“The 5 Album” Explained

“The 5 Album” What is it, When is it, and Why is it?

Yesterday when I was at WalMart picking up a well priced electronic I had a friend and supporter of mine ask me when is The 5 Album coming out? Will the new song “Supa Star” be on there? It is a good question and I get a lot of people asking me from time to time why I’m throw up the 5 when I take pictures. So here it is I will try to be as succinct as possible. But with that said there is some back story so I will lay it all out.

In 2009 it had been roughly four years since I was active in my hip hop ministry and as far as I was concerned that chapter in my life had ended. I sold my Korg Triton and was focusing more on my family and trying to be a better dad and husband. That same year I was laid off from my day job which obviously dealt a finical blow to our house hold income. It wouldn’t have been that bad but little did I know that my unemployment would go on for almost a whole year. That time of long term unemployment hurts a lot financially. Between looking for jobs and getting more involved with my church I was feeling led back into my music ministry. There came a point after multiple job interviews and plenty of rejection I knelt on my living room floor and ask the Lord what do you want me to do? I couldn’t find a job and it was frustrating. The Lord spoke to my heart clearer than ever that day on my living room floor he simply said “Serve Me”.

In the past being a young couple with no kids I was able to sink my own money into my music and it was no big deal. Now having two young children it’s a little different. I can’t drop 300 bucks on a studio session because the money is already spoken for not to mention being laid of from work there was NO extra money to work with. I told the Lord I will serve him in ANY capacity that he sees fit. It was about a week or two after that my associate pastor came up to me and said “Hey we have this thing called Children’s Church and we’re wondering if you would be interested in being involved with it?” My wife and I agreed it would be a great thing to do and our kids where at that age so it worked perfectly. So what does all this have to do with The 5 Album? Well I was out of work and the Lord said serve me and I said ok. It wasn’t soon after that, that doors begin open for my music. I soon did a show with Ambassador and Da Truth then I was ask to fly out to Texas to be on Daystar TV, next thing you know the national syndicated talk show host Brant Hansen was having me on his show every week to freestyle! The music I was doing was from 2004 so I was like Lord I really need to get some newer beats. Within days of taking that to the Lord I was able to purchase several beats for close to nothing and was on a roll to a new album. But this time things were going to be different. They had to be because my paradigm had changed and so did my finances. So with local show opportunities popping back up like flowers in the spring I was able to go back into the studio. After nine months of unemployment I was back into the work force, volunteering heavily at church and doing my music ministry. After buying a few more beats I needed to keep all this stuff on my computer in a folder. On a whim I called the folder 5 because it would be the fifth studio project I have recorded. Then like anything creative I sat back and said hmm I like how that sounds …and “The 5 Album” was born. My music had always been heavily lyrical and east coast in nature so with this revitalization of my music ministry I wanted to try something new musically so the first track I recorded was a more up tempo track called “He Changed Me” featuring Keith Torres. Then I started work on the next single which at that time was called “Going Ham”. Well, needless to say that title was changed to what you all know now as “Stand On It”. There is a long story behind that which I may blog about another time. Doing things different this time meant going slowing and believing God for 100% of the funds for my project. This is what I continue to do and I won’t make a move unless God provides the way. So to date 2010 I recorded “He Changed Me” 2011 I recorded and releasead and AWESOME video (Thank you Brandon Martinez and EVERYONE else) for “Stand On It” and now in 2012 I am set to release my third installment titled “Supa Star”. Back in the day I would go into the studio and drop songs as fast as possible to save money and get more songs recorded. This time I have chosen to take my time on each track as God provides and make it the best I can and produce quality over quantity.

So when will “The 5 Album” come out? I have no idea but, God does and that is 100% ok with me. I am just taking it one song at a time and recording them to the best of my ability as the Lord provides. I currently have somewhere between 15 to 20 songs I have produced and written. The Lord has never stopped giving me material to write about and I have no reason to believe he ever will. So next time you see me throw up that 5 on a pic you know what’s up, where it came from, and what’s it all about.

