If I could narrow down my goals as a creative person, I would say what I am trying to achieve is creating stuff that is undeniable and stuff that connects with hearts and minds.

 No one owes me attention. You have to earn people's attention. If anyone listens to my music or pays attention to what I do I take it as a blessing because the world of music is crowded. One thing that is for sure is that no matter how crowded it gets, no one can be me and tell my story. This quote by Martha Graham is so powerful: 

Recently I released #MEOMP Outtakes for free. #MEOMP stands for "Made 'Em On My Phone"
 I found some songs on my laptop that didn't fit on to the next project I am releasing which is "Made 'Em On My Phone" This project will be digitally out on August 13th on iTunes and all digital stores. This is the first time I am totally producing a project by myself from scratch. 


It sounds crazy to say I produced a whole project on my phone but this is where we are with technology today. Technology has really advanced hasn't it? This project is kind of statement on that. A smartphone really is a mini computer. I sent the project to Rodney Rockerz
who is a person I respect because he's like a big brother who has produced some of my biggest songs ("Whom Shall I fear?" "That could've been me" "Lord Help Me" "My Strength" "Let me Live") and he was really impressed with it. He said something to the effect of him needing to shake off the old mentality of how music is made. I could only smile.

It hurts sometimes to get rejected or overlooked when you put your heart and soul into something but my mentality is changing about though
 This thing is all much bigger than my fragile ego. It is on me to create something that is so amazing and excellent that it can sell itself. I know in this day and age it isn't really primarily about the music. People are caught up in name brands, people who are popular and even famous for being famous but I still believe if you create something amazing and if it connects that people will tell other people about it and word will spread. Spreading information by word of mouth will always be powerful. Recommendations from a trusted person are very influential 

For me the journey continues. I occupy a strange place in the scene I am from.
 Some would say I am established but I still feel like I am nowhere near that. I still feel like an underdog that is hungry and on the come up even though I have seen some amazing times that a beginner hasn't seen. It is a good place to be even though it can be frustrating and deflating. It keeps me humble and driven. You can't have a thin skin or no determination to go the distance. You won't last long if you think breaking through will happen overnight. You can't even really be attached to what outcome you desire. You have to keep your head down and do the work. You have to possess so much perseverance and endurance. It is a marathon not a sprint.


I am also in a place to promote others as a radio presenter. I have seen some people call me a DJ but I am not a DJ. All I do is present radio shows, share information and select tunes to play.  I am just a guy with a big mouth who loves conversation and finding out people's stories. A real DJ can mix live and move a crowd with tricks. I think that might be the next skill that I will acquire ;)

One of the hardest things to explain to people who are not involved in the business side of music is how much the marketing of music influences it's perception and reception. People think you just listen to music and like what you like in a vacuum with nothing shaping HOW you are hearing it. How many are ready to be honest and admit that how you perceive an artist or a genre of music influences HOW you listen and WHAT you listen to? How many are ready to admit that listening to music is more than just something you do casually. A lot of people use music as a way of expressing and affirming their identity and how they want people to perceive them. Basically music has a social aspect to it and it is more than just you enjoying a sound coming out of your expensive name brand headphones or laptop speaker or huge sound system etc etc

So let's get into my 2nd episode of for and against. Let's look at labels versus content

Content: When it comes to music, content means exactly what it means, what the music contains. If it is a song with lyrics it means the lyrics, the themes, the melody,  the rhythm, the chorus, the instruments used and the style the whole thing forms into. People always go on about how a song has "content" (Shout out to the hipsters! I see you musical snobs lol) now what they really mean most times is it is "deep" and has "substance" but the truth is on a basic level all music has content because it contains something. You're not listening to silence. Whether what you are listening to is deep and meaningful sometimes is a subjective thing as well.

The most shallow song might have a deep meaning to someone for example a guy who goes on a first date with a woman who later becomes his wife might hear the most cheesy love song at the restaurant they go to but that song might be remembered with so much meaning because it was the soundtrack of their first date that led to a deeper commitment and let's say they grow old and grey together and they hear that song later it will contain so much deep meaning to them even though many others will say it just some shallow, cheesy pop ballad. (OK so this example is SUPER sentimental but you get the point right? LOL!)

Sometimes people try to appear deep by publicly identifying themselves with music that is generally perceived as deep or maybe too complex to be enjoyed by people who's sensibilities are attuned to pop music and then these same people will admit to love what is generally perceived as shallow music but call it a "guilty pleasure" and then post a tweet saying "I like _____ by ______" #DontJudgeMe. Sometimes that baffles me because WHO CARES? why should someone judge you for liking music that you like? The need for validation for our personal preferences and musical tastes is strange but I understand it because the truth is we are social beings that want to belong even though we also want to stand out and feel "unique" at the same time. Sometimes we want to feel our preferences and tastes are approved by the social group we identify with and want to belong to.

