35:12] Yeah.

[00:35:12] And that's you.

[00:35:13] Yeah.

[00:35:13] I get that.

[00:35:14] You're super, you're super conscious of that audience and therefore intentional about

[00:35:19] how you do this.

[00:35:20] When you think about it that way, what does success look like for this project for you?

[00:35:26] The reception that I'm getting.

[00:35:27] Okay.

[00:35:28] Like, man, for somebody to be able to quote a line is huge to me.

[00:35:32] Yeah.

[00:35:32] Like you quote a line because you memorized it.

[00:35:35] It spoke to you.

[00:35:37] All of those lines are prayed over.

[00:35:39] Right.

[00:35:39] I was praying, fasting, seeking the Lord on what it is that I should say.

[00:35:44] And I had to clean it up and tighten it up to make sure it was deliverable, deliverable

[00:35:48] and well-received.

[00:35:49] Cause I, I like purposely going off cue.

[00:35:52] I will purposely, but it's funny.

[00:35:55] We had this discussion, right?

[00:35:57] Right.

[00:35:57] But you, you also have to make sure that it's receivable.

[00:36:00] Right.

[00:36:00] So when I'm doing spoken word and I'm live or I'm doing acapella, it's okay to go over

[00:36:04] on a couple of syllables.

[00:36:05] It's not okay to do that on an album.

[00:36:07] Yeah.

[00:36:07] It's not.

[00:36:08] And I had a couple of my brothers sharpen me on this.

[00:36:10] So I love constructive criticism and had a lot of great brothers like, listen, man,

[00:36:14] if, if they can't receive the messenger, they will not shout out to Christopher Garcia.

[00:36:19] If they can't receive the messenger, they won't receive the message.

[00:36:22] Right.

[00:36:22] And so that, that, that's what kind of came into the intentionality of every word.

[00:36:27] So success to me is man, that, that there is over a thousand people, even a thousand,

[00:36:34] a thousand people have listened to the album.

[00:36:37] That's dope.

[00:36:37] Praise God.

[00:36:38] That's dope.

[00:36:39] Folks have, have, have invested with, with the way the economy is with as many excuses

[00:36:44] to actually purchase it and download it and share it with others.

[00:36:48] Like, man, you got to listen to this.

[00:36:50] Right.

[00:36:51] It was just affirmation after after affirmation.

[00:36:53] Like, man, it's crazy.

[00:36:55] When you said this, it made me think of this.

[00:36:58] When you said this, I thought of the scriptures that says this, like all the correlations and

[00:37:03] all the affirmation is really that, that to me determines success.

[00:37:07] That's good.

[00:37:07] Yeah.

[00:37:08] That's good.

[00:37:08] What, what's it like being a shepherd, man, birthing a new church?

[00:37:13] Oh, it is the most wonderful experience ever, man.

[00:37:15] Yeah.

[00:37:16] And, and it's scary at the same time because I'm, I'm responsible for these people's soul.

[00:37:22] Like that scripture says that I'm not taking that on me.

[00:37:25] I don't want that juice.

[00:37:26] Ricky Bobby.

[00:37:27] Right.

[00:37:28] Like I'm responsible for people.

[00:37:30] And so when, when I think of like, man, uh, this past June, June, my mom received the

[00:37:37] gospel and got baptized.

[00:37:39] She's living in my house.

[00:37:40] She's getting discipled now.

[00:37:41] Right.

[00:37:41] And we're trying to figure out how to care for her properly.

[00:37:43] Cause this is a whole, like, you know, the average deaf person actually has a third grade

[00:37:49] reading comprehension level because of the lack of resources, lack of education, so on

[00:37:53] and so forth.

[00:37:54] Right.

[00:37:54] We already know the regular education is failing our kids.

[00:37:56] Yeah.

[00:37:57] So imagine for a deaf person with a severe handicap, they can't hear.

[00:38:00] Yeah.

[00:38:01] Right.

[00:38:01] You, you take that into the faith.

[00:38:03] Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.

[00:38:05] But if you can't hear, then how are you hearing the word?

[00:38:07] Right.

[00:38:07] So, so there's challenges with that.

[00:38:09] You know, our, our younger son making the decision to be baptized at 11 years old and

[00:38:14] seeing a complete transformation of him.

[00:38:16] Like these are my first disciples.

[00:38:18] Yeah.

[00:38:18] So good.

[00:38:19] Me and my wife.

[00:38:20] And so like the, the people like a childhood friend of mine got saved him and his whole

[00:38:24] household got baptized.

[00:38:25] Yeah.

[00:38:26] Him and I, we, we teenagers in the Bronx.

[00:38:29] He's originally from Southside, Jamaica, Queens.

[00:38:31] I'm from the Bronx.

