753. Reconcile: Music or Ministry Which Comes First?

[00:00:02] We Can Change Like My Dreams Out of Reach This Pain and Out It's Grief If You See God If You Have To Speak Tell Him It's Crazy If You Feel My Pain

[00:00:12] Yo, what's going on? This is Pastor Phil from Church on the Block and you are joining the phenomenal Amy Williams, the instrumental DJ Rutgers and the intellectual insider, Pastor Jay, right here at Church on the Block, 9am every Sunday morning, channel 140, 6am. Hang with us.

[00:00:27] Welcome to Church on the Block family. We are back. I know you've been waiting all week for us, been anticipating what we're going to do, what are we going to say, how are we going to say it?

[00:00:38] Church on the Block, man, Holy Culture Radio, channel 140, Sirius XM, man. We are excited about being with you about the show, about the movement of what's happening with some artists, man, some up and coming artists who may be up and coming to you, but they've been out there for a minute.

[00:00:57] But they really are trying to bring a real authentic sound, both to meet the streets, to meet where the people are at, you know, and to take them where God would have them to go.

[00:01:05] It's powerful to see and to be in a connection with that, man. So we're going to talk a little bit about a young brother who we had some great connection with this summer.

[00:01:16] But in the studio with me are my great hosts. What's going on, family? How's everybody doing?

[00:01:21] What's up, everybody? You know it's your boy, Pastor Jay. Glad to be here.

[00:01:25] Hey, this show, we're about to be the epitome of real talk about hip-hop, the church in the streets. I'm so ready for this one.

[00:01:32] Pass it off to my homie. You know who she is.

[00:01:35] Ooh, I am so excited for this episode. What's up, family? It's Amy, the hope dealer to the dope dealer.

[00:01:42] Excited to have this conversation. Passing it off to DJ Ruckus.

[00:01:46] Ooh, yo, what's good? This your boy, DJ Ruckus. So happy to be here this Sunday morning.

[00:01:51] Let's get a cracker with some great conversation, people.

[00:01:54] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The brother we're about to talk about and talk with is none other than Reconcile, man.

[00:02:00] And the brother, he's just cold. And his rhymes and his style of what he's rhyming, how he's rhyming,

[00:02:06] matches the ministry he's engaged in, just matches who he is as a person.

[00:02:10] But here's one of the songs I love the most, man. Streets Don't Love You by Reconcile. Check it out.

[00:02:16] I have a collect call from...

[00:02:21] Please press...

[00:02:23] Hey, bro, hit me back, man. That my fourth time calling, man. Y'all like y'all ignoring me.

[00:02:28] Bro, what's good? Y'all like y'all can't pick up the phone.

[00:02:32] Ah, hey, I need about 30 on the books, bro. I ain't had no commissary last week.

[00:02:37] I ain't getting no letters or none of that, man. Y'all ain't rocking with me, bro.

[00:02:45] I ain't got...

[00:02:46] Whippin' in a pedal, he got call up in a center.

[00:02:48] Missing lean, skirt.

[00:02:56] This can't be the one for y'all, y'all.

[00:02:59] Flirtin' with that Katy Perry, yeah.

[00:03:02] My youngies, I ain't trolling gas, yeah.

[00:03:05] Run up, get your...

[00:03:06] Dun-nuh, dun-nuh.

[00:03:09] Spaghetti, skirt.

[00:03:11] Youngies out to catchin' body, oh.

[00:03:14] Hurts up like you get a body, yeah.

[00:03:16] Pray to homie throwin', rollin'.

[00:03:20] Pray to homie know somethin', no, son.

[00:03:23] No, no, son, yeah.

[00:03:25] That's cold, bro, for a tan ain't part of fillin'.

[00:03:29] The streets don't, streets don't, streets don't lay.

[00:03:32] The streets don't, streets don't, streets don't lay.

[00:03:35] The streets don't lay.

[00:03:39] Lay.

[00:03:40] The streets don't love you, don't love you, they don't.

[00:03:43] The streets don't love you.

[00:03:45] Kill a fuck, man.

[00:03:47] Got no killers doin' bad, they don't see you in your match.

[00:03:50] Anybody get boner.

[00:03:52] Anybody get boner.

[00:03:53] And you can get your ass up.

[00:03:56] Streets don't, streets don't, streets don't like it.

[00:03:58] Kid out of college, came home, they pulled him on the lead.

[00:04:01] That bitch went left, he did toned up a hundred percent.

[00:04:05] God, I done got him money up.

[00:04:08] All game, nigga.

[00:04:11] My dog bought a latin' tour.

[00:04:14] His bro back in college.

[00:04:15] Back in college.

[00:04:17] He didn't check, he was hitting check.

[00:04:19] Ayy.

[00:04:20] Your bro hurtin' he didn't check.

[00:04:23] Ayy, your bro turned dog on.

[00:04:25] Ayy, he ain't like that at all, homie.

[00:04:28] No.

[00:04:29] Sayin' week he lost a job, too.

[00:04:31] Yeah.

[00:04:32] Ayy.

[00:04:32] Rip on came and on, too.

[00:04:34] His dog got a lick, he outa put me on.

[00:04:37] He know we're the same, he ain't never home.

[00:04:40] That bitch went left, police chased, duckin' laws, homie.

[00:04:43] Then got murdered, same dude, that ain't wrong, homie.

[00:04:48] Streets don't love you.

[00:04:51] Like.

[00:04:53] Streets don't love you.

[00:04:54] Don't love you, they ain't home.

[00:04:56] Streets don't love you.

[00:04:58] Killin' for a bad.

[00:04:59] I know killers goin' bad.

[00:05:00] They don't see it in your pants.

[00:05:02] Anybody get boner.

[00:05:04] Anybody get boner.

[00:05:05] And you can get your ass up.

[00:05:08] Streets don't, streets don't, streets don't love you.

[00:05:31] Yeah.

[00:05:31] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:05:33] And that sound is not for everybody.

[00:05:36] That sound is not for everybody.

[00:05:37] Man, that was fire.

[00:05:38] But in this context of the world in which we live in now, right?

[00:05:43] The artists that are both saying something,

[00:05:48] because he had a whole storyline.

[00:05:50] He talked about a dude went to college, came back.

[00:05:55] And the whole situation happened with his whole life turned another direction.

[00:05:58] The opening of the song where he talked about like real talk and muggy

[00:06:03] calling you with the money on their books.

[00:06:06] Y'all don't pick up the call no more.

[00:06:08] I mean, he created a storyline with all of that piece, man.

[00:06:13] He's got a ton of different sound,

[00:06:15] a ton of different songs on his other albums

[00:06:18] and some other ways in which he does it.

[00:06:21] I like that because it resonates with the sound of which

[00:06:24] cats are listening to music today, right now, right?

[00:06:26] So if you was in a car with somebody and you're like,

[00:06:29] man, this swag was music.

[00:06:30] Play this song.

[00:06:31] Who was that?

[00:06:32] Who was that?

[00:06:33] Then you got that hook to talk about everything else he rhymed about,

[00:06:36] everything, all the other songs he talked about, right?

[00:06:38] There's got to be a way in which, you know,

[00:06:42] there's a way in which you resonate.

[00:06:45] Now, his song like that may not be at the, you know,

[00:06:50] the Christchurch of Oak Brook.

[00:06:57] You're saying the people at Christchurch don't want to be in there

[00:07:01] talking about the streets don't love me.

[00:07:03] Oh, man.

[00:07:04] Oh, man.

[00:07:05] Oh, man.

[00:07:06] Oh, man.

[00:07:06] Oh, man.

[00:07:07] I mean, we know.

[00:07:08] We know.

[00:07:09] Not out of high school.

[00:07:11] The streets don't love me.

[00:07:14] I'm in my daddy's car.

[00:07:19] That guy struggles, too, at Christchurch of Oak Brook.

[00:07:21] Yes, they do.

[00:07:24] Yes, they do.

[00:07:26] They're not on the streets, though.

[00:07:27] But the thing is-

[00:07:28] They called the Saks don't love them either.

[00:07:30] They called the Saks don't?

[00:07:33] You ain't right.

[00:07:35] The suburbs need love, too.

[00:07:37] Come on.

[00:07:38] Not on this show, but, you know.

[00:07:41] I think the reality of, you know, what his efforts are

[00:07:44] in trying to be relevant to where the community he's serving

[00:07:49] and reaching people that are, you know, not in that space

[00:07:55] to ever hear somebody being real, both with their faith

[00:07:59] and with what the struggles are, you know,

[00:08:02] and some of the conversation that he had with you, Ruck,

[00:08:05] because I think talk about that.

[00:08:06] Like, people weren't, you know, real with the struggle.

[00:08:09] So, you know, what are you-

[00:08:11] What are the conversations?

[00:08:12] Before we go into this little snippet of an interview

[00:08:14] where he talks about Christian hip-hop and the lack of struggle,

[00:08:18] what are some of your thoughts about it?

[00:08:20] Yeah, no, me and Bro had some great conversation

[00:08:23] at our Firefest and Firehouse Block Party.

[00:08:28] And, man, I think we covered topics from talking about

[00:08:34] what our struggles were, the realism of our age gap

[00:08:39] when it comes to hip-hop and how Christian hip-hop,

[00:08:42] is it hitting a mark or is it missing a mark?

[00:08:45] We talked about putting our real-life situations in music

[00:08:50] and how we can connect to the streets.

[00:08:53] Man, we hit a number of topics.

[00:08:56] I can't remember them all, but I know we hit a number of topics.

[00:08:59] It was a great conversation.

[00:09:00] The conversation was so good that we,

[00:09:03] after we stopped recording, Bro was like,

[00:09:05] now let me ask you some questions.

[00:09:07] And we got to talking.

[00:09:08] And then our camera guy was like,

[00:09:11] hey, let's get this recorded.

[00:09:13] And so we got to find a whole,

[00:09:16] it's like a bunch of interviews of just me and him

[00:09:18] just sitting there talking

[00:09:19] and just having a regular conversation about life

[00:09:24] and music and Christian hip-hop and God.

[00:09:27] Yeah.

[00:09:28] And even him telling us what he's up to in Florida.

[00:09:31] Man, it's great.

[00:09:32] We got to get it out there for everybody to hear it.

[00:09:35] Yeah.

[00:09:35] He's the kind of artist to me

[00:09:37] who would be great in a high school.

[00:09:39] We'd come to a high school assembly.

[00:09:40] Yeah.

[00:09:41] In the hood.

[00:09:42] Not out in Oak Brook, but in the hood.

[00:09:44] Yeah.

[00:09:46] Where we combine it with a talent show that night

[00:09:49] or somewhere else where a cast would come back through

[00:09:51] to be a part of.

[00:09:52] What else are you going to be talking about?

[00:09:54] What else is he on?

[00:09:54] You know, we brought the Gospel Gangsters

[00:09:56] out to Collins High School.

[00:09:57] It was so great in the Gospel Gangsters

[00:09:59] at Collins High School.

[00:10:01] It was almost a church.

[00:10:03] The kids was crying.

[00:10:04] I almost wanted to come.

[00:10:05] Is there one?

[00:10:07] Is there one?

[00:10:07] It was that thick.

[00:10:08] It was that thick.

[00:10:10] And they was just being real.

[00:10:11] God should do shit.

[00:10:12] His testimony solo.

[00:10:14] And we had a young talent on the stage doing stuff.

[00:10:18] So I say he's the kind of artist that could be.

[00:10:20] Yeah.

[00:10:21] Finger.

[00:10:22] Some other schools in the city.

[00:10:25] And relate both.

[00:10:26] And he doesn't have to come straight.

[00:10:28] Roman 3, throw the three button.

[00:10:29] He doesn't have to do that.

[00:10:30] That piece right there, right?

[00:10:32] Let's check this conversation y'all had, man.

