Review: This Is JP by JP
(Bomb In Gilead)
Kirk Franklin, watch out. There’s a new guy in town, and his debut is hotter than Miami in the summertime. His name is JP, and his Bomb In Gilead release, This Is JP, features a song called Sanctified, sampling The Isley Brothers’ Between The Sheets. Sanctified is the jam! JP is attempting to reach people who don’t necessarily like rap music, and the pervading gangsta mentality it’s known for, with rap that’s positive, upbeat, and most importantly, danceable.
"There are hundreds of thousands of young Christians who enjoy the beat of rap music, but they don’t know that there is a growing Christian rap industry because it isn’t given much airplay on contemporary Christian radio," says JP. "The kids I minister to would listen to more Christian rap if they knew that more of it existed. My vision is to reach ‘at risk’ teens through gospel rap by introducing them to the Word of God in the form of music that they can relate to." So what’s a rapper to do? Smartly, JP borrows the beats from classics like K.C. & The Sunshine Band’s "That’s The Way I Like It," The Isley Brothers’ "For The Love Of You," and The Ohio Players’ "Love Rollercoaster," re-working their instantly recognizable riffs into his raps. Hey, if secular rappers can reach millions sampling great music from the past, isn’t it about time there was a Christian rapper in on the action?
JP is a college graduate, with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s of divinity. His lyrics are thoughtful and Christ-centered. He currently serves as an associate minister to young people in Los Angeles, Calif. To order his CD, which I highly recommend, go to www.thisisjp.com, or e-mail wami5417@mindspring.com. I’ll leave you with this thought: It’s very rare that a "Christian rap" CD is this good. Ya gotta get it!
