This may be a story that is somewhat of an outcast on Rapzilla, but one that needs to be heard nonetheless. This isn’t a story that singles out one Christian Hip-Hop artist over another, but a story of how collectively, Christian Hip-Hop brings people together, which is something that the Millennial generation desperately needs.
It was the Spring of 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona, and Andy Mineo was on his Uncomfortable Tour. I made a custom Uncomfortable dress for my friend to wear to the concert. Andy loved the dress and snapped a picture of it, throwing it on his Instagram story for the evening. My friend, of course, basked in the attention she received from everyone about the dress. As the silent designer, all I could do was look up to the heavens and thank God for the opportunity to touch an artist’s life that had touched mine so many times.
It was at that concert that I met my best friend, my soul sister, the one who now joins me at every Christian Hip-Hop concert we can go to, wearing our custom-designed dresses and themed outfits.
For the Magic and Bird album, Andy did with Wordplayed, my friend and I wore juxtaposing themed dresses; she was Magic, and I was Bird. A buzz spread backstage before the concert even started because one of Andy’s roadies had seen us through the venue window; after the concert, the bands that played with Andy and Wordsplayed himself came out, brandishing us as “legends” because of our outfits.
More recently, we went to the NF concert in Phoenix on his Perception Tour, and although we didn’t get VIP access (the tickets sold out quicker than we could buy them!), we still drew a lot of attention in the crowd and managed to bring some people together with our custom-made caution tape banners we waved around during the show, as well as our custom dresses and necklaces.
Albeit not a Hip-Hop band, I even went solo (without my best friend, accompanied instead by my husband) to a Needotbreathe concert on their All the Feels Tour wearing a custom-designed dress. The band loved it, and I have always loved how going the extra mile can really bring joy to someone else’s day.
Overall, what I have learned through making these custom-designed concert dresses and themed outfits is that Christian Hip-Hop brings so many elements to the table that other genres of Hip-Hop lack. Worldly and secular artists, as much as I love some of them, don’t bring the kind of anointing and air to the show that Christian Hip-Hop artists bring; the elements of connectivity and righteous passion make for a great atmosphere to let loose, bless others, and be blessed in the process.
I wrote this article in hopes of inspiring other Christian Hip-Hop advocates and enthusiasts like myself to challenge themselves to bring a little extra passion to each concert they attend. These artists don’t spend their lives touring on the road for the sake of entertainment; they do it for the sake of connecting others, releasing passion, relating, and glorifying God. Any chance we get to bless them in return should be taken seriously, even if it means nothing more than making sure we bring the right attitude to the show.
We are advocates and ambassadors of God when we come together at Christian Hip-Hop concerts, just like we are in every other aspect of our lives; we don’t hang God up at home and put Him on a shelf when we go to Christian Hip-Hop concerts, we bring Him with! You never know whose life you could impact by bringing a little extra passion to a show and having the mindset of bringing blessings instead of going merely to be given blessings.
The concert it all started at for me, Andy Mineo’s Uncomfortable Tour, is when I realized that when I was in my silent servant’s mentality, allowing my friend to bask in the hype while watching how blessed Andy was at the gesture, I was given a secret blessing: a whisper from the Holy Spirit, a lesson in how everyday activities like Christian Hip-Hop concerts can be divine experiences without limit. He blessed me that night with meeting my now best friend, and my life will never be the same. Who knows what He’ll do at the next Christian Hip-Hop concert I go to? You can ask yourself the same question. You reap what you sow, and you sow more than you know!