[00:10:34] Let's check out what he talked about with this.

[00:10:36] The void is, the biggest change in Christian hip-hop is we're not speaking to any struggles.

[00:10:42] So here's the thing.

[00:10:43] And it's a great convo.

[00:10:45] I'm going to bring it up.

[00:10:47] So Christian hip-hop, what happens is it don't grow with nobody.

[00:10:51] Right?

[00:10:53] It stays to where it's only palatable for you, group kids.

[00:10:57] Because once you start, because there's a couple reasons.

[00:11:00] Once you start talking about pain, struggle, stuff you're dealing with in the Christian world, I hate to say it like that.

[00:11:06] We start being like, I don't know if we want him.

[00:11:08] He just said he's struggling with porn.

[00:11:10] You going to have him rapping in front of the kids?

[00:11:11] Right.

[00:11:12] But yes, I do.

[00:11:14] I do want him rapping in front of the kids.

[00:11:16] But the thing is, like hip-hop, we're watching this phenomenon happen right now.

[00:11:22] Hip-hop is growing with people.

[00:11:25] Yo.

[00:11:26] The void is the biggest change.

[00:11:28] He was bringing out some stuff with that, man.

[00:11:30] Yeah, man.

[00:11:31] You know, the one thing, I appreciated that part of our conversation because that is something that I've struggled with for years.

[00:11:38] You know, my family, you know, my mom and grandmother, they're the church family, right?

[00:11:44] And talking about my pains and stuff, it's always like, I'll give it to God.

[00:11:49] And that's like the church way of not talking about something.

[00:11:54] No, these are things I need to talk about.

[00:11:56] I need to stress what I'm going through.

[00:11:59] And the one area that I needed to minister to me is music.

[00:12:06] I love music.

[00:12:08] And if the music I'm listening to is not ministering to, you know, what I'm going through and talking about what I'm going through, there's no connection.

[00:12:15] Right?

[00:12:16] Now, we play this opening song, The Streets Don't Love Me.

[00:12:19] Well, I'm not in the streets no more.

[00:12:20] Now, when I was a youngster and I was in the streets, I would have connected with that song very strongly.

[00:12:26] So, as you were saying, Phil, yes, that song will connect well with today's generation.

[00:12:32] But I probably need a different song.

[00:12:34] You know, I don't love the streets.

[00:12:36] Right.

[00:12:38] Right, right, right.

[00:12:41] This reminds me.

[00:12:43] Go ahead.

[00:12:43] Go ahead.

[00:12:44] No, go, Amy.

[00:12:46] Just hip-hop in general, our young people do listen to it because it does resonate with them and where they are and the struggle, whatever that looks like, whether it is the violence or the drugs or all of those kind of things.

[00:13:00] They're looking for something.

[00:13:02] And hip-hop has always been the voice of the generation.

[00:13:06] I don't like it, but I listen because I want to hear what young people are saying today.

[00:13:14] Right.

[00:13:14] Right?

[00:13:15] As our parents were saying when hip-hop came out back in our day, I don't want to hear that.

[00:13:20] I don't know.

[00:13:21] That's the voice of the generation.

[00:13:24] So, we do have to listen and it does resonate with them.

[00:13:27] So, they're going to listen to it if Christian hip-hop doesn't offer that.

[00:13:31] But see, here's the thing that hip-hop does offer.

[00:13:33] There are so many artists in hip-hop.

[00:13:36] Like today, I was scrolling and I see Ice Cube release a new song and it's like number one in the billboards.

[00:13:42] I can't wait to go hear what he's talking about, right?

[00:13:44] Right.

[00:13:45] But we saw David Banner when all...

[00:13:49] Was it David Banner?

[00:13:51] No, no.

[00:13:51] It was...

[00:13:53] Ah, man.

[00:13:54] What's my lookalike?

[00:13:55] Your family called me...

[00:13:58] Ah, man.

[00:13:59] I can't think of brother's name now.

[00:14:01] Big Mike.

[00:14:03] Killer Mike.

[00:14:04] Killer Mike.

[00:14:05] Yeah, I'm having brain farts right now.

[00:14:07] But...

[00:14:07] That's all right.

[00:14:08] Killer Mike.

[00:14:08] Killer Mike, right?

[00:14:09] The brother made an awesome album that was still relevant to hip-hop, but it carried through multiple ages.

[00:14:17] And he didn't have to talk about being in the streets no more.

[00:14:21] He can talk about stuff that's relevant to his age group.

[00:14:25] To him, and that's still relatable to a younger generation.

[00:14:29] Well, it's like LL just came out with that hit with Eminem, which is so dope.

[00:14:35] But it doesn't speak to me, right?

[00:14:38] Because it is talking still about, you know, violence and all those kind of things.

[00:14:43] The same stuff.

[00:14:43] Yeah.

[00:14:43] Right.

[00:14:44] And so...

[00:14:45] And I know Will Smith just came out with something.

[00:14:47] Oh, Will Smith just dropped a freestyle the other day.

[00:14:49] I was just like, oh, oh, Big Willie.

[00:14:53] He's trying to...

[00:14:53] He's using music to get himself back in our good graces.

[00:14:57] Right.

[00:14:58] Hey, hey, hey.

[00:14:58] For the record, he never fell out of mind.

[00:15:00] I was cool with the bathroom.

[00:15:02] I know we got to close out.

[00:15:05] I want to say this in terms of like Christian hip hop.

[00:15:09] Y'all know I'm always shouting my boy Sho.

[00:15:12] Sho Baraka had a joint way back on his Talented Tith album.

[00:15:15] Came out like 10 years ago called Peter Pan.

[00:15:17] That was speaking to this exact thing like 10 years ago.

[00:15:21] And the last line is, he said,

[00:15:23] Sometimes I think they need extended adolescence so they can blow up.

[00:15:26] Hip hop, you're close to 50.

[00:15:28] When can we grow up?

[00:15:30] That was the last two lines of it.

[00:15:32] And so I just feel like, y'all, like we say that it don't work.

[00:15:37] But like, I feel like people have been saying this,

[00:15:39] even at Christian hip hop.

[00:15:40] Right.

[00:15:40] It's just that I think finally people are starting to hear it.

[00:15:43] So I think my last part is, if we're going to the next part,

[00:15:47] like the reality of who's going to embrace that,

[00:15:51] if you're talking about real stuff,

[00:15:51] when it comes to the Christian churches and who's going to...

[00:15:54] If it's that platform that you're trying to get that word out

[00:15:57] or the industry-wise, somebody ain't ready for something

[00:16:01] in order to play or not.

[00:16:02] You know what I mean?

[00:16:03] Because even cats trying to say something,

[00:16:05] whether it's Cube or anybody else,

[00:16:07] you know, they got a following already.

[00:16:10] They're ready to hear them, even if they're older.

[00:16:12] And yet cats, when trying to get that following,

[00:16:16] they got to stay in that fine line.

[00:16:17] Yo, stay right here.

[00:16:18] When we come back, you're going to hear more of this exclusive,

[00:16:22] never heard before interview with DJ Ruckus

[00:16:25] and reconcile, man, right from our block party,

[00:16:29] 2024 block party right here in front of the firehouse.

[00:16:32] Man, stay right here.

[00:16:32] We'll be right back.

[00:16:44] Yo, welcome back to Church on the Block.

[00:16:46] Real talk about hip-hop, the church in the streets.

[00:16:48] Man, we got a phenomenal artist,

[00:16:50] not only a man of God, not only an artist,

[00:16:52] but an actual, like, worker in the field, man.

[00:16:55] I'm talking about sweating, grinding

[00:16:57] with these cats who are most vulnerable, man.

[00:16:59] MC reconcile, you know,

[00:17:01] and DJ Ruckus had a great chance to interview him

[00:17:04] during our 17th annual hip-hop block party.

[00:17:08] He's just been a phenomenal artist on the stage,

[00:17:11] impactful around the country,

[00:17:14] and impactful with the work he's doing

[00:17:16] with those who are out here in the streets.

[00:17:18] And the church is not one to mess with.

[00:17:20] Yo, check it out and dive into his music

[00:17:24] and his ministry.

[00:17:26] Check him out.

[00:17:27] Yo, what's good?

[00:17:27] It's your boy, DJ Ruckus.

[00:17:29] We back, Holy Culture Radio,

[00:17:30] Church on the Block, Channel 140.

[00:17:32] Hey, we are having a great time here

[00:17:33] at the Firehouse Block Party,

[00:17:35] and I just want to say, man,

[00:17:36] thank you all for tuning in

[00:17:38] and checking out everything that we've been doing.

[00:17:41] So today, I got another special guest for you.

[00:17:44] Rack and Sal is in the house with us,

[00:17:45] so give it up for them.

[00:17:48] What's good?

[00:17:49] What's good, babe?

[00:17:49] Man, Reconcile.

[00:17:51] Man, it is a pleasure to have you here.

[00:17:52] I know I used to do blogging

[00:17:55] and post some of your music and stuff,

[00:17:58] but I don't know if we've ever met physically,

[00:18:00] so it is a blessing, bro,

[00:18:01] to actually meet you.

[00:18:03] And I didn't get a chance to hear you perform

[00:18:05] because I've been doing interviews.

[00:18:06] I see.

[00:18:07] But I got to go.

[00:18:08] Somebody got a video,

[00:18:09] so I got to go look at it.

[00:18:10] So talk to me, man.

[00:18:11] What's going on with you?

[00:18:12] What you been on, man?

[00:18:14] Hey, man, like,

[00:18:15] I'm trying to merge the music

[00:18:16] with the social action.

[00:18:18] You know what I'm saying?

[00:18:19] Man, back in the day,

[00:18:20] like, before you even picked up a mic,

[00:18:21] I remember when I was living in Houston,

[00:18:23] before you even picked up a mic,

[00:18:24] the whole culture was,

[00:18:25] what are you doing?

[00:18:26] Like, I remember the old heads

[00:18:28] that used to do the hip-hop in Houston

[00:18:30] when I moved from South Florida to Houston.

[00:18:32] It was like,

[00:18:32] we don't want to hear you rap.

[00:18:33] We want to see you serve.

[00:18:35] You know what I'm saying?

[00:18:36] And I think our culture,

[00:18:37] our space has got a lot away from that.

[00:18:40] You know what I'm saying?

[00:18:40] It's just anybody's like,

[00:18:41] oh, you came to Christ,

[00:18:42] you can rap.

[00:18:43] You know what I'm saying?

[00:18:43] Boom, rap.

[00:18:44] We don't care about what your life,

[00:18:45] if you actually came to the Lord for real.

[00:18:48] You know what I'm saying?

[00:18:49] Or if you really, like,

[00:18:51] you know,

[00:18:51] we made your purpose in life,

[00:18:54] you think it's the microphone,

[00:18:56] but God,

[00:18:57] for all of us,

[00:18:58] his purpose in our lives

[00:18:59] is that we look more like him,

[00:19:01] microphone or not.

[00:19:03] Yeah.

[00:19:03] You know what I'm saying?

[00:19:04] And I think when we look more like him,

[00:19:06] we have eyes

[00:19:07] like he does to help people.

[00:19:08] So for me,

[00:19:10] what's important is

[00:19:11] I'm trying to,

[00:19:12] I'm always trying to merge the music

[00:19:14] with the tangibles.

[00:19:15] You know what I'm saying?

[00:19:16] So that's me.

[00:19:17] You know,

[00:19:18] I work,

[00:19:18] I've been always working inside

[00:19:20] the court systems.

[00:19:21] I've been working in nonprofits.

[00:19:23] I have my own nonprofit.

[00:19:25] Right now,

[00:19:26] I'm launching a brand new nonprofit

[00:19:28] called We The Revolt.

[00:19:30] Okay.

