I am going to try to make this a short one and I am probably going to fail but I will try.

Ok this has been a very interesting year for Lecrae. His journey has been very interesting and inspiring to watch.

If you are familiar with Lecrae and his moves in the music biz I don't have to repeat the story, all I will say is a shift has happened with Lecrae and personally I find the shift and growth encouraging, I know there are those who will not agree with that but to each their own. 

So now for the 2nd time Lecrae is up for a Grammy, last time around he was in Best Rock Gospel Album (that was in 2011) and he didn't win it. The rock group Switchfoot took it (I like Switchfoot because I like how the lead singer Jon Foreman thinks, it is Jon who said "we are Christian by faith not by genre" but I digress), now the Grammys have discontinued that award category and now we have Best Contemporary Christian Album and Best Gospel Album.

Lecrae has been nominated in the gospel album award for his latest album "Gravity" which has been his most commercially successful album, as of September 23 it has sold 103,000 copies. For an independent Christian rap artist that is huge. So everything should be lovely and sweet. Well for some it isn't.

I saw a post on Rapzilla announcing lecrae's award nomination and when I got to the comments section I saw some fans expressing their dissatisfaction with him being nominated in this category (go and have a look at it HERE read the comments section) They said they would have preferred he was nominated in the best rap album category. Which has:

Drake: Take Care

Lupe Fiasco: Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt 1

Nas: Life is Good

The Roots: Undun

Rick Ross: God Forgives, I don't

2 Chainz: Based on a T.R.U. Story

Looking at the nominees for that category I can honestly say "Gravity" by Lecrae deserves to be there but unfortunately it isn't the case and until Lecrae is able to fully break out of the Christian/Gospel genre/market box of perception he is stuck in, it is not gonna happen. In this industry he is branded as a Christian/Gospel artist. This is how he came up as an independent Christian rapper from the sub-genre called Christian Hip Hop. He might personally be trying to change this branding and even to an extent be succeeding in shifting perception but the fact he got nominated in the gospel album category and not best rap album category shows that he is still in that box as far as the industry is concerned. Even if he was nominated in the rap album category I don't think he would win, I think that award is between "take care" by Drake and "life is good" by Nas.

This is just the problem with defining a genre primarily by it's lyrical content and not it's musical style. Lecrae has been working hard to break out of this box and be seen as a Hip Hop/Rap artist this year and not just relegated and stuck in the niche of the Christian/Gospel market but it has been a hard fight for him. Perception is everything. Let's look at this a bit closer. 

Lecrae decided to drop defining himself as a "Christian rapper" as well as pushing the idea of "Christian Hip Hop" this year. He is not saying he is not a Christian anymore or even slighting the community of Christian Hip Hop Fans either but just saying that like Mos Def and Lupe Fiasco who are muslims but are regarded as Hip Hop artists and therefore have a place in the wider hip hop community/marketplace, he wants to be similar. One who is authenically a Hip Hop artist but one who is authentically a Christian reflecting a Christian worldview in his songs and lyrics to a wider audience. It is really simple but he has faced a severe backlash from some fans of Christian Hip Hop who think he is "selling out" and "watering down" Of course such comments are silly because listening to his "Church Clothes" mixtape and his album "Gravity" it is clear he isn't doing any of that. If he has changed at all it is for the better as far as I can see.

I think the main reason Lecrae got this backlash is because some christians are so invested in Christian rap/Hip Hop as a genre that they quite possibly define themselves by their attachment to it. Doing that is actually not the best because as a Christian your identity is defined by faith in Christ and not by your involvement in a genre even if it is labelled "Christian" like I say in a line "Don't get it twisted I'm defined by my faith not a genre/it's not a subculture that makes me more than conqueor"

The business of selling music in the niche market of Christian music depends on this labelling of music as "Christian" or "Gospel" so those who own "Christian" labels NEED to call what they sell Christian because it seems that is the fastest and easiest way to tap into the "Christian" market. It doesn't mean everyone who does it this way will be successful but it sure does help labeling things this way when it comes to the marketing side of things to a Christian audience and that cannot be denied. It's just the way it is, even if in some cases it makes things a bit weird. I guess the word Christian isn't always a good adjective (is it ever a good adjective?) and is a better noun.

So now we have Lecrae nominated in the best gospel album category. For most of us in the UK we would have no problem with that at all. Over here if you are a Christian and you are black and you talk about your faith in Christ in your music you are called a gospel artist period no matter what style of music you do. Even if you make the most amazing Hip Hop album or grime album or R&B album, there is no other option it seems unless you abandon calling yourself a gospel artist altogether but that might not even work, if you are "gospel by association" once you emerge from the "gospel scene" as it is called, it seems you are labelled as a gospel artist for life. In the UK we don't even use definitions like Christian Hip Hop or have a CHH community even though there are are Christians that rap. Sometimes it is hard for folks in the UK to understand how Christian Hip Hop/Rap isn't seen as part of the gospel genre by the fans in America.

The fact that some American Christian rap/hip hop fans are not happy with lecrae being nominated in the gospel category just highlights what I always tell UK folks, Christian Rap/Hip Hop isn't regarded as part of the gospel genre by the fans of the music in America but as far as industry definitions go, Gospel music is Christian music by black people and Christian rap/Hip Hop falls under that. It seems Lecrae even with his efforts to be regarded as an authentic hip hop artist will not be able to escape this. No matter how many BET Hip Hop cyphers he's in, no matter how many mainstream rap artists he features on his projects or how many mainstream hip hop co-signs he gets.

