On Beat Selection, Hooks and Mainstream Hip Hop – by Shai Linne

(Note: Quotation from shai-linne on a holy-culture forum discussion in his response to user named, “Intellek.” Also, this is not an original title for his post; it was untitled on the forum).

“Remember back in the day when there were only a few guest artists on records? Nowadays, there’s so many guest features that most albums look like compilations based on the track listing and credits. This is because back in the day, as one of y’all pointed out earlier, hip-hop wasn’t nearly as hook driven as it is today. One of the reasons why you see guest artists so much these days (besides label/ marketing politics) is because often, the guest is the one writing the hook. In fact, it’s gotten to the point where (mostly in secular but growing in CHH), when producers send beats to artists now, the beat often has the hook already written into it and often already recorded so the artist can’t mess up a good track with a horrible hook lol. I want to expand a little on what I was talking about in terms of making/ selecting music and writing lyrics that fit the idea of the song. This is something I’ve wrestled with for a while. I think this plays into the whole beat selection aspect.

I remember some ppl here questioning why there are so many “murder the flesh” songs in CHH. To me, the answer was obvious, and it wasn’t just lack of creativity (although that has probably played a part, too). Imo, the issue is that a lot of dudes are using a particular style of beat that conveys a particular kind of emotion. With many “crunk” south-type beats, that emotion is aggressiveness, passion, rowdiness, maybe even anger. If you’re a secular artist, you can take those emotions and use them to talk about whatever sinful thing you want- killing cats, going to the club and wilding out, street life, etc. As a CHH artist, if you want to use beats that convey those emotions, what are you going to talk about? The artists that choose this route often direct the anger at sin, i.e. killing the flesh. I think it’s the same as the demon killing phenomenon in CHH back in the day. Gangstas got saved and wanted to do music. So they did the same style and just re-directed their anger towards demons. Underground hip-hoppers who get saved often take the diss/battle thing and either diss/ battle false teachers or other CHH artists lol. I know this because I’ve done it. lol.

I’m not excusing the lack of creativity in doing songs with the same theme. But what that shows me is that a lot of artists choose the beat first and then decide what they want to rap about, as opposed to coming up with an idea and then finding a beat to match. So put yourself in the position of the Lecrae (I only use him because most of us are familiar with his catalogue). You’re working on your album. Someone emails you the beat for “Send Me” or “Go Hard”. You love it and want to use it. Now comes the question, “What will the song be about?” Well, you can immediately rule out a love song to wifey, a prayer of repentance or a song that explores your inner fears lol. Nah, the song is gonna be a straight up anthem that rallies cats. For Crae, he chose to rally cats for the call of missions, which is one of the things he does best. Now I do think a person can take a different angle even with those beats, but when you hear the instrumentals, it does tap into emotions that are good for the particular topics he chose.

For those of us artists who love “boom-bap”, we have to ask ourselves if that 90’s style beat is the best beat for what we want to communicate. Imo, sometimes it is. Sometimes it’s not. Depends on what you wanna say. But if you try to squeeze everything you have to say into that (or any) particular mold, you’re going to be limited in your emotional range of expression. Nothing wrong with being limited, but once you get to album #3, you’re about 45 songs in. And if all songs have been in the same general emotional range, that can get old after a while (For some, at least. Others love it and that’s cool). This doesn’t just go for boom-bap, btw. All cultural forms are limited in what they can express, especially when it comes to making songs about an infinite God.

 I remember my man Donald Chavis had something in his quote to the effect of, “You can’t kill the flesh over no east coast beat” lol I disagree (to me, Killing Sin is the best album ever on that theme) but I get his point. His point is that “killing the flesh” takes a violent, aggressive mindset. Therefore, you need aggressive music to do it right. And southern “crunk” is the most aggressive music out there in his opinion. I see his logic. Personally, I lean towards being reflective and provoking deep thought. That’s my personality and is more true the older I get. Even if I convinced myself that I could do it well, “Crunk” is not gonna be ideal for the majority of things I wanna talk about or how I want to express them.

 “Boom-bap” cats often express frustration with “Crunk” music. Me and Hazakim and Json have had this convo many times. “Crunk” is “jump around, get crazy” music. Boom-bap is “head-nod, ooooh at the punch-line” music. Many of us came up in an era where cats were at concerts with arms folded listening to every word to dissect all wordplay, similes, rhyme schemes, etc. And that was even true for some mainstream artists in the mid-late nineties. We’re (sadly) not in that era anymore. In light of that, the boom bap artist can either

a. Do nothing. Continue doing what they’ve been doing

b. Jump on the crunk bandwagon and look crazy doing it because they either can’t do it well or it’s not their understood identity, so it comes off as inauthentic.

c. Make some adjustments to update the sound while remaining true to who they are as an artist and doing it with excellence

d. Recognize that their era has passed, thank God for the season they were able to do it and bow out gracefully

e. Retire from music as an angry, bitter professional “hater” who is angry & bitter because the new era doesn’t appreciate “good music”

A few observations:

1. Notice that all the options except “a” sometimes and “c” sometimes are going to give you you a quick exit from the music game. I praise God for people who do “a”. I actually lean towards “a” in the sense that I don’t go into doing an album feeling pressure to stay “relevant”. By God’s grace, I’m able to do that because of a small but loyal support base. But not everybody can do “a” and survive. Unfortunately, those who do “a” often have to suffer the consequence of low sales and diminished influence.

2. One of my biggest frustrations as a fan of CM is that I felt like after “Know Me (Huh-what) became their biggest hit, they started to do “b” on their later projects. I think this wound up hurting them as a group imo.

3. I think “d” is a godly response, but I think pride prevents a lot of cats from doing this when it seems obvious that they should.

