I have been a Christian since I was 15.  I started listenin to Christian rap right away – boys like Steven Wiley and Michael Peace.  There really wasn’t much on the scene.  In the late 80’s SFC and PID showed up on the scene and started the momentum.  From then, there were spinoff groups like IDOL King, Freedom of Soul and Gospel Gangstas on to T-Bone and then Cross Movement.

The biggest label on the scene now is Reach Records headed up by Ben Washer with artists like Lecrae, Tedashii, Sho Baraka and Trip Lee.  But there’s one guy who has been waiting in the wings.  One guy who has been there offering his skills but never releasing his own project.  But this Saturday, December 26th, his first project hits the stores and will be available on iTunes and other digital download sites.  It’s the man behind the music, the hands that spin the tracks, the DJ in the shadows helping the Emcees do their thing…It’s DJ Official and the CD is called “Entermission.”

I have heard a lot of CDs over the past 25 years as Christian Rap has progressed and I believe this will be one of the best CDs in Christian Rap history.  Not only are you going to get great music and excellent production, but the lineup of Emcees is one of the best compiled, including Lecrae, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka, Tedashii, Thi’sl, Json, Stephen the Levite, K-Drama and many others.  Entermission by DJ Official is going to change the standard of Christian Rap, if not all rap.

Intertwined in the music and the production is a great message to inspire and motivate all Christians to step up and enter the mission field.  Not necessarily going on a mission trip, but to realize that we ARE on mission so let’s get going.  Who’s mission?  God’s.

So get ready to pick up your copy of Entermission or download it online on December 26th.  This is a great gift for someone who may listen to rap music but may not have heard of Christian rap.  Well…it’s also a great gift for those of us who have!

If you can’t wait…go get the first single, “Show Off,” available now on itunes.

Right now over at www.entermissionagency.com you can get your passport to enter the mission.  This is the site with all the info you need and will need about the upcoming album from DJ Official.  You can even Pre-Order the album or the deluxe package.  Go on over and check it out now…and get your free passport.

Yet again, I find myself floored at how a song speaks to me. This song, another by KJ-52, is called Never Look Away. KJ-52 is not an artist I would normally listen to, yet the Lord used it.

“I once was lost but then You found me and loved me
And I’m never gonna look away
No I’m never gonna look away
You paid the cost You showed me how You bought me
And I’m never gonna look away
No I’m never gonna look away”
–Never Look Away (KJ-52 featuring Brynn Sanchez)

There are times when life is difficult and it’s hard to be so far away from all the people that I love. But every time this starts to feel overwhelming, the Lord reminds me that I need to keep looking at him and he will provide for me. Whatever it is I think I need, he will provide what I need. And usually that looks like peace. Peace amidst troubles. Peace amidst worry. Peace against all odds.

“I’m never gonna look away.” So easy to say and intend to mean. But most of the time when the distance feels overwhelming it’s because I’ve not realized I’ve looked away. I start to focus on the worries of this world instead of the things the Lord has promised.

I can do all things in Christ – Philippians 4:13
He has good plans for me with a hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11
If I trust in Him with all that I am and don’t lean on my own understanding, he will guide my steps. – Proverbs 3:5-6
Cast all my cares on him, he will take care of them because he cares about me – 1 Peter 5:7
Seek him first and he will supply for my needs – Matthew 6:33
His power works best in my weakness – 2 Corinthians 12:9

These are paraphrased by me. They seem that much more real to me when I repeat things that the Lord has spoken to me in the past and recently.

His provision? It’s here. From making some closer friends here, to finding a JTE who goes to an amazing church. It’s not hard to see. I just have to remember to focus on the things the Lord has done in my life and not let go of those things when the storms of life hit.

Links:
Lyrics
Video

The new single, Show Off, from the upcoming Entermission album by DJ Official is now available on itunes.   The song, featuring Lecrae and Flame, is the first release from the upcoming album featuring over 20 emcees on 16 tracks.  Entermission is the debut release from DJ Official and is set to release on December 26th.  While you wait, download Show Off from itunes and prepare for the rest of the tracks the day after Christmas.

SHOW OFF

Why do people think so highly of themselves that they need to tell you and show you everything they have and everything they can do? Of course, when there is something that they can do really well, they tend to show off! It’s almost sickening. Well, apparently Lecrae, Flame and DJ Official are Show Offs…of a different kind: They don’t want to show off and boast about themselves, but about the Lord, His Grace and His Mercy. Yeah…that’s the kind of Show Off that we should pay attention to. Now you can take a sneak peak (sneak listen) to the song “Show Off” with Flame and Lecrae from the upcoming CD from DJ Official, “Entermission.”  You can also  pre-order the CD, set to release on Dec 26th.  Just Click Here.

