ATLANTA (AP):Yung Joc appears on stage for a performance as an assembly of youth swarms towards his direction, screaming at the top of their lungs.
Only this time, the rapper delivers a message nothing like his raucous songs I Know You See It, Dope Boy Magic, or his smash hit It's Goin' Down.
"I'm not trying to be a preacher, but God is real in my life," he says, while his two-year-old son and five-year-old daughter stood near him at an event called Exodus, a soulful revival for youths.
After Joc's testimony, the host of the event, Corey 'CoCo Brother' Condrey, asked everyone to pray for the rapper. Many in attendance dropped to their knees or stood, tossing their hands towards the sky.
This was a scene Condrey, who created the event, had longed to see. He had set up a platform to marry hip hop and gospel together through his nationally syndicated radio show, 'The Spirit of Hip-Hop' and the yearly event Exodus. Condrey was using well-known rappers for their celebrity status, putting them in the forefront to spread the gospel to the youth.
Instilling Jesus
"We're trying to instil Jesus into them," the Atlanta-based disc jockey said. "We're making it cool, fly and showing them how they can go to their schools among their friends and love the Lord. And, it's coming from people who they can relate to."
On his radio show, Condrey has held interviews and prayer sessions with rappers such as 50 Cent, Ludacris, Kanye West and Young Jeezy. The show has also featured guest appearances from gospel stars such as Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams and Smokie Norful.
"I've been through a lot of different things," 50 Cent said on the show. "I feel like God is the only reason why I'm strong enough to get through those situations."
Exodus, a free event, has grown over the last three years, drawing between 3,000 and 7,000 fans. Condrey has changed the venue of the event each time, holding it once at a nightclub, a church and recently a skating rink.
After all, it's also an opportunity for fans to see their favourite artistes.
Controversial hit
"That's how we reach them," says Bone Crusher, who performed a rock-infused version of gospel. He is also known for his controversial hit Never Scared, which drew attention for its vulgar lyrics at an Atlanta Falcons home game a few years ago.
"To reach those type of kids, you have to go into the gutter and get them out of (difficulty). Yes, some of it is unorthodox and derogatory. But it's something I have to do to get the people out."
Certainly, hip hop could use the good publicity, especially since the genre has been under increased scrutiny for its sometimes misogynistic and violent lyrics. LL Cool J believes the hip-hop industry can benefit from rappers offering their spiritual testimonies to their fans. He hopes if that does happen, mainstream radio will embrace it.
"For popular artistes to go down and speak to kids about God, righteousness and love for God is great," rapper LL Cool J said. He recorded a the rap gospel-type track We're Gonna Make It featuring gospel duo Mary Mary off his 2006 album, Todd Smith.
"Especially, when the kids actually respect the artiste and maybe seeing a topic in different aspect," he adds.
But Minister Orlando Bethel calls Condrey and the rappers' actions hypocritical. He thinks youth shouldn't be taught about God by rappers such as Joc, who is currently facing a felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in December last year.
"There are people who say they're saved, and they're living in sin and think it's OK," said Bethel, who protested against the event along with 15 others. "Then there is another category of people that are not saved. That's not right."
Some from the gospel industry think otherwise. Dr. Bobby Jones, host of the long-running BET gospel show bearing his name, says he has mixed thoughts about how non-churchgoers receive the message but is open to mainstream rappers speaking more about their relationship with God.
"I think it's very narrow-minded for someone to categorise an other one's relationship with their spirituality," says Jones. "Who are we to say what's right or wrong about what somebody develops? It doesn't matter if five minutes ago someone sang about the love of their life in a very intimate position, then the next five their talking about their love of Jesus Christ."
