What's goin' down??!!!
I just posted a new blog - Part Three of Worldly Artists Fronting As Gospel Artists, and I thought it apropriate to provide a quick update of my life.
I've been getting adjusted to my brother. He just returned back to Cincinnati from a four-year, state-funded vacation (just a cute way of saying that he was incarcerated for four years). He's staying with me until he can get back on his feet. So far, it's been cool. Me and my brother have always been close. And, he rededicated his life to Christ and got filled with the Holy Ghost , and he joined Anointed Word a week after getting home, so at least we've been on the same page spiritually. And, he's doing most of the housework now, so that's a beautiful thing. The only thing that I really could complain about is that he is VERY inquisitive and like to ask questions A LOT. Oh well - I guess that's #TheLifeOfAnAssistantPastor and #TheLifeOfABigBrother.
Church is well. We're getting closer to accomplishing some of our goals, about to see the fruits of our laboring. I could say more, but I hold faithful to this saying - Tell somebody something, but don't tell everybody everything. I'm still growing in ministry, and God is constantly taking me out of my "comfort zone" (as Marvin Sapp would say), and provoking me to raise my expectations of myself, my life, and ministry.
Well, it's 7:00am, and I haven't been to bed. I'll holla!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
[Christian] Enablers: Worldly Artists fronting as Gospel Artists, Part 3
Enabler (n) - one that enables another to achieve an end; especially :one who enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior (as substance abuse) by providing excuses or by making it possible to avoid the consequences of such behavior.
This has been an issue that's been on my mind for a long time, but two things that happened over the past four days have compelled me to speak on it finally... .
As a Christian, I recognize that I'm engaged in a spiritual battle against the forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:12 - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, againstspiritual wickedness in high places). I know that I have to stand on God's word, and that I have to pray, be watchful, and so forth.
I'm also aware that I am not to give space for the devil to work; Ephesians 4:27 even says to "neither give place to the devil." But oftentimes saints, in our pursuit to do something "big" for God, end up being enablers for the devil. We enable him to achieve an end, which is to [try to] undermine God and the church (ekklesia).
For example, the other day, I learned, via EX Ministries, that Christian rapper Lecrae was on the BET Hip-Hop Awards. I don't own a TV, and if I did have one I wouldn't dare watch BET (but I'm not here to talk about BET - that's another blog). But, on the show, they had various rappers do cyphers on the show. I watched what EX Ministries said about it on their blog, and I decided to pull up a clip on Youtube and see it for myself
I had several problems with this performance, but the main thing that kept ringing through my mind is this thought - how many Christians who normally wouldn't have watched BET/The Hip-Hop Awards tuned in just to see Lecrae. They saw Lecrae, but they also saw and were exposed to artists who were mocking God, using profanity, and spewing forth lyrics that weren't godly at all.
I'm just gonna keep it 100% - these artists (Christian rappers, gospel singers, preachers, and/or any Christian who is somewhat-to-well known) who go on shows like the Hip-Hop Awards, the BET Awards, 106 & Park, Oprah Winfrey, The Mo'Nique Show, Larry King, et al., deceive themselves to believe, and [try to] deceive the body of Christ into believing that God has blessed them to get on such a platform to preach/share the gospel with unbelievers. But in reality, all they're doing is getting church folk to watch worldly entertainment. Honestly, I wouldn't have even gave the Hip-Hop Awards a second thought if I hadn't learned that Lecrae was on the show.
And truthfully, I really can't see how God was glorified in the situation. All I saw on Twitter after the fact (yes, I got on twitter to see the reacters) were tweets along the lines of "You ripped it" or "My man @Lecrae beasted the BET cypher" (not exact quotes, I've paraphrased). Most of the commentary I've seen regarding Lecrae's appearance was along the lines of how talented he was and how secular artists and unbelievers had to give Lecrae his due... where's God in all this shoulder patting?
Don't get me wrong - Lecrae is a very talented artist. I personally own three of his albums - After The Music Stops, Rebel, and Rehab (I wasn't really feeling Rehab - may have to mention why in another blog post). And, I sincerely believe that he thinks he did something big for God. But for real, all he did was get a bunch of church folk to watch worldly programming. He basically got "pimped" by BET and the Hip-Hop community to get additional viewers for their programming.
The second thing that happened that "provoked" me to write about this is learning that Mali Music is now going to be mananged by [secular] artist/producer Akon.
