LaRosa Johnson {dot} com

This has been a long time coming. Over the years I’ve said I would do it, but I always had an inkling of a fire to keep me going. This time is different though, I think I’m finally ready to end my “career” as a Christian Rap album reviewer. 2009 has been a benchmark year for me in many ways, with one area in particular being a highly diminished affection for Christian rap music. A lot of what I’m finding, at least in the style of rap that I prefer, is that it’s a lot of the same and it’s just boring to me. When it comes time to write reviews, I loathe them and usually push it off to a later date. I don’t enjoy it anymore, and I think with that it’s best to leave it to a younger generation that is more enamored with the music than I am.

In some respect, I’m not sure what this will mean for Trailblazin Ministries. At least for now, the site will continue to cover hip-hop music, but I don’t know if we will eventually cease to cover it and move solely to being a teaching ministry without the hip-hop slant. I’m still debating on whether I want to delete all of the hip-hop music from my computer. I don’t listen to it much and I still have them on CD, so it’s not like I can’t re-rip them if I want to give it a listen. It’s just a matter of doing it & deciding if I want to (it’s not like I’m hurting for hard drive space). I do know for a fact that long gone are the days of me supporting any & everything in the genre; instead, I’ll be a consumer who only supports the artists I personally like, which, at the moment, is very few.

With that being said, once I finish my stack of (long overdue) reviews for Sphere of Hip-Hop I’ll officially be calling it quits as an album reviewer. With that, I’ll also be all the more scarce in the Christian Rap community & forums, not that I’ve been all that active of late. It’s been fun. Grace & peace!

This made my night, and even made my head stop hurting (at least for a little while). Thanks guys!

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23youknowyouachristianrapper

Goodnight!

There are some things that always make me laugh. One of those things is when I’m reading the comments that people have toward my critical album reviews. It seems that if you say anything negative about a Christian album then you’re immediately someone who is lukewarm in their faith & don’t have a “spiritual pulse.” Since when does having an opinion on someone’s music equal no longer being a believer who is maturing in the faith?

Seriously, it amuses me. I say that I want to see an artist expand their subject matter instead of recycling the same content over & over, and now I’m labeled as someone who doesn’t appreciate or have a love for the gospel. Funny. It’s funny on a number of levels. First, there’s a lot more to talk about than just the gospel in the entire canon of Scripture, so why not touch on some of that? Secondly, as it relates to the personal attacks, how many of these people even know about the ministry that I have, whose sole focus is to teach the Bible? Third, since when does someone’s opinion of music become equivalent to their appreciation & love of Scripture/gospel?

I could flip the script and start judging & gauging their maturity from the comments they post, but I won’t because then I’d be no better. I just think people need to be wiser about the comments they make, and not be so quick to judge someone’s spiritual maturity based on an album review. If they were judging it based on what I do at Trailblazin Ministries, then that’d be something else entirely, but not an album review, which is meant to be a critical look at music. Just some food for thought.

Everything is an instant classic these days in Christian hip-hop, or at least that’s what reviewers, “hype men,” and promoters want you to believe. I’m not buying it. I just listened to one of the latest albums deemed an instant classic, and, in my opinion, it’s average at best; there wasn’t a single track that grabbed me or that was memorable.

Honestly, it’s been quite a while since I’ve heard anything that I would deem classic, but I guess that’s just me.

That’s all I have. Carry on.

Just a short rant this morning. I’m tired of every album that drops being touted as “highly anticipated” or “the hottest album since…” or whatever catch phrase you want to use. Who says your album is highly anticipated? By who? You?! It’s all the more aggravating when it’s from an artist that no one has ever heard of.

I understand promotion and all of that, but at what point does it become falsehood? Is it really “highly anticipated” if only a few people are anticipating it? I don’t know. Just another one of my gripes with the Christian hip-hop scene. It’s stuff like this that makes me unsubscribe from just about everyone’s email list and avoid message boards; I’m tired of the hype.

When I think of highly anticipated albums/artists, I think of two in particular, at least recently: Zane One & John Wells (aka the Tonic). Both had albums in the works years ago and weren’t able to release them for whatever reason, and fans have been patiently waiting for years, literally. Then both of them drop their albums in the same month. Now that, my friends, is highly anticipated.

For everyone else, please tone it down. Thank you. Rant done!

So I made it out to the SXSW event that DaSouth was hosting today. It was a packed house and pretty interesting show, especially from a spiritual standpoint as far as I’m concerned. We got there early (11:30am) and stayed until about 3pm, just before the Much Luvv set with Tre9, Cy, SOM and others. For me, the highlight was getting to see longtime friends/acquaintances Braille and Kaboose rock the mic. Both of them have great stage presence and ripped their sets. I even got to chat with Kab for a minute on my way out. After Much Luvv, Lecrae was gonna perform but I opted to head home instead of sticking for that and the afterparty.

