Legendary Christian Hip-Hop duo GRITS is returning tomorrow, June 23rd, with their first record since 2010, Saints & Sinners, a five song EP. Rappers Bonafide and Coffee spoke with Rapzilla to give a quick run down of what GRITS fan can expect from the music.
Saints and Sinners
Bonafide – In a nutshell, it’s how we look at one another. We’re all really in the same boat. We all have the same struggles. The very Bible that we all have for the most part that we look to and have faith in, tells us that there is no man who has not sinned. We all fall short of the glory of God. It’s a wake up to say, ‘Stop holding on to the idea that everyone is perfect’. It’s a lifestyle and a process that you’re going to skin your knees every once in awhile and it’s ok. At the end, it says, ‘I’m a saint when I wake up, but a sinner at night’. Every day is a new day. When you lay down at bed at night, there is something that you need to hold yourself accountable for and that you probably weren’t proud of.
Tennessee’s Been Good to Me
Coffee – This is just an ode to home. We always try to rep the birth lace of GRITS. Pigeon John is featured on that, he’s a long time collaborator and friend. A lot of music now is from Atlanta, so we are trying to keep our positive spin from the South. We make music that has integrity and that is good, and Tennessee has been good to us.
Warrior
Bonafide – Speaks to us about who we feel we are in this game. A warrior puts himself in the face of danger. Like alright, let’s do this.
Coffee – A warrior goes into battle knowing that this might be it for him. He’s on the frontline of battle. When you face your greatest opponent you’re going to be remembered whether you win or lose.
Patience
Bonafide – ‘Patience’ is nostalgic. As soon as I heard it, it put me right back into the middle of the 90s. It’s classic GRITS. It reminds me of Midnight Marauders and we’re not getting a lot of that now. It’s an encouragement that patience works over time, it is not infinite and not everyone has it. As you mature you gain it. You do that by going through different situations.
Coffee – Timing is everything. We may be in the studio doing a hot joint but the people may not hear it for another year. We’re excited about it now but 365 days later when people hear it, they’ll be excited. By then, we’re on the next two joints. Everything comes back to patience, there’s a bigger purpose to it all and the same is for life.
Grow Old ft. Kevin Max
Coffee – It’s about where we are in life. We accept who we are, and we are not trying to pretend to be young men. Things come and go and everything has a season. You need to learn to embrace a moment and be content with it.
GRITS then spoke about their overall goal for the record and what are doing next.
Bonafide – This is only the beginning. That’s not all that we got. This is why none of the songs sound the same. We do this on purpose over our 12 albums. That is why we always try to put out a body of work rather than just a single.
Coffee – That’s why Michelangelo and Picasso didn’t paint the same things. They are artists and that’s what we do. We dealt with the whole ‘You gotta do another ‘Ooh-Aah’ and I get it, but as an artist you can’t operate like that. For that season, it was perfect. Artistry is an interpretation of life and how you see life. That’s what affects and touches other people.
Bonafide – We wake up and do the same thing everyday but everyday still has its own signature. Even if you have two bad days in a row, they are going to be two different bad days. We approach the songs the same way. If there’s 12 songs, it’s going to be 12 interpretations of feelings, emotions, and things to go through.
Look out for GRITS’ Saints & Sinners and get ready for some music videos and a tour in the fall. Check back with Rapzilla next week for part two.