Ok I have gone on for too long, I knew it would be long one lol. What is the bottom line of all this? I dunno. I guess awareness of how genre definitions can be limiting is something I wanted to highlight. Sometimes an artist just wants to be free from all this but marketing depends on labeling and some fans seem to depend on this labeling of music genres for their identity which is not a healthy thing if you ask me. So congrats to Lecrae for being nominated for a Grammy maybe one day you might be able to be in the best rap album category and if you are a fan of Christian rap/Hip Hop or Gospel Music try to understand how industry/genre definitions work, it is hard to explain if you are not actually involved in the music industry and are just a fan. Anyway here are the full nominations for "best gospel music album" the category Lecrae is in:

Identity: James Fortune & FIYA

Jesus At The Centre Live: Israel & New Breed

I Win: Marvin Sapp

Worship Soul: Anita Wilson

Gravity: Lecrae

Oh yeah I have to add this before somebody throws it out there, we know that it is not about awards and the accolades of men but God's reward. Yeah I know this BUT I only wrote this blog because of some comments I saw in the comments section of the Rapzilla Post about this. Hehehe

UPDATE: This blog entry was written way before the Grammy awards happened. I would like to say congratulations to Lecrae and Reach Records for his Grammy win. I have to say I was surprised but it was well deserved. This further makes me wonder how the Christian Hip Hop community will take this if some were not happy with his nomination in this category in the first place?

Since "Delayed But Not Denied" dropped I have been quiet on the blogging front. I mean I have been posting on my tumblr (http://karlnova.tumblr.com) and on my twitter: (http://www.twitter.com/karlnova) but I haven't felt like blogging here properly for a while.

I think the whole situation of how the album came out really threw me into an emotional whirlwind. (you can read about that by clicking HERE) It made me feel like quitting making albums after the next 2 projects I am cooking up. I still feel that way but I am not giving a definite decision on that.

I am glad I got to tour Paris for 10 days immediately after the album dropped. I LOVE PARIS! That was my first time there. I think the whole novelty of visiting for the first time made it a magical experience! While I was out there I made a whole song called "made in france" and even talked to some video people about shooting a video, so watch out for that!

I also have been getting reviews for the album! I even got a review on Soulculture which is a highly respected website. Here is the link to the review: http://www.soulculture.co.uk/music-blog/newmusic/karl-nova-delayed-but-not-denied-album-stream/

Here is another review by another respected website called DaSouth out in the US: http://www.dasouth.com/reviews/10473-karl-nova-delayed-but-not-denied

I also got some press! I was in The Voice newspaper. Big up Marcia Dixon for this! Unfortunately it came out when I was out in Paris but you can read the article online here: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/hes-not-be-denied

As always my folks over at M-Brio music have backed me too, check the feature I got over there: http://m-briomusic.com/karl-nova-releases-sophomore-album-delayed-but-not-denied/

I have also been enjoying settling into being a radio presenter on Premier with my own show "The Writer's Block" I have had many great guests. It has been great! You can read a funny Q&A I did about it here: http://www.premiergospel.org.uk/presenters/25

I didn't even plan for this  post to be this long, Haha. Anyway apart from all this that has been going on I have been making beats and doing a whole lot of writing. I have done so much writing I have written 2 whole new projects. The whole experience of being able to make my own beats has been so therapeutic for me. I can't wait to share these projects with you. I already have a theme that is developing. There will be more about that soon!

So my homie Icie asked a question this question on twitter:

HOW DOES AN ARTIST MAINTAIN RELEVANCE IN TODAY's MUSIC MARKET?

This blog is my attempt to give my opinion and also to try to challenge myself to write a blog because I have not been in the mood to write recently.

First of all let's look at the word relevant because what it means in terms of the music biz might not be the same as what it means in the dictionary. In the dictionary it means:

"having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand"

O.k that just might sound a bit too wordy for some haha, in music biz terms the word relevant seems to mean, current, popular, marketable, something or someone that is in right now and the current trend, it is something or someome the majority is buying into and therefore willing to invest their money in, whether it is paying for downloads, concert tickets, merchandise or even just attention etc etc

Personally I don't like the word relevant and how it is used in music today, it makes you realise that the first concern of most people is not the music, the first concern is business, image, branding, being popular, clocking a huge following and large youtube views. If that is your first concern as an artist and not being authentic and true to yourself then it can cause what you create to suffer in the long run. That's just my opinion. Of course it can bring you attention in the short run and maybe in those freaky Susan Boyle, Soulja Boy occurences it can make you a lot of money.

On the otherhand if one is naive and not thinking of how they are going to sell their music then they might as well just keep music as a hobby and do it for the art of it and not even bother themselves with things like creating a product for sale. Just make music and perform music for fun, go and busk on the underground, go to open mic nights and perform for the love of music or make music to show your friends and family and there is nothing wrong with all that.

So how does one maintain revelance? Well the first thing would be to be relevant in the first place. This is the part where my opinion might go off track from a lot of people's opinions. To me being relevant means finding a way to stay true to myself and my path and being consistent in creating quality music that I feel and like and letting that music find a core audience that appreciates what I create and growing from there. If the music isn't relevant to my own life and personal unfolding story then it's just not relevant to me. (If only the whole world were exactly like me but that is the problem haha)

It however gets more complicated if you are from a fringe, underground scene like the gospel scene that I have my roots in. It was easier when my crew GK Real were still active before we went on a break from January 2010. We defined ourselves as a gospel group and made that church gospel music. We sang that praise and worship/traditional gospel music with some "urban" flavour and we were strong in our content being all about Jesus. Basically we made church music and mainly performed in churches, christian events, christian concerts etc, even though we did "secular" venues once in a blue moon. We made the music that was "relevant" to our core audience which were Christians. To me that is what gospel music is, music for the Christian market mainly (that once in a while gains an audience with people who are not christians who are able to digest it in the "choir" format they are used to)

Everything was perfect for me as long as GK Real were around because we also functioned as a group of people with individual things going on, so I could do my own Hip Hop/Rapping thing and experiment and push boundaries as long as I had the credibility of GK Real doing the gospel thing and a ready christian audience for what we were offering. As an individual I saw myself more as a Hip Hop mc that happened to be a Christian, in the group I saw us as a gospel group period which didn't do anything else apart from sing about Jesus. On my own I could touch on other issues of life and not feel like I had to be a superhero evangelist rapper trying to save the world with my lyrical super powers (haha!). I could just be. In GK Real however, I saw our main mission and vision to be a gospel group and I was totally for it and we all agreed on it with no problems at all. We had some amazing times and really achieved a lot, more than I could have ever dreamed of in the beginning.

