Hip hop is often associated with inner city struggles, but a new form of the genre is being used by Florida churches to convey positive messages to audiences at home and abroad.
Members of First Baptist of Orlando will be venturing overseas on Aug. 2 to 11, as its team travels to England with a goal of outreach to inner city kids. Yves-Mahri Paul, leader of the "Mission Ventures International" trip, is partnering with The Message and Make Jesus Known in the UK to be a catalyst for change.
Paul, whose work has been recognized by the British government, tells Sunshine State News the group hopes to plant seeds of transformation for a twofold purpose: to give the kids a sense of purpose with Jesus and a second purpose to become contributing citizens.
Emcee Isaac Knox, of Orlando duo FREE DAPS, will be traveling with the group. He tells SSN, While there is no such thing as Christian Rap and titling it as such draws a separation thats different from what the Bible calls us to do, believers in hip hop are being given progressively larger and more unique platforms than ever imaginable.
Battle rappers dont often conjured images Christian preachers, but Knox is one professional battler rapper known for his faith. We are representing Christ in clubs, festivals, schools and homes that would have never opened their doors to us before," he added. "Its incredible to see what God is doing through his emcees and this culture.
While the roots of hip hop go back to the Bronx, look no further than Tampa to find Tommy Kyllonen (a.k.a. Urban D.), one of the forerunners of hip hop and Lead Pastor of Crossover Church in North Tampa.
Crossover is reaching the population in a new and different way, with a mission to relevantly introduce the Truth of Christ to those influenced by Urban/Hip-Hop Culture as we develop Worship, Purpose, Unity and Leadership in their lives.
Its Flavor Fest Conference has been training church leaders and artists for the purpose of revealing Christ to the masses in whatever sphere of their hip hop influence for 13 years.
Other rappers-turned-preachers Trip Lee and KJ52 have been influencing the hip hop culture for years and still take their music on the road, often playing shows throughout Florida, and even overseas.
Take it a step further and those whose styles incorporate their personal faith are affecting a growing contingent of fans.
Lecrae, a hip hop recording star,made history in February for being the first rapper emcee to win a Grammy Award in the Best Gospel Album category for Gravity. He recently teamed with Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade for This Is Fatherhood initiative, a group of cultural leaders devoted to reestablishing Americas commitment to fatherhood.
These faith-filled artists are successfully using a genre associated with violence and strong language as a tool to instead communicate a positive message of hope.
Orlando-based Lisa Folch wrote this article exclusively for Sunshine State News.
