#j prophet

What can I talk about? 

Maybe the pain in this life the rain and the strife  It ain’t always nice outside  At times we gotta run and hide, my God  There was a dude who was raised in the church  Was there every week so he could praise but he was hurt  No daddy at home and mama was out trickin  And there was something about him that seemed so different  believed wit his heart, faith unwavering  Peers rushed to get old he wanted to wait and savor it  Perhaps he predicted the dangers that would come  Filled with something powerful  He was filled with the Son  Yea and as he got older life got colder the heavier his shoulders  would get he was more than a rock he was a boulder  Any situation he could bear like a polar  His parents out of shape  and that's what molded him  He knew that God had his heart and that he would hold him  And he toted the love that Christ showed him  He was on a journey but it seemed life rode him  Then BOOM everything came crashing  His life was a hooptie that got in a bad accident

Interview by Greg Leveille

Most people will listen to you and define you as a "Christian Rapper".  Do you agree with that?  How would you define yourself as an artist?

I mean both of those words directly apply to me.  I'm a Christian. I'm a rapper.  But I think typology can be incredibly limiting.  I think I just spit about life, but of course my perspective will be that of a Christian person.  But then I do profess ministerial intent.  I hope that in some way my music can give an opportunity for people to access Christ's love and healing.  I'd love to just be called a hip hop artist or an artist or a musician, but I don't really mind what people call me at the end of the day.  If they're listening then that's obviously a good thing.  I plan to just spit what I spit, and people can label it whatever they'd like to.  At the end of the day, I just hope God is pleased.     

Do you think the mainstream audience is finally ready for a rapper such as yourself? 

I do think so.  Artists who have come before me, who I would call artistic influences, certainly have opened the door for Jesus to be talked about in the mainstream.  Artists like Lupe Fiasco and Lauryn Hill certainly have religious sensibilities.  The 2nd verse of "Lost Ones" is like all scripture.  Lupe prays in the "Intro" to Food & Liquor.  DMX prayed a lot on his albums.  If you listen closely, mainstream artists often make appeals to a higher power.  Paul Tillich, a theologian, believes that religion is that which is of the ultimate concern.  I think we see a lot of that in mainstream music, and even in Hip Hop.  And then there are artists like Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary and Lecrae who have garnered some mainstream success as gospel artists, with Lecrae being a rapper.  It's definitely possible, and it has even taken place to some extent, but I guess the delivery has to be right.       

What is your biggest flaw as an artist?  What's your best attribute?

My biggest flaw as an artist is probably too much thinking.  Sometimes I let my mind get in the way, and my spirit doesn't fully shine through.  At times, I have to remind myself that the art-making process is NOT academic! LOL.  I think my best attribute would be my diligence.  I'm constantly recording.  Whether I'm working on original stuff or writing and recording freestyles, I love what I do so much that I'd almost always rather be doing this.  

What has been your greatest artistic accomplishment thus far?

"Overdosin" from Getting My Shape Up Vol. 1 was voted the #4 song on the Top 40 Songs of 2010 countdown on wadeoradio.com.  That was craaaaaazy!  It was a huge surprise.  I'm so thankful to have been included on the list from which to vote, and to all the folks who put a check mark next to my song.    

Listen to “Overdosin’ here.

What has been your greatest obstacle as a musician?

 My greatest obstacle as a musician and as a Christian performer has been focusing on the reason I'm doing this.  Too often, I get caught up with what other people think or I'll get disappointed with a lackluster response from listeners, but none of that actually matters.  If one person can be encouraged or if one person begins to seek God after listening to my music then I've done my job.  It's not about the compliments or the praise from other. It's about Christ.  That's the realest bar I'll ever write.

 Do you have any advice for aspiring or established artists?

Keep going.  Constantly evolve.  Stay hungry   

Not too many rappers can say they graduated from Yale. How important was education to you growing up and how has it impacted you as an artist? 

Education was key for me growing up.  I'm am providentially blessed with parents who worked their tails off to keep my brother and me in good schools.  I'm proud to say now that I honored their work with my scholastic efforts, but I don't think that was actually my attitude when I was younger lol.  And I do get that lump in my throat when I think about my parents and how they handled our education.  They didn't just send us to school, they created a stimulated learning environment around us at all times.  And part of that stimulated environment was music.  Just the other day we were taking about what they used to play in the car.  It was a conglomeration of Christian talk radio, 70s soul/Motown Sound, and gospel cassette tapes my mom used to practice for the church choir.  (I know I'm throwin it back with cassette tapes! LOL).  I think all of that informs my art-making process and the content I produce. 

You received your B.A in African American studies.  If you could spend one day, with one black historian, who would it be and why?

Now THIS is a touuuuugh question.  You asked for a historian, not a figure right?....so I'm gonna go with John Hope Franklin or Ida B. Wells.  They both seem to have such a wealth of knowledge in both African American history as well as general history.  I'd love to chill with them and ask them what they think of Hip Hop. Ha! 

You were originally a poet, right?  Tell the truth, did you get into poetry to try and get girls? LoL...

HA! I'm gonna sound like I'm fronting but...nah.  My grandmother really is the one I credit for getting me into poetry.  She is a gifted writer, and taught me to express myself through words.  And when I started High School me and my homeboys would go to spoken word shows, and I fell in love with the way people could rock a crowd or simply evoke a guttural "HMM" from an audience member.  I think I always wanted to make people feel something.

What types of music do you listen to and what artists have influenced your style the most?

I listen to all types of music.  Music seems to be the mouthpiece of the people.  And if I don't know what the people are saying or how they're feeling, then I wouldn't be as effective a minister or artist as I could be.  I listen to Gospel, Hip Hop, R&B, Pop (as well as variations and combinations of the 3).  I've also been really into Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Duke Ellington lately.  And I've also been getting more into classical as of late - Bach, Tchaikovsky, Barber, etc.  And I can always go for old school soul music.  As far as influences, I think the top 2 are Kirk Franklin and Lauryn Hill.         

Who are some artists that you would want to work with in the future?

I'd love to work with Lecrae, Eshon Burgundy, KamBINO, Yaves, J. Flue, (I actually got a track with Young Church shhhh...lol), Kirk Franklin, Jai, and Mary Mary.  I'd also like to work with somebody like J. Cole or Lupe Fiasco or even Jay Electronica who have all expressed some interesting religious thoughts in their work.  I think that type of collaboration would be dope.   

Should we be looking out for any major projects from you in the near future?

Yes you definitely should be.  I'm gonna be releasing Getting My Shape Up Vol. 2 AKA V2 this year at some point, probably late summer or early fall.  So look out for that.  In preparation for that, though, I'll be releasing freestyles.  It'll be V2: The Preview. I released 6'7" already and I got some more on deck. Stay tuned for that. I have a performance that's going to air on Bobby Jones Presents on The WORD Network in February.  And you can still download Getting My Shape Up Vol. 1 for free at www.JPROPHET.com.  

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years, prayerfully I'll be done with my degree, married, starting a family life.  I pray that God will continue to bless my music career and ministry, and expand it to include a media entity that produces theological books, poetry, and music.  Maybe eventually I'll come back to school to pursue a Ph.D. or realign myself with the academy.  I also hope to get certified in Yoga at some.  We'll see.   

When your career is all said and done, how would you like to be remembered?