Christian Rock Introduces Since October

                                  Artist: Since October
                                         Song: Beautiful (03:36)
                                         Genre: Rock
                                         CD: The EP
                                         Label: SRE

     Since October is a group of four guys who formed a band in October of 2003. Their mission is simple... to provide positive, Christian lyrics with a big mainstream secular sound, with hopes of making Christianity more appealing to a lost world. 

     Since starting the band, Since October has written, produced, and recorded 3 full-length albums and most recently a 10 song demo, that grabbed the attention of well-known record producer Travis Wyrick (P.O.D., 10 Years, Pillar, Disciple...) Since October now looks forward to their full length national release coming early 2006. 

     Our Mission: Since October has been called to attack the secular music world with their unique Christian music...to show the excitement and fulfillment that is found in Christ...and to re-ignite tired and run-down Christians.

Trust me—I don’t rap to hear myself, I don’t rap to be the best, and I don’t rap because I am seeking to get rich (or I would not be a Christian rapper).  I rap because there is probably no greater means of access to such a wide variety of listeners who tune in for the primary purpose of hearing what the MC has to say.  Since God has decided that He will save through the foolishness of what is verbally proclaimed, rap, for me as an evangelist, is the most well suited platform.  Thus, The Thesis, my latest CD release… let me explain it.

                              

To the pre-hip hop generation (pastors, parents, Christian gatekeepers, etc.) and the current hip hop community:

Meet a Missionary

As you seek to find out the truth behind Hip Hop I pray that you will let a missionary to the culture give you a social and biblical understanding of one of today’s most controversial and influential urban realities.  Inherent in my name is my function—Ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20).  Like all of God’s servants, I am a representative of his kingdom, sent out to communicate God’s biblical prescriptions and preferences.  Also, like all of God’s people, I display the marks of being part of a sub-cultural context.  Based on when and where I was born, my sub-cultural preference is biblically filtered hip hop culture.  When I say “hip hop culture” I do not refer to the wide array of unbiblical, unethical and immoral practices of many hip hoppers, but rather the neutral aspects of the culture (i.e. forms of artistic expression, slang, fashion, music flavor, etc.), which are subject to the person who is in control of them.  When Satan is in control of any of these components, then his agenda will be forwarded.  Place a Spirit-filled individual in the context of any of these components and the glory of God is reflected through the proper use of earthly resources.  Christians have always had to dwell within this tension—we are in the world but not of it (John 17:15-19).  As Israel did, we will look very much like our neighbors accept for where transformed by our theology.  Believers have always had the responsibility of not retreating, but rather penetrating godless societies to infuse them with biblical theology.  To insure that the whole world is reached, God burdens our hearts differently, and crafts our frames for different mission fields. 

Meet My Mission Field

            The hip hop community is one the most needy, yet one of the most neglected by the community of faith (the church).  Sadly this is often justified in the name of holiness, because at first glance it would seem noble to flee from such a godless people.  I plead with you to remember Jonah who was sent to preach repentance to the most aggressive, godless, and vicious people of his day.  Jonah did not want to go because he hated the people so much, but even more he knew that God had a tendency to forgive even the foulest group that repents.  “Ah Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country?  Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, One who relents from doing harm” (Jonah 4:1-2). Jonah wanted Nineveh judged, not saved.  Sometimes it seems like the church wants Hip Hop destroyed, not cleaned up, but God will have people from every culture worshipping Him before His throne. 

The Motivation for the Music

The Thesis is built on the premise that Hip Hop needs a robust witness of Jesus Christ.  Hip Hop has rarely seen one who unashamedly identifies with the people of God, while at the same time dwells among the hip hop community as an indigenous missionary.  One of the most beautiful scenes to witness is a person who is clearly of the hip hop persuasion in appearance, but is even more known for dominating Christ-likeness.  Faith does not negate culture, it informs, improves, and corrects it.  Therefore Hip Hop before Christ may be a mess, but Hip Hop in Christ can be as glorious as the treasure in clay pots (2 Corinthians 4:7).  There are efforts that I currently know of that encourage church people to evangelize hip hoppers only as long as the hip hoppers agree to forsake everything about hip hop culture.  Missionaries have been known to go to other countries to transmit Christianity only to transmit more than their theology, but also their cultural preferences.  The church is in danger of doing the same thing with regards to Hip Hop.  They are trying to give a new generation their Christian faith as well as their “church” culture.  Even worse, this narrow-mindedness often leads to a failure to accept the hip hoppers who are in Christ, and their ministry contributions.  This is a sad commentary, but even sadder, it’s not new.