[00:38:31] So you already know that was a God relationship right there.

[00:38:34] Right.

[00:38:34] We got along just fine.

[00:38:35] Yeah.

[00:38:35] And we rap.

[00:38:36] Right.

[00:38:36] But we was on that social consciousness.

[00:38:38] You know, uh, we would, we would get high and, and talk conspiracy theories.

[00:38:42] Right.

[00:38:42] Behold the pale horse.

[00:38:44] Like the man, all this different stuff.

[00:38:45] And he got saved.

[00:38:46] His, him and his entire household, him and his kids got baptized.

[00:38:49] Like, and, but the scary part of it is that now I'm responsible for caring for them.

[00:38:55] And I'm like, Lord, please, please, please don't let any of my, any of my flaws, any of

[00:39:02] my, uh, you know, cause, cause I still live in this flesh.

[00:39:07] Right.

[00:39:07] I'm not going to purposely sin.

[00:39:09] I'm not, I'm committed and devoted to that.

[00:39:11] And I will be repentant when I sin, whether a sins of omission or sins of commission.

[00:39:15] Right.

[00:39:16] Um, I'm going to repent for the, but please.

[00:39:19] Please Lord retain that soul.

[00:39:22] One plants, one waters, God gives the increase.

[00:39:26] So you keep them Lord, because don't let any, any, any word that I'm, it might've been a

[00:39:31] timely word, but maybe I shared it in the wrong tone.

[00:39:33] Yeah.

[00:39:34] Maybe I shared it in the wrong timing.

[00:39:36] It wasn't to be released at that time.

[00:39:38] Maybe, um, you know, I came off offensive and a little bit abrasive.

[00:39:41] Right.

[00:39:41] And it came off like a rebuke instead of an admonishment.

[00:39:44] Yeah.

[00:39:44] And so that's the scariest part.

[00:39:46] It's like, I'm caring for people.

[00:39:48] And that's the role of a pastor.

[00:39:49] Absolutely.

[00:39:50] The role of a pastor is to shepherd and care for the people.

[00:39:53] And I find it interesting that when you see pastors only mentioned twice in the new Testament

[00:39:58] and it is plural pastors.

[00:40:06] And this is no attack.

[00:40:08] There's no attack.

[00:40:09] And it's not the, please don't, don't crucify me.

[00:40:11] Don't throw stones.

[00:40:12] We can have a conversation about it, about what I mean.

[00:40:14] There's more context to that.

[00:40:16] I mean, there's more context to that, but, um, you know, pastors is plural and knowing

[00:40:19] that I'm just one piece of caring for these people that God has entrusted.

[00:40:25] And the same way, uh, the brother, uh, the brother, uh, the brother, uh, the brother Chris, Chris

[00:40:55] It's kind of funny.

[00:40:56] Love it.

[00:40:57] So he calls my wife mom, and that's the relationship we have.

[00:41:01] You know, the kids are joking around like, you know, Uncle Chris is sleeping on the couch, right?

[00:41:07] He woke up this morning.

[00:41:08] My son hit me up.

[00:41:09] He goes, Daddy, did you notice there was a homeless man?

[00:41:11] He broke into our house and slept on our couch.

[00:41:13] His name is Chris.

[00:41:14] His name is Chris.

[00:41:17] And proud of him.

[00:41:18] He's not homeless.

[00:41:18] He's not homeless, guys.

[00:41:19] That's what's up.

[00:41:20] Yeah.

[00:41:21] Let me ask you this, man.

[00:41:23] BeWise Inc.

[00:41:24] I'm sorry.

[00:41:24] BeWise Inc.

[00:41:25] and the community work you're doing there.

[00:41:28] Tell people a little bit more about it, and then tell people also if they want to help,

[00:41:32] how they get involved.

[00:41:33] Oh, absolutely.

[00:41:34] So just for the distinction purpose, BeWise Incorporated is a for-profit organization.

[00:41:41] We focus on music, merchandise, and media, and it is a full consultancy agency kind of firm.

[00:41:48] Gotcha.

[00:41:48] I do everything from grant writing, proposals, curricula, that type of stuff.

[00:41:53] Capacity building for organizations, staff development, all of that stuff, right, on a professional level.

[00:41:58] And then BeWise NYC, which is incorporated as well, is a nonprofit organization, 501c3, that was birthed out of BeWise Inc.

[00:42:08] Got it.

[00:42:08] And so it is a social impact initiative of BeWise Inc.

[00:42:13] And so NYC stands for nurture your community.

[00:42:17] Right.

[00:42:17] And right now would be the best time, if anybody would.

[00:42:22] The first contribution I ask for is your prayers, because the prayers of the righteous availeth much.

[00:42:28] They availeth much.

[00:42:29] Right now we're back in the cycle.

