I love music. I started building a collection when I was 16 and R B was my thing Not for me the whole East Coast/West Coast debate. I'm afraid the whole Tupac/Biggie thing passed me by.
I was too busy listening to Brian Mcknight and Boyz to Men. The only hip-hop albums I had (if you can call them that) are MC Hammer's greatest hits and all of Ma$e's albums (I love Mase). I had practically every R B group male album there was.
I had every Boyz to Men album, every Shai album (yes they had more than one), every KCI and Jo-Jo album (Jodeci were a bit to raw for me, though I loved their second album), I had Hi-5, Public Annoucement, Silk, After 7, Ruff Endz, every Brian Mcknight album, Sam Salter, Jesse Powell - you name it, if it was some slow love song kind of thing, I had it. I also represented with the women, Brandy, Mya, Whitney, (never got into Janet), Monica, 702 (where my girls at)..
..you name it, and I'd probably bought it.
Every random feeling I'd ever had, there some r b song somewhere that expressed how I felt better than I could - long distance relationship, put on Brian Mcknight Anytime ( do I ever cross your mind...
..) break-up, how about Boyz to Men, its so hard to say goodbye, or, if you were the clingy type, put on Please don't go away.
One of my friends once said to me that she used to worship to the song End of the Road by Boyz to men. She said she would put off her lights, lie in her bed, and put the song on repeat. She recounted this to me many years later, laughing as she said to me that to this day she has no idea who she was at the end of the road with, but that's just how the song was doing her.
My experience of this particular song was shouting at my stereo at the imaginary girl that Michael (of the amazing baritone) was talking to, screaming Go back to him, mumu!! That is the power of music and a deep rich voice.
I first got into gospel music when I heard the song Stomp by Kirk Franklin on the radio. I still remember where I was, I was in Rhode Island, and going to some really bad amusement park (if you can call it that) called Rocky Point. There were a whole bunch of us in a bus, and suddenly this song comes on the radio, and its a gospel song, the first thing you hear is Kirk Franklin saying "For those of you who think gospel music has gone too far, you think we've gotten too radical with our message, well I got news for you, you ain't seen nothing yet, Glory, Glory".
It was a bold proclamation, and boy was it true. That song was played eveywhere that summer, it was top of the charts, not just the gospel ones, but the regular charts as well. I duly bought the album (or asked my dad to buy it for me) listened to it a couple of times, and then continued on my merry r b way.
The next gospel album that caught my attention was Pages of Life by Fred Hammond. Now this album changed my life, again I remember where I was when I heard it. I was in Atlanta and I was being given a lift by by uncle's friend back to my uncle's house, and it was on his CD player, the song playing was called I wanna know your ways, the lyrics "I wanna know your ways, so I can please you more and more each day, each and everyday, I lift my hands and say, I want to be more like you.
.". I went to the CD shop the next day and bought it, it was 18 dollars, and I still have it.
There is a difference between good music and God music, and as a Christian, I think that the difference is the anointing - the power of God that gospel singers are operating in. Or, more simply put, with good music, you know the love songs and the like, that speaks to your mind, maybe your body, God music, it speaks to your heart, it speaks to your soul, words of life, renewal, healing. To my mind anyone can sing gospel music, but not everyone is anointed to sing it.
There are people who who can really sing, but its just someone with a good voice singing all the right words, there's no power behind it. A lot of r b singers were raised in the church and on their normal albums there is sometimes one song that's a gospel song, now after listening to 10 or more tracks talking about what not, what can that last song do that would minister to anyone? To my mind not much, it just makes the project confusing and the artist seem like he's hedging his bets.
I should note here, that I don't just like gospel music, and God music isn't just gospel, every kind of music seems to be represented in christiandom nowadays, there's Christian jazz (ben tankard, kirk whalum), Christian rock (Switchfoot, DC Talk, Mercy Me), Christain rap (Verbs, Cross Movement, Grits). Any genre you like, its represented, and believe me there's a difference between this type of music and the other. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself.
In case anyone wants to broaden their experience of Gospel Music, or give it a try for the first time, here's my top ten must-have gospel albums
1. Pages of Life by Fred Hammond (if you never buy another album, buy this, its seriously life-changing , featuring songs such as your steps are ordered, no weapon formed against me shall prosper, no way you won't lose and the amazing Blessed in the city)
2. Live in London by Donnie Mclurkin (songs such as I'll trust you Lord, Didn't you know, Great is your Mercy towards me, and We fall down)
3.
Lost and Found by Deitrick Haddon (this is some really cool hip-hop and r b music with a great message, songs such as Stand still and know that I am God- classic)
4. Throne Room by Cece Winans ( Designed to take you straight into God's throne room and one of the best worship albums out there, look out for We thirst for you, Come fill my heart)
5. Another Level by Israel Houghton (Amazing album, it will make you dance, it will make you shout, it will make you worship.
The aim was to get to another level in God and it did just that, look out for the now classic I am a friend of God, Take my breath away, To worship you I live)
6. I speak Life by Donald Lawrence ( This album mixes contemporary and traditional to great effect. Check out the lyrics to the song you covered me "You covered me, hand of protection around me, your grace and mercy covered me, I could have lost my mind, wanted to quit many times, but God what you ordained I'm a witness you will maintain.
..")
7 Mountain High Valley Low by Yolanda Adams (Now this was what they call a cross over album, but it didn't lose it's power - check out I open up my heart)
8.
Diary of a Psalmist by Marvin Sapp (Marvin Sapp has so many great albums that it was hard to know which one to pick, but this one wins it for the song you alone are God)
9. Out the Box by Tonex (If you think Christian music is boring and predictable, you need to listen to Out the Box by Tonex - its indescribable, you need to listen to believe, tonex was all about tearing down tradition and he succeeded on this album - highlight, make me over again)
10. The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin by Kirk Franklin - (Kirk has probably done more for gospel music than anybody else out there, rebirth was an amazing album with a new version of Awesome God that got everyone dancing )
Well that's it, my top ten, if you agree or disagree do let me know, also let me know if you want to know about the other genres out there.
If you've never given gospel music a try, take a chance on it, to use a cliche, you'll never be the same again...
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