4. I think “e” is funny, but sad at the same time. And I’ve seen it happen a lot. CHH artists who do “boom-bap” need to guard their hearts against this kind of response

5. “Doing “c” well is mad difficult!!! Think about the people in the secular (and Christian) hip-hop who have attempted to survive an era change. Most don’t survive. The examples of those who do are few and far between. I think it’s easier in other genres of music that aren’t as closely associated with youth culture. Part of that is just natural. People get older, generations and tastes change. And hip-hop doesn’t seem to “age” well. This is seen in the secular where you have dudes like Em, almost 40 years old and releasing an project like Bad Meets Evil, where he’s still talking like a vulgar juvenile. Dr. Dre is close to 50 and has a 30 year old son.” – Shai Linne (via holy culture forum).

Why Do An Album on God’s Attributes? by Shai Linne

 

“Christianity today is man-centered, not God-centered. God is made to wait patiently, even respectfully, on the whims of men. The image of God currently popular is that of a distracted Father, struggling in heartbroken desperation to get people to accept a Saviour of whom they feel no need and in whom they have very little interest. To persuade these self-sufficient souls to respond to His generous offers God will do almost anything, even using salesmanship methods and talking down to them in the chummiest way imaginable. This view of things is, of course, a kind of religious romanticism which, while it often uses flattering and sometimes embarrassing terms in praise of God, manages nevertheless to make man the star of the show.” (A.W. Tozer Man: The Dwelling Place of God)

As the time approaches for my new album The Attributes of God to be released, I wanted to share with you about why I did it. This idea has actually been in the works for years. Those of you who have been following my music for a while know that on Grassroots Vol. 1, there was a song with myself and Timothy Brindle entitled The Holiness of God. That song was supposed to be included on the Attributes album that Tim and I were working on. The song Humility of Christ, which appeared on Tim’s classic 2005 release Killing Sin, was also supposed to be on the project. When Tim stepped away from public ministry in 2006, the project was shelved. As time went on, it wasn’t clear whether or not Tim would be returning. In the same way that I was burdened to do an album on The Atonement in 2007, I began to feel burdened in 2010 to do an album on God’s character. Since Tim wasn’t back yet, I moved forward with it as a solo project. Thankfully, Tim has returned, and we were able to include him on a few of the songs as we got near completion of the project.

So why was I so heavily burdened to do this project? The answer may be surprising to some, but here’s why I did it:

Because A Lot of Christian Music Is Not Actually About God

I don’t mean for this to sound harsh or overly critical, but have any of you noticed that the vast majority of music that would fall into the category of “Christian” is not actually about God Himself? I think this is particularly the case with Christian Hip-hop, but it can be seen in other genres as well. How can I say this? Well, most of the music I hear is more about US and our response to God, but not God Himself. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a place for music that deals with our response to God, but when that is the overwhelming majority of the music, we slowly begin to distort the truth about who the God is that we’re supposedly responding to. The Tozer quote above was written over 50 years ago, but could have been written yesterday. Our culture is extremely narcissistic and man-centered, and it seems that much of Christian music has followed suit. The Bible, however, is radically God-centered, and I believe that a radically God-centered worldview should be reflected in the songs we write. Because of our man-centered tendencies, the songs we sing about God usually deal with the things we like about Him (which are usually the things that directly benefit us the most), such as His love, mercy and forgiveness, etc. These things are glorious and we should write songs about them. However, if that’s all we talk about, we create an incomplete and deficient view of God, which is not in line with His self-revelation.

So, for instance, when was the last time you heard a contemporary song that echoed the ancient songs of David about the righteousness and justice of God (Ps. 11:7)? Which Christian hit on Billboard sings along with Nahum that God is “jealous, avenging and wrathful” (Nahum 1:2-3)? Who is producing songs that speak to God’s sovereign rule over His creation (Ps. 2, 115)? Can you direct me to a popular song that celebrates God’s omniscience along with Hannah (1 Sam. 2:3)? God’s eternality along with Moses (Psalm 90:2)? God’s judgments along with Miriam (Ex. 15:21)? These things are often spoken of in Scripture, particularly in the context of Biblical songs, yet they tend to be largely missing from our songs today. That’s not to say that no one is doing it. God has raised up an increasing number of songwriters who are expounding on His character. But when something so foundational and essential has been so under-done, it becomes important for others to step to the plate and contribute. The Attributes of God album is simply my attempt at one such contribution.

grace and peace,
shai

Flame: Artist and Producer Top 10 List (Aspiring/Established CHH Artists)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv01rkSf4Tg&feature=fvsr

D-Maub: Advice on Performing

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1MEI5pcq2c

Twitter – Artist Tips

Note: This is a collection of artist tips from Christian hip-hop artists from twitter and will be updated so be encouraged to periodically check for added tips.

Israel Musiq (Music Producer/Engineer)

1)  CHH does not offer health insurance, 401k’s, or a consistent weekly paycheck; count the cost before you risk it all in the music business! A man who relies only on one river to fish for food will ultimately stave during a drought.

 2) Producers: So what happens when your 63 years old and a couple of albums worth of music and no royalties?

3) What is Reach Records, but an Idea and Faith. What is CrossMovement but an Idea and Faith. What are you doing with your Idea’s and faith?

4) Yes I believe its more than music, its ministry. But I also firmly believe that ministry is more than Music. #AfterTheMusicStops

5) Producers: Please include a text document with your tracked out files that has the B.P.M. of the song. This again save engineers time!

6) Producers: Name your tracks before you track it out. You will save the engineer massive time spent listening to each track and renaming them!