Last weekend I put my iPod on shuffle while on the train to visit a friend. Right before getting off, I found this song:

“I know some things that might bring your life stress.
And you’re concerned about what’s coming next,
Feeling so worried ’cause your whole life’s a mess.
I want to tell you, you can make it through all this.
He’ll never fail you, that’s what he promised us
And even when things don’t seem to make sense
That’s the time when you hang on now you just trust.”
(He is All by KJ-52)

I was amazed, because it was like the Lord was speaking to me though these lyrics. I was having a tough time with the idea of being so far away from family, friends and my church for a whole year. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to be here anymore. But more than that, I didn’t want to let homesickness/fear get in the way of trusting the Lord. He directed my steps. He has me right where he wants me for his purposes.

In hearing those words, I was reminded that it may be hard, but he will be with me through it all. He is my strength. In the tough “just send me home now” moments and in the “I love this I could stay here for 5 years no problem” moments, he’s with me. He’ll provide what I need. Whether it’s deep friendships or encouragement in him. He’ll provide.

He already has. I just have to look back in my journal in the time since I got here to see that he is moving in me. He has provided me with encouragement through several friends here. My Japanese is improving. He has given me a church, which was beyond my expectations.

It doesn’t matter how I feel. “He’ll never fail you, that’s what he promised us.” I just have to hang on to the things I know when I feel unsure about what is going on around me or what I can handle and he will get me through.

So when I feel like I’m in over my head and I can’t make it for however long the Lord wants me here, “That’s the time when you hang on now you just trust.” He’ll pull me through the tough times.

Links:
Hear the song

See the lyrics

And a new photo:

A temple that the Lord used to remind me how great he is. To read more, click the photo.

Hip-Hop Favorite Probes Culture Media Craze
In today’s trying economy, KJ-52 is offering his own stimulus package, to the tune of 20 tracks and more than an hour of jams on Five-Two Television. Packed with blazing beats, hooky rhymes and contagious choruses, he compiles his first concept record with a compelling comment on culture’s media craze, an apropo dissection considering KJ’s main audience is teens. And taking a peek at the charismatic rapper’s online crib and the buffet of viral connections it offers (think free mixtapes, audio/video podcasts, frequent Bible study prompts), it’s easy to see why his two cents is so valuable to the younger generation.

Five-Two Television features a plethora of guests, including Group 1 Crew, Da Truth and Pillar’s Rob Beckley, who, because of his avid support of the XXX Church’s porn prevention programs, contributes to “Help Me Change,” a dark, dance-floor mix exploring teenagers’ sexual progression from porn to sexting, and offering hope for young men and women broken by the lust epidemic.

“Calling You” perceptively parallels streaming social networking via MySpace, Facebook, etc., with God’s over-the-top pursuit of our hearts. “Swagged Out with the Tags Out” tempers all-star egos with a lesson in humility. And “Picture,” the record’s most sensitive track, offers a girl with a torturous cutting addiction the decision to swap her destructive self-portrait with the redemptive picture of Jesus.

KJ-52 is certainly a pioneer in Christian hip-hop. But besides his award-winning knack for rap, KJ is a deliverer of good news, willing to sacrifice career hype to serve as a barricade between pop culture and the teens it preys on. Sounds a bit like Jesus, doesn’t it?

CCM Magazine, September 2009
KJ52.com

PILLAR READIES FOR LAUNCH OF CONFESSIONS SEPT. 22

ROCK BAND PRESSES INTO STREET WEEK BY KICKING OFF FALL LEG OF HEADLINING “CONFESSIONS TOUR” THIS WEEKEND
(Nashville, Tenn.) September 16, 2009 – As rock powerhouse Pillar gears up for the launch of its career-shifting sixth album Confessions (Essential/Provident), its simultaneously released radio singles (July 31) are making waves at radio.  “Fire on the Inside” has climbed to No. 8 on the Christian Rock chart while the CHR single “Secrets and Regrets” was added by the Air-1 Network reaching two-million listeners, weekly. 
 
In addition, the Dove Award-winning and GRAMMY nominated band recently announced its fall Confessions Tour with KJ-52, Run Kid Run and 7eventh Time Down.  Promoters are anxiously anticipating the bands arrival in their markets.

“Pillar was part of our Rock the Sound festival this summer in New York City,” said Chris Barrett, President – Rock the Sound Concerts. “They played our rock room along with RED, Decyfer Down, Remedy Drive and Doubledge. All night the room was pulsing with energy as the anticipation grew for Pillar’s appearance onstage. Their set was strong and the crowd was with them from the beginning.”