Labels: OK labels. These are the things we use to identify the music we like so that when we are talking about it or seeking it out then we can find what we are looking for easily with no confusion. We hate confusion and ambiguity besides life is short who has time? Convenience is necessary because we want what we want and we want it NOW! Instant gratification rules the world! Apart from that it is practical.

I have a theory about the labeling of music. The music industry lives and dies on this labeling being applied because when you go into a store to buy something you need it clearly identifiable to make a purchase don't you? That is pretty basic. The thing is labeling gets quite weird when it comes to music because people get creative with music and challenge established definitions and strict labeling and categorizations all the time. This keeps music fresh and interesting.

Most consumers don't know how much labeling and categorization is important to the marketing of music. For example Christian music (which is the only genre of music defined by it's lyrical content and not it's musical sound/style). In marketing terms it is music that is mainly for Christians, marketed to Christians, bought mainly by Christians, played on Christian radio, sung in Christian churches/concerts/events. It is the soundtrack of the different subcultures within Christendom. Christians have their own award shows to celebrate this music and their own celebrities who have huge expectations placed on them and are borderline idolized by some of their enthusiastic fans.

All this is why on a business level the labeling of music is important. A lot of fans of Christian music will never admit to all this. The Christian labeling and categorization of music is primarily a marketing term as far as record labels are concerned. Also the labeling is more important than the content as far as the marketing side of things is concerned. Let that sink in. If you are a fan of Christian music and you find yourself conflicted and resisting and fighting what I am saying then imagine how a lot of Christian artists who are aware of the business side of things and are involved in it feel daily.

Conclusion: I side more with content but I am not naive about the business side of music and how labeling and categorization are important. I am going to real with you, I want to make a living doing music but at the same time I don't want to be limited to a certain market either because of labeling. They say content is king but what they don't tell you is context is queen. The marketing, promotion and branding of music forms the context within which the content (in this case music) is consumed.

This is what labeling does. It limits things. It almost as if it says: "This is only for these people and not for everyone" Labeling excludes some people and it doesn't even give them an opportunity to give the music a chance because they feel IT IS NOT FOR THEM FROM THE START.

I think it is helpful to remember that sometimes labeling things in a certain way paints you into a certain corner. This might not be bad if running your little corner is your intention but if you want to reach out to more people and you are limiting yourself, don't get mad when you are limited in the audience you get

I think the musical style and lyrical themes should play a part in what label is placed on the music and what it is defined as but that is a highly idealistic thinking because sometimes some things are beyond conventional definition. Why is it so important to define things? I think it is because we want to feel in control. Things that are hard to define challenge us and make us feel VERY uncomfortable. Apart from all this people's attention spans are so short these days. No one seems to have time to stop think too hard about what something is.

Maybe we all should just listen to music and stay open to what we hear. You just never know what you are going to connect with sometimes. You never know what you could discover if you get over your preconceived notions.

To say there's been a buzz about some rap albums being released in recent times is an understatement indeed. It has all been very interesting.

I have listened to all the the hyped up albums "Yeezus" by Kanye West. "Born Sinner" by J Cole and even Mac Miller's "watching movies with the sound off" and I didn't really like any of them.

What has gotten me writing this blog is the whole buzz about it. It's almost like you are forced to have an opinion and join the conversation if you like rap music. Now that the first week sales numbers are in with "Yeezus" doing 328,800 and going number one in the US as well as here in the UK and J Cole's "Born Sinner" coming in 2nd with 297,922 sold and Mac Miller 3rd with 101,795. What does all this mean? Why is this conversation being had important?

Even though I think "Yeezus" is Kanye West's worst album one thing I will say is I can appreciate his desire to go in a whole new direction and try something different. That takes some kind of courage because he knows what to do to make a very commercial album, he has done it before. He has done it 5 times already ok if you don't count "808s and  Heartbreak" which was a departure from the norm for him and experimental then 4 of those albums followed a tried and tested Kanye formula although each of those 4 albums had uniqueness to them.

I can appreciate the idea of stripping things back and going for minimalism. I mean the album had no artwork or radio single. Although one can say that projecting your promo video on buildings in 66 places across the world isn't really very minimalist. That is a very huge marketing campaign if you ask me.