As far as what I did see, I noticed that there is a big difference between being just a rapper and being a true emcee who can get the crowd motivated. Just the crowd interaction alone speaks volumes over someone who justs gets on the stage and raps. But the main thing I noticed is how heavy the prosperity theology is influencing this region; most of the local acts are heavy into it and it shows in their rhymes and presentation. It grieves my heart. I even got a flier about a church that has hip-hop Sundays, and on the flip side talking about the actual ministry, they were talking about coming and growing in “wisdom, health, and prosperity.” I really wish that people would quit ripping verses and passages out of context and using them for their own purposes, even under the guise of ministry.

That aside, it was good to meet online buddies I’ve known for years, including Sketch the Journalist. Glad to see Syntax represent, and just have a good outing with the entire family.

Fyi, word on the street is that we’re confirmed again for next year, but with a bigger venue because we had so many people show.

You know, over the past few days I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Not that I don’t think, because I do more than I probably should, but I was thinking about holy hip-hop (or Christian rap) and a lot of the artists I listen to. Not that it matters all that much, but I started to wonder to myself, where are all of my doctrinal rappers at?

Let me qualify what I mean by that statement. When I listen to holy hip-hop music, it’s pretty easy to spot the artists that come from a prosperity theological background; it’s also pretty easy to spot those who are Reformed/Calvinists in their theology. And the more I listen to the music I own and review, it’s pretty obvious that a lot of the music that’s coming out, especially in the more preaching/teaching rap, is coming from this (reformed) belief system. So, I’ve been wondering to myself, where are the cats spitting doctrine who are doctrinal and dispensational in their theology? Why don’t we hear a lot (if anything) from this side?

On the one hand, I don’t really care; but on the other, I do wonder where these kinds of artists are. I enjoy listening to my shai linnes and Christcentrics, but there are so many times that I can listen to tracks like "TULIP" and "Mission Accomplished" or an album heavy in Covenant Theology like Voice’s The Process of the Pardon without wanting to stand up and object to the doctrine that’s coming through my speakers. Don’t get me wrong, I love these artists and will continue listening to them and purchase their music. I’m just curious to know where my likeminded brethren are at on the mic, that’s all. For all I know, they could be in my collection and not spitting the heavily theological rhymes or only covering material to a point where it doesn’t get into the "sticky" or dividing doctrines. Who knows.

I don’t have any point in saying this. It’s late and I’m up after taking a long nap after work, so I figured I’d share what’s on my mind. It’s just a thought; nothing more, nothing less…

10. Dry Bonez Live – Love & Loss

Very fresh debut album from a solid group on an upstart label. I absolutely love the Midwest mainstream sound and the passion they bring.

9. Excelsius – Liberation

One of the most powerful albums of the year with a focus on reaching the lost. Probably Excelsius’ best work to date.

8. Young Joshua – Back to Reality

After dropping a solid mixtape, Young Joshua proves that he’s a solid emcee that listeners need to take notice of. Teddy P rocked the beats!

7. Brinson – Escaping Me

I admittedly slept on this album, but I’m so glad I purchased it. The preacha showed that he’s got the beats on lock and that he’s got rhymes for days. This stays in heavy rotation.

6. k-Drama – BoomBaptism

Back to his grind as an independent artist, k-Drama is back on top of his game, showing lots of growth as an artist and offering many nod worthy jams. Albums like this are why I love k-Drama; this is 14 2 Life taken to another level.

Read more…

With Lecrae being the first holy hip-hop artist to debut #1 on the Billboard Gospel charts, there has been a lot of reciprocal talk about quite a few different things. Some of the discussions have included: this legitimizes HHH/CHH as an industry, how do we push/promote the genre, who’s the next artist to make it big, and so on. All of this has gotten me thinking about my role in the genre (as a meager album reviewer) and how do I personally feel about all of this.

First things first, let me say that I’m ecstatic (sort of, cuz I’m too calm of a guy to get excited about much of anything) about Lecrae debuting at #1 on the gospel charts. It’s been a long time coming for the genre and I’m glad that it was someone like Lecrae who is focused on ministry, spreading the gospel, and making disciples. In my mind, there couldn’t have been a better artist or label to have done this. It’s definitely a testament to the work that he and the label have put into their music, the fan support they’ve gained, and the doors that Jesus Christ can open for those who are faithful.

With that being said, I want to look at the talk that has surrounded this and the opinion that this legitimizes our genre. My initial reaction is no, it doesn’t. Sure, it legitimizes Lecrae and Reach Records with what they’re doing, but not the genre as a whole, at least that’s my opinion. Why do I say that? Because the success of one doesn’t mean success for all. Yes, it’s a victory for the genre as a whole, but it doesn’t mean success for everyone.