It broke my heart when a break was called for because to me in terms of branding and marketing that can spell the end in capital letters for all you have worked for. Things change so quickly in any market and once you don't consistenly put yourself out there and maintain by touring, producing new music as well as presenting a united front (if you are in a group) it can be a hard job coming back and maintaining. People just simply move on to the next "happening" thing. A market doesn't tolerate vacuums. Something will always fill an empty space if you don't play your position. Markets also don't respond well to change, especially underground specialist markets that are small. If you are known for A, became big for A and all of a sudden you come out doing B? Forget you. You will be given the cold shoulder, unless you are so groundbreaking that you change the game which is highly unlikely but however possible in rare cases.

So how does one stay relevant in a market? You have to know who you are as a brand, decide what market you are targeting and stay consistent with catering to that market and core audience once you find and connect with it. In a market there is always a demand, you have to find that demand, meet that demand and continue to supply that demand. People don't just want music, they want hits, they don't just want hits, they want a whole package, they want to feel part of a movement of greatness that is visual and is perceived as significant because that's what people want. They want to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. As you become a brand i.e someone who has people buying into them and the image and lifestyle they represent, then you can continue to maintain or decide to take a risk and expand hopefully without neglecting your core audience which is hard because your audience can get protective and even selfish and not allow you as an artist to grow or experiment. Some don't even like outsiders to come in and share in what they are enjoying or they develop a superior aititude towards people who discover what they've already known before.

People are always looking for music that they want to be the soundtrack for their lives, they are always looking for what affirms their chosen lifestyle, beliefs, feelings, thoughts and on-going stories. They are always looking for people who embody their ideals and aspirations and it seems to be the job of artists to tap into that part of people in general. It also seems those who make the most money and are the most popular are people who have tapped the hardest into a particular ideal or embody certain aspirations the most. Just check the most popular artists in any genre and you will see it for yourself.

I don't necessarily like all of the above but as far as I can see, it seems to just be the way it is. Have I achieved relevance myself? I don't think so because I am from a scene that doesn't like people who try to experiment and be different. I guess I have to become an evangelical superhero and take over the world for Christ then if I want to be relevant (I hope you detect the slight saracasm there hehehe) One thing that is for sure, my music is relevant to me because it is the soundtrack to my ongoing and unfolding story and that is what matters to me the most.

So I released a new free download "Outside My Bubble (Side A)" recently. The whole concept of this project started when I began to do creative writing workshops in Schools in 2009 with Student of Life (shout out to “Breis” ) This project is not my new album that is coming out hopefully next year.

When I first started shadowing Breis in schools and learning how to be a workshop facilitator, I realised that the only material I had to perform while doing workshops were my gospel rappity raps which were based on my faith and my moving within the UK gospel scene. In this situation of education and the classroom, I realised that these pieces I had might not be appropriate because I was not in there doing workshops as an evangelical gospel rapping preacher. I had never seen myself as a preacher delivering audio sermons with every song but here I was in front of a classroom with only faith themed bars and nothing else to say. Nothing to say about life, nothing to say about growing up, nothing that relates to them, nothing addressing social issues, Nothing. I had nothing to meet them where they were. All I had was preachy gospel bars. This realisation was so shocking to me that I had to rely on my off the top of my head freestyling ability to get me through that first session I ever did.

I went home and I reflected and it hit me how over time I have been conditioned by the bubble I was in (the gospel scene) to only view art and expression in an evangelical context. I had bought into the idea that if I wasn't preaching the gospel in every single one of my raps and poems that anything I wrote would be of no good, of no merit and of no value and that my dear reader I have found out to be a lie.

I know many still hold to this view and that is where the whole “positive gas” train of thought comes from. This is where that “Holier than thou” and self-righteous superior attitude some have comes from towards those who see themselves just as artists who are Christians and not musical evangelists within the Christian/gospel music scene. All I can say to that is to each their own and walk according to your conviction. I’ve already blogged about that (click on Positive Gas?! and read up on the blog I wrote that addresses that in detail)

I always knew that the creative arts were not just for evangelical purposes but having mainly moved within the bubble of church events, Christian youth events, evangelical outreaches, gospel concerts, Christian festivals, Christian tv, Christian radio and church services for a while; I had tailored whatever I created mainly around that. This was not how I began my journey in creativity, this was not the only vision I had of myself but I had allowed myself to drift into this mode of operation and I had become trapped in this bubble.

I am so thankful that working with Student of Life has shaken me up and challenged me to step out of this self-imposed limitation that I allowed myself to get into. I know that my views have made me less popular within the gospel scene but freedom is far better and way sweeter than gaining the acceptance of people who have limited views on creativity and what it is for besides the amazing reward of being able to affect a wider community has been such a blessing to me.

This brings me to this recording. This (SIDE A) of “Outside My Bubble”  isn't actually the material I would do in schools except for “Midnight Run” “FreeDome” “naija 4ever I would be” and “always on the web like a spider” the rest are stuff I wouldn’t use in workshops. This SIDE A is actually made more to show where I am coming from. I had to start inside the bubble and work my way out and from “Midnight Run” onwards in this recording I am coming out of what I would normally do.