7) Christian artist: If your going to rap over a Secular Artist beat, IT MUST BE EQUAL TO IF NOT BETTER THAN WHAT THEY DID, not worst.

8) Is your music good outside of it being “Christian”? Just because your a “Christian MC or Producer” does not mean you are hot ([that is] me included).

Believin Stephen of Gametime Recordings

1) don’t tweet every feature on your project months before it drops. Leave your fans with some surprises to look forward to

2) Stop talking about how dope you are and just make dope music. It will speak for itself.

3) Stop talking about how much you preach the gospel and actually START preaching the gospel!

Json of lampmode recordings

1) rapzilla, da south and holy culture does not have to put your music on they site. It’s not a conspiracy against you.

2) If you doing music & it’s not bringing any real sustaining income in. Don’t expect your wife to support it. Your duties to provide

3) It’s ok for music to be a hobbie & not a career. Do it on the side as time allows. Everyone can’t make a career of it

4) it’s important to know who your writing a album or song for

5) trying figuring out how you want to say stuff before you figure out what you want to say.

6) know your voice cause it won’t sound good on every beat.

7) God is in control. He opens & closes doors. If you believe that no need to be bitter when somebody tells you no.

8) Some dudes don’t have great music but great live shows. Being a good performer can make your career. Performing is a craft!!!

9) Sometimes you need to re-write a verse 3 or 4 times to get it right. It’s dreadful bit necessary.

10) just cause a person can sing or rap live does not mean they will sound good in the studio. Recording is a craft

11) getting the right singer can take a song from good to great. Sometimes ole girl from your church just won’t work.

12) know your weaknesses & work on them but know your strengths & play to them.

13) Recording music is art just as much as writing music. Both are a craft you must grow in.

14) Change your flow every 4 bars. Not saying every song but it will help hold the attention of the listener (via Lecrae).

15) If you don’t do 1 show a year. You probably shouldn’t quit your day job. Probably 2% off CHH artist live off this

16) every song does not have to be 16 bars hook 16 bars hook 16 bars

17) Just cause your a good rapper does not mean your a good artist. It’s important to know the difference between the two.

18) Nobody has to like your music. Just cause your friends like you doesn’t mean the world has too.

DJ Official

1) Don’t try and be the next Lecrae, Drake, Json, whoever. Be the first you

Rapzilla

1) Artists, the way you act behind the scenes and do business makes as much of an impact and will be talked about the same as when on the stage.

Advice for Aspiring Christian Hip Hop Artists – by Shai Linne

Another helpful post, Shai Linne gives advice to aspiring Christian hip-hop artists.

“{I need to warn you at the outset that this blog is longer than usual because of the nature of the subject that is being unpacked. I encourage you to prayerfully read it through with a Bible handy to check the Scripture references listed}

In different ways over the years, many people have approached us at Lampmode about “getting out there”. Sometimes, it has been through Myspace or email. Others have given us Cds after shows or at events. Others have sent letters and/or press kits and music to the Lampmode P.O. Box. In each case, there is an emcee or producer who believes that they have talent and would like to connect with us in order to have a platform- presumably to glorify God- through their gifts. For us, this is very humbling. We’re honored that anyone would see us as people they would like to be associated with. On another level, we find it kind of humorous, because we don’t see ourselves as having “arrived” or “made it”.

We’re a small, independent label that specializes in music that is a subgenre of a subgenre in both style and content. What I mean is that our musical style is rightly classified as underground/backpacker/east coast. We embrace a musical style that was popularized in the mid-nineties and has little connection musically to what is popular today or commonly played on the radio. The same goes for our lyrical approach. As far as content, we are explicitly Christ-centered with an emphasis on teaching theology. Even among those who are Christ-centered, we’re in the minority, as far as emphasis. If we were any more underground than we are right now, we’d have to take the “up” escalator to get to the basement! Everyone at Lampmode works 9 to 5 jobs that we’re grateful for (more on that later). We each live a relatively “normal” existence as we seek to serve the Lord in our local churches, workplaces and families. So we chuckle when others think that associating with us will help them fulfill their aspirations of Holy Hip-hop stardom.

With that said, we do recognize that there are sincere brothers and sisters out there who are truly gifted and want to use Hip-hop to glorify God. We’ve learned a few things the past few years, and we’d like to share some things that may be helpful to you. The question on the table is this:

What Advice Does Lampmode Have for Aspiring Christian Artists?

Because I’m an emcee, I’ll be speaking from that perspective. Hopefully this will also be helpful for those involved in other aspects of Christian music as well. As an outline for this blog, I want to look at each word in the phrase “Aspiring Christian Artist”.

“Aspiring”

The word “aspiring” simply means having a particular ambition or seeking to obtain a goal. This is neither good nor bad in itself. It’s the goal desired and/or the motives behind the aspirations that determine whether or not it is a sinful aspiration. However, the Scriptures repeatedly warn us about selfish or ungodly ambition. James 3:16 says,

“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

As an aspiring Christian artist, the very first thing you need to do is check your aspirations. You need to do the difficult work of prayerfully examining your motives. Why do you want to be an emcee? Instead of, say, a lighting technician, a graphic designer or an accountant? Is it the lure of the spotlight? Do you get excited about the idea of receiving the respect or applause of an audience? Do you crave attention and see emceeing as a means to gaining it? Is pride fueling your ambition? If so, the odds are already stacked against you because “The Lord opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Imagine the very Lord that you proclaim in your music actually opposing your efforts because of your pride! That’s a scary thought. And it should sober us up, assuming we desire to please the Lord in our artistic efforts. If more emcees did an honest heart assessment on this matter, I believe there would be fewer Christians trying to be emcees.