[00:42:31] It's been three, we've been in operation.

[00:42:33] We're still in our inception.

[00:42:34] We're a baby organization.

[00:42:35] Mm-hmm.

[00:42:35] For three years now, we have several contracts with the city of New York to supply youth enrichment services.

[00:42:43] And what we do with that is that we do workforce development through career and academic exploration.

[00:42:49] Gotcha.

[00:42:50] And we also sneak in life skills and social skills building.

[00:42:53] Yep.

[00:42:54] And they're also ministering the gospel.

[00:42:56] Gotcha.

[00:42:56] And so, man, we got so many testimonies and stories of the work that we do with our young people.

[00:43:02] But the way to support first is through prayer.

[00:43:04] We're back in a cycle where our contracts haven't been executed.

[00:43:07] I'm pretty sure it's because they're waiting for the election.

[00:43:10] They're trying to see the shift of power and who's going to be in office and so on and so forth.

[00:43:13] But, bro, we need this money so that we can pay their people.

[00:43:17] Right.

[00:43:18] Just being transparent, I haven't been able to pay myself since April.

[00:43:23] Wow.

[00:43:23] My last check from my organization was April.

[00:43:26] Wow.

[00:43:27] Of this year.

[00:43:27] Wow.

[00:43:28] So seven months now.

[00:43:29] Right.

[00:43:29] I haven't been able to pay myself, you know.

[00:43:31] And God bless my staff.

[00:43:32] Shout out to Old Dane Willby.

[00:43:35] And I hate using the word staff.

[00:43:36] My team.

[00:43:37] The team that God has blessed me with.

[00:43:39] And you hear that line actually in BY's NYC.

[00:43:44] Got a whole team, right?

[00:43:46] Praise God.

[00:43:48] And Old Dane Willby, Randy Bozio, who have been with me since the inception of this.

[00:43:52] Yes.

[00:43:53] Believe in me.

[00:43:53] And I'm talking about long periods of time.

[00:43:55] Yeah.

[00:43:55] Randy's a great writer, man.

[00:43:56] Bruh.

[00:43:57] Mm-hmm.

[00:43:57] Like, man, this is what's happening with the contracts.

[00:44:01] We ran out of money and they're with me, man.

[00:44:04] That's good.

[00:44:04] Which is what affirmed in me.

[00:44:06] Because I wanted to quit so many times.

[00:44:07] I wanted to be like, man, I could just pursue the profit side of this.

[00:44:11] Right.

[00:44:11] Like, this nonprofit stuff is not for me.

[00:44:12] I never wanted to do it, but then I got kind of like, I was doing a lot of consultancy

[00:44:17] and bringing contracts to other organizations.

[00:44:20] Yeah.

[00:44:20] And building out the programming.

[00:44:22] Talking about millions of dollars worth of programming.

[00:44:25] Right.

[00:44:25] And getting them more contracts.

[00:44:27] Right.

[00:44:27] Like, they had three.

[00:44:29] Now, all of a sudden, they have 10.

[00:44:30] Mm-hmm.

[00:44:30] Which is a part of my identity.

[00:44:31] God has always used me, even before I knew him, as a catalyst.

[00:44:34] Like, wherever he's placed me, it's either been improved.

[00:44:37] Not because of me.

[00:44:38] Yeah.

[00:44:38] Because of how God works.

[00:44:39] But an improvement, better, blows up, becomes explosive.

[00:44:44] Yeah.

[00:44:45] Becomes sustainable.

[00:44:46] Praise God for that.

[00:44:47] And then now I'm running my own organization.

[00:44:49] The city was like, hey, how about we give you some contracts and you do the work?

[00:44:52] Yeah.

[00:44:53] Amen.

[00:44:53] Praise God.

[00:44:54] I'll take the challenge.

[00:44:54] Let's do it.

[00:44:55] But $120,000 is not a lot of money.

[00:44:58] Right.

[00:44:59] Right.

[00:44:59] I can't even really pay myself the salary that I deserve.

[00:45:03] Praise God for my wife.

[00:45:04] She makes up the other end of that.

[00:45:06] My sugar mama.

[00:45:07] We love you, baby.

[00:45:09] Elise, Christine, Rosado.

[00:45:11] How long have you guys been married?

[00:45:12] 15 years.

[00:45:13] Praise God, man.

[00:45:14] Yeah.

[00:45:14] Praise God.

[00:45:14] So B-Y's NYC, how can you support?

[00:45:16] That's the first way.

[00:45:17] The second way is definitely to, you know, you can check out the website.

[00:45:21] It's under reconstruction, but it is up right now.

[00:45:24] So you can, you know, download a brochure, share our services with people.

[00:45:27] Primarily, we are working in the Bronx and East Harlem right now.