Is the title "Yeezus" blasphemous? I am not sure and wouldn't say it is. I mean a lot of parents call their children Jesus (in South America this happens a lot and it is pronounce the Spanish way Heysous) a lot of people are called Joshua which is derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshua/Yeshua (there is no J in the Hebrew alphabet) which is actually what Jesus was called being from Israel and all that. Jesus is the English meaning of Ioseus which is the Greek way of saying Yehoshua/Yeshua. I guess many were saying Kanye was trying to call himself Jesus but is he doing that really? I don't think so although I do think he has massive persecution complex going on. I know he has a song called "I am a god" but is he saying he is Almighty God? I don't think so. The way his fans idolize him is more of a problem in my eyes because that really feeds his ego and elevates him to be placed on a pedestal beyond that which is healthy doesn't it? You tell me. I'm just thinking out loud.

"Born Sinner" by J Cole was more traditional and conservative in it's sound and marketing approach (although many would argue that him  bringing forward his release date from June 25th to June 18th to compete with Kanye's album was a genius marketing move that would favour him and I think it did) It was very throwback in a way and many would say it was boring. Personally I found it not very interesting although it does have a few songs that I really liked but then again I have never been into J Cole's music although I think he is one of the top tier rappers in this new  generation. His free mixtapes "The Come up"  "The Warm Up" and "Friday Night lights" are way better than "Born Sinner" and if you listen to those you will feel the passion in them and appreciate J Cole as an artist better. J Cole did say in interviews leading up to the release that he made "Born Sinner" in a much more sadder and darker place so I guess that is why the album is the way it is.

Speaking of dark, "Yeezus" is just so dark, angry and overly misogynistic that I just couldn't enjoy it. Apart from "Bound 2" which is kind of the throwback Kanye sound, I just don't see myself giving this album repeat plays at all. It's like Kanye went left field to try to challenge you to like it. He went very anti-commercial/radio friendly on purpose. I really tried to like it and see if I was missing something with all the hoopla others were making about  it. That the album sounds how it does is intentional on kanye's part. I mean he didn't make the album alone in isolation, he had a whole team of producers working on it. It was a communal effort under his supervision and direction. It just sounds disjointed, unfinished and not fully developed but maybe that was intentional too.

So what is my verdict? Let me just say I couldn't stand the comments I have read online where people were saying stuff like "you just don't understand it, it is too deep for you, you can't get it because it is over your head" and all those kind of elitist statements by people who want to feel superior about their musical taste. It's not that deep guys. If someone doesn't like what you like, it doesn't mean they are not "deep" All I will say is I appreciate someone taking a creative risk and experimenting but it doesn't mean the results will be good or amazing or even groundbreaking. Many will argue that Saul Williams, Death Grips etc etc have done what Kanye tried to do and better. If it challenges other mainstream rappers to push the boundaries of their sound and not play safe in order to go for the "easy" money then it is a good thing but Kanye has kind of "earned" the clout to try something like this and get people to buy into it. His celebrity status and brand power makes it possible for him to try this and get people to part with money and even acclaim it as the greatest thing ever. I think people respond to Kanye based on branding and perception not just the music. They've bought all the way into the hype and that causes them to perceive the music through the lens of that perception.

Also just because someone tries a throwback sound to a classic era of rap it doesn't  mean that the results will be amazing as well as in the case of "Born Sinner" by J  Cole even though Nas dropped a sizzling reply to a track off the album called "Let Nas down" titled "made Nas proud" it doesn't mean that "Born Sinner"  even comes close to the quality of albums  from that classic era of 90s Hip Hop. I mean that one Nas verse on the remix was more exciting than the whole J Cole album in my opinion.

In closing I will mention the new Jay Z album. Even though I got excited about the shrewd business move that Jay Z achieved by getting Samsung to pay for a million copies of his album upfront at $5 a piece just to market their phone and all, and even though the advert with all those super producers in one room working on the album looks inspiring, this doesn't ensure that the  album will be classic. I think Jay Z will play it musically safe. It seems people are more caught up in the hype of the business move and the presence of "brand name" producers as if that ensures a classic album will be made. At least Kanye approaches things more like an artist as opposed to Jay who is a business, man. Once again marketing, branding and promotion triumphs but WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC MAN? haha I guess as I always say it is about everything thing  else first THEN the music. That's just the way it is.

So I watched "The Big Questions" on BBC and one of the questions they asked as a conversation and discussion starter was "is rap music a way to God?" when i saw that question something in me groaned and I was "what kind of silly question is that?" Shout out to Guvna B who appeared on the show and articulated his position clearly and very well.

So what exactly is my problem with this question? Well first of all the question implies that someone somewhere is saying that rap music is a way to God. I don't recall anyone ever saying that it is. The whole premise of the question is totally off to start with.