[00:19:31] And the goal is

[00:19:31] to take the music

[00:19:32] to civic action

[00:19:33] in different cities

[00:19:34] across the states

[00:19:36] and really get in the trenches

[00:19:38] not to just,

[00:19:40] you know,

[00:19:41] talk about the stuff

[00:19:42] that we want to do

[00:19:43] but actually empower people

[00:19:44] to do the things

[00:19:45] that they should be doing

[00:19:46] for other people

[00:19:46] to help change people's lives

[00:19:47] and push them to know Christ

[00:19:50] and make communities better.

[00:19:52] Man,

[00:19:52] that's what's up.

[00:19:52] So how long

[00:19:53] have you been doing

[00:19:53] a non-for-profit?

[00:19:54] Man,

[00:19:55] I've been doing it

[00:19:55] since before I rep.

[00:19:57] Really?

[00:19:57] I've been doing it

[00:19:58] the whole time.

[00:19:59] Bro,

[00:19:59] I did not know that.

[00:19:59] Bro,

[00:20:00] people come to me like,

[00:20:01] man,

[00:20:01] how long have you been

[00:20:01] doing full-time rep?

[00:20:02] I was like,

[00:20:03] I've never done

[00:20:03] full-time rep.

[00:20:04] I've always been doing

[00:20:05] or holding down

[00:20:06] some type of position

[00:20:08] where I can make a difference

[00:20:09] in people's lives

[00:20:10] structurally and institutionally.

[00:20:12] Okay,

[00:20:12] and so you're

[00:20:13] non-for-profit,

[00:20:13] you're based out of Florida

[00:20:14] now, right?

[00:20:15] Based out of South Florida,

[00:20:16] yeah, yeah.

[00:20:16] Okay.

[00:20:17] Now,

[00:20:17] so talk to me about,

[00:20:19] so you're doing this

[00:20:19] non-for-profit.

[00:20:20] How long have you been rapping?

[00:20:21] I've been rapping,

[00:20:23] man,

[00:20:23] I dropped,

[00:20:24] I think it's like,

[00:20:25] probably in my head,

[00:20:26] I think like,

[00:20:27] was the first record

[00:20:27] that I dropped

[00:20:28] to people

[00:20:29] even paid attention to.

[00:20:30] So I'd probably say

[00:20:31] like 2012.

[00:20:32] 2012.

[00:20:33] 2012,

[00:20:34] okay.

[00:20:35] So I know

[00:20:36] I was talking

[00:20:36] to the last artist

[00:20:37] I was interviewing,

[00:20:38] you know,

[00:20:39] talking about the pandemic.

[00:20:40] Pandemic hit,

[00:20:41] I felt like Christian hip-hop

[00:20:43] kind of started

[00:20:45] going downhill

[00:20:45] and I feel like

[00:20:47] it's going through

[00:20:47] a transition.

[00:20:48] What do you,

[00:20:49] what's your feel

[00:20:50] for it right now?

[00:20:50] When you mean

[00:20:50] like going downhill,

[00:20:51] what you mean like?

[00:20:52] Like,

[00:20:52] it feels like

[00:20:54] it kind of just

[00:20:55] disappeared for a little bit

[00:20:56] and it's rebooting.

[00:20:58] That's the way

[00:20:58] it feels for me.

[00:21:00] Yeah,

[00:21:00] no,

[00:21:00] no,

[00:21:00] it's a resurgence.

[00:21:02] It's definitely

[00:21:03] a resurgence.

[00:21:03] It's some movements

[00:21:04] of cats making,

[00:21:05] you know,

[00:21:05] different stuff happen.

[00:21:06] It's always,

[00:21:07] you know,

[00:21:07] the ones that have

[00:21:08] always kind of been

[00:21:09] the pillars of,

[00:21:10] you know,

[00:21:10] whether it's reach

[00:21:11] and those kind of

[00:21:12] closely associated.

[00:21:14] Shout out to

[00:21:15] RMG,

[00:21:15] Doc,

[00:21:16] and all the young guns.

[00:21:17] Shout out to

[00:21:17] young guns out in the West.

[00:21:19] They got the whole

[00:21:19] little glow click.

[00:21:20] You know,

[00:21:21] you got some dudes

[00:21:21] popping out.

[00:21:22] they awesome too,

[00:21:22] the glow click.

[00:21:23] Yeah,

[00:21:23] they call,

[00:21:24] you got dudes

[00:21:24] popping out of Florida

[00:21:25] like really off

[00:21:27] the TikTok game,

[00:21:28] off the social media.

[00:21:29] You know,

[00:21:29] your dudes like

[00:21:30] Alex Gene

[00:21:31] and the click

[00:21:33] he run with.

[00:21:34] You know,

[00:21:36] you got some dudes

[00:21:37] that kind of

[00:21:38] put the mic down.

[00:21:38] I think that's what

[00:21:39] you're really talking about.

[00:21:40] In 2020,

[00:21:42] there wasn't the funds

[00:21:43] to do the rap.

[00:21:44] You know,

[00:21:44] it wasn't no shows.

[00:21:45] There's no shows,

[00:21:48] you know,

[00:21:50] no shows,

[00:21:51] no studios,

[00:21:51] people making less music,

[00:21:53] people lose.

[00:21:53] A lot of people

[00:21:54] don't realize

[00:21:55] what a lot of fun,

[00:21:56] a lot of funding

[00:21:57] from Christian rap

[00:21:58] come from people

[00:21:58] having jobs.

[00:21:59] That's true.

[00:21:59] You know what I'm saying?

[00:22:00] Because the music,

[00:22:01] once it became

[00:22:01] the streaming era,

[00:22:02] you weren't really

[00:22:03] making money off the music.

[00:22:05] So pandemic kind of

[00:22:06] just dried up

[00:22:06] people's lives.

[00:22:07] Yeah.

[00:22:08] You know what I'm saying?

[00:22:08] It dried up people's lives.

[00:22:10] It dried up the church.

[00:22:11] Like facts,

[00:22:12] bruh.

[00:22:13] Like the churches,

[00:22:14] not only were people

[00:22:15] not going to church

[00:22:15] because of the pandemic.

[00:22:16] That's true.

[00:22:17] But a lot of churches

[00:22:18] never recovered.

[00:22:19] Yeah.

[00:22:19] You know,

[00:22:20] and churches are still dying.

[00:22:22] So I think that,

[00:22:23] that's the shift.

[00:22:24] You see this,

[00:22:25] where there was more

[00:22:26] like this community

[00:22:29] in Christian rap

[00:22:30] that was like,

[00:22:31] you know,

[00:22:32] where you have more guys

[00:22:33] and more cities

[00:22:34] doing it

[00:22:35] and having collectives

[00:22:36] and building

[00:22:36] and collaborating

[00:22:37] with each other.

[00:22:38] you have more churches

[00:22:39] supporting it,

[00:22:40] more shows.

[00:22:41] Yeah.

[00:22:41] You have more opportunity

[00:22:43] because of the financial space

[00:22:44] to then it kind of went

[00:22:46] to what we have now

[00:22:46] is you just see

[00:22:47] like Christian rappers

[00:22:48] cast really just trying

[00:22:49] to utilize social media.

[00:22:51] Social media.

[00:22:52] And it has even changed

[00:22:53] the way that they rap.

[00:22:54] Yeah.

[00:22:54] Because even,

[00:22:55] even in music,

[00:22:55] they got away

[00:22:56] from just making albums.

[00:22:57] Mm-hmm.

[00:22:58] But it's like,

[00:22:59] I can't make an album.

[00:23:00] Nobody's consuming the album.

[00:23:01] So how has it changed you?

[00:23:03] So for me,

[00:23:04] it's like,

[00:23:05] I think,

[00:23:06] I think we've always

[00:23:07] stayed,

[00:23:08] stayed true

[00:23:08] to the soil of a bit.

[00:23:10] For us,

[00:23:11] it's about people still.

[00:23:12] Yeah.

[00:23:13] But I think

[00:23:13] in some ways,

[00:23:15] if,

[00:23:15] if it's changed

[00:23:16] in any way,

[00:23:18] it would be that

[00:23:19] we recognize

[00:23:22] that time is limited,

[00:23:24] your voice is limited

[00:23:24] and it's made us say,

[00:23:26] okay,

[00:23:27] look,

[00:23:28] we got to move

[00:23:29] very strategically

[00:23:31] and consistently.

[00:23:33] So I think

[00:23:34] when you would look at

[00:23:35] dudes taking all this time

[00:23:37] to like build a record

[00:23:38] and add all this different stuff,

[00:23:39] all this special

[00:23:40] mixing and masters,

[00:23:41] like it's like,

[00:23:41] bruh,

[00:23:42] you losing their attention.

[00:23:43] You got to be effective,

[00:23:44] quick and fast.

[00:23:45] Okay.

[00:23:46] You know what I'm saying?

[00:23:47] And,

[00:23:48] and you got to have

[00:23:49] an end game in mind.

[00:23:50] Yeah.

[00:23:50] You know?

[00:23:51] So,

[00:23:51] so on our show,

[00:23:53] we talk about real talk

[00:23:54] between hip hop,

[00:23:55] the church and the streets.

[00:23:56] When you,

[00:23:57] when you think about the streets

[00:23:58] and you think about hip hop

[00:24:00] or Christian hip hop,

[00:24:02] what,

[00:24:02] what comes to mind for you?

[00:24:05] Avoid.

[00:24:07] Think about it.

[00:24:08] Names,

[00:24:09] name some artists

[00:24:10] that are like catered

[00:24:10] their style to the streets.

[00:24:12] Cause back in the day,

[00:24:13] it was like basically

[00:24:14] all of them.

[00:24:15] Yeah.

[00:24:16] Yeah.

[00:24:16] Fizzles,

[00:24:17] Jay Sons.

[00:24:19] Yeah.

[00:24:19] It was like,

[00:24:20] it was,

[00:24:20] they was like,

[00:24:21] everything was catered

[00:24:22] towards like,

[00:24:23] we're trying to reach

[00:24:24] where we from.

[00:24:25] Yeah.

[00:24:26] And I don't know

[00:24:27] where we from changed.

[00:24:28] Right.

[00:24:28] Or boys just like that.

[00:24:30] There's no urgency

[00:24:31] for like the streets.

[00:24:32] There's no urgency

[00:24:33] for cast that's locked up.

[00:24:34] It's like,

[00:24:35] so like just,

[00:24:36] I'm just curious

[00:24:37] cause you,

[00:24:38] you,

[00:24:38] I mean,

[00:24:39] you,

[00:24:39] you,

[00:24:39] you get a lot of,

[00:24:40] you work with a lot of artists.

[00:24:41] How many artists would you say

[00:24:42] that are catered towards

[00:24:43] like street stuff?

[00:24:44] Oh man.

[00:24:45] That have,

[00:24:45] that have like a following

[00:24:47] of people listening to him.

[00:24:48] That was my frustration back then

[00:24:49] when I was DJing Christian hip hop.

[00:24:51] I was like,

[00:24:51] I was working with all these artists

[00:24:53] and I'm like,

[00:24:58] and if you ask me on the wrong day

[00:25:00] how,

[00:25:01] how I'm doing,

[00:25:02] I might say the wrong thing

[00:25:04] to you.

[00:25:04] You might be shocked.

[00:25:05] God is good all the time.

[00:25:07] Except for when I'm not feeling

[00:25:09] like God is doing good for me.

[00:25:11] And I know if I feel like that,

[00:25:13] bro,

[00:25:13] the streets feel like that.

[00:25:14] So I can't come to you every day

[00:25:16] with the God is good.

[00:25:17] I need to come to you today with,

[00:25:19] man,

[00:25:19] I remember when I was out there

[00:25:20] on the streets

[00:25:21] and I was down bad

[00:25:22] and I was hurting

[00:25:23] and I was standing on that corner

[00:25:24] selling them drugs

[00:25:25] or I was doing what I was doing

[00:25:27] and I thought I was going to thrive

[00:25:30] and I found my way through,

[00:25:32] through everything

[00:25:33] by finding God.

