Bert Barrett a/k/a "tOObiz"

 Now, when we examine the genre for what it is, we observe that there is a difference between "Rap" and "Hip Hop." Each of the terms refers to the style of music that features the rhythmic presentation of words (and parts of words) syncopated to a beat. However, the youth will tell you that when speaking of Hip Hop, you are much more strongly referring to the lifestyle that goes along with the music.

 This is where I have a major problem with the Hip Hop we hear everyday on the radio and see every day, on our most popular TV shows. The power of the media and music videos are used to suggest the lifestyle that goes along with the music. Most often, we find that the lifestyle that is suggested by the videos and the way that the artists carry themselves is one that is very materialistic, rude, sexual, disrespectful of people (especially women), drug-centric, and careless with regard to human life. For the sake of discussion, I will refer to this as "the negative lifestyle."

 Given the popularity of this music genre, it deserves our attention. Having examined it for years, I have determined that the promotion of the negative lifestyle and the images that are normally associated with the music is the area that needs the most fixing. We need to clean up the lyrical content of the songs as well because it is usually what the words are saying that the artist is acting out in the videos and in his or her life.

 Those of us who serve the Lord through Hip Hop have entered the fight to create a fair balance in mainstream Hip Hop, such that our youth have access to an equal balance of Hip Hop that promotes the negative lifestyle and that which promotes the positive.

 When you get into how the business works, you begin to see how certain promotional vehicles are set up to benefit those whom are cashing in on the 5 billion per year, while promoting the negative life style. Attempts to introduce our positive and Gospel Hip Hop are met with strong opposition and we are not allowed into the mainstream. Somehow, we must find a way to deliver the message to the youth when the normal delivery channels do NOT deliver. Somehow, we must find a way for the music to be served to the masses. Oh! And by the way, don't even think about radio stations that play strictly Christian music. For some reason, we are considered a different format than what they play. Even Christian music remains racially polarized, which sadly seems to contradict the word of God whom we know, is no respect of persons.

 OK, so now we are dealing with the nuts and bolts of basic marketing. We have a product for which there is proven demand. There is a whole lot of money out there but the access routes to it have been road-blocked. How do we proceed to carry out this aspect of the great commission, now that we have proven Hip Hop to be an effective tool for promotion of God's message of salvation?

 Some of us have determined that we will fight with the world to break down their roadblocks. For those, I wish them the best and will be the first to rejoice if they are successful. However, the Lord has shown me that it is far more fruitful for us to focus our energy on the establishment of a network of like-minded Christian (and otherwise positive) organizations to unite in building our own distribution chain.