The first 5 tracks after the intro were recorded in one session. I was stressed at the time and just needed to vent and get some things off my chest. Those tracks except for “Midnight Run” are very faith related because that is how they came out when I wrote to them.

I recorded so much that the rest of it had to go on SIDE B. It contains pieces and tracks I do while doing workshops and you're able to see the different direction I took since I found my freedom.

I will end this blog with a quote from Lecrae that sums up how I view myself as an artist:

"I don't do secular music and I don't christian music, I am a christian and I do music" - Lecrae

Download "Outside My Bubble (SIDE A)" below

So the story behind this was shortly after I shot "Translation" I found these cool guys called HoodVideoShop that shoot great videos. We shot a first version which was totally different, it even had a cool concept that I came up with, the only problem is the weather was bad that day and the lighting wasn't great so I had to wait 2 whole months to re-shoot it and this is what we came up with.

I am not very good with dates, I tend to remember things when tied to events or time periods, it must've been '09 or maybe it was '08, I bought Taylor Lane's EP "End and Begin Again" and the 1st song on the EP "A new day" came on my iPod and I loved it so much I kept it on repeat. It was on repeat for a good hour I kid you not!

What happened next is something I can't explain, I found myself welling up with tears right on the street! I felt my chest heaving. I had just come out of Euston Square station, it was sunny and I remember myself just wanting to bawl.

In retrospect, I think the song reminded me of dreams that I had buried and all I wanted was to start all over again. Man that song really struck the proverbial chord loud inside of me for real.

Here is the song in full.

Taylor Lane - A New Day by EXHALE_Nation

I got together with Shabach in the studio and we worked on some tracks, we came up with this track and did a demo with only me, Uddy and him on it, later a version with Andrew Bello and BNG was made, we shot a video for fun and here it is. It is just to celebrate Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary. I know there's a lot of negativity surrounding Nigeria and due to many reasons it is not fulfiling it's potential. I hope things will get better because that country is so blessed.

Ose o means thank you in Yoruba. I am not yoruba by the way. lol

I don't think anyone is disputing that the gospel is the most important message we have to give. I don't think anyone is saying positive messages other than the gospel is what will eternally save anyone.

I just don't get how it is an either, or situation. We give the gospel AND positive messages like Jesus healed the sick and fed the hungry while seeking to eternally save their souls by giving his very life. If those things weren't important then Jesus would've gone straight to the cross and wouldn't have bothered to show compassion in that way, I mean why did he heal bodies if he knew that it wouldn't eternally save them?

Positive messages are only positive gas if folks are saying that these positive messages like "silence the violence, increase the peace" or "put it (guns) down" or "help haiti" or "help pakistan" (because of the tragedies there) or whatever positive message other than the gospel is what is going to save them eternally and I don't think anyone is saying that. That would be giving false hope but who really believes that stopping violence saves you from judgement in the after-life? Come on now! Lol! Who preaches that being charitable in a time of tragedy to the less fortunate reconciles one to God? Please show me these people!

Giving the world the gospel message is not the only message we have though it is the most important. We all have different assignments as well as the general mission of giving the world the gospel. So if seeking to impact my community in a positive way means it is positive gas to some then so be it, I stay inhaling that positive gas while giving the gospel because it doesn't have to be either, or.

Let me tell you a secret, giving positive messages and seeking to positively impact your community through action opens hearts and doors to the gospel message that you have for them. You know why? It shows you're human and identify with the common problems of this world that affects us all. It's called being socially relevant. Speaking against social injustice, giving social commentary on current events, encouraging people to be thankful and grateful, comforting hurt people or just showing you're a human and no better than anyone else helps you connect and gives you more credibility when seeking to tell people to repent and believe the gospel.

I don't know why I get the feeling that because some folks are more socially aware and want to positively impact their community that they are sometimes seen as shirking the responsibility of sharing the gospel. Both approaches go hand in hand. If that is positive gas then please pass the gas my way let me inhale it deeply. Lol.

"I met this girl, when I was 10 years old 
And what I loved most, she had so much soul 
She was old school, when I was just a shorty 
Never knew throughout my life she would be there for me 
On the regular, not a church girl, she was secular 
Not about the money, though studs was mic checkin' her" - Common "I used to love H.E.R

I've had a strange relationship with the music I create and perform. I don't actually like addressing it directly. I sort of address it within the lyrics from time to time.

You see I came in the double doors of Hip Hop and gospel music. What a strange entrance. Traditionally one of the doors should be marked entrance and the other exit since it seems you can't do both at the same time. I don't subscribe to terms such as "holy hip hop" (because I think that is corny and something Robin from the old Batman series would say as in "Holy Hip Hop Batman, to the Bat mobile!) and I don't subscribe to or use the terms "gospel rap" "gospel hip hop" "christian rap" "christian hip hop" etc etc because I think the word Christian is a bad adjective and a better noun. Even the term "gospel rap" just doesn't totally feel authentic to me. If I'm real all these terms sound forced and corny. If you subscribe to any of these terms please don't shoot me, I'm not dissing anyone else for doing so. It's just a personal thing to me. Don't mind me with my personal opinions! Lol.

As for gospel music, I'm finding out more and more it is a genre of music in these modern times that doesn't have it's own sound like it did before. They say Christian music is the only genre defined by the lyrics first and not the sound. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing although Christ remains Christ and the message of the gospel remains what it is as defined by The bible. I think the problem is my generation doesn't have a lot of understanding of what has come before them. It does help to know where even the term "gospel music" came from and it wasn't from your bible so trying to impose biblical definitions of what the gospel is on to the music without acknowledging where the term "gospel music" came from is bound to lead to endless debates around issues like positive vs inspirational vs gospel vs message vs style vs genre. I've touched on this elsewhere. All I will repeat is gospel music does not always mean the same thing as the explicit gospel message and when some refer to the phrase "gospel music" they could be referring to a sound and not even the gospel message at all. It all depends on the context of the conversation you're having and who you are talking to at any given time.