[00:45:33] Just for now, slowly bringing things and transitioning to Newark, New Jersey, where God has planted us.

[00:45:39] Pun intended.

[00:45:41] And then, praise God.

[00:45:43] So, and also financial contributions.

[00:45:45] We're actually planning an official album release that will be done in an intimate setting that is going to operate as a fundraiser for the organization as well.

[00:45:54] And so we're going to have some, you know, heavy hitters in the room.

[00:45:58] We're going to have some very prominent people in the room as well.

[00:46:00] You know, from all sectors, elected officials, nonprofit organizations, ministers of the gospel, churches, faith-based organizations, so on and so forth.

[00:46:08] And we're going to be doing a fundraiser.

[00:46:10] So please be on the lookout for that, how you can contribute and so on and so forth.

[00:46:14] I mean, in the meantime, we'll accept donations whatever way is best for the person.

[00:46:18] So reach out to me at Profit Link through IG.

[00:46:22] You could hit up the link tree.

[00:46:24] And there's several ways to give.

[00:46:26] That's perfect.

[00:46:26] If they want to give a financial contribution, it's definitely needed at this time.

[00:46:30] Yeah.

[00:46:30] And anything that's contributed, we do not put that towards salary.

[00:46:35] We don't put that towards our pay.

[00:46:37] It goes specifically to serving our young people.

[00:46:40] That's good.

[00:46:40] That's good.

[00:46:41] Well, I was going to ask you to tell them how to get in contact with you, but you've done that already.

[00:46:44] So let's close like this.

[00:46:46] Yeah.

[00:46:47] Look in the camera and give them a spoken word piece as we close, man.

[00:46:50] Hey.

[00:46:51] Amen.

[00:46:51] You down with that?

[00:46:52] Yeah.

[00:46:52] I'm totally down with that.

[00:46:53] How many minutes have I got?

[00:46:54] What do we got?

[00:46:54] We got three, five minutes.

[00:46:56] Yeah.

[00:46:57] Okay.

[00:46:57] Whatever you feel good with.

[00:46:58] Spoken word piece.

[00:46:59] Amen.

[00:47:02] Hallelujah.

[00:47:06] Michael Alvarado was born in East Harlem at the Mount of Sinai.

[00:47:10] His mom was a proud one.

[00:47:12] Her first child, even though it was a fourth pregnancy.

[00:47:15] Not enough time to detail that on this beat.

[00:47:17] He didn't learn who his father was until he was 36.

[00:47:21] Even though he met the Lord at age 20.

[00:47:23] Let's move on quick to his primary borough of residence.

[00:47:27] Projects.

[00:47:27] The Bronx with violence has seen plenty.

[00:47:29] My Haven, where young is really paid the cause.

[00:47:32] Trying to stay close to the tree.

[00:47:33] Spilling the applesauce.

[00:47:35] Mitchell's.

[00:47:36] Hellbound.

[00:47:37] One, three, seventh and Willis.

[00:47:39] Avenues of death.

[00:47:40] Many more known for killers.

[00:47:42] Matter of fact, in two different instances, he got shot and stabbed on the same ave.

[00:47:47] Both sides of the street.

[00:47:49] One thirty-eighth between.

[00:47:50] Brown's place in Brook 2 shook to sell dope and coke.

[00:47:53] So he pushed weed though he was rolling with.

[00:47:56] The same dealers.

[00:47:57] Yeah, the same crooks.

[00:47:58] It was still all good.

[00:47:59] Thank God he didn't get knocked.

[00:48:01] Rikers Island would have turned the men to a different stock.

[00:48:04] Environment makes all the difference.

[00:48:06] Fast forward to now.

[00:48:08] He and his spouse are pastors with four children.

[00:48:10] They own a house in the West Ward of New York.

[00:48:13] City kids not wishing to leave NYC.

[00:48:16] Understood God really sent them in to do work.

[00:48:19] Building up community.

[00:48:21] Garden church.

[00:48:21] Focus to serve.

[00:48:23] Planting seeds of the gospel.

[00:48:25] Deep into the dirt.

[00:48:27] Vowed to please Elohim.

[00:48:28] Preaching healing to the hurt.

[00:48:31] Be wise.

[00:48:32] Love it.

[00:48:33] Hey y'all.

[00:48:34] Y'all know what it is.

[00:48:35] This was live in studio with Prophet Link.

[00:48:37] Go stream hands and feet please.

[00:48:40] Yes.

[00:48:41] All right.

[00:48:41] And until next time this was a kingdom building conversation.

[00:48:43] Right here on Holy Culture.

[00:48:45] Shout out Holy Culture.

[00:48:46] Blessings y'all.

[00:48:47] I spray heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat Elliott heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat heat