[00:25:34] See,

[00:25:34] that's the void in Christian.

[00:25:36] It's,

[00:25:36] it's not even just to the streets.

[00:25:38] There's nobody speaking

[00:25:39] to the struggle.

[00:25:41] Yeah.

[00:25:41] That's what we talking about.

[00:25:43] That's what we talking about.

[00:25:43] That's what we talking about.

[00:25:44] Nobody's speaking to the struggle.

[00:25:46] Everything is on,

[00:25:47] clicked up with my squad.

[00:25:48] We turn up.

[00:25:48] God is good.

[00:25:50] It's real,

[00:25:50] it's real thin.

[00:25:52] Yeah.

[00:25:52] It ain't,

[00:25:53] it's like a,

[00:25:54] it's like a sandwich

[00:25:55] that ain't got no meat and cheese in it.

[00:25:57] You feel what I'm saying?

[00:25:58] Yes.

[00:25:58] Like,

[00:25:58] that's what,

[00:25:59] I mean,

[00:26:00] not all Christian hip hop,

[00:26:01] but when I,

[00:26:02] not all of it.

[00:26:02] A lot of the stuff on this too

[00:26:03] is like,

[00:26:03] it's cool.

[00:26:04] It's,

[00:26:05] you can eat it.

[00:26:06] Yeah.

[00:26:06] Ain't no meat and cheese in it.

[00:26:08] You know what I'm saying?

[00:26:09] Ain't no substance to it.

[00:26:10] Yeah.

[00:26:11] You know what I'm saying?

[00:26:11] And I don't know why

[00:26:12] because,

[00:26:13] you know,

[00:26:14] everybody got a story.

[00:26:16] Yeah.

[00:26:16] It's just not being inserted.

[00:26:17] Everybody got stuff

[00:26:18] they struggling with.

[00:26:19] Yeah.

[00:26:19] It's not being inserted

[00:26:20] and you know why

[00:26:21] it's not being inserted?

[00:26:22] We moved away from albums

[00:26:24] and telling stories

[00:26:25] to we just giving you singles.

[00:26:26] Yes.

[00:26:27] And if I'm giving you a single

[00:26:28] and if my goal is that

[00:26:30] this single gonna pop somewhere,

[00:26:31] I can't give you

[00:26:32] the more elaborate story.

[00:26:34] I can't give you,

[00:26:35] I gotta give you the microwave.

[00:26:36] I can't give you the whole dinner.

[00:26:38] Yeah.

[00:26:38] You know what I'm saying?

[00:26:39] So the void is,

[00:26:40] the biggest change

[00:26:41] in Christian hip hop is

[00:26:42] we not like speaking

[00:26:44] to any struggle.

[00:26:45] So,

[00:26:45] so here's the thing

[00:26:46] and it's a great convo.

[00:26:47] I'm gonna bring it up.

[00:26:49] So Christian hip hop,

[00:26:51] what happens is

[00:26:51] it don't grow with nobody.

[00:26:54] Right?

[00:26:55] It stays to where

[00:26:56] it's only palatable

[00:26:58] for you group kids

[00:26:59] because once you start,

[00:27:01] because there's a couple reasons.

[00:27:02] Once you start talking about

[00:27:03] pain, struggle,

[00:27:04] stuff you're dealing with

[00:27:05] in the Christian world,

[00:27:07] I hate to say it like that.

[00:27:09] We started being like,

[00:27:09] I don't know if we want him.

[00:27:10] He just said he's struggling

[00:27:12] with porn.

[00:27:12] You gonna have him

[00:27:13] rapping in front of the kids?

[00:27:14] Right.

[00:27:14] You know what I'm saying?

[00:27:15] But yes, I do.

[00:27:16] I do want him

[00:27:17] rapping in front of the kids.

[00:27:18] But the thing is,

[00:27:19] like hip hop,

[00:27:21] we're watching this,

[00:27:22] this phenomenon

[00:27:23] happen right now.

[00:27:24] Hip hop

[00:27:25] is growing with people.

[00:27:27] Yeah.

[00:27:27] That's true.

[00:27:27] Because people have

[00:27:28] nostalgia in hip hop.

[00:27:29] Like it's 50 year olds,

[00:27:30] like I love it.

[00:27:31] It's 50,

[00:27:32] 55 year old hip hop hands.

[00:27:34] And we all gonna be like that

[00:27:36] when we get up there.

[00:27:37] You know what I'm saying?

[00:27:37] But like,

[00:27:39] Christian hip hop

[00:27:40] is not aging like it

[00:27:42] because hip hop

[00:27:43] talks about everything in life.

[00:27:45] And I hate to say that

[00:27:46] when you listen to Christian music,

[00:27:47] it ain't talking about

[00:27:48] everything in life.

[00:27:49] It's talking about either

[00:27:50] your very beginning stage

[00:27:52] of salvation

[00:27:53] and there's some really

[00:27:54] just some random stuff

[00:27:55] that we just trying to,

[00:27:56] there's really just cats

[00:27:57] trying to stream records.

[00:27:59] You know what I'm saying?

[00:28:00] It's not really like,

[00:28:01] yo, I'm going through this.

[00:28:02] I'm fight battling through that.

[00:28:04] And I think that's maybe,

[00:28:05] maybe for me why,

[00:28:06] you know,

[00:28:07] I ain't got the craziest fun,

[00:28:08] but maybe why,

[00:28:09] you know,

[00:28:09] people still rock with me

[00:28:10] is because I'm willing

[00:28:11] to get that vulnerable

[00:28:12] because I just know

[00:28:14] people need it.

[00:28:15] Yeah, people do, bro.

[00:28:16] It was,

[00:28:17] I was with my dog

[00:28:18] one time.

[00:28:19] We were writing music.

[00:28:20] This was like,

[00:28:20] I came up on this

[00:28:22] when I was like 22 years old,

[00:28:23] just a writing style shift.

[00:28:25] I said,

[00:28:26] you know what I'm going

[00:28:27] to do with my music?

[00:28:28] I was talking to my boy

[00:28:28] Corey Paul.

[00:28:29] I said,

[00:28:30] Corey Paul, wow.

[00:28:32] I told him,

[00:28:33] I said,

[00:28:33] when I write songs,

[00:28:34] I'm going to never,

[00:28:35] I'm going to stop writing

[00:28:37] from the perspective

[00:28:37] of they struggling with this.

[00:28:39] They struggling with that.

[00:28:40] I was like,

[00:28:42] that either makes

[00:28:43] somebody self-righteous

[00:28:45] or that makes somebody say

[00:28:46] other people got issues.

[00:28:48] Yeah.

[00:28:48] And that makes them

[00:28:49] not deal with their own.

[00:28:50] Yeah.

[00:28:50] I said,

[00:28:51] if they want to,

[00:28:51] if I want people

[00:28:52] to deal with their issues,

[00:28:53] which is a whole,

[00:28:54] which is a whole different way

[00:28:56] of approaching music.

[00:28:57] When you approach the music,

[00:28:58] I want people to deal with their issues.

[00:28:59] I want people to have healing.

[00:29:00] I want people versus,

[00:29:01] I want this to blow up.

[00:29:02] I want to get some NFL streams.

[00:29:04] I want to get a playlist.

[00:29:06] That's a whole different approach.

[00:29:07] Yeah.

[00:29:08] Right?

[00:29:08] If my approach to the music is like,

[00:29:10] bro,

[00:29:10] I want kid to get healing.

[00:29:12] So I said,

[00:29:12] this is what I'm going to do.

[00:29:13] Instead of saying,

[00:29:14] you struggle with this,

[00:29:15] they struggle.

[00:29:16] And I'm going to just say,

[00:29:17] I.

[00:29:17] Right.

[00:29:18] Every single time I write,

[00:29:19] I'm struggling with this.

[00:29:20] I'm having an issue with this.

[00:29:22] I'm trying to figure out

[00:29:23] how to forgive.

[00:29:24] Cause then now when a person

[00:29:25] hears it subconsciously,

[00:29:27] as they singing it back,

[00:29:28] they're like,

[00:29:29] like,

[00:29:30] father,

[00:29:31] I'm sorry for the life that I live.

[00:29:33] And I'm sorry for the way that I am.

[00:29:35] Versus saying,

[00:29:36] father,

[00:29:36] I'm sorry that they out here sinners.

[00:29:37] I'm sorry for the way that they live.

[00:29:39] Yeah.

[00:29:39] You know,

[00:29:39] it's just a different shift.

[00:29:41] Man.

[00:29:42] But we got it.

[00:29:43] Like,

[00:29:43] that's the,

[00:29:43] like,

[00:29:44] we got to speak to like,

[00:29:45] cause I don't know about my life.

[00:29:47] Ain't gravy,

[00:29:47] dog.

[00:29:49] My life ain't gravy,

[00:29:50] bro.

[00:29:51] I went through a lot of stuff in my life.

[00:29:52] I went through a lot of stuff in my adult years.

[00:29:55] You know what I'm saying?

[00:29:55] Stuff that,

[00:29:56] that like really set me back,

[00:29:58] had me teared up,

[00:29:59] had me frozen and broken.

[00:30:01] Yeah.

[00:30:01] You know what I'm saying?

[00:30:02] And how are we not like Christian rap,

[00:30:04] not making music for that.

[00:30:05] Yeah.

[00:30:05] So when you going through your,

[00:30:06] as an adult,

[00:30:07] the worst times of your life,

[00:30:09] you turn into J Cole.

[00:30:10] Cause he's,

[00:30:11] he got more substance.

[00:30:12] Bro.

[00:30:12] Now you talk versus you listening to anything in Christian rap.

[00:30:15] Cause they talking about turn up with the squad.

[00:30:17] Yeah.

[00:30:17] So,

[00:30:18] and that's,

[00:30:19] and if you listen to this Christian rap,

[00:30:21] you listen to this,

[00:30:22] make,

[00:30:22] make some music that people can touch their soul,

[00:30:24] man.

[00:30:25] Like approach it differently,

[00:30:27] bro.

[00:30:28] Challenge yourself.

[00:30:30] Challenge yourself.

[00:30:31] Hey,

[00:30:32] y'all have heard us talk about this before.

[00:30:34] Make a difference with your music.

[00:30:35] Now you're hearing bro talk about this.

[00:30:37] And so,

[00:30:38] uh,

[00:30:38] man,

[00:30:39] I'm hoping y'all listening to what he's saying.

[00:30:40] It's important.

[00:30:42] I've been hurting.

[00:30:42] And he just said it.

[00:30:44] People turn to J Cole.

[00:30:45] I was one of those people who turned to J Cole.

[00:30:47] I was one of those people who was like,

[00:30:48] uh,

[00:30:49] I'm gonna go listen to Jay Z new album.

[00:30:51] Cause I'm,

[00:30:51] I'm,

[00:30:52] I'm in my forties now and I need to talk about stuff.

[00:30:55] I need to hear stuff that talks about what I'm going through in my forties.

[00:30:57] Yeah.

[00:30:58] You screw music.

[00:30:58] And it's not that Jesus ain't hidden.

[00:31:01] Right.

[00:31:01] It's just the,

[00:31:02] the,

[00:31:03] you,

[00:31:04] you're not,

[00:31:04] it's,

[00:31:04] and maybe,

[00:31:05] maybe part of that problem is,

[00:31:07] is because when the older dudes give up,

[00:31:10] there's less of a voice to speak to those cats.

[00:31:12] The older dudes got to continue.

[00:31:15] You ain't your,

[00:31:15] like,

[00:31:16] and I get it.

[00:31:17] You in your thirties,

[00:31:18] you ain't making money off of it.

