Welcome to our weekly episode of Rapzilla.com’s Top Christian Rap News Recap. We endeavor to grab the best stories from the previous week and give them to you every Monday.
We did an interview with the mega-popular comedian John Crist. You may recognize him from his various skits, standup, or viral videos. Others may know him from his “Check Your Heart” song with nobigdyl., 1K Phew, and DJ Mykael V. He spoke about how the song came together and hilariously talked about being clueless throughout the whole process of recording. The comedian then took some time to address the popularity of the song being on CCM radio although they generally don’t play rap. He shares a lot of good points about some Christians’ fears of hip hop music and how he hopes to be a middle man.
Andy Mineo dropped his epic album filled with incomplete and raw songs with Work in Progress. Some of the songs are original versions of songs released. Overall, the music down to the marketing, artwork, and accompanying podcast makes for an experience rather than a listen. Mineo’s “incomplete” work may be among the best collections of art the rapper has made.
Last weekend Kanye West and his choir appeared at the California Worship Center. Church members were shocked when they saw Kanye integrate his worship with the church that was already there. He even had a special guest – Tori Kelly.
Shepherd has been signed to RECORDS/COLUMBIA (Columbia Records). The deal comes after the success of his independently released hit single “Gametime,” which surpassed over 5 million streams, was selected for the Beast Mode playlist (6 mill. followers), charted Top 50 Viral on Spotify, and was played during the NBA Finals. He will now be label-mates with the likes of mainstream superstars such as Sia, Diplo, Noah Cyrus, Nelly, Lauren Jauregui (formerly of Fifth Harmony) & more.
RoundUp
Here’s a quick roundup of some other news. nobigdyl. announced that he’ll be appearing on some dates with Futuristic on the “I Am” tour.
Tobe Nwigwe performed a 15 minute medley on NPR’s Tiny Desk with his wife and baby in tow.
We also did some great interviews with S.O. as he broke down the meaning of the song “White Jesus,” and 2019 Rapzilla Freshmen Jon Keith spoke about new album Olympus and its reception.
Outro
In conclusion, don’t forget to check out all of our playlists featuring the top tracks that dropped on Friday. Start with the Rapzilla Playlist and work your way down. Remember to check out the Christian Rap Mix and Pandora and the best indie artists and tips on NewH2O.com.
This video was made in partnership with Fenix Studios in Staten Island, NY. Fenix is a one-stop-shop for any creative looking to rehearse, record, mix, shoot a music video, or even receive audio & technical training. Get more info here.
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Justin is the Editor-in-Chief of Rapzilla.com and co-owner of NewH2O.com. He has been a journalist for 9 years and has written or edited for Relevant, Christian Post, BREATHEcast, CCM, Broken Records Magazine, & more. When not writing he's on stage rhyming as the frontman of Process of Fusion. He also likes to work with indie artists to develop their brands & marketing strategies. Catch him interviewing artists on Survival of the Artist Podcast.
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