#The5Album

What I believe

> I believe that Jesus is the only way to God!
> I believe in giving alter calls and leading people to Christ.
> I believe in one on one discipling. I believe it is the obligation of every Christ following Christian to be discipling others.  It is our obligation to grow the Church universal as oppose to a local congregations.
> I believe in the Holy Spirit and I believe he speaks to our hearts and minds and that we are to obey his prompting without question.
> I believe in fasting and praying to necessitate our only true need which is God.
> I believe that God’s greatest blessing (After Salvation) is the fruit of the Spirit.
> I believe that God has the power to do whatever he wants and that NOTHING is impossible for God.
> I believe in the doctrine of the trinity.
> I believe in the concept of “compatibilism” which in a nut shell says God is Sovereign but man is responsible for his decisions.
> People often play their faith close to the vest but I felt lead by the Holy Spirit to make this declaration of my Faith to let you know what I personally believe on some of these more talked about issues.  There are plenty of other topics to touch on and maybe later I will but this is what I feel led to post about as of right now.  I encourage everyone to study and better understand and define what you believe.  One of my favorite resources is “Bible Doctrine” by Wayne Grudem.  Thanks for reading this God bless, JDUB

Mutha ****** in the Red jacket (Risk and reward of spreading the Gospel)

Those who know me, know I am very “evangelistic”.  I kind of don’t even like that term because it seems to say that you can be a Christian and not be “evangelistic” which if you have ever read the great commission in Mathew 28:16-20, I’m not sure how you can come to that conclusion?

Matthew 28:16-20

New International Version (NIV)
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Over my years of serving the Lord I have made it my mission to fulfill this commandment and all the requirements of Jesus to the best of my ability.  I have always served in my local church in some capacity and of course, I do my music ministry, but even in every 9 to 5 day job it is always my goal to encourage and share the gospel.  One of the exciting things about my music ministry is it has taken me to many different places geographically and culturally.  These events are fun and challenging as it is always my desire not to just entertain, but to spread God’s message of the love and salvation through Jesus.  It was at one of many street corner out-reaches that, like many times, hours before the event you go around to the local neighborhood and hand out flyers.  This one particular event I was doing for a friend of mine Tony P.  Love this dude, man of God and a great talent (look out for his Christmas Album droppin this year).  We were putting on a show for the church that he was attending at that time in Riviera Beach, FL.  So, we are out on the street corner passing out flyers when I heard some yelling from afar.  I didn’t pay it any attention for many reasons.  But, I kept hearing someone say “Hey, hey you” then there came a turning point.  The words “Hey you, Mother ****** in the red jacket!”  Well, at that point I stopped handing out flyers and slowly looked down….ah man, yep I was wearing my red jacket!  As I slowly turned around I saw this nice young man about 6’2” 200 pounds with dreads and some gold fronts steadily walking right at me …oh how I wish I wore by blue jacket that day, LOL.  But, none the less this was going down, the confrontation was intense and the scow on his face made Ice-Cube look like Minnie-Mouse!  Growing up I was raised to fight.  My older brother Jeremy taught me a few things and one of them was, if you aren’t ready and willing to fight at the drop of a dime then you aren’t a man.  So, he trained me to do that.  Even at the age of six he would put me in fights with neighborhood kids to help “strengthen” me.  I will never forget one fight that he arranged with the local terror “Andy” The kid ate grass and cursed so much he could make a sailor say “wow you curse a lot”.  He was that kid that just everybody was kind of afraid of and partly because he appeared to be a little crazy.  But, none the less my brother set this fight up and it was on.  Surrounded by the older kids cheering us on it was go time.  And as I fought for dear life I was surprised that I laid a couple of good hits and he went down.  So, in order to make sure he didn’t get back up and kick my butt I pounced on him and was throwing haymakers for dear life.  Then my brother stopped the fight put Andy on top of me and said now fight!  Talk about having the wind taken out of your sails!  Well, I tell you this story to let you know I have been in many fights and I know what the tension feels like when someone is about to swing on you.  Getting back to my story, that day on the street corner this dude was creeping with a purpose and his intensity and body language said I’m about to split your junk!  So, as I turned around I stood inches from this guy I said, “Well, we’re doing a Christian hip-hop show at this church right here and I’m handing out flyers, here is a flyer if you would like to come.”  His countenance went from the look of death to a child of innocence and he said “Oh, I always wondered what it was they did over there.”  As the Holy Spirit intervened and I escaped a face full of fist by inches I was thankful.  I can’t remember if he came to the show that night, but many others did and the truth was proclaimed.  As we put ourselves out there for the Gospel sake we take a risk.  The risk may be bodily harm or social awkwardness but whatever the situation may hold, doing the work God has called ALL of his believers to do is well worth it!  Some one took that risk when they told my older brother Jeremy about the Gospel and he got saved and he led me to the Lord and eventually my entire family would become born again believers.  No matter what the risk may be for spreading the Gospel, take it, take it ….. TAKE IT!