[00:31:20] You know what I'm saying?

[00:31:21] You got a job,

[00:31:22] kids,

[00:31:22] you got other responsibilities.

[00:31:24] Yeah.

[00:31:24] But if,

[00:31:25] if there's really a calling,

[00:31:26] you still got a voice,

[00:31:27] you know what I'm saying?

[00:31:28] Yeah.

[00:31:29] So talk to me,

[00:31:29] man,

[00:31:30] about projects,

[00:31:31] what you working on,

[00:31:32] what's coming out,

[00:31:32] what's out.

[00:31:33] Yeah.

[00:31:34] Yeah.

[00:31:34] Oh man.

[00:31:35] I dropped the whole project about my wife.

[00:31:38] It's amazing.

[00:31:38] It's my last project I dropped before that.

[00:31:41] I had a whole series called streets.

[00:31:43] Don't love you.

[00:31:44] Um,

[00:31:45] bunch of bangers,

[00:31:45] bunch of just go online,

[00:31:47] type on streets.

[00:31:48] Don't let you go.

[00:31:48] Listen to them.

[00:31:48] I'm streets.

[00:31:49] Don't let you one,

[00:31:49] two,

[00:31:50] three.

[00:31:50] My favorite is three.

[00:31:51] I hate to say that,

[00:31:52] but yeah,

[00:31:53] it's like,

[00:31:53] it's like my,

[00:31:54] my favorite is three.

[00:31:55] I did a project called light of the trenches,

[00:31:57] which I recently dropped.

[00:31:59] It's a bunch of music.

[00:32:00] And then we've been dropping music every month.

[00:32:02] There's always some music coming from us.

[00:32:04] Um,

[00:32:05] we want to get into more of the space for me.

[00:32:07] More of the spaces.

[00:32:08] We know we're going to release music.

[00:32:09] We got an album that we've been building.

[00:32:11] We like 30 songs in,

[00:32:13] but,

[00:32:14] for us,

[00:32:14] the goal is like,

[00:32:16] okay,

[00:32:16] what next?

[00:32:16] I think Lecrae had a great question back in the day after the music stops,

[00:32:20] you know,

[00:32:21] music should,

[00:32:22] should push you to,

[00:32:22] to make some changes,

[00:32:24] to empower you.

[00:32:24] It should make you cry.

[00:32:25] It should make you think about your life.

[00:32:27] It should challenge you.

[00:32:28] It should convict you.

[00:32:28] It should motivate you.

[00:32:30] And then what?

[00:32:31] And we go change the world.

[00:32:33] You know what I'm saying?

[00:32:33] Then we change our family.

[00:32:34] We change our community.

[00:32:35] So,

[00:32:36] but yeah,

[00:32:37] all of that is,

[00:32:37] it's part of our play.

[00:32:38] Man.

[00:32:39] One more question for you.

[00:32:41] Who,

[00:32:42] what artists,

[00:32:43] other artists,

[00:32:43] Christian,

[00:32:44] non-Christian,

[00:32:45] who influences you?

[00:32:46] Hey,

[00:32:46] we at the concert tonight.

[00:32:48] Big Krip finna do the headline.

[00:32:50] I listen to a lot of Krip growing up.

[00:32:52] Man,

[00:32:52] me too.

[00:32:52] I just touched down.

[00:32:54] I put Pastor Phil on the Krip.

[00:32:56] We was going to Krip concerts.

[00:32:57] So,

[00:32:58] when he said,

[00:32:58] we bringing Krip,

[00:32:59] I was like,

[00:32:59] oh,

[00:33:00] Krip here?

[00:33:00] Bro,

[00:33:01] I was in high school

[00:33:02] and they had a,

[00:33:03] it was a DJ called DJ Quest.

[00:33:06] 105.5 to beat.

[00:33:07] Southwest Florida.

[00:33:08] That boy said,

[00:33:09] a mixtape called Southern Fried Gumbo.

[00:33:12] And it had Big Krip on there.

[00:33:14] And I was like,

[00:33:14] yo,

[00:33:15] he nice.

[00:33:16] But,

[00:33:17] but,

[00:33:18] but a lot of guys that I respect,

[00:33:21] you know,

[00:33:23] definitely,

[00:33:25] you know,

[00:33:25] it's crazy.

[00:33:26] I hate to say it like that.

[00:33:27] What I'm listening,

[00:33:28] what a lot of the music I listen to now

[00:33:29] is anybody,

[00:33:31] they saying something.

[00:33:32] Yeah.

[00:33:32] I don't even care who you are.

[00:33:33] You saying something,

[00:33:34] bro,

[00:33:34] like,

[00:33:35] like Chris said,

[00:33:36] if it don't touch my soul,

[00:33:37] I can't listen to it.

[00:33:38] So,

[00:33:38] I'm listening to stuff that touch my soul.

[00:33:40] I'm with you.

[00:33:40] You know what I'm saying?

[00:33:41] And every now and then,

[00:33:43] like somebody will do that.

[00:33:44] And that's what I,

[00:33:44] that's the stuff,

[00:33:45] the type of stuff that I'm listening for.

[00:33:47] Yeah,

[00:33:47] we on the same journey,

[00:33:48] bro.

[00:33:48] I found myself listening to country music.

[00:33:51] Bro,

[00:33:51] I listen to African,

[00:33:52] yeah,

[00:33:52] I listen to African,

[00:33:54] he asked my wife,

[00:33:55] the number,

[00:33:56] number one dude get played in our house

[00:33:57] is an African artist from South Africa

[00:34:00] named Saba.

[00:34:01] S-J-A-V-A out.

[00:34:03] Saba.

[00:34:03] Bro,

[00:34:04] he's speaking Swahili.

[00:34:05] Really?

[00:34:06] I be jamming him.

[00:34:07] Okay.

[00:34:08] Because it touched my soul.

[00:34:10] Hey man,

[00:34:11] I want to thank you for taking the time

[00:34:12] to sit down with me,

[00:34:13] bro.

[00:34:14] I've always appreciated your music

[00:34:16] and just,

[00:34:16] uh,

[00:34:17] you being real.

[00:34:18] And,

[00:34:18] and so man,

[00:34:19] I'm looking forward to hearing more

[00:34:21] and watching what you're doing.

[00:34:22] And now I got to hear more about this

[00:34:24] non-for-profit you're doing

[00:34:25] because I didn't know about that.

[00:34:27] WeTheRevolt.com.

[00:34:29] WeTheRevolt.com.

[00:34:30] Jump on there,

[00:34:30] check it out.

[00:34:31] If you want to join our mission,

[00:34:32] like we're hubbing in multiple cities.

[00:34:34] We were trying to do initiatives in Atlanta,

[00:34:37] Houston,

[00:34:37] of course,

[00:34:37] South Florida,

[00:34:38] all Florida,

[00:34:39] even Chicago.

[00:34:40] You know,

[00:34:41] if you,

[00:34:41] if you feel like,

[00:34:42] Hey man,

[00:34:42] I want my faith to actually do something,

[00:34:44] mean something.

[00:34:44] I want to be a leader.

[00:34:46] We're trying to raise leaders.

[00:34:47] So,

[00:34:48] so check out Reconcile,

[00:34:50] go,

[00:34:50] go play his music,

[00:34:51] share his music,

[00:34:52] check out his non-for-profit

[00:34:53] and let's keep this brother in prayer.

[00:34:55] Hey,

[00:34:55] thank you,

[00:34:56] bro.

[00:34:56] Love,

[00:34:56] bro.

[00:34:57] Appreciate you.

[00:34:57] Love it,

[00:34:57] dog.

[00:34:58] All right.

[00:34:59] Man,

[00:34:59] this interview is ridiculous,

[00:35:01] man.

[00:35:02] Stay right there.

[00:35:02] We're going to be right back

[00:35:03] with more of this great interview

[00:35:05] with Reconcile,

[00:35:07] that DJ Rutgers had a chance

[00:35:08] to catch up with

[00:35:09] and talk to at our 17th annual

[00:35:11] hip hop block party baby

[00:35:13] that we host every year.

[00:35:15] Stay right there.

[00:35:16] We're going to be right back.

[00:35:22] You're welcome back to Church on the Block.

[00:35:30] Real talk about hip hop,

[00:35:31] the church in the streets

[00:35:32] and that's what we're doing today.

[00:35:33] Real talk conversation with

[00:35:35] Reconcile,

[00:35:36] who was with us

[00:35:36] this past 2024

[00:35:39] hip hop block party,

[00:35:40] man.

[00:35:41] And it was just ridiculous.

[00:35:42] DJ Rutgers is holding it down

[00:35:44] with this great interview

[00:35:44] that we had with him.

[00:35:46] Check him out online.

[00:35:47] Go check out Reconcile.

[00:35:48] Check out his ministry

[00:35:49] and what he's doing.

[00:35:50] And check out the depth

[00:35:52] of this last part of our section

[00:35:54] in this interview.

[00:35:55] Awesome.

[00:35:56] You asked me a question

[00:35:58] about what my thought is

[00:35:59] on things.

[00:36:00] So, bro,

[00:36:00] this was my journey.

[00:36:02] Once I left

[00:36:02] the secular world

[00:36:04] from DJing for years,

[00:36:06] some of my guys came to me

[00:36:07] and was like,

[00:36:08] let's do Christian hip hop.

[00:36:09] I was a youth group kid

[00:36:10] that grew up on DC Talk

[00:36:11] and stuff like that.

[00:36:12] And I was just like,

[00:36:13] bro,

[00:36:13] it was cool

[00:36:14] while I was with them.

[00:36:16] Right?

[00:36:17] Recently,

[00:36:17] I just had a bunch

[00:36:19] of my friends.

[00:36:19] I grew up with

[00:36:20] a bunch of people,

[00:36:21] man.

[00:36:21] I grew up with

[00:36:22] Mexican kids,

[00:36:23] Puerto Rican kids.

[00:36:24] I've had a well-diverse

[00:36:26] childhood,

[00:36:27] but I lived several lives.

[00:36:29] So,

[00:36:29] I tell people,

[00:36:30] I had like three

[00:36:31] or four different lives.

[00:36:32] I had the church friends.

[00:36:33] I had the block friends.

[00:36:34] I had the old neighborhood

[00:36:36] friends.

[00:36:36] And so,

[00:36:37] when I was,

[00:36:37] I had to keep it all separate

[00:36:39] because I could never let

[00:36:40] nobody see what I was doing.

[00:36:41] And so,

[00:36:42] I remember recently

[00:36:43] some of our friends

[00:36:44] just came together

[00:36:48] and I was like,

[00:36:48] you know,

[00:36:48] how did you meet him?

[00:36:50] And she goes,

[00:36:51] oh,

[00:36:52] he pretended like he was

[00:36:53] the good Christian boy.

[00:36:53] And it was like,

[00:36:54] no,

[00:36:55] Terrence was the good

[00:36:55] Christian boy.

[00:36:56] And I was like,

[00:36:57] no,

[00:36:57] not really.

[00:36:58] I was the person

[00:36:59] pretending in every

[00:37:00] scenario that I could

[00:37:01] and I had multiple lives.

[00:37:03] Music has been

[00:37:04] a big influence

[00:37:06] in my life.

[00:37:06] And so,

[00:37:07] when I decided

[00:37:08] I was going to go back

[00:37:09] to doing Christian hip-hop,

[00:37:11] some of my buddies

[00:37:12] convinced me.

[00:37:13] I met Pastor Phil

[00:37:14] and man,

[00:37:15] we were,

[00:37:15] I was DJing in the house

[00:37:16] and doing stuff with him

[00:37:18] and we was doing concerts,

[00:37:19] bringing people here

[00:37:20] and,

[00:37:21] and,

[00:37:21] and then

[00:37:22] I just,

[00:37:23] I started listening to it

[00:37:24] and I was like,

[00:37:25] wait,

[00:37:25] everything is Jesus,

[00:37:26] Jesus,

[00:37:26] Jesus.