When I was coming up in the christian faith I was taught hip hop is the devils music and even some view it as a false religion (which made me only listen to christian praise and worship music for 3 years and nothing else). So when rap and hip hop influenced beats were made popular in gospel music by the likes of Kirk Franklin and others something happened. It made rap and hip hop music fused with that throwback choir gospel sound acceptable and lets face it, the music was beautiful! It also made those who were christians who rapped feel the need to prove themselves harder as real believers to be accepted in the gospel music community/industry. I mean Kirk Franklin got Salt from Salt N Pepa to do the verse on "stomp" and you can't tell me there weren't any christian female rappers then! If I remember one of the members of the gospel rap duo A1-Swift was a female rapper and funny enough she popped up on the remix of "you are the only one" by Kirk Franklin which got a video (YouTube that!) and wasn't on the actual God's Property CD.

I think because young people who are part of this Hip hop generation were being sought after to be part of The Faith and come to church that terms like "holy culture" "holy hip hop" started popping up so that Christians could enjoy hip hop without feeling that they are being associated with the "negative" and "dark side" of hip hop which is what most people seem to link the genre to and define it by (the same can be said about grime here in the UK and any "urban" music). I understand how you can love the artform and want to redefine it for yourself according to how you want to express yourself. The truth is Hip hop always had room for individuality, it used to have a varied representation. It wasn't just ONE thing. The main thing was to represent who you are with style and skill (I mean some MCs were down with Islam or the 5% Nation of Islam and it didn't stop folks who didn't share those beliefs from enjoying the music) although it must be said that in this present time it's more about materialism and gimmicks and less about being authentic and skillful.


The is an actual advert

I remember when Common did a song called "I used to love H.E.R" where he personified Hip Hop as a lady he loved. I think of christians relationship with hip hop the same way. It's like a guy falling in love with a lady of ill repute or to put it blatantly a hooker but he brings her to church and is determined to marry her. He believes he can make a ho' a housewife. He wants to put her in a spotless bridal gown and he wants to put a ring on it so that they can live together forever in holy matrimony. The clergy were opposed to this but over time they can see his love will not be killed because it is stronger than death. Why does that sound like a story in the bible? (Shout out to Hosea and Ezekiel lol read Ezekiel 16 and Hosea 1) They can also see that just as rap music is now mainstream and corporate and has this generation moving to it's beat AND is profitable, then maybe it is wise to back these christians that rap. (Or maybe that's just my wishful thinking)

It sounds sweet but I still feel terms like holy hip hop are corny though. I'm fully aware that the back and forth debates won't end because these are the things that must happen for an identity of a movement or artform to be found especially like the one I've been talking about. Debates happen because different opinions exist and in this case one opinion won't rule every other one as far as art and music is concerned because the interpretation of art is subjective. Even more debates are bound to happen especially in these times where some artists who are Christians are growing and evolving and redefining who they are and how they present themselves. Maybe that's what makes it all exciting and interesting. Maybe.

The Blog below was not written by me, I got it from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/musicinstinct/video/music-and-evolution/bobby-mcferrin-on-culture-and-music/41/

It hit me so hard that I just had to post it here. If you don't know Bobby McFerrin he's an amazing artist, probably known more for creating the song "Don't worry be happy" Just read what he says below and you will understand why it hit me so hard

Bobby McFerrin: My friend Yo-Yo Ma, when we first met, we were very, very interested in each other’s music. I was starting to work on conducting, and he was very interested in improvisation. So we had many, many conversations about this. And he knew that he had to do something for his music-making, that had something that would take him to a deeper place in himself. And so after a few years of talking about this, he went to Africa and he went to Botswana, he went to not a town but sort of out in a village somewhere. Lots and lots and lots of music-making and what have you. But in the beginning, there’s two stories that defined and shaped my musical life ever since I had heard them. “Well,” I thought “I have to make music like that.”

The first story is where when he arrived in this village, there was an interpreter who was trying to explain to the villagers that Yo-Yo Ma was going to play a concert at 7:30 at this place somewhere. And they had a hard time comprehending this for two reasons. One, they didn’t understand why they had to wait to hear music. Why did we have to wait to hear him play? And why do we have to leave where we are to go somewhere else to hear it. Because music was so integrated in their life. They had no concept of performance because music was so much a part of their lives, that there was no such thing as it. People were simply getting together and playing and they were celebrating everything. They were celebrating life, birth, harvest, hunting, you know, everything. So this I thought, “Okay I want to be the kind of musician where music is with me whether I’m on stage or not.” And when I’m on stage there’s nothing different except maybe the space. But what I’ve taken on stage with me is the same, it’s not different, it’s just being myself, the same self that I am just when I’m just getting out of bed in the morning, It’s the same musical self that I take with me on stage.

The second story is this: when Yo-Yo wanted to leave, when it was time to go—he’d been there for a couple of weeks, I think—he wanted to take some music with him to remind him about the experience. And the village shaman shared one of the village songs, and Yo Yo took out his manuscript so he could write it down. And the shaman is saying (singing notes) and Yo-Yo said, “Stop, I need to write this down.” So he writes it down. And he says, “Play it again, I want to make sure I got this right.” And the shaman sings (sings notes). And Yo Yo is saying But that’s not the piece you sang before. The shaman laughed and said “The first time I sang it there was a herd of antelope in the distance and a cloud was passing over the sun.” So this is the part that we lost. Every time a piece of music is played, one time there is a herd of antelope, and one time there’s not. And we turn in these cookie-cutter performances. Everything is so laid down and regimented and locked-in and so rehearsed, that they squeeze the life out of it. It no longer has any life in it because no one is open to surprise, no one is open to any spontaneous event that can happen. Everything is just dictated, and this is the way it’s gonna be. I think that’s the part that we’ve lost.

