The Vine News

You are saved, but you still like hip hop. You enjoy the crisp percussion – familiar and stirring, enticing you to move with the beat. Thunderous bass feels good as it vibrates the room and your seat. You listen for fresh mixes and samples; you enjoy the clever rapping of the emcee.

Check the Billboard.com hip hop charts, and you will find the likes of Kid Cudi, Boosie, and Eminem representing the cutting edge of hip hop, all produced with captivating, irresistible tracks, all impeccably mastered. And they all drop profanity bombs like acid rain.

They redefine misogyny on almost every track. You would think that a demon wrote Eminem’s lyrics as he flows about rape, torture, and drug and alcohol abuse.

Two hip hop artists in the DC area came together in 2006 offer an alternative. They are local hip hop legends, and both are dedicated to spreading the gospel over tracks of the same quality you’ll hear on the radio. The Outcome was written and performed by Thurman Custis (aka ASON, as in a Son of God, or Big Sonny) and Shawn Broadnax (aka Riff-Raff).  Ason is the youth pastor of Capital Christian Fellowship in Lanham, MD and a Holy Hip Hop Music Awards Honoree.  Riff Raff is a rap veteran and a serial entrepreneur with companies like Reach Movement Networks, Inc. (formerly Penn Avenue Records).

Don’t think of these brothers as holy hip hop artists or Christian rappers. They are hip hop artists who believe in Jesus Christ and try to walk in His ways.

Their belief in Christ influences their music and prevents them from producing impurities like those topping the charts. They are in the business of ensuring that righteous hip hop is available to inspire fans, Christian or not.

“The blessings of the Lord make a person rich and he adds not sorrow with it,” says Proverbs 10:22.  On the “Been Blessed” track from The Outcome, Riff Raff raps ,“Oh yes, I’m blessed/ and ain’t showin’ off, God’s good, must confess/ Came out of a rough hood, thus the stress/ Thank God for a couple of grand, learned to invest…”  Riff Raff and Ason tag-team on this prosperity beat with a flow reminiscent of Run-DMC.

Ason flows the hook, “It feels good to have change in my pocket/ Bring the truck home ‘cause I ain’t afraid to park it/ Pick the phone up, don’t matter who’s call/ I’ve been blessed y’all, I been blessed y’all.” “Been Blessed” is crisp, with a new jack groove that’s good to the ear and the mind.  It is representative of the other 15 tracks: bold, clever, and festive.

Visit Ason’s website at www.bigsonny.com and Riff Raff at www.reachmovement.com.

Visit DCGospelBlog.com for more of Brother Love’s reviews.  Need a gospel artist for your event or service?  E-mail BrotherLove@gospelimpressions.com.