[00:37:27] Man,

[00:37:28] I'm going through some stuff

[00:37:29] with my teenage kids

[00:37:30] right now.

[00:37:31] Who going to talk about that?

[00:37:32] Who going to tell me

[00:37:33] how to deal with

[00:37:35] a daughter who's gay?

[00:37:37] Who going to talk to me

[00:37:38] about that?

[00:37:38] Who going to talk to me

[00:37:39] about how to keep

[00:37:41] my son out the streets?

[00:37:42] Ain't nobody talking

[00:37:43] to me about that.

[00:37:44] You know,

[00:37:45] and I remember one time

[00:37:46] I was in church

[00:37:47] and my,

[00:37:48] my new pastor

[00:37:49] just walked in,

[00:37:50] Pastor Jay,

[00:37:51] but my old pastor,

[00:37:52] he was like,

[00:37:53] I want everybody

[00:37:53] to go around the table

[00:37:54] and tell me how

[00:37:55] something God

[00:37:56] is doing good

[00:37:56] in their lives.

[00:37:58] Everybody going around

[00:37:59] the table talking

[00:37:59] about how good God was

[00:38:01] and it got to me

[00:38:02] and I started crying.

[00:38:03] I was like,

[00:38:03] I can't see how God

[00:38:04] doing something good

[00:38:05] for me right now

[00:38:06] because I was going

[00:38:07] through something

[00:38:08] and they didn't understand,

[00:38:10] you know,

[00:38:11] and so I,

[00:38:12] that's when I kind of

[00:38:13] realized I need music

[00:38:14] to talk about

[00:38:15] what I'm going through

[00:38:15] so I started looking,

[00:38:17] hey,

[00:38:17] my daughter been trying

[00:38:18] to put me on a J. Cole

[00:38:19] for years.

[00:38:19] I was like,

[00:38:19] nah,

[00:38:20] I don't like J. Cole

[00:38:20] and I started listening

[00:38:22] to him during the pandemic

[00:38:23] and I was like,

[00:38:24] oh man,

[00:38:24] I've been listening,

[00:38:25] I've been missing out.

[00:38:26] Hey,

[00:38:26] the pandemic just

[00:38:27] put me on country music,

[00:38:29] put me on some

[00:38:29] different stuff

[00:38:30] and so I'm trying

[00:38:31] to get back into

[00:38:32] the Christian hip hop realm.

[00:38:34] I'm looking for artists

[00:38:35] right now that's really

[00:38:36] talking about something.

[00:38:37] I'm 46 years old.

[00:38:39] I'm different

[00:38:40] in life right now.

[00:38:41] My kids are young adults,

[00:38:42] they trying to figure

[00:38:43] life out,

[00:38:44] I'm trying to help

[00:38:44] them figure life out,

[00:38:45] I want them to be successful

[00:38:46] and at the same time

[00:38:48] they stressing me out.

[00:38:49] All right?

[00:38:50] And so I need music

[00:38:51] that's going to talk

[00:38:51] to me about

[00:38:52] what I'm going through.

[00:38:53] I'm going,

[00:38:54] I'm a cancer survivor,

[00:38:55] my body's been through

[00:38:56] so much,

[00:38:57] I was in pain

[00:38:58] most of the day.

[00:38:58] I got to put

[00:38:59] lidocaine patches on

[00:39:00] so what we talking about?

[00:39:02] Are you going to talk

[00:39:03] to me about your ailments?

[00:39:04] Are you going to talk

[00:39:05] to me about your truth,

[00:39:06] what you really going through?

[00:39:07] Are you going to keep

[00:39:08] telling me God is good?

[00:39:10] One thing I love

[00:39:11] about my boy Pastor Jay

[00:39:13] is he going to be

[00:39:14] in that pulpit

[00:39:14] and he going to tell me

[00:39:15] the truth as a pastor

[00:39:16] of what he struggles with

[00:39:18] and who he is

[00:39:18] and still,

[00:39:20] hey,

[00:39:20] I'm going through this

[00:39:21] but this is what God

[00:39:22] is doing for me

[00:39:22] as I'm going through it.

[00:39:23] This is what I'm learning

[00:39:24] about how to persevere

[00:39:25] through that.

[00:39:26] I need to hear that

[00:39:27] because if I'm not

[00:39:28] hearing that,

[00:39:29] when I'm down,

[00:39:30] I might stay down.

[00:39:31] I might be like,

[00:39:32] man,

[00:39:32] God ain't got my back

[00:39:33] like I thought he did.

[00:39:34] But when I hear that message

[00:39:35] from real brothers

[00:39:36] like yourself

[00:39:37] and like him

[00:39:38] and like Phil

[00:39:38] who going to tell me,

[00:39:40] man,

[00:39:40] I'm going through some stuff.

[00:39:42] But let me tell you,

[00:39:43] I was going through it

[00:39:44] and this is what God did for me.

[00:39:45] I need to hear that

[00:39:46] in the music too.

[00:39:47] I need to feed my soul.

[00:39:48] I need to pierce my heart.

[00:39:50] One of my favorite songs

[00:39:51] was the song

[00:39:51] Andy Mineo did

[00:39:52] where he talked about

[00:39:53] his deaf sister.

[00:39:56] That was a...

[00:39:57] Bro,

[00:39:58] I was crying listening to that.

[00:40:00] Andy,

[00:40:00] you killed that.

[00:40:01] And he's been one

[00:40:02] of my favorite artists

[00:40:03] and when he did that song,

[00:40:05] I was just listening to it.

[00:40:06] I felt like I was in the room.

[00:40:08] He was like,

[00:40:09] my sister spoke a whole language

[00:40:11] and I didn't even understand it.

[00:40:13] It was honest.

[00:40:13] It was transparent.

[00:40:14] Yeah,

[00:40:14] transparent.

[00:40:15] There was no hidden agenda.

[00:40:17] It was just,

[00:40:17] it was life music

[00:40:19] and him bouncing his life off

[00:40:20] and giving up people

[00:40:21] part of a window

[00:40:22] into walking through

[00:40:24] a challenging situation.

[00:40:25] You know.

[00:40:26] And what,

[00:40:26] and how he navigated.

[00:40:28] Yeah.

[00:40:28] You know what I'm saying?

[00:40:29] Even Crit.

[00:40:29] Crit said in one of his songs,

[00:40:30] I ain't been in church in years

[00:40:32] and it ain't even far.

[00:40:33] I felt that

[00:40:34] because I've been to that place.

[00:40:36] I've been to the place

[00:40:37] where church is right there

[00:40:38] but I ain't been

[00:40:39] and it's just right there

[00:40:40] waiting for me.

[00:40:42] Right?

[00:40:43] Man,

[00:40:43] I need substance.

[00:40:45] I need music

[00:40:46] that talks about

[00:40:47] what we're going through

[00:40:48] in life

[00:40:49] so that I can see hope,

[00:40:50] so that I can see the light.

[00:40:52] If we're not talking about

[00:40:53] stuff that,

[00:40:54] what we're shining,

[00:40:55] God's light,

[00:40:56] we'll be in the lighthouse

[00:40:57] in dark places

[00:40:58] than what we're talking about.

[00:40:58] Let me ask you

[00:40:59] just a question.

[00:41:00] As somebody in the,

[00:41:02] now I'm interviewing you,

[00:41:04] as somebody in the music space,

[00:41:07] the blog world,

[00:41:08] the,

[00:41:08] you know,

[00:41:09] as a person that does

[00:41:10] radio type stuff,

[00:41:12] how come,

[00:41:13] because we all know

[00:41:15] what we need

[00:41:16] and what everybody needs,

[00:41:17] what the space needs,

[00:41:18] but that's not

[00:41:19] what's getting played.

[00:41:20] Yeah.

[00:41:21] So,

[00:41:21] what's the,

[00:41:22] you know,

[00:41:22] what's the dichotomy there?

[00:41:24] Like,

[00:41:24] we know the type of music

[00:41:26] that really blesses people.

[00:41:27] Like,

[00:41:28] people ain't,

[00:41:28] people ain't listening

[00:41:29] to your record

[00:41:29] and going,

[00:41:30] oh man,

[00:41:30] the record with everything,

[00:41:32] like your single,

[00:41:32] that was the record

[00:41:33] that touched my,

[00:41:34] it's probably like

[00:41:35] track eight or something.

[00:41:36] Mm-hmm.

[00:41:36] Like,

[00:41:36] man,

[00:41:37] track eight,

[00:41:37] when you talked about that,

[00:41:38] why do we as a culture,

[00:41:40] like,

[00:41:41] we don't shine light

[00:41:43] on the things

[00:41:44] that should be

[00:41:44] shined light on

[00:41:46] from the media?

[00:41:48] I think people are scared.

[00:41:49] I think people think

[00:41:50] about numbers too much.

[00:41:51] It's always about

[00:41:52] the bottom line,

[00:41:53] it's about the dollars.

[00:41:54] And,

[00:41:55] I think what brings

[00:41:56] the money in

[00:41:57] is listeners

[00:41:58] who are really

[00:41:58] looking for,

[00:41:59] there's a,

[00:42:00] there's a,

[00:42:00] put it to you like this,

[00:42:02] there's an opportunity

[00:42:02] for party music,

[00:42:04] party music is good,

[00:42:05] commercial music is good,

[00:42:07] but there should be

[00:42:08] hip hop,

[00:42:09] there should be substance

[00:42:10] on the radio.

[00:42:11] That's how it started.

[00:42:12] You're not getting

[00:42:12] substance from secular at all.

[00:42:13] No,

[00:42:14] you're not.

[00:42:15] It's out there

[00:42:16] because you got to

[00:42:17] search for it.

[00:42:18] But it didn't used

[00:42:19] to be like that.

[00:42:20] You know,

[00:42:21] I got to,

[00:42:22] KRS came,

[00:42:23] KRS one came here

[00:42:24] last year.

[00:42:25] Christian rap became

[00:42:25] very boy substance.

[00:42:27] And man,

[00:42:28] seeing him just took me

[00:42:29] back to the 80s

[00:42:30] when I was a kid,

[00:42:31] listening to BDP

[00:42:32] and stuff like that,

[00:42:33] listening to

[00:42:34] what was really going on

[00:42:36] and what was going on

[00:42:36] in our hearts

[00:42:37] and our minds

[00:42:38] and he was,

[00:42:38] he was spitting it.

[00:42:39] We need that back.

[00:42:41] Media needs that back.

[00:42:43] Man,

[00:42:43] whoever these program

[00:42:44] directors are,

[00:42:45] they playing,

[00:42:45] music,

[00:42:46] they need to

[00:42:46] not just play

[00:42:48] one type of music.

[00:42:49] I'm going to drop a story.

[00:42:49] You ready?

[00:42:50] Go for it.

[00:42:51] Reggie Hawkins,

[00:42:53] Hip Hop Nation,

[00:42:54] Sirius X,

[00:42:55] not Sirius,

[00:42:56] was that Sirius?

[00:42:57] Yeah,

[00:42:58] yeah,

[00:42:58] Sirius,

[00:42:59] Hip Hop Nation,

[00:43:00] Reggie Hawkins.

[00:43:01] So I had a concert

[00:43:05] at SOB's

[00:43:06] in Manhattan

[00:43:08] and in the concert

[00:43:09] or whatever,

[00:43:10] it was like XXL Magazine.

[00:43:12] This was back when

[00:43:12] they were trying to

[00:43:13] court me to join

[00:43:14] like 300.

[00:43:14] I don't think I've ever

[00:43:15] told this story.

[00:43:16] I was about to sign

[00:43:17] with 300

[00:43:18] when they had Migos,

[00:43:19] Young Thug,

[00:43:19] all them boys.