I had to include a live performance in this to just show why he is so inspiring to me!

Here he is Live in Montreal, Canada. Doing "Drive" it is amazing


Here is his most popular song "Don't Worry be Happy"

I came across the following in a blog (http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/blogs/seven-stories-rule-world-matt-haig) and it made me think:

Are there any new stories, or have they all been told? The British literary critic Christopher Booker, has argued that there have only ever been seven basic plots, as follows:

1. 'Tragedy'. Hero with a fatal flaw meets tragic end. Macbeth or
Madame Bovary.
2. 'Comedy'. Not necessary laugh-out-loud, but always with a happy ending, typically of romantic fulfillment, as in Jane Austen.
3. 'Overcoming the Monster'. As in Frankenstein or 'Jaws'. Its psychological appeal is obvious and eternal.
4. 'Voyage and Return'. Booker argues that stories as diverse as Alice
in Wonderland and H G Wells' The Time Machine and Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner follow the same archetypal structure of personal development through leaving, then returning home.
5. 'Quest'. Whether the quest is for a holy grail, a whale, or a kidnapped child it is the plot that links a lot of the most popular fiction. The quest plot links Lords of the Rings with Moby Dick and a thousand others in between.
6. 'Rags to Riches'. The riches in question can be literal or metaphoric. See Cinderella, David Copperfield, Pygmalion.
7. 'Rebirth'. The 'rebirth' plot - where a central character suddenly finds a new reason for living - can be seen in A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, Crime and Punishment and Peer Gynt.

I found this very interesting. I would have added another one as number 8 which would be Redemption because most stories (well almost every “action” movie) has the idea of a hero saving the world from destruction.

When I found this and read it, I started thinking what’s my story? What story am I living? What story am I telling? You see everyone has a story and because we’re all human you find out as you meet people and find out about their background that we share similar stories and experiences. This is why certain things resonate with a lot of people in such a deep way.

I’ve been doing a creative writing workshop with some 10 year olds and trying to find out why they were not into reading. From talking to them and really listening I found out that some of them are actually into books even though they are hooked to video games. I asked them what is it about reading that they liked, one of them said “it’s because I feel like I am inside the book myself, it’s like I can see myself living inside the book” I was like “YES!” If you don’t see yourself as part of something it just won’t be of interest to you. A story with characters you can identify with gives you a way to relate.

Last year was one of the toughest years ever for me and I came across an artist called Donae’o and the following songs of his struck such a chord with me that they became anthems for me:

Donae'o - "Because I'm Strong"


Donae'o - "Love Music"


I mean these songs moved me so much that at the time I found myself writing a song called “Overcomer” which was inspired by the same sound and theme’s in those songs. I guess the story of overcoming in those songs really got to me because I saw myself in them. I mean at the time I was really struggling to stay focused and encouraged and even now I am fighting! I had been laid off work and one of those songs even talked about that! Here is the "Overcomer" song that I recorded last year. The final proper version sounds nothing like this but this version is special to me because it reflects how I feel about fighting and winning:



So what’s your story? What story are you living? What story are you telling?

By now you must’ve heard about or seen the Erykah Badu video for window seat, if you haven’t then you probably have been under a rock or something. When I 1st viewed it, I was quite surprised and knew it was going to be a problem. I wasn’t offended; in fact I was quite amused because I got the point, I read in a book “How to make friends and influence people” that to get your point across you have to sometimes “dramatise your ideas”

The video appealed to the non-conformist and anarchist in me. I know I am one that is into breaking boundaries and using art to convey a message. That's my thing.

Apart from the video trying to send a "message", it was a perfect promotional tool for her album which was dropping 3 days latter, in this day and age in the music world it seems your promotional game has to be stepped up a few notches in order to be noticed. Most rappers use women and their barely clad bodies to promote their videos and work and now Erykah is doing it too though not in the same way because she tied it with conveying an idea of her “stripping away outer layers to reveal her true self” and make you think about the concept of “groupthink” besides she was calling the shots. I don’t think the aim was to titillate folks or turn you on as much as provoke thought (and promote the alBUM oops I said BUM hehehehe just joking)

It’s not like she was the 1st to do something like this, folks are going on about how it was so “original” hehehe come on now LOL! She even mentions in the beginning of the video that it was “inspired by Matt and Kim” I think what made hers different was because she was a black lady and she tied the theme of J.F.K’s assassination into her execution of the whole “stripping in public” thing. (The car she pulled up in beginning is the same kind J.F.K was in when he got shot, the path she took when walking was the same one J.F.K took and where she fell as if shot was the same place J.F.K was shot, in fact X marks the spot in the video) She also tied the concept of “groupthink” into it too. (The blue blood that spills out of her spells “groupthink” check it on Wikipedia if you are familiar with that it is)

I find it quite amusing that even though you might get this message, the outcome of the exercise seems to be that due to hero-worship by Erykah Badu’s fans, they exhibit the same kind of groupthink too and I say this because if anyone questions the video and doesn’t seem to show total support towards it, they probably would be attacked with the same kind of groupthink/mob action that “assassinates” Erykah in her video.

I have questions for Erykah like “is stripping in public the best way you can show you’re evolving as a person?” or “is the freedom you seek within yourself from fear found in breaking societal norms of decency?” or “do you realise that as a celebrity, many of your fans exhibit hero worship more than critical thinking towards your work and are therefore just hoping on your bandwagon exhibiting groupthink?” or “do you realise making yourself the subject in your art and actual metaphor might come off as you being quite self-absorbed, attention seeking and martyr-like in a video tackling a topic like this?”