No, that sentence is not a typo or an April Fools joke (it's October). I was on Facebook last night, and a saint mentioned that J Moss said that he wanted to work with Chris Brown (not surprised at all) and that Mali Music signed with Akon (yeah, I was totally caught off guard). So, I went on Google to do some research, and found an article on The Gospel Guru that broke it down for me. Not only is Akon teaming up to manage Mali Music along with Releve Entertainment and Soundwalk Music Group, but Mali Music has been in the studio with Akon, and has co-wrote, produced, and performed on Akon's upcoming [secular] album. Now, maybe Akon converted from Islam to Christianity since I've last heard [anything] about Akon, but really, it isn't likely.
I just took a break from typing to look up Releve Entertainment. I couldn't access their website, but I found the following description on The Merge Summit website:
Relevé Entertainment, founded by Dr. Holly Carter, is an LA-based firm representing urban crossover talent, with a focus towards packaging and managing family and faith-based products for mainstream success. Relevé also specializes in artist management, where intersecting involvement in the genres of film, television, and music is the focal point. The company helps guide and develop the careers of Deitrick Haddon, Cece Winans, Donnie McClurkin, Mali Music, Bishop Greg Davis, Dr. Debra Morton, Myesha Chaney, Johnny B. Williams, Kierra Sheard and Usher.
Wow, and SMH (shaking my head). I'm shaking my head because I'm wondering about the implications of "...with a focus towards packaging and managing family and faith-based products for mainstream success." My thing is this - all the gospel artists listed in the description above, especially Deitrick Haddon, CeCe Winans, Donnie McClurkin, Mali Music, and even Kiki, all talk about how they're ministering when they perform and how they're in it to glorify God and exalt him and all that good Christian talk. Yet, this company is outright saying that they're focused on ensuring the mainstream (read: secular) success of these artists. Yet, they're all being managed by the same people who manage Usher.
I'm feeling some kind of way because I actually enjoy these artists. I've been listening to Deitrick Haddon, CeCe Winans, and Donnie McClurkin since I got saved back in 1997. I was feelin' Kierra Sheard even since she sang on "The Will Of God" on her mother Karen Clark-Sheard's debut solo album Finally Karen. And, when I discovered Mali Music two years ago, his music was like a breath of fresh air from all the worldliness that I was sensing in gospel (that I'm YET seeing in gospel music).
I guess I'll wait and see what's going on (even though I see what's going on)... I'm seeing that, as time progresses, the amount of music that I purchase decreases. I don't buy secular music (R&B, rap, pock, rock, et cetera), because I want to hear Christ-centered music when I turn on my mp3 player. But, now, it's like I have to group most of this gospel music in that same category. When secular artists, secular producers, secular samples, and secular promotion is all up in this so-called "gospel" music, then why buy the gospel when I'm being exposed to the same carnal mindset and the same demonic spirits as the secular music?
Lord, where are your set-apart musicians???
This has been an issue that's been on my mind for a long time, but two things that happened over the past four days have compelled me to speak on it finally... .
As a Christian, I recognize that I'm engaged in a spiritual battle against the forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:12 - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, againstspiritual wickedness in high places). I know that I have to stand on God's word, and that I have to pray, be watchful, and so forth.
I'm also aware that I am not to give space for the devil to work; Ephesians 4:27 even says to "neither give place to the devil." But oftentimes saints, in our pursuit to do something "big" for God, end up being enablers for the devil. We enable him to achieve an end, which is to [try to] undermine God and the church (ekklesia).
For example, the other day, I learned, via EX Ministries, that Christian rapper Lecrae was on the BET Hip-Hop Awards. I don't own a TV, and if I did have one I wouldn't dare watch BET (but I'm not here to talk about BET - that's another blog). But, on the show, they had various rappers do cyphers on the show. I watched what EX Ministries said about it on their blog, and I decided to pull up a clip on Youtube and see it for myself
I had several problems with this performance, but the main thing that kept ringing through my mind is this thought - how many Christians who normally wouldn't have watched BET/The Hip-Hop Awards tuned in just to see Lecrae. They saw Lecrae, but they also saw and were exposed to artists who were mocking God, using profanity, and spewing forth lyrics that weren't godly at all.
