One more thing to say about Cross Movement,
Since I promised to give some explanation to who they are and what they do. Let me break it down like this and tell you through my story.
I was first introduced to hip-hop music when I was seven years old in 1984, when my foster brother introduced me to the radio station 1580 KDAY, in Los Angeles. I started listening to rappers such as UTFO, Run DMC, Doug E Fresh, and LL Cool J. In short, I was hooked. I was later enthralled by the cult film, Crush Groove, and even had my own pair of Addidas with thick shoe-laces and all (at least I think I had Addias, they may have been Diadoras or Pumas). It was in 1987 I started hearing of more underground groups, some vulgar, like 2 Live Crew, and Too Short, and some, of an entirely new phenomenon called gangsta rap, local products out of Ruthless Records, such as N.W.A., Easy E, and the DOC. Slowly, I became not just a fan of rap music. I became rap music. I began writing rhymes, heading up dancing crews, and sometimes deejaying a few parties. Eventually I had the desire to even become a radio deejay. Music was my life.
It was in college that I began listening to the messages in the music very intently, and even gaining my clues for social acceptance and attitudes towards authority, women, and "enemies" as well. It was while listening to a song by 2Pac that I recall turning to my roommate and asking, "do you want to try and get high?" And from there the cycle really began spiraling downward. I became infatuated with not only the sound of the music, but the messages in the words. I was a walking contradiction, going to church, on Sundays, immediately after leaving the party scene on Saturday. "My life is in denial/and when I die/baptized in eternal fire/shed so many tears," 2Pac.
When I gave my life to Christ in 1997, I had an experience that changed my life dramatically. Immediately I began ridding myself of the things that I was aware of that was hindering my walk with Christ. I stowed away all of my hip-hop CDs waiting to hear from the Lord what I should do with them. We're talking like 200 CDs here! It was a matter of months before I gained the courage through the help of some friends at a Christian retreat camp that I had a "music bash", destroying all of my CD collection, except my two Kirk Franklin CDs. I even felt the need to get rid of my Motown collection. "distant lover...," Marvin Gaye.
Someone introduced me to a Christian hip-hop group called GRITS, and I listened to that tape at least twice a day. It was the only connection I had-- a hybrid of the style of music I most loved, and the message that brought life. I began investigating and buying Christian hip-hop CDs by the droves. I was pretty indiscriminate in this process until I heard a group, on accident. I bought a CD called Heaven's Mentality, by this East Coast group called Cross Movement, as part of a Christmas promotional package. The sound was different than my preference, but having relocated to the Southeast, by now my style preferences became more diversified. What grabbed me the most was the depth of the content paired with beats and skill that rivaled even secular artists. Now I was hooked! "like, what's this new thing/looking like a Christian Wu-Tang/my crew hangs loosely/ but we tied tighter than a shoe-string," Phanatik.
Since then I have become an extreme advocate for CM, trying to tell any unbelievers that doubt the relevance of the Gospel, "yo listen to this;" and to the believer who has been trying to find a music to replace their old idols, "yo, listen to this!" So in short, I promote Cross Movement, because they promote Christ to the fullest, and in a day when our entire culture is being influenced by this sub-culture and musical genre called hip-hop, we need this. Recently our church purchased a bulk order of 25 evangelistic CDs at $3 a piece from Cross Movement called, The Track. With joy I encourage you to consider this ministry resource to reach young people (meaning those 30 and younger) with this evangelistic tool. It is blazing in content, consisting of both songs and discussion over the need of Christ. So, I may finally calm down some of my promo on this blog, but I wanted you to all know some of the in-depth reasoning behind some of my apparent obsession with this record label and ministry. "I'm a F.A.N.A.T.I.C/I rep' Christ 'till I d.i.e./ I'm not extreme, I'm redeemed with faith/ to serve a God who's extremely great/ I'm a fanatic," Lecrae
--Phil 3:13-14