As much as I get the point, I don’t think the execution of Erykah stripping in public was the best way to go about it but then having said that maybe she wouldn’t have gotten people talking if she had done it in another way. People have gone on about how the kids who saw her on the street naked would be “traumatised” I think that’s over the top. How about all the violence they see as entertainment all the time? I know religious folk will react to this video negatively, especially very religious men because it will stir the lust in their loins and they don’t like feeling those urges or remembering that they still have them and have to deal with them.

So was it worth it? I guess it was worth the buzz and the discussion not to talk of the album promotion which will add to sales (if only I could get a CNN mention when I drop a project, maybe I should strip in London? Hmmm Oxford St maybe? LOL) but let’s face it, most will miss the point or not even care about it because the big booty is in the way. Hehehehe. I kid! I kid! Or do I?

I know this article may have a slight skeptical tone but I am one who appreciates Erykah's music. So please don't throw the word hater my way because I am a lover hehehe.

(This is just part one of my thoughts on this. Tomorrow, I am gonna blog about groupthink for real in a whole other way)

I love this song! it's from Rhema Soul's debut album "worn soles" Butta P the lady in the group is on my song "get up" which you can actually hear by scrolling down my blog page and checking out the player which has 17 free songs from my mixtape "Deleted Scenes" this song is so goooooooooooooood! Rhema Soul are straight out of Florida.

*he casually walks up to reader, put his arm around his/her shoulder
and says "walk with me"*

If you're a reader of my blogs you will be used to me and endless
questioning by now. You will know that I'm some kind of artist. You
will know I rap, sing a lil' bit and dabble in poetry. You will know
that I am of the Christian faith and wrestle a lot with what that
means in today's world. You will also know that I love music
especially the artform of rap and culture called hip hop and I am also
interested in all things "urban" and the effect that media
representation has on the self perception of young people especially
black people because I am an African that's very aware.

I am unapologetically me and I'm not trying to fit in or appeal to
anyone. It's taken a while to get comfortable in my own skin and from
time to time I still struggle with insecurity and questions of my
identity. I know that for example in hip hop or the "urban" music
industry if you want to be popular and "make it" you have to fit into
the cookie cutter industry images of swagger laid out for you before
you got here. So the choices are: hustler, thug, badman, pimp, playa,
killer, dealer, roadman, baller, shotcaller etc. These are the prime
choices for you to express your masculinity and define your manhood
within the "urban" artforms if you want to "make it" or "crossover" or
go "mainstream" (ladies you know you have yours so with your
imagination you can come up with your cookie cutter images too.
If you're having trouble doing that please switch on BET and MTV Base
for a crash course) if you don't tick those boxes you can kinda forget
about it or is THAT IT?!"

Well not really, there is another way. Now I don't know if you really
want to know about it, it is not for the fainthearted. It takes a lot
of guts, you have to be prepared to be unpopular, rejected,
misunderstood and possibly never "crossover" and be accepted EVER in the
mainstream fantasy you have built in your head. Can you live with that
young artist, rapper, singer? do you have the heart to follow
through with this? Don't get it twisted, You can still "make it" it though but this way is defined by this simple saying, "No cross, no crown"

Until you can answer the above question you are not ready. You are
simply not prepared for this and I suggest you drop out now while you still can.

*pats the reader on the shoulder, gives a smile, then walks off with a
slight limp in his "swagger"*

Secularity derives from a Latin word meaning "of the age". The Christian doctrine that God exists outside time led medieval Western culture to use secular to indicate separation from specifically religious affairs and involvement in temporal ones. For instance, eating and bathing may be regarded as examples of secular activities, because there may not be anything inherently religious about them.

I got the above from Wikipedia. I typed in the word secular and this is what came up. It is very interesting. There has for long been a divide when it comes to music, especially in the community of black folks between secular and gospel. I think it comes from an improper understanding.

Most people who are fervent in their faith take secular to always mean the same thing as carnal, worldly, fleshly, immoral and sinful activity. This is not true because for example most of the congregation have secular jobs. If you apply the thinking of what secular has been defined as then the whole congregation is secular all week except Sunday (or anytime they’re in church engaging in spiritual activity) this is faulty thinking with partial understanding and it has bothered me.

I have found out that some people cannot conceive of a Christian just being an artist. Some folks feel if a Christian is artistically gifted (music just being one of the many artistic expressions that exist) then they must exclusively create gospel music. They see music as primarily as evangelical ministry or praise and worship. I think this is so because they believe that secular has to be immoral or carnal but not all “secular” activity is that.

Most Christians can accept professions such as being an accountant, a medical doctor, lawyer, a banker but the moment someone says they’re a professional musician it becomes a problem especially if they’re not professional musicians working in the gospel music industry solely. God forbid they be a session singer or an instrumentalist or movie score creator or a music teacher in a school that is not teaching gospel songs. God forbid they be like Kim Burrell who has been known as a gospel artist but now is someone about to create an inspirational/secular album. You will be automatically judged and marginalized even before they’ve heard any song on the project by some folks. It will be said of you, that you’re doing it for the money and to glorify self. I mean really? How do they know your intentions all of a sudden? So her doing that means she is renouncing Christianity? Does that mean she’s abandoning her moral compass and promoting immorality? I need to get this album and check it!

On the other hand concerning Kim Burrell, it probably could be said that she is switching things up in order to sell more units. I have not really been a fan of her music except for her first album “Everlasting Life” which was excellent. The other ones after that were just not for me. What can I say? To each their own. Only God truly knows her intentions. If her new album is bangin’with wholesome content, then hey it’s all good to me as a lover of music.