Matt Brown, Kansas-based concert promoter, expressed a similar sentiment. “The ‘Confessions Tour’ was a huge ministry outreach to our community.  The event strengthened believers while it introduced non-believers to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
“The time that Rob Beckley, Pillar’s lead singer, had with the youth leaders before the concert was totally unexpected, and truly appreciated,” shared John Hill, Uvalde, Texas Event Organizer.  “The one-on-one interaction, from the second the band drove up until the last student left, made the event unforgettable. Six months later our youth are still talking about the experience. Thank You, Pillar.” 
Thematically, the album picks up where Pillar’s profound spring “Confessions Tour” left off earlier this year. A confessional curriculum, called “My Secret,” being taught in the band’s local Tulsa, Oklahoma church, changed the way the members of Pillar wanted to engage its audiences on tour.
“We decided to give our fans a way to pour out their hearts anonymously, yet before God” says Beckley. “We took thousands of blank confession cards [distributed via a confessional booth] on the road. It definitely brought kids to the point of acknowledging their sin and what was going on.” The “Confessions Tour” had a defining impact on Pillar as its members read and prayed over each audience’s confession cards. Explains Beckley, “More than ever, it put things into a perspective of ‘what we do matters.’”
 
That approach obviously carried over to the new album. “1 John 1:9 says, ‘If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ Every song on this album could be broken down to ‘If you just confess,’” shares Beckley.  Under this umbrella, recurring themes on Confessions include unity, commitment and perseverance.

While lead singer Rob Beckley and guitarist Noah Henson have been the band’s principal songwriters the past eight years, Confessions marks the first time the two of them have collaborated with writers outside the band. Guest composers include Chris Stevens (tobyMac, Sanctus Real), Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, Skillet), Keith Wallen (Fuel), Red guitarist Jasen Rauch and Building 429 front man Jason Roy.

Confessions’ production marks equally new territory.  Pillar teamed with GRAMMY nominated, Dove Award-winning producer/songwriter Rob Graves (Red, Wavorly) and further enhanced its sound through new bassist Rich Gilliland (KJ-52, Brandon Heath) and drummer Taylor Carroll (After Edmund).

Graves notes, “Originally I was just supposed to write with Rob (Beckley) for the album. But after spending the day with him in a writing session, I called my manager and told him to get all over the record.  I wanted to produce it.  The result is something I’m extremely proud of. The guys allowed me to push them as hard as I needed to and they gave it everything they had. They impressed me on so many levels. They’re genuinely great guys, and a band I hope to continue working with regularly.”

Find more information, including tour dates and markets, please visit: www.pillarmusic.com and www.myspace.com/pillar. Follow Pillar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pillarmusic.

Pillar’s Fall “CONFESSIONS TOUR” Dates listed below:
Dates and markets subject to change without notice.  Please visit www.pillarmusic.com for latest tour itinerary.

September
9/18     Atonement Lutheran Church                 Overland Park, Kan.                  
9/19     North Intermediate High School            Broken Arrow, Okla.
9/20     Dodge City Church of the Nazarene      Dodge City, Kan.
9/21     Woodward High School                       Woodward, Okla.
9/23     Trinity Evangelical                                 Upper Sandusky, Ohio
9/25     The Underground                                 Cincinnati, Ohio
9/26     Rent One Stadium                                Marion, Ill.
9/27     Grace Community Church                     Champaign, Ill.
October
10/1     Gateway Ministries                               Williamsport, Md.
10/3     U Mass                                                Amherst, Maine
10/4     Zion Church                                         Clarion, Pa.
10/7     The Gear                                              Franklin, Ind.
10/9     Club 3 Degrees                                    Minneapolis, Minn.
10/10   Appleton North H.S.                            Appleton, Wis.
10/11   Slowdown                                            Omaha, Neb.
10/15   Believers Fellowship                             Keyser, W.Va.    
10/16   The 7:30 Club                                      Mechanicsville, Md.     
10/17   LifeFest                                                Cary, N.C.                    
10/18   The Channel                                         Greenville, S.C.
10/19   Graceville Civic Center                         Graceville, Fla.
10/24   The River                                             Forsyth, Mo.
10/25   Jefferson Assembly of God                   Meriden, Kan.

Just wanted to express my excitement about the concert coming to our church on Sunday night October 4th. We have been blessed to get some of the biggest bands in Christian music to our church in the last couple of years and this year is no exception. Pillar is one of the top selling Christian rock bands out there and KJ-52 is a huge hip-hop artist. I encourage all of you to get your tickets early and tell everyone you know. Tickets will be $15 advanced and $18 at the door. Remember Sunday night Oct 4th at 6 PM. 

To hear their music visit www.pillarmusic.com.

To view this blog on my website, click here.