The Power of Forgiveness

I know the power of forgiveness first hand.  If you are a born again Christian you understand and believe that Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins.  I think everyone would agree that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection was nothing short of powerful!  What power it took for him to live a perfect life and what power it took for him to take upon himself the penalty for our sins.  It took great power.  As he looked down from the cross he said “Forgive them Father because they don’t know what they are doing!”  Wow!

It takes a lot of power to forgive but, forgiveness itself holds tremendous power.  When I  was a freshmen in college I just got married and was excited about where God was going to take me in life and use me.  I was working in a restaurant in West Palm Beach, FL and going to school full time.

In September, a week after my birthday, I’ll never forget it because my totally awesome, amazing, blessed, newlywed wife threw me the FRESHEST surprise birthday party with all my homies, MC’s, from south Florida, good times!  Well a week after that still really feeling on cloud nine, I was at work in the restaurant extremely late doing what they call closing.  It was probably about 12 or 1 in the morning.  At the end of the night the typical routine is that you lock all the doors, blast the music and start cleaning up.  I was up front vacuuming finishing up my responsibilities and I heard a funny noise.  It sounded like someone trying to talk with a sock in his mouth but, I figured it was just the guys back in the kitchen or something.  Then, I heard it again, this time I looked up to see if someone was talking.  At first I didn’t know what to make of it. I looked up and saw a tall skinny dude rockin a ski mask with one of those funny balls on top and I thought it was just one of the guys from the kitchen being silly so I kind of laughed but, between the music blaring and the vacuum running I couldn’t make out what he was saying then I looked at his hand and he was holding a gun pointed straight at my face.  That’s when I put two and two together and said, hey this might not be a joke.  As he approached me I gave him my wallet and he put the gun to my head and then took out a knife and put it to my throat and pushed me to walk to the back.  At first I was like, well are you gonna shoot me or stab me, but you really don’t need to do both! I ain’t gonna lie, I was scared to death as we got closer to the back he took his knife and cut the phone cord keeping the gun to the back of my head he had me kneel on the kitchen floor. In the kitchen everybody, except my manager, was face down with their hands behind their heads.  Then, things got worse, my manager showed up, his body came flapping to the ground and his face was covered in blood.  It was at that point I started to put this thing in God’s hands.  I will never forget my prayer.  I asked God for his help and his deliverance, then I said, “Lord if I don’t make it out of this alive please take care of my wife.”  It was only seconds after that (which felt like an eternity) that I saw my managers eyes open! Praise God he wasn’t dead!  They just had beaten him pretty bad and head injuries cause a lot of blood loss.  After he opened his eyes he got up and found that the guys were gone.