I'm just gonna keep it 100% - these artists (Christian rappers, gospel singers, preachers, and/or any Christian who is somewhat-to-well known) who go on shows like the Hip-Hop Awards, the BET Awards, 106 & Park, Oprah Winfrey, The Mo'Nique Show, Larry King, et al., deceive themselves to believe, and [try to] deceive the body of Christ into believing that God has blessed them to get on such a platform to preach/share the gospel with unbelievers. But in reality, all they're doing is getting church folk to watch worldly entertainment. Honestly, I wouldn't have even gave the Hip-Hop Awards a second thought if I hadn't learned that Lecrae was on the show.
And truthfully, I really can't see how God was glorified in the situation. All I saw on Twitter after the fact (yes, I got on twitter to see the reacters) were tweets along the lines of "You ripped it" or "My man @Lecrae beasted the BET cypher" (not exact quotes, I've paraphrased). Most of the commentary I've seen regarding Lecrae's appearance was along the lines of how talented he was and how secular artists and unbelievers had to give Lecrae his due... where's God in all this shoulder patting?
Don't get me wrong - Lecrae is a very talented artist. I personally own three of his albums - After The Music Stops, Rebel, and Rehab (I wasn't really feeling Rehab - may have to mention why in another blog post). And, I sincerely believe that he thinks he did something big for God. But for real, all he did was get a bunch of church folk to watch worldly programming. He basically got "pimped" by BET and the Hip-Hop community to get additional viewers for their programming.
The second thing that happened that "provoked" me to write about this is learning that Mali Music is now going to be mananged by [secular] artist/producer Akon.
No, that sentence is not a typo or an April Fools joke (it's October). I was on Facebook last night, and a saint mentioned that J Moss said that he wanted to work with Chris Brown (not surprised at all) and that Mali Music signed with Akon (yeah, I was totally caught off guard). So, I went on Google to do some research, and found an article on The Gospel Guru that broke it down for me. Not only is Akon teaming up to manage Mali Music along with Releve Entertainment and Soundwalk Music Group, but Mali Music has been in the studio with Akon, and has co-wrote, produced, and performed on Akon's upcoming [secular] album. Now, maybe Akon converted from Islam to Christianity since I've last heard [anything] about Akon, but really, it isn't likely.
I just took a break from typing to look up Releve Entertainment. I couldn't access their website, but I found the following description on The Merge Summit website:
RELEVÉ ENTERTAINMENT
Relevé Entertainment, founded by Dr. Holly Carter, is an LA-based firm representing urban crossover talent, with a focus towards packaging and managing family and faith-based products for mainstream success. Relevé also specializes in artist management, where intersecting involvement in the genres of film, television, and music is the focal point. The company helps guide and develop the careers of Deitrick Haddon, Cece Winans, Donnie McClurkin, Mali Music, Bishop Greg Davis, Dr. Debra Morton, Myesha Chaney, Johnny B. Williams, Kierra Sheard and Usher.Wow, and SMH (shaking my head). I'm shaking my head because I'm wondering about the implications of "...with a focus towards packaging and managing family and faith-based products for mainstream success." My thing is this - all the gospel artists listed in the description above, especially Deitrick Haddon, CeCe Winans, Donnie McClurkin, Mali Music, and even Kiki, all talk about how they're ministering when they perform and how they're in it to glorify God and exalt him and all that good Christian talk. Yet, this company is outright saying that they're focused on ensuring the mainstream (read: secular) success of these artists. Yet, they're all being managed by the same people who manage Usher.
I'm feeling some kind of way because I actually enjoy these artists. I've been listening to Deitrick Haddon, CeCe Winans, and Donnie McClurkin since I got saved back in 1997. I was feelin' Kierra Sheard even since she sang on "The Will Of God" on her mother Karen Clark-Sheard's debut solo album Finally Karen. And, when I discovered Mali Music two years ago, his music was like a breath of fresh air from all the worldliness that I was sensing in gospel (that I'm YET seeing in gospel music).
I guess I'll wait and see what's going on (even though I see what's going on)... I'm seeing that, as time progresses, the amount of music that I purchase decreases. I don't buy secular music (R&B, rap, pock, rock, et cetera), because I want to hear Christ-centered music when I turn on my mp3 player. But, now, it's like I have to group most of this gospel music in that same category. When secular artists, secular producers, secular samples, and secular promotion is all up in this so-called "gospel" music, then why buy the gospel when I'm being exposed to the same carnal mindset and the same demonic spirits as the secular music?
Lord, where are your set-apart musicians???
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