Maybe I’m being shortsighted, but I really don’t think holy hip-hop (or Christian hip-hop for those that want to call it that) is ready to "blow up" per se. There is still a significant amount of immaturity that needs to be corrected first. Yes, the music is now on par with (and in some cases better than) what the secular industry is putting out, but that doesn’t mean that our business practices, legalities, and so on are up to par with how things should be. Not even going that far, there’s still a lot of growing up that needs to happen in the content; I shouldn’t have to listen to a holy hip-hop album and have to listen to track after track of an emcee talking about himself and how much better he is than the competition and then hear a positive/Christian message at the tail end of a recording. Let’s have the content be consistent throughout. I’m not saying you have to have Jesus raps, but let’s leave the jocking to the secular because, frankly, if you have to tell me you’re the hottest, then you’re not (and not worth my time or money).

I also can’t help but to think that this is very largely a stewardship issue. God blesses whomever He wills, but the one thing that Scripture states is that we have to be faithful over little before we’re given more. Joseph showed that he could be faithful in the small things, and God continually elevated him until he was only second to Pharaoh. His circumstances weren’t always favorable (i.e. sold into slavery and imprisonment), but even in that he remained faithful. I think we need to look at this the same way, not from a global/genre perspective, but from an individual point of view. Whatever God has given you, be faithful over that. You may grind & grind and only remain a local emcee, but be content in that, knowing that you’re being faithful with what you’ve been given. God isn’t going to have everyone "blow up" and have national acclaim, just like all pastors aren’t pastors of mega churches. Some of the most faithful pastors are only leading a small flock of believers. Why? Because that’s what God has entrusted to them, and the same is true for you.

Along those same lines, your walk has to be right. Not only should you be faithful in what you’re given, but your life needs to line up with the Word of God. How can we expect God to grow us and give us more responsibility if we aren’t walking out His Word and putting Him first? Is reading your Bible and spending time in prayer a priority? Are you growing in holiness on a daily basis? Is God more important to you than your music? In other words, God should be your treasure and cultivating that relationship with Him should come above anything else, including "ministry." I can’t help but to think that the guys (i.e. Lecrae) who are "blowing up" are the ones who are digging into the Text on a daily basis and trying to please the Lord in all they do, and the Lord has blessed them as a result of that. That’s just speculation because only the Lord knows, but it’s definitely food for thought.

All of that to say, let’s stop worrying about promoting hip-hop as a tool and wondering who is going to be the next artist to be #1 on the charts. Let’s focus on our walk and pushing the gospel; let’s get our lives right in every area, and let God be the one to open the doors for success so that all we have to do is walk through them. Joseph wasn’t trying to be a leader in Egypt, but because he kept his focus on God, the One who gave him his gifts, God did the promoting without Joseph even trying. I think that’s the way it should be. If we blow up, then fine; but, let’s let it be because the Lord did it, and not something that we manufactured on our own.

The other day I downloaded a mixtape from a holy hip-hop crew and they had snippets of some false teachers being played alongside those of more sound biblical teachers. Now, they were using actual clips from these preachers, but they were using them in a fashion that was mocking these false teachers. As I listened to the project, on the one hand I found it a bit entertaining and comical because of the manner in which they presented it. On the other hand, though, it was complete and absolute mockery of these guys.

Now, I’m not one to condone false teaching, but how far is too far when "defending" the faith? In my opinion, I think this has gone too far. I do not believe that Christ would condone making fun of these teachers and making a mockery of them. It’s one thing to present their teachings and then refute them, but it’s another thing entirely to stoop to the level of joking and making fun of them. When I think about defending the faith, as I taught in my sermon last night, the greatest defense against falsehood is the truth. I think there are people out there who spend so much time pointing out falsehoods and false teachers that they fail to present the truth. We can point out falsehoods until the cows come home, but the greatest defense is to simply teach the truth. For a while on this blog I did this very thing, but one day it hit me that I can either spend my energies talking about these heretical teachings or I can focus my energies on pulling out the truth of Scripture and teaching people what the Bible really says.

Yes, we need to make people aware of false teaching, but that should not be our primary objective. Like right now I think about a certain revivalist and the constant barrage of coverage that he is getting on Christian websites telling how much of a false teacher he is and so on. How many times do you need to say it? Why do they feel the need to post the latest YouTube clip with his latest misuse of Scripture? Wasn’t the first or second (or even the third) time enough? Why can’t we address the issue when it arises, give clear Scriptural teaching that points out the falsehood, and move on and continue with the teaching of the Bible?

Back to the point, I don’t think mockery and joking are very practical methods of combating false teachings. Sure it may get a laugh or two out of us who already know that they are false teachers, but what’s the point in that? Let’s get back to teaching the truth of the Bible and spend less time trying to tear down every false teacher. This is the day & age where people want their ears tickled and God has permitted it; so we’re not going to put an end to it, no matter how bad we may want to. The best thing we can do is to teach people how to study the Bible and accurately handle the text; when we do that, they will then be able to spot false teachings and know how to properly respond. If we do that, I think we’ll have a lot more success in standing firm against false teachers.