The deliverance was great, but that is only half the story.  Up until this incident I didn’t really believe the things you see in movies were people have flash backs and post traumatic syndrome and all that, I always figured they just played that stuff up for the movies and never really understood it. But, the mind scars that that event left with me were deep and I had a real issue with paranoia and started carrying a knife around with me at all times and if someone came up behind me I’d reach for it.  It was real ugly but it came to a head one night at work when I was in the back and as real as you or me I saw my attacker come through the back door.  I jumped to the floor and then when I looked up and saw nobody else was ducking for cover I realized it was just in my head.  Over the next few days I continued to take it to the Lord in prayer.  Sometimes in life you may have the blessing of hearing in your heart/head a small still voice that tells you what to do.  This was one of those times and I knew the Lord was speaking to my heart.  He told me I needed to forgive them.  I was caught up in revenge, I carried the knife not only to protect myself but deep down I wanted to repay my attacker for what he did to me.  But, as the Lord spoke to me in my heart I knew that if I ever met my attacker in person I had to tell him “I forgive you.”  Once  I committed to this and I gave him sincere forgiveness in my heart I felt the burden and paranoia lifted off my heart like nothing I ever felt.  I was FREE, and man it felt good.  Now, if someone came up behind me no longer was I ready to stab him, but I was ready to forgive him and even hug him to show him the love of Christ.  When I tell you that I was trapped until I forgave him that’s exactly how I felt trapped.  But, as soon as I gave him forgiveness I felt free.  Now that is true power.  The power of forgiveness.  Thank you Jesus, you are so AWESOME!

All About the Kingdom!

Last Tuesday I did a performance/outreach at Inlet Grove High School.  This is a public high school in Riviera Beach FL.  Riviera Beach also known locally as the “Raw” or Raw-viera Beach has been host to BET’s Spring Bling.  This type of environment is nothing new to me, in fact I find it quite comfortable and a connection with the students and culture.  But with that said you never know how your music and message will be received or if it will be received at all.  I go into each environment submitted to God seeking his guidance and grace for each occasion asking that His Word be heard.  After prayer and preparation the day came.  For all of you that don’t know me my music ministry is something I do above and beyond my day job and my part time job as a children’s’ pastor at my church.  As I skirt off from work on an extended lunch break I don’t have much time to waist.  I have less than 20 minutes to do some form of sound check and get going. The stage was huge it was a theatrical auditorium.  So looking on the bright side if anything it would be a fun stage to perform on!  But as I sit back stage you start to hear the kids filing in.  The doubts start to race through my mind would they be feeling it or just stare at me like a deer in the headlights?  Then Raheem introduces me, I have to give props to Raheem.  There were many men and women from the school’s First Priority Club that helped to put the event together but Raheem had been my main contact.  We first connected at a show I did a year earlier.  He is a mature young man who loves the Lord and gave his all to make the event happen.  As he introduced me I walk out with my best swag and gave it my all.  Not only did 200 students come out on their lunch but they were on point!  Shouting back lines they had never heard you can tell the crowd was hiphop and the connection was instant.  I only did two songs and then shared my testimony.  If you know anything about me I am all about evangelism, bring the Word to the people!  After sharing my story (my testimony) I did a song called “The Key” then I presented the Gospel and asked for a show of hands if there was anyone in the audience that wanted to give their life to Jesus.  One by one hands started popping up all over the crowd.  I get shivers even typing this thinking back to last week one by one more and more hands went up.  After that I lead them in a prayer of Salvation. Yea, I know some people got beef with that, well guess what… I DON’T CARE!  After it was said and done I invited those who prayed to come down to the alter (the front of the stage) and receive a free Bible and fill out a spiritual birth certificate.  The certificate helps commemorate and follow up. There was 27 kids at that “public” high school that day that dedicated their lives to the Kingdom and that’s what I’m all about!