Another aspect of “aspiring” is realistic expectations. Just about every person who has approached us believes they are called to be “full-time ministers” with a national or international platform. However, the reality is that out of the many people who make Christian Hip-hop music, less than half of one percent are able to do it full-time (without it causing serious financial strain on their families). I personally believe the percentages are higher for basketball players to play at the collegiate level than for emcees to have a full-time career in Christian Hip-hop. The demand is just not there yet. And with all of the changes in the music industry, I’m not sure if it ever will be.

****SIDENOTE****

By the way, you are not a “full-time minister” simply because you don’t have a job, wake-up at noon everyday and are barely making ends meet by selling cds and t-shirts at shows on the weekends while you (and your family if you’re married) struggle because you’ve mistaken plain old disobedience for a “calling”. God calls men to work.

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8)

And

“For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” (2 Thess. 3:10)

I had to learn this the hard way after my first album dropped. I mistakenly assumed that once the album came out, I would be able to make a living through music ministry. I was working part-time while pursuing full-time ministry. The problem is that I was working part-time, but had full-time bills that needed to be paid! God had not yet opened the door to support myself through the music. As a result, I struggled financially, went deeper into debt and had a hard time paying my bills until the Lord blessed me with the job I have now and have worked at for the last two-plus years. Too many of us in HHH have neglected the responsibilities of Biblical manhood in the name of “full-time ministry”. If God hasn’t opened the door for you to pay your bills as a Christian artist, don’t spiritualize your lights and telephone being cut off as an attack on your purpose by the evil one. It’s not spiritual warfare. It’s sin. The solution is simple. Grow up. Get a job and pay your bills, lest you become one of a growing list of “full-time HHH ministers” who simultaneously have fans who love their beats and rhymes along with wives who resent them and kids that go neglected because daddy is too “called” and “holy” and “spiritual” to get a job. This should not be.

****JUMPS OFF SOAPBOX; BACK TO REGULARLY SCHEDULED BLOG****

My point is that not everyone is called to be a national artist. Some are called to be local artists. And that’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with simply serving God in the context that He has called you to reach, even if that means you never go on a tour, make a video or travel overseas. The key is to be faithful where you are. Ask yourself this hard question: if no one ever hears my music and I’m never able to affect more than my local congregation, neighborhood, friends and family, can I still rejoice in God as well as support others whom God has graced with a larger platform? If the answer is no, that’s an indicator that you would have a difficult time handling it if the Lord actually gave you what you desire because you’re more focused on yourself than the kingdom.

I have the privilege of building with many of the national artists whom God has given the favor to do it full-time. One thing that they all have in common is that they never aspired to become what God has made them. They never chased after it. Isn’t that ironic? The very ones who chase after it never get it, but the ones who don’t chase after it receive it! When this happens, it’s an illustration of the truth that exaltation comes not from the east or west, but from the Lord (Psalm 75:6-7). That doesn’t mean they didn’t work hard and walk though the doors that the Lord opened. However, their hearts weren’t attached to “getting out there” or “blowing up” once they did get out there. Another thing that most of the national artists I know have in common is that they would gladly lay down the platform that they have if it meant bringing more glory to God in another way. They would be just as happy serving God as a Christian in another context because they are more “Christian” than they are “aspiring” or “artist”. This brings us to our next point.

“Christian”

This is by far the most important distinction in the phrase “Aspiring Christian Artist”. If you need to focus on one of the three, let it be this one. Many aspiring artists end up in hell. Does your Christianity scream as loudly if not louder than your aspirations and your artistry? Can Christians who know nothing about your hip-hop music easily identify you as belonging to the household of faith? Before anything else, we are Christians. That is, we have been born again into a new relationship with God through faith in the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4-6, 1 Peter 1:3). As a result of this new relationship, we have turned from our old life of sin and embraced a new life characterized by increasing holiness and love for the people of God, or the church (Romans 6:17-18, 1 John 3:10). This may seem obvious to some, but it must be said. If you’re going to rap for Jesus, please make sure that you’re actually saved. I say that in all seriousness. I’m convinced that there are people who are a part of HHH who are not actually Christians at all. They claim to be Christians. They may even have good artistry. They have fans who love their music. They are putting out albums. They are clearly ambitious. But they are not actually saved. They are not bearing fruit that is in keeping with repentance. Here are a few questions to consider as a way of turning up the volume on your life as a Christ-follower:

1. Are you a student and lover of the Scriptures?

True Christians love the Word of God (Ps. 1:2, Ps. 119:97). We came into the faith by hearing the Word and believing it (Gal. 3:2). And we progress in the faith by continually hearing, studying and obeying the Word (Col. 2:6-7, 2 Peter 3:18). Far too often, the Christian artist is better acquainted with the Billboard charts and Mtv’s play list than they are with the Scriptures! They are more familiar with the “fabulous” life of the current secular superstar than the life of Abraham. Ask them about the hottest new song by the godless, they’ll talk for hours. Ask them about the contrast between the old and new covenant, you’ll get a blank stare. Far too often, we are seeing Christian artists who can’t articulate even the basic truths of the Christian faith. I recall a dialogue with a Christian emcee who wasn’t sure if Jesus is the only way to God. I recognize that we’re all at different points in our understanding, and we should be patient with our brothers and sisters because everyone is still growing. The only problem is that, at the time of this dialogue, this emcee was working on their third album! This ties into my next question:

2. Are you accountable in a local fellowship?

Christianity is not a solo sport. We are not called to be a bunch of individuals, but a community. This is one of the major weaknesses of the HHH movement. Who are you submitted to (1 Peter 5:5, Heb. 13:17, James 5:16)? Who is the Spirit-filled community of believers who are able to assess your subjective feelings of giftedness and give the corporate stamp of approval to what you feel the Lord is telling you to do? Are you actively serving in a local fellowship? And I don’t mean just dipping in and out of a Sunday service here and there. Do you have pastoral accountability concerning your music/ ministry? In other words, as the old-school Black preacher put it, “Was you ‘sent’ or did you just ‘went‘”? If you don’t go to church and/or have no desire to do so, that could be evidence that you are actually not in the faith. Examine yourself. (1 Peter 1:22-23, 2 Cor. 13:5)

3. Are you walking in holiness?

The list of HHH emcees who are living lifestyles characterized by unrepentant sin seems to grow continually. It is truly grieving to see people associated with this movement living lives that are indistinguishable from the rest of the world (James 1:27, 1 John 2:15-17). No one is perfect and we all sin. However, as Christians indwelt with the Holy Spirit, our lives should be characterized by increased growth in holiness over time (2 Cor. 3:18, Phil. 1:6). Is this true of you?

4. Are you a person of prayer?

True believers embrace prayer as a lifestyle. For the believer, prayer is as natural as crying is for a baby. There’s a difference between a person who prays from time to time and a person of prayer. If a camera were to follow you around for a week- in public and in private- would the tapes reveal that you are a person of prayer? Prayer- secret prayer in particular- is at the heart of our relationship with God because a praying person is a dependent person. It is pride that produces prayerlessness (Ps. 10:4). Often, our focus is so much on the stuff we like to do (recording, performing, writing, making beats, etc.) that prayer gets pushed to the background or even neglected.

I’ll never forget the sad but true story of a Christian Hip-hop concert that spontaneously turned into a prayer meeting. As the saints were crying out to God and repenting inside, there was a loud commotion and laughter happening outside. It became distracting, so someone from inside the concert-turned-prayer meeting stepped out to ask those causing the commotion to keep it down a bit. To her surprise and disappointment, when she looked at who was outside, it was some of the most well known names in Christian hip-hop. Whether this was their intent or not, the perception was that as long as the concert was going on, they were in the building. But once it was time to pray, for them, that meant it was time to step outside. When this came up later, her comment was striking. She said, “I don’t know about you, but the last person I want ministering to me is the one who leaves the room when it’s time to cry out to God!” Assuming your desire is to minister through your music, your effectiveness will probably not go much beyond your prayer life.

5. Are you serving beyond the stage and/ or studio?

Serving away from the spotlight is a good way to be well-rounded in your Christian walk, as well as cultivate humility. Another reality is that Hip-hop is not a long-term calling. Unless you plan to be 55 years old rocking the mic, your rap career is eventually going to come to an end. However, your service to God should last a lifetime. There are many ways to serve God without a mic. Be sure that you are not using your talent as a substitute for genuine fruit of the Spirit. Again, your Christianity should scream as loud offstage as it does onstage.

A good example of this is a brother at my church. Because we share the building we meet at, we’ve had to do the difficult labor of setting up and breaking down the 200-plus chairs and heavy sound equipment each week. When the need for a point person for set-up and break-down arose, this brother was the first person to step up and take on the responsibility. Honestly, it’s a very un-glamorous position. He has to be the first one there and the last one to leave whenever we gather (at least 4 times a week). After our gatherings, while everyone else is having a good time talking and fellowshipping, he and his crew are laboring in obscurity. It’s the kind of job that no one gets excited about and it doesn’t really get noticed unless it goes undone. But this brother has faithfully and joyfully served God and our congregation in this capacity for over a year, despite the lack of accolades associated with the duty. The reason why it’s a good example is because the brother is none other than Darrell Bell, aka Stephen the Levite. I’ve been impacted by and seen the impact of his music on others. He has lyrical gifts that few can match. And yet, within our local church community, he is not a “superstar”, but simply a faithful (and vital) member doing a job that many people would hesitate to say requires “anointing”. As lyrically gifted as he is, his example in the area of unglamorous service has in some senses been a greater illustration of his commitment to Christ than any lyric he has ever written.

“Artist”

Finally, we move to the issue of artistry. Because we serve a God of excellence, we should strive for excellence in our craft. Two passages come to mind in this regard.

“Sing to Hima new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.” (Psalm 33:3)

If you read the rest of the Psalm, it’s clear that the rationale of the psalmist is that God is so amazing in His person and works that He deserves nothing less than the full engagement of our passions and abilities when it comes to serving Him through our music. It says “play skillfully”. This means that there should be an applied knowledge and craftsmanship in your artistic endeavors. Does this mean that God won’t accept the praise of someone who jumps on the piano and pounds away mindlessly to the glory of God? I don’t think so. A sincere heart is of great worth in God’s eyes (1 Sam. 16:7). However, because God has given us all different abilities and gifts, it would be much wiser (and less painful to people’s ears) if that person found out where God has gifted them and then applied that same sincerity in its proper place.

The other text is from Exodus 35:30-33 when God was calling Israel to construct the tabernacle, a place of worship where God would meet with Israel.

“Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, withskill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.” (Exodus 35:30-33)

It’s interesting to note the role of the Holy Spirit in sovereignly distributing the abilities at work here. Notice the words translated “skill”, “intelligence”, “knowledge”, and “craftsmanship”. You get the sense that there is a deliberate, intentional, thoughtful wisdom at work in their artistry. God takes His worship very seriously. It wasn’t enough to simply have the desire without the skill to best glorify God with those desires. The tabernacle would have looked real shabby if just anybody who knew how to pick up a carving instrument was allowed to work on it!