I have heard a lot of stuff lately from people who say they are Christians.  Some say that preaching Jesus as the ONLY way to heaven is wrong.  Some say that it is wrong to tell people that Homosexuality is wrong.  Some say that you don’t have to tell people they are sinners or that they need to repent and place their faith in Jesus.  What Bible are THEY reading?

Let me address these one at a time, not with my own words, but with His Word:

John 14:6    Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me…” But some people want to say they believe in Jesus AND that there can be other ways.  If you really believe Jesus, you cannot believe that.  How can you believe two things that are completely contradictory?  It doesn’t work.  If you do come to Jesus, remember what He says in Luke 9:23-24:  Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. If you are interested in your agenda and the things you want in this world more than His, are you truly following Him?

I Corinthians 6:9-11  Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. So if you say it is possible for a Homosexual to enter into the Kingdom of God, then those who life a life to steal, live in drunkenness, those who are greedy, crooks, live for immorality, those who glorify anything and everything above God and those who commit adultery as a part of their normal lifestyle, will also enter the Kingdom.  If you say this is possible then you deny God’s Word.  It is clear that these are practices of Christians or Followers of Jesus before we were sanctified and justified…not after.  If we don’t tell people they are wrong for living in homosexuality, then let’s not have doctor’s tell people they are dying from cancer – let’s not have teachers tell kids they are failing – let’s not tell our children that playing with guns is wrong.  I will agree that some people get on a bandwagon about homosexuality and only talk about how wrong that sin is without ever talking about any other sin, but if we represent Christ then we must, in a loving way, share the truth with all people about all sin and His forgiveness.

Luke 13:3  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Luke 13:5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 2 Cor 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. And there are many other verses about repentance.  It is clear that repentance is necessary for salvation.  What is repentace, though?  Repentance is to change your mind, your attitude and your direction in a way that you submit your life to the Lordship of Jesus and your primary concern is to do His will.  We must be transformed daily by the renewing of our minds.

There is some crazy stuff goin’ on out there and a lot of crazy stuff makin’ its way into churches.  We cannot and should not accept these teachings by so-called experts as truth when they are clearly false teaching.  Remember what Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 11:3-6  But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.” I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. - So if you want the truth that is perfectly clear, read the Bible and compare what you hear with the truth instead of listening to people who will conform the Word of God to their own beliefs.

Oh – by the way – When someone says that God is a jealous God, that doesn’t mean He is jealous OF you, it means He is jealous FOR you.  That means that the praise and glory and time you give to other things, He wants.

For His Glory,

Crayzee Joe

Check out my new blog entry at my new page called “Call me Scum.”

Ran across his name online the other night, then he came up in a conversation today. Figured I might as well look him up. He gets my stamp of approval for creativity

KJ-52

Yep – Crayzee Joe is on itunes.   Click the link to check it out if you have itunes on your computer and buy songs individually or the whole album:

You like TI?  You like hard rap?  You like stuff with flavor and hard-hitting lyrics? 

Then You’re Gonna Love Tedashii’s New Release, Identity Crisis!

Check out songs and get info on ordering the CD by clicking here.  You can even buy one of the songs now on iTunes!

Tedashii - Identity Crisis - Drope May 19 - Pre-order Now.

I got a new official website at www.crayzeejoe.com.  Please check it out.  You will be able to check out news, music, event calendar and more for my music ministry.  I will still be throwin’ blogs up on here to support other artists and maybe do some personal stuff but the new website will be the place to check for any Crayzee Joe stuff.

Want the new CD “Close & Clean?”  Now you can download it instantly by clicking here.  Visit the site, listen to the songs and download the CD if you like what you hear.  Know somebody who might like it?  Just send them the link so they can check it out.

Now Available for Order!

The new release Close & Clean from Crayzee Joe (me) and produced by Tony Stone, is now available for order.  Want to hear a sample of the tracks before you order?  NO PROBLEM! Just Click Here.

When you are ready to order, just click the picture above or the button below.  Right now, $3 from EVERY CD sold will be donated to “Susan G. Komen for the Cure” to help find a cure for breast cancer.  I have had three family members die from this.  My wife will be participating in the three day walk this October and I am donating these funds through her “entry fee.”

READY TO ORDER?  Click Here to Order.

Short post for right now cuz I gotta sleep but if you wanna check out the sampler I put together from my album, Close & Clean, that will be available later this week, click here.

The new Tedashii CD is coming out next month and it has been highly anticipated. It’s called Identity Crisis and includes cameos from artists such as Trip Lee, Sho Baraka and Lecrae. Maybe you know who these guys are and maybe you don’t. Either way, you can check out one of the songs online for free by clicking here. 

Ready to pre-order the CD?  Click the picture below.   The first 500 preorders will receive Identity Crisis/116 Clique dog tags.

Tedashii - Identity Crisis - Drope May 19 - Pre-order Now.