I don't even think Christian rap or Christian Hip Hop or whatever it is called these days makes that claim either or maybe I am wrong. Maybe there are those who treat the genre as if it is the gospel itself. Maybe this is why there is that unspoken expectation that if you are part of that genre/subculture you are expected to automatically be a a preacher on the mic giving audio sermons with every song and a call to repentance with every lyric by some of the "fans" of the genre. Maybe secretly they believe the rap music done by Christian rappers/artists or whatever IS a way to God and should be. Maybe.

Maybe this is why there was some backlash from some people towards Lecrae's appearance on 106 & Park. Some felt he wasn't upfront about the gospel enough. I think some expected him to turn his appearance on the show into a revival meeting. Maybe they wanted him to turn BET into TBN. Maybe.

Can you express your faith through rap music? Yes. Can people possibly find faith through a rap song? I would say yes but it is the message in the song, the gospel in the song, it is Christ being revealed that is the way to God not the genre itself. Does every rap song from a Christian have to be a 5 point musical sermon? No. Who said it has to be?

This brings me to the question of the genre itself. Christians really do think if the genre of Christian/Gospel music becomes bigger that it will "preach" and "convert" people to Christ. Well apart from the fact that the majority of people that buy Christian/Gospel music are already believers and the labeling of the genre and marketing of the music mainly targets those who are already believers, I also think when the focus is selling lots of albums as any industry aims to do, it makes the idea that the Christian/Gospel music genre mainly exists to evangelize to non Christians as kind of not true. Let me also say here I am actually cool with people wanting to sell a lot of albums but just keep it real and be honest about it. I am all for good music selling bucket loads of albums. I mean who doesn't want that?

This idea that the primary goal of Christian/Gospel music is to evangelize to non-Christians really bothers me because having been in the scene, I know this is not always the case. There's nothing wrong with the main market being those already converted, I just wish everyone was real about it. Don't cover it all up in some "I wanna reach the world with the gospel" talk when your target market is mainly those who already believe. Just keep it real! Also when someone like Lecrae who is trying to break out of the Christian/Gospel market makes certain moves outside the bubble of the christian/gospel market/genre/subculture and makes certain statements, don't get mad, you know why? he is actually trying to "reach" those audiences that might not share the faith he has and due to the fact that marketing is involved, certain steps have to be taken to break out of certain markets and break into other markets. These things are hard to explain to people who are not involved in the business aspect of the music industry. If you are just a consumer of music you just probably won't get it. If we had more critical thinkers and not just almost mindless consumers, explaining this would be easier.

The existence of genre labels in the music industry mainly exists for marketing purposes. It is to categorize music and to match it with the consumers who actually buy the music. Read that sentence again until it sinks in. You label things to make them easily identifiable and accessible to those who are looking for it. The Christian/Gospel labeling of music are marketing terms in the music business this is why certain artists like Switchfoot & Lecrae always say "Christian is my faith, not a genre" but most don't want to hear that because most have made the mistake of equating the Christian/Gospel genre with The Faith as if they are one and the same, they don't know how to separate them. Record labels that market music actually NEED THE CONSUMERS never to separate them because it keeps a lot of them digging into their pockets and buying the music which for them is lucrative but for the consumers can be confusing especially when they mainly define themselves by what they purchase. Their faith seems to be defined by what they buy and what subculture they belong to instead of primarily defined by their relationship to Christ who they have placed their faith in.

So I maintain that the question "is rap music a way to God?" is a flawed one because even Christian/gospel music at it's most evangelically explicit is ultimately meant to be a signpost pointing to "The Way" and to mistake the signpost for "The Way" itself is dumb. It is as dumb as pulling up to a sign pointing to a hotel after a long journey and trying to check in to the sign instead of going to the hotel reception and checking in there.

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?

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

"For us, it’s a faith, not a genre. We’ve always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us ‘Christian rock’ tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that’s not what we’re trying to do. Music has always opened my mind — and that’s what we want.”

“My faith, I mean, that’s such a personal aspect that a lot of times, of course it’s going to come out through the song. But at the same time, I’m not a religious salesman. I feel like God doesn’t really need a salesman, and what these songs are simply my interactions with this life and learning. I guess the bottom line is the songs are really honest, you know what I mean. That faith is going to come through. If the listener is looking for it, that’s definitely a part of it.”

“You’re boxing it in. I would like to think that the music that I make is best with claws and teeth, instead of being locked up in a cage. As a band we’ve always been very deliberate in making music for everyone. And we’ve never changed that. If we’re going to define our music it would just be honest music for thinking people. We’ve always called ourselves a rock band and tried to stay away from anything that would limit our audience. For me, my faith is a really personal, important part of my life, and it’s much bigger to me than a musical genre”

— Jon Foreman, lead vocalist of Switchfoot

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.

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?