In our context, it means that if you’re an emcee, you should write to the best of your abilities. It may mean not settling with the first thing that you’ve written. (When I write, one of the things I try to do is pray Exodus 35:31- that God would do for me what He did for Bezalel and Oholiab in vs. 34) It means working to get the best performance possible when you record. It means seeking to be as creative as you can be and striving for originality in both style and presentation. It means subjecting your music to people who will give you unbiased feedback and constructive criticism. Most of the national artists I know share their music for feedback from trusted brothers and sisters while they’re still working on it.

One helpful exercise is to arrange a listening party with people you know will be honest with you. Play three or so songs for them and tell them to write down any questions or observations that come to mind as they listen. Then discuss it. This can really help your creative process and also help you to think about things you may not have considered. This can be very humbling, but that’s a good thing. Don’t wait until you’ve put your album out there thinking it’s the greatest thing since air conditioning in Texas only to be hurt by negative feedback from angry message board posters who have far less concern about hurting your feelings than your inner circle of admirers does. There are few things as difficult to swallow as bad art. Bad Christian art is even worse because it has the name of Christ attached to it and therefore can serve to further turn people off to Christianity if this is the kind of artists it produces.

The business side of artistry is something that I’m not as familiar with. There are others who can help you far more than I can in this regard. However, I do know that simple things such as showing up on time for appointments and events, clarity in communicating your expectations, following through with your commitments, being a joy rather than a burden for people booking you, demonstrating integrity in your business dealings and being disciplined and diligent and while working hard will go a long way in terms of helping your progress as an artist (See Proverbs 13:4, 14:23) Ironically, all of those things are more related to Christian character than artistry. What I’ve found in my limited experience is that many of the people who will book you are more concerned with your character than your artistry anyway. Remember, the Christian Hip-hop community is relatively small. People talk. If you are difficult to work with, irresponsible, or lack integrity in your dealings, it will get around. The exact opposite is true as well. If you are kind, humble, faithful, and have a servant’s heart, that will get around as well. And it may just be the thing that God uses to enable you to support yourself through your artistry.

The irony is that when your Christianity screams louder than your artistry or ambition, it makes you more attractive to the people who can help you- including other artists. The cats I know get excited when they see genuine evidences of grace apart from music. The first question that usually comes up when a new artist is being considered for a guest spot or becoming involved with certain labels is not, “Are his beats hot?” or “How are her hooks?”, but rather “How is his walk with the Lord?” It takes no grace to want to rap or be on stage. Even the godless want that. But only the Holy Spirit can give you a genuine passion for the glory of Jesus, a burning desire to know Him through His Word, a broken-hearted humility that drives you to seek His face continually, an overflowing delight in God’s people and observable growth in holiness as you run hard after God. Ask God to give you those things. And if He decides to give you the favor, you may find Him fulfilling your goals as an aspiring Christian artist also. But even if He doesn’t, you will have something that goes far beyond a few years of successful cd sales. You’ll have Him. And He will be more than enough for you- eternally.

If you’ve made it this far, I commend you. Again, I don’t have all the answers, but I hope that something you read has been helpful to you. May our Lord be pleased to bring glory to Himself through all the Christian artists He has uniquely crafted and called in these last evil days. And may we rejoice when He does this- whether it’s through us or someone else. Feel free to respond to this blog with any questions or comments.”

grace and peace,

shai

Skill or Message? – by Shai Linne

A helpful post from shai-linne on his blog — lyricaltheology.blogspot.com on artistic excellence and the glory of God:

“On Twitter recently, I made a comment about Christian films and the poor acting that is often associated with them. Someone responded by asking,

“Are you going for the acting or the message? The truth is what is needed!”

The person went on to ask, “Shouldn’t God’s glory be the first thing?”

This is a question that often comes up when dealing with works of art that have a Christian message connected to them. So what’s more important? Skills or message?

I think the problem here is with the question itself, as it pits two things against each other that should actually be walking hand-in-hand. When it comes to Christians doing art, it’s not either convey a true message or do it skillfully. It’s both/ and. Consider a few Scriptures:

Psalm 33:3

“Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”

The Psalmist goes on to speak on God’s nature and His works as incentives to praise Him in this way. But did you notice the word “skillfully” in verse 3? Why doesn’t it simply say “play on the strings”? I believe it’s because God is particularly glorified when knowledge, wisdom and craftsmanship are applied by the artist in His service. This glorifies God as the generous Giver of talent, creative capacity and artistic expertise. It wasn’t enough for the Psalmist to merely say true things about God. That truth was meant to be joined by skillful accompaniment.

Or consider these verses concerning the building of the tabernacle:

Exodus 35:10

Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the LORD has commanded:

Exodus 35:25-26

And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair.

Exodus 36:1-2

Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.” And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work.

I’m sure at that time, there were many with the desire to work on the tabernacle. But it wasn’t enough to have the desire without the skill to best glorify God with those desires. This was such a priority to God that He actually put skill into the minds of Bezalel and Oholiab (Ex.36:2). The tabernacle would have looked really shabby if just anybody who knew how to pick up a carving instrument was allowed to work on it! Does this mean that God won’t accept the praise of someone who jumps on the piano and pounds away mindlessly to the glory of God? Not necessarily. A sincere heart is of great worth in God’s eyes (1 Sam. 16:7). Also, being the most skilled virtuoso in the world is meaningless if her heart is controlled by pride or self-exaltation (Proverbs 8:13).

With that said, I believe that art done by Christians should be held to high aesthetic standards and that the phrase, “It was pretty good for a Christian movie/song/book, etc.” should NEVER be the preface for a statement about Christian works of art. If I have to choose between quality art and a truthful message, I’ll simply pass on the work altogether. Why should I have to look at a bad painting in order to see the text of Romans 6:23 scribbled into the furniture? Just give me a Bible, please. There are plenty of places to get truth without subjecting yourself to bad art in the process.