As a hip hopper who has learned to sift this culture through the filter of Scripture, The Thesis is one way for me to address both the church and hip hop culture.  I want to see churches offer liberty where they can and unity where they should.  One of the attractions to the Nation of Islam for many hip hoppers is the fact that they embrace and esteem the hip hop generation and all their achievements.  They affirm the culture where they can, but the Nation of Islam still speaks out against things in hip hop that should be discouraged.  Sadly they understand Hip Hop better than the church and they promote a better integration of culture and faith than the church.  To overstate the case slightly, the church will make the hip hopper trade the MPC drum machine for a tambourine, the fitted cap for a bonnet, a baggy pair of cargos for a three-piece suit and street slang for church jargon.  This is most discouraging because as a Christian who clearly connected to hip hop, I see no inherent biblical glamour to these things.  These are cultural preferences that were meant to be freely enjoyed or denied.  We are to achieve unity of the faith, but not dress, dance style, lingo and the like.

I used the platform of a CD for multiple purposes and to reach a couple of audiences. 

• I wanted to display a biblically sifted hip hop understanding so that the church would become open to my counsel and the culture would become open to my message. 

• I wanted to explain the origins and essence of Hip Hop so that people would be able to distinguish between what Hip Hop is and what Hip Hop is used to promote.  There is a vast difference between what it was and what it has come to represent.   

• I wanted to admonish the people of the hip hop community since so much godlessness does exist in it.  I wanted to champion Christ’s rule in Christian Hip Hop and proclaim this as both an antidote and an alternative to what is provided in most secular Hip Hop.

• I sought to elevate the personal worth of Jesus Christ in the eye of the hip hop community. 

• I wanted to direct people’s attention to the root of hip hop’s problem, which is not the “hip” or the “hop”, but the heart.  The sinful condition of us all guarantees that when we come together with other sinners, godlessness is certain.  The only hope at this point is the gospel’s changing power.  That’s why in CM fashion the gospel is clear in The Thesis.

• My desire is that moms and kids could love this project’s message.  If Hip Hop is driving a cultural and generational wedge between parents, pastors, and young adults/youth, then some reconciliation needs to take place.  I pray this album can create an atmosphere for this kind of reconciliation.

A Mission’s Mindset

It is easy to abandon what you repels you, or demonize what you don’t like or understand.  However, the Great Commission does not afford the church that prerogative.  Some would rather throw Hip Hop out along with the sin that easily besets it rather to play catch-up in getting a proper understanding of it.   

As a whole, The Thesis follows an Isaiah 6 pattern.  There Isaiah lumps himself in with the unclean people of society, but God cleanses him.  Then God announces that He is looking for someone that He can send to the sinful society, And out of gratitude and inner zeal, Isaiah requests to be the ambassador sent to his people.  What you then have is the cleaned version going to the unclean version to proclaim the way to be cleansed.  The Thesis is the work of a hip hopper who has been cleansed by God’s grace, and who now has something to say to his natural surroundings. 

Check out The Thesis—Ambassador’s presentation of Christ to the culture  in order to present his culture to Christ.   Check out Ambassador's Audio E-card too!

In response to the great demand for fresh new wedding songs (and dances) for the special relationships honored at weddings, multiple Emmy Award-winning song writer, Gloria Sklerov and her partner Barbara Rothstein have focused their talents and their love for songwriting on this long neglected area of wedding music.

These fresh new songs honor stepparents as well as parents, the unity of families (including blended families with children) and mother/son and father/daughter relationships. Each of these songs is coupled with instrumental tracks for live performances.