I think there is an idea that God frowns on all “secular” music. If this was the case then surely the book “Song of Solomon” would have not been left in the bible. The book is purely about the love between a man and a woman. It is not like the book of Psalms which is exclusively a book of songs of praise and worship with God being the focus. In Song of Solomon God is not even mentioned once, the lovers focus on each other. It is a book of romantic love lyrics and as much as people spiritualize it and say its about God’s love for his people and a foreshadow of Christ and the church (which also is a way you can read that book and actually should) it is STILL a romantic song book and that’s great! I don’t think God frowns on that! So if Kim Burrell for example does music in that vein about love, why would it be frowned on if she keeps it wholesome and tasteful? What’s wrong with doing music that is not exclusively evangelical or Praise and worship? What’s wrong with inspirational and positive music? Yes God frowns on the carnal, immoral, sinfulness and worldliness of this age but surely creating art with wholesome and tasteful content is good right? Doesn’t that glorify God? I think there is a place for all kinds of artistic expression. Am I wrong for thinking this way?

As for secular, the truth is we all engage in secular activity and secular does not mean the same thing as carnal, worldly and sinful. Secular just means any activity that is not exclusively religious. Eating an apple is secular; being an accountant is a secular job, being a medical doctor is a secular profession. We all eat, drink and sleep and since those activities are not exclusively religious they can be described secular, so I guess we’re all secular then everyday. LOL. The fact is though you might not be OF the world; you are still IN the world.

I think what we would be ideal is embracing a worldview that looks at the big picture. Our lives in this world is a whole thing and not separated in these little independent departments. When you believe in the gospel and you have a relationship with God it affects your WHOLE life so I don’t see why my art shouldn’t reflect my whole experience of living in this world. I think there lies the challenge. It is allowing God into all the little departments of our lives and having them transformed and affected forever whether they are secular or spiritual “departments”. God wants to make us whole. Do you WANT to be whole?

Ok before I go on go to this link and read some comments about gospel music from some folks:

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/180974 (copy and paste it into your browser. I don't know how to make it a link GRRRRRRRRR!!!)

I bet you're scratching your head right now. LOL

I wrote the blog below a little while back (actually in '08) and it has taken me until now to write a follow up to it which I have exclusively given to ukgospel.com. So to prepare yourselves for that piece re-acquaint yourself this one:


Gospel Music Vs Gospel Message intro: The Ironies of Gospel Music


People say it is ministry and not entertainment but it IS entertaining (notice I said entertaining NOT entertainment though to some there aint any difference really)

It is the only genre of music defined by its message NOT it's sound (though some people still define it by its sound but what IS it's sound? a choir singing maybe? can somebody tell me? I heard of T-Pain taking a song by Kirk Franklin "Silver and Gold" and sampling it to make a song which is not a gospel song)

It is the only music where people feel it should only be exclusively sung but people who "live" its message (but really WHO is walking EXACTLY like JESUS? and isn't the gospel message meant for EVERYONE? Is the gospel message inclusive or exclusive? Is Gods love and grace exclusive to some or for all?)

It is said to be a tool of "spreading the word" yet people have to pay to get it. (Isn't that like paying for "the word"? Well I guess because they are paying for the MUSIC)

The gospel message calls for repentance but how many times have you seen people repenting when hearing a gospel track? (I'm not saying it hasn't happened before I mean I have SEEN it happen before!)

It is the only music where it is said to be all about the Man behind the message a.k.a Jesus yet you have your favourite band or singer (whether you like to admit it or not and that is like having your favourite preacher that is if you look at it as ministry not just music. Personally I don't think having your favourite band is wrong because to me music is music. I just think it is ironic! LOL!)

Gospel music is mainly purchased by people who ALREADY believe in the gospel yet we say it is meant for those who don't believe it's message (the truth is whether you believe or not you need the gospel message ALL the time)

No matter how explicit the message is, if it has a dancy beat and is played in a club people can still groove to it and actually ignore the words. (I know some people DON'T like that but hey Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding party so maybe that aint too bad! LOL!)

Christians sometimes expect gospel music to do what they are meant to do: Preach the word and be holy and pure.

Christians steal gospel music from Christian artists (Rip tracks off their myspace pages using software that can actually do that even if you have not given it away as a free download) and freely burn CDs. (Thou shalt not steal anybody? Yep I've been guilty too! forgive me Lawd! LOL!)

Some "gospel purists" get mad when Christians do urban variations of gospel music but if you ask them what gospel music is right to listen to they would probably point you in the direction of a genre of gospel music that is still a derivative of one of the "secular" genres of music that might not be Urban but is based on a "secular" sound

Purists who listen to gospel music don't like to admit that what they listen to has been influenced in sound (in sound, musically! I repeat MUSICALLY! LOL!) by a genre of music that by their definition is actually "worldly" in origin.

The truth is everything you hear that is gospel music has a multitude of musical influences and unless Jesus has a myspace page AND an album coming out in December there is no MUSICALLY PURE gospel music that has no outside musical influence in the world today. (If there is can someone show me? I would buy 10 copies right now)

Gospel Music = Black, Christian Contemporary music = White. This is equivalent to like Hip Hop = Black and Rock = White. This is what the general view is out there. Real Talk.

Inspite of all these ironies (and many more I am sure you can mention) I LOVE the message of the gospel and I love gospel music! (though I might not like all the music out and that is down to my personal taste not that it isn't good!)

The way I view gospel music is like a movie and a soundtrack. The music is the soundtrack you hear while the movie plays. The movie is actually YOU living out your faith on a day to day. I think music is placed on a higher pedestal than it is meant to be placed. That's just my personal opinion. I will talk about gospel message vs gospel music soon.......