So here’s my answer to the question, “Shouldn’t God’s glory be the first thing?”

If an Isrealite asked Moses that same question, I think he might have said, “Yes. God’s glory is the first thing. That’s why they must be skilled.”

grace and peace,
shai

Believin Stephen: Advice on Projects, Promotion and Artist Development

 

 

 1. I think it is wise to check out the following you ALREADY have before putting out a project. Looking at followers on twitter, views on youtube, checking sites to see if people are expressing interest in the upcoming project- are all ways you can gain an accurate assessment on what your fan base is. Also if you are one who has put out multiple projects this helps you get a better sense of what to expect. I think if you are and underground cat and consistently making good music the fan base will gradually grow and the next project will normally be more “successful”.

2. It is a must to take it to the Lord and remember the true reason why you make music. For me it is to glorify the Lord and so if I get caught up in this disappoint I have to remember the main reason why I make the music is not about me. It is wise to go in prayer to God and ask Him to help you be content with the audience He has you to reach. It may be to reach 500 hundred people; 5,000 people or 500,000 people. Even if the audience being reached is small it is still being reached and lives may be impacted in a positive way. Through this I’m learning that it is dangerous to compare. We end up being like Peter when he said, “Which one of us will sit at your right hand when we get to glory?”. When we want to be the greatest and start envying other’s position and this is not healthy.

3. It’s easy to sit and complain about respect you don’t get but feel you deserve. I see too many artists do this but then don’t do anything productive to work on their craft.

First of all I think the best music comes from the heart. When one is passionate about what they are spittin about it will be better music. It also allows the artist to be themselves which helps the audience connect with them. Once the project is complete I think it is wise to do the following

-ask others to listen to it and see if any changes should be made
– after the artwork is done release the artwork about 6 weeks before the album drops
– release a few singles before the release date
– pick a release date and stick to it (don’t pick a release date until the project is 90% complete)
-drop a promo vid or a music vid before the project drops
– put out a video of you or someone else talking about the album
– put out another video after the album has dropped
– do as many quality shows as possible

4. I think it is wise to read reviews of your project. Also reading the encouraging emails and tweets people send about a previous project helps you to know what things in particular your fan base is feeling. I say read the reviews but it’s wise to read them with a grain of salt. Meaning- don’t believe everything in them as set in stone. I’ve had reviewers praise me for a certain song and my flow on a song and then had another reviewer clown the song and say the flow was weak- they were talking about the exact same song and the reviews are just 1 person’s opinion. However, if 15 people are saying the same thing about a project then it is wise to consider what they are saying.

I am against studying what is popular on the radio or popular amongst CHH and then trying to come up with a formula to make hits or something trendy. But I think it is wise to pay attention in areas which may be a weakness for you as an artist. For instance; if lyricism is a weakness- listen closely to good lyricists and how they form their bars. If content is a weakness – listen to people who stay on topic well and see how they do it– not to bite but to appreciate how it can be done.

5. I’d say it means being happy with what God has given you. Saying, not my will but your will be done God. Saying, “If you want my fan base to grow then help me stand firm while it does and glorify you and if you do not want it to grow help me stand firm while it doesn’t and still glorify you.

6. It helps to have the right mindset and also to have realistic expectations. When my next album comes out I don’t expect to win a Grammy, a Dove award, even a Holy Culture award, lol.
I expect to sell a thousand copies or so and for many people to not even hear it. This doesn’t mean I won’t promote it well or try to market it well but just being realistic. If God chooses it do exceed these expectations that would be great but will ask He would let me be content if it doesn’t. ” – Believin Stephen

Shai-Linne’s – Songwriting Advice to CHH Artists

“1. In the original David Banner link, he talked about “backpacker” emcees having dope lyrics, but not being able to make hit songs. I think he’s right and I think it goes for secular and CHH. On the secular side, that’s been the critique for a long time, probably most famously seen with Canibus after the classic underground vs. mainstream battle between him and LL. Canibus killed LL lyrically, but was never able to sustain a profitable music career because of what David Banner is talking about. Elzhi is a good current example of this in the secular. His flow, delivery and lyricism might put him in the top 10 all-time secular emcees. But his one-dimensional subject matter (bragging on his skills) and inability to write good songs will prevent him from achieving mainstream success if he doesn’t correct those things. He should have joined Slaughterhouse lol.

I understand Ben’s point about underground cats not caring if they make it big. I don’t know if that’s true though. I’ve seen too many underground heads grind like crazy, trying to live out the dream that Em described in “Lose Yourself”. The thing is, the underground heads want to be successful, but they wanna be successful on their own terms. They don’t wanna give in to the commercial system. And I feel that, but I also think it’s unrealistic to think that you can spit about nuclear rocket scientifical lyrical miracle centrifugal force quadrants and expect to have any kind of following outside of kids who aspire to be NASA employees.

Speaking of Em, he is one of the few in recent years to be able to have a commercially successful career while remaining super lyrical for the most part. And that began with Dre working with him and teaching him the “formula” for success. Em’s die-hard Infinite & Slim Shady EP fans hate the direction he went, but to this day, any lyricist will tell you that he’s crazy with the pen. And like it or not, he achieved (and built on) his success with songs that had catchy, radio-friendly hooks (My Name Is, Stan, Without Me, I’m Not Afraid, The song w/ Rihanna etc,) even if the verses were lyrical.