Title tracks include:
"My Little Girl"-Father/Daughter
"When I Needed You Most"-For a stepparent, friend or mentor
"Yours, Mine, & Ours"- Uniting all family members including children
"You're My Hero"-For Dad
"The Man You've Become"-Mother/Son
"In Your Eyes"-For Mom
"I'm Blessed To Call You Mother"-For Stepmother

This is a great CD that Crossmix highly recommends. To get a copy of this CD, contact Music Concepts at (818) 783-8485 or write to them at 17404 Ventura Blvd. Suite 110 Encino, CA 91316

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Christian Artist Resource Page

The following is a comprehensive list of Christian Artists representing various genres of Christian Music which include Rock, Metal, Adult Contemporary, Pop, Urban Gospel (Southern & Urban), Salsa, Merengue, Reggaton, Raggae, Inspiration, Praise and Worship (English & Spanish), Celtic, Jazz & Blues, Children, Country and Bluegrass.
 

0 - 9

4HIM - Pop/Contemporary
12 Stones - Metal/Hard Rock

A

Acapella - AC
Adams, Yolanda - Urban Gospel
Afters, The - Pop/Contemporary
Agnew, Todd - Modern Rock
Alvarado, Juan Castro - Spanish Praise
Andrew, Patrick - Inspirational
Anointed - Pop/Contemporary
Asbury, Allen - Praise & Worship
Ashla - Pop/Contemporary
Astrid - Urban Gospel
Audio Adrenaline - Modern Rock
Avalon - Pop/Contemporary

B

B., Harold - Urban Gospel
Bady, Percy - Urban Gospel
Baloch, Paul - Praise & Worship
Barfield, Warren - Pop/Contemporary
Barlow Girl - Modern Rock
Barrientos, Marco - Spanish Praise
Barros, Aline - Spanish Praise
Baylor, Helen - Urban Gospel
Berrios, Danny - Spanish Praise
Blair, Ric - Celtic
Blind Boys of Alabama, The - Urban Gospel
Blud Bros - Blues
Boltz, Ray - Inspirational
Bowman, Tim - Jazz
Bratcher, Jimmie - Blues
Brennan, Moya - Celtic
Broken Yoke - Modern Rock

C

C., Vico - Spanish Reggaton
Caedmon's Call - Pop/Contemporary
Caesar, Shirley - Gospel
Camp, Jeremy - Pop/Contemporary
Campbell, Glen - Country
Campos, Alex - Spanish Praise
Card, Michael - Inspirational
Cardona, Charlie - Merengue
Carlisle, Bob - AC
Carman - Children & Youth
Carr, Kurt - Gospel
Casting Crowns - Pop/Contemporary
Castro, Christian - Merengue
Cedarmont Kids, The - Children & Youth
Ceili Rain - Celtic
Chapman, Gary - Country
Chapman, Steven Curtis - Pop/Contemporary
Chigger Hill Boys & Terri, The - Bluegrass
CHOZEN - Modern Rock
Christafari - Reggae
Chronos - Modern Rock
City On A Hill - Pop/Contemporary
Clark, Karen - Urban Gospel
Colon, Ezequiel - Spanish Praise & Salsa
Colon, Puchi - Salsa
Crabb Family, The - Southern Gospel
Cross Movement, The - Rap/Hip Hop
Cross The Sky Music - Children & Youth
Cruz, Bobby - Salsa
Cutlass, Frankie - Raggae

D

Daniels, Jessie - Pop/Contemporary
Daniel's Window - Modern/Alternative Rock
David Y Abraham - Salsa
DC Retu - Spanish Reggaton
Delirious? - Praise & Worship
Demon Hunter - Metal/Hard Rock
Dente, Christine - Pop/Contemporary
Dillon, Bethany - Pop/Contemporary
Dino - Instrumental
Doerksen, Brian - AC
Donut Man, The - Children & Youth
Downhere - Modern Rock