[00:43:21] And I was flying

[00:43:22] out to New York.

[00:43:24] I would go meet

[00:43:25] at 300,

[00:43:25] Todd Moskovitz,

[00:43:27] Kevin Lyles.

[00:43:28] Okay.

[00:43:28] And I had a concert there

[00:43:31] and then the next morning

[00:43:32] after the concert was over,

[00:43:34] we went up to Sirius

[00:43:35] and said like,

[00:43:36] yo,

[00:43:36] we want you to meet

[00:43:36] Kevin Hawkins

[00:43:37] over at Sirius.

[00:43:40] So I get in there

[00:43:42] and we start talking.

[00:43:44] I was supposed to have

[00:43:45] maybe like a 10-minute

[00:43:46] slot to talk to him.

[00:43:47] He's very busy, man.

[00:43:48] Yeah.

[00:43:49] He doing all the day.

[00:43:49] He bouncing

[00:43:50] from different rooms

[00:43:51] and you look at one room

[00:43:51] and it was like,

[00:43:52] oh, cool,

[00:43:52] you know,

[00:43:53] like they got

[00:43:53] all the different,

[00:43:54] you know,

[00:43:55] big wigs that do music

[00:43:57] and radio.

[00:43:58] So I'm sitting down

[00:43:59] and we talking

[00:44:00] and he was like,

[00:44:02] bruh,

[00:44:02] he's like,

[00:44:03] I ain't gonna lie to you,

[00:44:03] I'm a Christian.

[00:44:04] He's like,

[00:44:05] I go to church,

[00:44:06] bruh.

[00:44:06] He's like,

[00:44:07] I feel bad

[00:44:08] when I be sitting up

[00:44:09] in church

[00:44:09] and knowing I just

[00:44:10] broke the record,

[00:44:11] pipe it up.

[00:44:12] You know what I'm saying?

[00:44:14] He's like,

[00:44:15] I be sitting in church

[00:44:16] like,

[00:44:17] I'm the pipe it up guy.

[00:44:18] You know what I'm saying?

[00:44:20] Yeah.

[00:44:20] And we started talking

[00:44:23] about life,

[00:44:23] faith,

[00:44:25] kids,

[00:44:27] pushing through adversity,

[00:44:28] all this stuff

[00:44:29] that got some meat to it.

[00:44:31] You know what I'm saying?

[00:44:32] And he was like,

[00:44:33] man,

[00:44:33] send me whatever records

[00:44:34] I'm gonna try to get them in.

[00:44:35] You know what I'm saying?

[00:44:36] And bruh,

[00:44:37] but it was a 10 minute slot.

[00:44:39] We sat there

[00:44:40] and talked for an hour,

[00:44:41] 10 minutes.

[00:44:42] And he's like,

[00:44:43] he's like,

[00:44:44] man,

[00:44:44] there's somebody

[00:44:44] waiting in the lobby for me.

[00:44:46] He's like,

[00:44:47] I forget what it's,

[00:44:48] I think the dude's name

[00:44:49] was Colonel Lyle.

[00:44:50] What was the song

[00:44:50] Colonel Lyle had

[00:44:51] back in the day?

[00:44:51] He was like,

[00:44:52] smoking weed or something,

[00:44:53] I don't know.

[00:44:54] He's like,

[00:44:54] I gotta go talk

[00:44:55] to Colonel Lyle.

[00:44:56] You know what I'm saying?

[00:44:58] He's like,

[00:44:59] it was very good

[00:45:00] to talk to him.

[00:45:01] I don't get a chance

[00:45:02] to actually,

[00:45:02] I guess it was like

[00:45:03] he felt boxed in

[00:45:05] to be the things

[00:45:06] that are naturally

[00:45:07] inside of him.

[00:45:08] Yeah.

[00:45:08] From that perspective.

[00:45:10] You know what I'm saying?

[00:45:11] And as I've been

[00:45:13] in this music industry,

[00:45:14] I realized,

[00:45:15] man,

[00:45:15] there's so many dudes

[00:45:16] sitting at levels

[00:45:17] that have the opportunity.

[00:45:18] But,

[00:45:19] you know,

[00:45:19] they get to a point

[00:45:20] where they're like,

[00:45:21] man,

[00:45:21] I can't pull the trigger

[00:45:22] on that.

[00:45:23] If the numbers go down,

[00:45:25] if the ads go down,

[00:45:27] whatever goes down,

[00:45:28] then it's,

[00:45:29] that chance

[00:45:29] is gonna be my,

[00:45:30] you know,

[00:45:31] ASS.

[00:45:32] You know what I'm saying?

[00:45:33] And so I gotta play it safe

[00:45:34] and play it safe

[00:45:35] means play the ignorance.

[00:45:37] Keep the ignorance sell

[00:45:38] so we just gonna keep

[00:45:39] that going.

[00:45:41] And then,

[00:45:41] but what happens too is

[00:45:43] a lot of these dudes

[00:45:44] at these,

[00:45:44] these,

[00:45:45] at these,

[00:45:45] uh,

[00:45:47] executive levels

[00:45:47] on these labels,

[00:45:48] they burn out

[00:45:49] because of that.

[00:45:49] They end up wanting

[00:45:50] nothing to do

[00:45:51] with any music.

[00:45:52] Yeah.

[00:45:52] And then,

[00:45:53] like I be telling

[00:45:54] the dudes in the jail,

[00:45:55] when it's too late,

[00:45:57] then you wanna make

[00:45:57] some differences.

[00:45:58] But now it's like,

[00:45:59] you 50 years old

[00:46:00] and you not even

[00:46:02] in touch with

[00:46:02] the 20 year old crowd

[00:46:03] no more

[00:46:03] and you no longer

[00:46:04] at that level

[00:46:05] and now it's too late

[00:46:06] to make a difference

[00:46:06] and ain't that a shame?

[00:46:07] Man,

[00:46:08] it is.

[00:46:08] You know what I'm saying?

[00:46:09] Like the whole time

[00:46:10] you was running,

[00:46:11] you had a chance

[00:46:12] to make a difference

[00:46:13] but now when it's

[00:46:13] finally over

[00:46:14] and you're burnt out

[00:46:15] and you can't listen

[00:46:15] to any more

[00:46:16] sexy red songs

[00:46:18] that you realize

[00:46:19] that dang,

[00:46:20] I could've did

[00:46:20] something different

[00:46:21] with this time.

[00:46:22] I could've,

[00:46:22] I could've pushed

[00:46:23] somebody else.

[00:46:23] I could've pushed

[00:46:24] a different message.

[00:46:25] I could've did

[00:46:25] something different

[00:46:26] but we pushed

[00:46:27] all this ignorance

[00:46:28] until I'm out the door.

[00:46:29] Yeah,

[00:46:29] people are scared,

[00:46:30] bro.

[00:46:30] They're scared

[00:46:31] of losing money

[00:46:32] and I get it

[00:46:34] because that's how

[00:46:35] they feed their families

[00:46:37] but it's got to change.

[00:46:38] It's got to change

[00:46:39] or you can't.

[00:46:40] You pumping poison

[00:46:40] out there,

[00:46:41] toxins

[00:46:41] into the atmosphere.

[00:46:43] Yeah.

[00:46:44] I remember,

[00:46:45] bro,

[00:46:45] I called up,

[00:46:46] I hit up the homie

[00:46:46] from the radio

[00:46:47] down in Miami.

[00:46:48] I ain't gonna throw

[00:46:48] no names on this one

[00:46:50] but they was on the radio.

[00:46:52] It was around like

[00:46:53] George Floyd,

[00:46:54] all this different stuff,

[00:46:54] right?

[00:46:54] Yeah.

[00:46:55] Pandemic.

[00:46:56] Yeah.

[00:46:57] And I mean,

[00:46:58] it was a whole,

[00:46:59] like it was going in

[00:47:00] like we need to do this,

[00:47:01] we need to change that,

[00:47:02] we gotta stand up for this

[00:47:02] and then the next record

[00:47:04] was like,

[00:47:06] pull up with the stick,

[00:47:08] let it hit,

[00:47:09] pull up with the stick

[00:47:10] and the next record

[00:47:10] was like,

[00:47:11] I see him outside,

[00:47:11] I'm gonna get him outside,

[00:47:12] see him outside,

[00:47:13] I'm gonna get him outside

[00:47:14] and I hit him up,

[00:47:15] I was like,

[00:47:15] I know you not the,

[00:47:16] you know,

[00:47:17] the person over the music DJer

[00:47:19] but like they're like,

[00:47:20] we're going into our

[00:47:21] six o'clock trap murder mix.

[00:47:23] It's like,

[00:47:24] yo,

[00:47:25] what?

[00:47:26] Right.

[00:47:27] Like everything you just said

[00:47:28] was undone by all the music.

[00:47:30] They probably turned you down

[00:47:31] when you started talking.

[00:47:32] Yeah.

[00:47:33] We had a situation like that

[00:47:34] here in Chicago

[00:47:35] where they got on the radio,

[00:47:36] I don't remember

[00:47:36] what station it was

[00:47:37] but they got on there

[00:47:38] talking about

[00:47:39] violence got to stop

[00:47:41] and you know,

[00:47:41] and then that sound

[00:47:42] was coming up.

[00:47:43] And they pull up with his stick.

[00:47:44] Right.

[00:47:44] Let it hit.

[00:47:45] I'm like,

[00:47:47] you know.

[00:47:48] Bruh.

[00:47:48] And to me it's like,

[00:47:50] it's so common sense.

[00:47:51] Yeah.

[00:47:52] It's common sense,

[00:47:54] bruh.

[00:47:54] Yeah.

[00:47:55] It's common sense.

[00:47:56] It's not even hard.

[00:47:58] You,

[00:47:59] it's,

[00:47:59] we,

[00:48:00] he talking about

[00:48:01] killing somebody.

[00:48:02] Stop playing it.

[00:48:02] Stop playing it.

[00:48:03] It ain't lit.

[00:48:04] It ain't lit when we out here

[00:48:05] dying and putting t-shirts on.

[00:48:07] So why are we playing it?

[00:48:08] Dying,

[00:48:09] putting t-shirts on,

[00:48:10] letting balloons leave,

[00:48:11] release,

[00:48:12] candles on the street.

[00:48:13] I ain't gonna say no names

[00:48:14] but they be playing artists.

[00:48:16] I'm like,

[00:48:16] bruh,

[00:48:17] Kid Remedial.

[00:48:18] Mm-hmm.

[00:48:18] He is not a,

[00:48:19] you giving him the opportunity

[00:48:20] to lead intelligent,

[00:48:22] young,

[00:48:23] black youth

[00:48:24] from our community

[00:48:25] to think the way

[00:48:26] that he thinks?

[00:48:28] Turn his mic off.

[00:48:30] Don't let him speak anything.

[00:48:32] Yeah.

[00:48:33] Cause he's speaking deaf.

[00:48:35] You know what I just read yesterday?

[00:48:37] Lil Durk just said

[00:48:39] he's no longer gang banging

[00:48:40] and he's a hundred,

[00:48:42] he's a thousand percent Muslim.

[00:48:44] And then there's another video of a,

[00:48:46] I believe it was here

[00:48:47] of a young,

[00:48:48] young man.

[00:48:49] I believe he was involved in gangs

[00:48:50] and he gave his life to the Lord.

[00:48:53] And I'm like,

[00:48:54] that's dope.

[00:48:56] Is your music,

[00:48:57] I'm like,

[00:48:58] is your music gonna change though?

[00:48:59] Is your music gonna reflect the journey

[00:49:01] of what you're saying

[00:49:02] you're about to do?

[00:49:03] You say you're done gang banging,

[00:49:05] now it's time to repair

[00:49:06] what you've done.