2. Let’s talk about Lecrae for a second. I agree that Real Talk and ATMS (my favorite Crae record) had more of a focus on the lyrical aspect of things. As a lyricist, you can just tell that he put more time into his writing on the first two projects. On Rehab, I could tell that the verses were written quickly, which tends to happen when you have all kinds of deadlines like he does. But as much as the simplicity of the writing and lack of lyricism bothers me at times, I think Rehab is a genius project in a lot of ways. Lecrae has mastered the art of SONGWRITING, and his ear when it comes to hooks is ridiculous. You know the artist has a good ear for hooks when you don’t really like a song, but find yourself humming the hook anyway, to the point where the song grows on you lol.

Say what you want about “Background”, but without that song, there is no Crae on B.E.T. cypher. We always talk about greater exposure for CHH, but often don’t realize what that means or what it takes. The politics of radio/ airplay/ charts are CRAZY, especially on the Christian side. That’s another post for another day. But anyway, songwriting is where many of the “backpacker” secular and CHH lyricists are lacking. It’s one thing to write random dope 16 bar verses. Praise God for those who can do that well. It’s a gift from God. It’s another thing to write good, cohesive songs with quality, memorable hooks. A good lyricist or emcee doesn’t mean a good songwriter or good recording artist. Big difference in those 3 things. Writing good songs is not everyone’s goal. I understand that. But you shouldn’t be surprised if the inability to write good songs hinders success in the music industry lol.

3. Because not every emcee is a good songwriter, I think this is where getting outside feedback as you’re working on a project becomes very important. Lecrae makes good songs because it’s not just Lecrae. There are songwriters and other “ears” at Reach who are very influential, but you won’t hear much about them. Crae runs his stuff by them and takes their feedback. For some reason (pride, insecurity, just didn’t think about it, etc.), a lot of “underground” CHH cats don’t get any outside feedback on projects until after they release. I think this is a huge mistake and has hurt many a project imo.

With TAOG, I was glad to be able to hit up Json or Flame or J.R. and get their honest feedback as I was putting the project together. A couple of times I let Json hear stuff and he was like, “That’s not tight, dawg.” I needed to hear that b/c it gave me an outside perspective. Json and I have really different tastes when it comes to musical approach and what we like, but I value his ears, especially as a midwest dude if I’m gonna try to spit over a midwest beat like Our God is In the Heavens.

On the original hook for The Omnis, I was singing it. I wrote and performed the hook. Same notes, same lyrics, but my voice. I sent an unfinished version of it to Alex Medina for his opinion and he wrote back, “Dude, I love all the verses, but that hook is super cheesy! It detracts from the song. You should have Andy sing on it”. I could have pouted, stuck to my guns and got upset, but I wanted the song to sound the best it could. We sent it to Andy and he killed it, imo. Many other stories like that, but my point is that it’s impossible for us to see our own blind spots, which makes it that much more important to get an outside perspective while you’re still able to change it. If more “underground” cats did this, I think it would increase the quality of the music overall.

4. A lot of cats don’t seem to have live shows in mind when they make songs for albums. Praise God for 100 bar verses and songs with either no hook or a complicated hook that can’t be easily repeated. But good luck doing it live, especially with crowds that aren’t familiar with your stuff. This is another thing that Reach has mastered- especially Crae and T. Dot. (Tonic from CM understood this, too. His joints were always the best ones live.) There are songs that I’m like “it’s aight” when I hear the recording, but when they do them live, it’s absolutely through the roof. Touring with them for Man-Up was really instructive in that regard.

5. Some things were mentioned about me. I don’t wanna focus on that, but I did wanna clarify a couple of things. (btw, props to Zacchaeus for your analysis of my discography. On point, man. Do I know you? lol) The change in tone from TSCP to Atonement was not an attempt to reach a broader audience. Musically speaking, that’s not the formula for reaching a broader audience lol. In fact, I was trying to do the exact opposite. Delivery-wise, I took all the “barbeque sauce” off the “steak”, so to speak, in order for the “steak” of the content to take center stage. Some don’t like that approach. I understand that. Different strokes.

But I don’t regret it at all because the spiritual impact of that album far surpassed the others, at least based on what people tell me as I travel- and that’s the most important thing to me. Broadening my audience was a pleasant surprise, not intentional. Also, without Atonement, I definitely wouldn’t be doing music full-time and I might not be doing music at all today. To Ben’s point, I’ve never felt any pressure at all to make things more palatable to non hip-hoppers. Not at all. Non hip-hoppers tend to not care as much about the music & delivery anyway. If the content is clearly there, music/ delivery is very much secondary to them.

The artistic choices I’ve made have all been in the realm of trying to do 3 things- 1. Glorify God 2. Be creative & original 3. Be lyrical. Some artists basically make the same album over and over again, whether it’s subject matter, approach to songwriting or rhyme style. I don’t wanna do that. I try to be diverse with the angles & approaches that I take. I also try to make my songs fit the subject matter, which affects the style I use. So if I’m doing a children’s song, of course it’s gonna be lyrically simpler. If I’m doing a song about the love or patience of God, how I spit is gonna be different than if it’s about the wrath or jealousy of God. The same goes for music. So for TAOG, the first question I asked is what overall musical feel would help to cover the different range of emotions found in these particular attributes? And to me, it was an epic, cinematic, film score feel.

I love the musical style of TSCP. If Jas Knight had stayed in Philly after Solus instead of moving to NY, who knows? Maybe I would have kept making albums that sound similar to Solus. I don’t know. But I also think 90’s/ jazzy/ boom bap- as dope as it is, has its limitations, just like any other style. Imo, that particular style doesn’t bring out the straight up worshipful aspect of things that I was going for on TAOG. Personally, when I want to sing worship songs to the Lord, boom-bap isn’t gonna be my first choice. But for Omnis, Self-Sufficiency and Triune remix, I thought that style worked well.” – Shai-Linne (via holy-culture forum).