Lyrics for “Stand On It”

DJ Morph: Ok Ok OK ya man JDUB is back, Higher Innerprize Productions baby, We gon stand on it, Yea

Hook: I’ma stand on this track, I’ma stand on this track, I’ma stand on this track, I’ma stand on this track. I do it for the LORD and aint no holding back, I”ma stand on it, YEA

Verse 1:

I’ma, I’ma, I’ma, stand on it (stand on it) don’t just want to land on it praying I can slam on it.  Like I was Jordan and Pippen fresh out the Dream Team but, this aint no dream see Christ is my reality. Casualties happen because of my human frall-ities excuse me I mean frailities all I know is sin disease racing through my body like Tron in the movie Legacy. Hard to see me J-D-U-B kicked out of school once kicked out of school twice.  Had a problem with fighting because I use to like to fight but, the problem was deeper because my mind wasn’t right so every teacher that tried to reach me just couldn’t do it right. Until the very night I met that teacher called Christ.  Now I hold nothing back take a stand on this track.  Disrespected for the LORD but I count it all stacks.  Take a stand on it, YEA

Hook

Verse 2:

Now I’ma cut it thick, and go all out.  One life and this is my title bout.  All or nothing that’s what I’m about.  Go ahead and doubt me I will never bow out.  I will never tap out.  I will never bow down.  I will never say never because I don’t like the sound.  I’m storing up gems in my heavenly crown so keep all the possessions and the paper you found. Can’t take a none with when I die to be with my Father my Savior that be coming right quick.  Quicker than the lycs I spit from my lips so its time to grow up you tiny little Jits confess and admit you need to repent no time to be waisting so do it right quick that move is slick more than Rick now you know what makes me tick.  Try my God that makes me trip, love my God that makes me flip more than acrobatic tricks because I’m all about the fix Jesus gives us for our sins and that’s why I let him in and I’m all about it man and that’s why I take a stand.

Hook

Bridge:

Now it’s time to take a stand.  (man up) Let a man be a man.  Represent you Lord Jesus Christ hold nothing back and give you all tonight (repeat)

Hook

We’re living high for the Lord and his mighty power as is says in Ephesians 6:10 “A final word be strong in the Lord and his mighty power”

The Stories I don’t get to hear!

This is Alyssia Slappey aka A-Slap. I was blessed with the chance to hear her story and how my ministry had impacted her.  In 2009 I performed for her High School First Priority Bible Club.  She said until that time she didn’t even know there was such a thing as “Christian” rap/hip-hop.  After hearing my music she felt led to start writing spoken word and looked into the other Christian hip-hop that was out there.  She found out about Lecrae and the many more artist that are repping Christ to the fullest with hip-hop music.  Alyssia grew up loving hip-hop but the worldly content influenced her and encouraged her to make bad decision like smoking weed and being down for whatever.  After giving her life to Christ she wanted to do way with that life style so she did away with hip-hop and listened to only worship music and Christian rock, but admitted she still loved hip-hop and missed the lyricism and rhythmic beat.  After seeing my performance at her public school she was blessed, and said “That’s something I can see my self riding out to.  And if you drop the beat the lyrics have depth and Godly meaning.”  It is now 2012 and she said she always wanted to tell me about the influence I had in her life and she got the chance to this past Saturday when we met up at a performance I did at Treasure Fest an event held in Port St. Lucie, FL.  It is a blessing to hear these stories and how you never know who you are going to impact, or what kind of impact you have.  Often times I question if I should continue my music or if I am even having an impact all. Am I just following my own blind ambition and passion for hip-hop music (just being real with you).  But every once in a while someone will come up to me and share his/her God story of how the hip-hop music ministry was able to reach them, speak to them, and impact them in a way other music was not able too.  I am sure God has a reason that some stories get shared with me and others don’t but, when they do it is humbling and truly the biggest reward I could EVER receive from doing my music.  My prayer is that my music continues to point people toward JESUS and nothing else.  Thank you Alyssia (A-slap) for sharing with me.  I pray God continues to use you and you passions for His glory.

In Christ,

JDUB