[00:49:07] But see,

[00:49:08] that,

[00:49:08] what's not gonna happen is

[00:49:09] when these dudes

[00:49:10] have that moment,

[00:49:12] that's where they,

[00:49:13] that's where Christian hip hop

[00:49:14] and Christian leaders

[00:49:15] should be strong.

[00:49:16] Yeah.

[00:49:17] And it should be a place

[00:49:18] that they can go into.

[00:49:19] But what happens is

[00:49:19] we either want to exploit it.

[00:49:22] Okay,

[00:49:22] he got a name.

[00:49:23] We can do whoop de whoop de woo

[00:49:24] with it.

[00:49:25] Or,

[00:49:26] um,

[00:49:26] we're not nowhere in proximity

[00:49:28] to offer,

[00:49:29] like,

[00:49:29] a realistic place

[00:49:31] for them to land and grow.

[00:49:33] And as you know,

[00:49:34] anybody first coming to Christ,

[00:49:36] like,

[00:49:38] man,

[00:49:39] when you come to Christ,

[00:49:41] it's not just that you're like,

[00:49:42] oh,

[00:49:42] my fire insurance,

[00:49:43] I'm getting saved.

[00:49:44] When you come to Christ,

[00:49:45] like,

[00:49:45] it should be like

[00:49:46] the beginning of healing.

[00:49:48] Yeah.

[00:49:48] it's a lot of things

[00:49:49] to heal from.

[00:49:50] Yeah.

[00:49:51] Pain,

[00:49:52] regret,

[00:49:52] childhood,

[00:49:53] trauma,

[00:49:53] like,

[00:49:54] it's a healing process.

[00:49:56] And if,

[00:49:57] if we're not going to be

[00:49:58] in dude's life

[00:49:59] to be a part of that moment,

[00:50:01] then what happens is

[00:50:02] all of that God talk

[00:50:03] is just short-lived,

[00:50:04] like the parable of the seeds

[00:50:05] just getting scattered.

[00:50:06] It's like,

[00:50:07] yeah,

[00:50:07] God was cool for a moment.

[00:50:09] It wasn't panning out.

[00:50:10] You know what I'm saying?

[00:50:11] Stuff started hitting hard.

[00:50:12] Child support checks

[00:50:13] was hitting.

[00:50:14] Hey,

[00:50:15] I'm cool on that.

[00:50:16] You know what I'm saying?

[00:50:17] I'm back doing me.

[00:50:19] You know what I'm saying?

[00:50:19] Yeah.

[00:50:20] Press play on the streets,

[00:50:21] like I said out there.

[00:50:23] Man,

[00:50:23] I'm,

[00:50:24] now I'm salty.

[00:50:25] I missed your performance

[00:50:26] because I was up there

[00:50:26] doing interviews.

[00:50:28] No,

[00:50:28] the story was

[00:50:29] I was at a block,

[00:50:30] a block party in Houston.

[00:50:32] The dude got killed.

[00:50:34] And,

[00:50:34] uh,

[00:50:35] when they do block parties

[00:50:36] in Houston,

[00:50:36] third ward,

[00:50:37] I mean,

[00:50:37] everybody come out.

[00:50:38] I'm talking about

[00:50:39] swangers,

[00:50:40] swangers,

[00:50:40] it's like slaps.

[00:50:42] Sitting crooked on a slab.

[00:50:43] Fox Shevins on 84.

[00:50:45] You know what I'm saying?

[00:50:47] I love the Texas slang,

[00:50:49] bro.

[00:50:49] I was just listening to

[00:50:50] Mike Jones the other day.

[00:50:52] and donks.

[00:50:53] Air boys on air,

[00:50:54] boas,

[00:50:55] you know what I'm saying?

[00:50:56] You talking about tipping.

[00:50:57] And,

[00:50:57] um,

[00:51:00] hey,

[00:51:01] and,

[00:51:01] um,

[00:51:01] the whole hood out.

[00:51:03] And,

[00:51:04] uh,

[00:51:04] it was a,

[00:51:05] it was a surreal moment

[00:51:06] because this pastor gets up,

[00:51:07] it's,

[00:51:08] it's holding the wall,

[00:51:09] hood pastor.

[00:51:10] He get up there,

[00:51:11] he got some kind of relationship

[00:51:12] to the family

[00:51:13] and dude just got murdered.

[00:51:14] So he like,

[00:51:15] you know,

[00:51:15] we have to change God.

[00:51:17] Lord,

[00:51:17] please this God.

[00:51:19] And I just pray,

[00:51:20] ask for safety,

[00:51:21] God,

[00:51:21] and blessings.

[00:51:22] And that these young men

[00:51:23] would change their lives,

[00:51:24] God.

[00:51:24] And we lift all this up

[00:51:25] in your name,

[00:51:26] father God.

[00:51:28] and they dropped the balloons

[00:51:29] in the air,

[00:51:30] you know,

[00:51:31] which is like commemorating

[00:51:32] that this is your spirit

[00:51:33] going up to God.

[00:51:35] And before them balloons

[00:51:36] leaving too high,

[00:51:39] DJ hit the music.

[00:51:40] Hold up,

[00:51:40] wait a minute.

[00:51:41] Y'all thought I was finish

[00:51:42] when I bought that ass

[00:51:43] and why not?

[00:51:43] And then literally

[00:51:45] everybody,

[00:51:46] even little kids

[00:51:47] out there saying,

[00:51:48] flexing on the,

[00:51:49] you know,

[00:51:49] I'm like,

[00:51:49] pop out with this

[00:51:50] been a double kiss

[00:51:51] and I'm the captain,

[00:51:52] I'm lieutenant.

[00:51:53] And then the next song

[00:51:55] I remember was,

[00:51:55] why y'all tripping

[00:51:57] on just five,

[00:51:59] 1045,

[00:51:59] about that time.

[00:52:01] You know what I'm saying?

[00:52:02] And the gang out there

[00:52:03] in Houston,

[00:52:04] the third world,

[00:52:05] everybody called 103s.

[00:52:07] Everybody,

[00:52:08] 103,

[00:52:08] 103,

[00:52:09] throw up the trade,

[00:52:09] 103,

[00:52:10] you know what I'm saying?

[00:52:11] 103,

[00:52:11] everybody,

[00:52:12] that's the gang.

[00:52:14] And that gang originated,

[00:52:16] I remember one time

[00:52:17] I asked him to do

[00:52:18] from the gang,

[00:52:18] I'm like,

[00:52:19] bro,

[00:52:19] where y'all get that name

[00:52:19] 103?

[00:52:20] He was like,

[00:52:20] from the Jeezy song.

[00:52:22] 103,

[00:52:23] we just all one day

[00:52:24] was like,

[00:52:24] 103,

[00:52:25] and he was like,

[00:52:25] we from third world,

[00:52:26] 103,

[00:52:27] 103 gang,

[00:52:28] that's it.

[00:52:28] You know what I'm saying?

[00:52:29] Bro,

[00:52:30] really?

[00:52:30] So the music plays

[00:52:31] such a role in it,

[00:52:33] but just the fact,

[00:52:36] that whole press play,

[00:52:38] where are we at?

[00:52:39] I just think that

[00:52:40] we gotta be a lot more active.

[00:52:42] I always saw music

[00:52:43] as that tool.

[00:52:45] Music give you that ability

[00:52:47] to speak and reach,

[00:52:48] but at times,

[00:52:51] I can't lie,

[00:52:52] I'd be like,

[00:52:52] dang, bro,

[00:52:53] we just need a lot more

[00:52:53] soldiers out here, bro.

[00:52:55] We need dudes at the radio,

[00:52:56] dudes saying,

[00:52:57] you know what,

[00:52:58] I got this secular position,

[00:52:59] but I don't even want it.

[00:53:00] I'm gonna bring

[00:53:01] and dudes talking about,

[00:53:02] you know,

[00:53:03] hope and faith in Christ

[00:53:04] because that's what I care about

[00:53:05] and I'm gonna stay here

[00:53:07] and use my plan.

[00:53:07] I'm gonna just make war

[00:53:08] where I'm at

[00:53:09] for good.

[00:53:10] You feel what I'm saying?

[00:53:11] Yeah.

[00:53:12] So yeah.

[00:53:13] Man.

[00:53:15] Yeah.

[00:53:16] Bro,

[00:53:16] this has been good.

[00:53:17] What's up?

[00:53:18] That was good.

[00:53:19] Man,

[00:53:20] hey,

[00:53:20] thank you

[00:53:21] for even asking me

[00:53:23] that question

[00:53:23] and just hearing

[00:53:24] me out

[00:53:25] and man,

[00:53:25] man,

[00:53:26] we gotta talk some more,

[00:53:28] bro.

[00:53:28] We gotta talk some more.

[00:53:29] We gotta have you back

[00:53:30] on the show

[00:53:30] when we got

[00:53:31] Pastor Jay

[00:53:32] and Pastor Phil

[00:53:33] and we got,

[00:53:34] I don't know if we announced it yet.

[00:53:36] Have we announced our new?

[00:53:37] No,

[00:53:37] I can't announce it yet,

[00:53:38] but it's coming.

[00:53:40] Just know it's coming.

[00:53:41] They got something cooking.

[00:53:42] You know what I'm saying?

[00:53:43] They got a little razzed down.

[00:53:44] Look,

[00:53:45] I'm gonna say this again.

[00:53:46] You know,

[00:53:47] this is part two

[00:53:48] of the interview.

[00:53:49] Yeah,

[00:53:49] what happened was

[00:53:50] we got to talking.

[00:53:51] We got to talking

[00:53:52] even more after the cameras

[00:53:53] and he got to asking me questions.

[00:53:54] So look,

[00:53:55] go check out his music.

[00:53:56] Go check out his not-for-profit.

[00:53:58] Give bro a chance

[00:53:59] and pass that along

[00:54:01] to somebody else

[00:54:02] you know that's struggling,

[00:54:03] somebody that's in church,

[00:54:04] somebody that might be

[00:54:05] in a dark place

[00:54:05] or even somebody

[00:54:06] that's in a great place.

[00:54:07] Pass along good music.

[00:54:09] That's what we need.

[00:54:09] Call up these radio stations.

[00:54:11] What'd you say, Jay?

[00:54:13] Hey,

[00:54:14] to reconcile,

[00:54:16] go on Apple Music,

[00:54:17] iTunes,

[00:54:18] find me.

[00:54:19] It's all kind of music

[00:54:20] that is speaking

[00:54:21] to pain and struggle

[00:54:23] and you know what I'm saying?

[00:54:24] If you really feel like,

[00:54:25] look,

[00:54:25] I want to make a difference

[00:54:26] in the city,

[00:54:27] yo,

[00:54:27] reach out to us,

[00:54:28] weterevolt.com.

[00:54:29] That's the nonprofit I run.

[00:54:31] It's about civic engagement.

[00:54:32] Christians should be out here

[00:54:34] doing something in the world

[00:54:35] making a difference

[00:54:36] and I just want to give

[00:54:37] cats a platform

[00:54:38] and make the change

[00:54:38] so they want to see

[00:54:39] where they live.

[00:54:40] Thank you, bro.

[00:54:42] Peace out, y'all.

[00:54:42] Thanks.

[00:54:43] Thank you for listening

[00:54:44] to Church on the Block,

[00:54:45] real talk about hip-hop,

[00:54:47] the church,

[00:54:47] and the streets.

[00:54:48] We're back here,

[00:54:49] same time,

[00:54:49] same day,

[00:54:50] next week.

[00:54:51] Come with us.

[00:54:52] Tell them it's crazy

[00:54:53] in these streets.

[00:54:54] Tell them it's crazy

[00:54:55] in these streets.

[00:54:56] Tell them it's crazy

[00:54:57] in these streets.

[00:54:58] If you see God

[00:54:58] and you happen to see.

[00:54:59] Tell them to him