E

Easter Brothers, The - Bluegrass
Easter, Jeff & Sheri - Bluegrass
El, Lori - Urban Gospel
Electrics, The - Celtic
English, Michael - Modern Rock
Elms, The - Modern Rock
Evans, Darrell - Praise & Worship
Eve and the Garden - Celtic
Everyday Sunday - Modern Rock

F

Falling Up - Metal/Hard Rock
Fazal, Ruth - Instrumental
FFH - Inspirational
Flan, Andy - Inspirational
Foster, Steven - Instrumental
Franklin, Kirk - Urban Gospel
Froude, Karen - Southern Gospel

G

Gaither Vocal Band, The - Southern Gospel
Gardner, Sherwin - Reggae
Gee, Monty - Raggae
Gibson, Jon - R&B/Contemporary
God & I - Urban Gospel
Grant, Amy - Inspirational
Grant, Natalie - Pop/Contemporary
Green, Steve - Inspirational
Greene, Buddy - Southern Gospel
GRITS - Rap/Hip Hop
Groves, Sara - Pop/Contemporary
Groves, Shaun - Modern Rock
Guerra, Juan Luis - Merengue

H

Haller, Kim - Pop/Contemporary
Hammond, Fred - Urban Gospel
Harris, Larnelle - Inspirational
Hawk Nelson - Modern Rock
Heather Powers & Second Chance - AC
Howerton, Layton - AC
Hughes, Tim - Praise & Worship
Hunter, Andy - Rap/Hip Hop

I

Imisi - Reggae
Inner Flame - Blues
Isaacs, The - Bluegrass
Israel & The New Breed - Urban Gospel

J

Jars of Clay - Modern/Alternative Rock
Jody Brown Indian Family - Southern Gospel
Joel, Phil - Modern/Alternative Rock
Jonah33 - Metal/Hard Rock
Jones, Canton - Urban Gospel
Jonno- Jazz/Praise & Worship
Joshua Perahia The Band - Metal/Hard Rock
Jump 5 - Pop/Contemporary

K

Katinas, The - Praise & Worship
Kenoly, Ron - Urban Gospel
Kids in the Way - Modern/Alternative Rock
Killings, Debra - Urban Gospel
King, Marvin - Blues
KJ-52 - Rap/Hip Hop
Klassen, Eduard - Instrumental
Knapp, Jennifer - Modern/Alternative Rock
Kutless - Metal/Hard Rock

L

Lampa, Rachel - Pop/Contemporary
Lane, Tom - Praise & Worship
LaRue - Pop/Contemporary
Lavik, Jadon - Pop/Contemporary
L.A. Symphony - Rap/Hip Hop
Lawrence, Donald - Urban Gospel
Lee, Russ - Pop/Contemporary
Lewis Family, The - Bluegrass
Liang, Janice Tiffany - Urban Gospel

M

Mac, Toby - Pop/Contemporary
MacKenzie Trio, Kenny - Instrumental
Mansfield, Darrell - Rock
Maranatha Singers - Inspirational/Worship
Martins, The - Country
Mary, Mary - Urban Gospel
Mason, Babbie - Urban Gospel
Max, Kevin - Modern Rock
McClendon, Lisa - Urban Gospel
McClurkin, Donnie - Urban Gospel
McRaes, The - Southern Gospel
McRoberts, Justin - Pop/Contemporary
Medina, Oscar - Spanish Praise
Men of Standard - Urban Gospel
MercyMe - Pop/Contemporary
Miguel, Pedro - Spanish Praise, Salsa & Merengue
Miller, Abigail - Inspirational
Minter, Kelly - AC
Miss PattyCake - Children & Youth
Moen, Don - Praise & Worship
Molano, Ericson - Spanish Praise
Montero, Danilo - Spanish Praise
Montes, Manny - Spanish Rap & Hip Hop
Morgan, Trevor - AC
Mullen, Nicole C - Inspirational
Mullins, Rich - Pop/Contemporary
Murphy, Jim - Pop/Contemporary

N

Narnia - Metal/Hard Rock
Newsboys - Modern/Alternative Rock
NewSong - AC
Nordeman, Nichole - Pop/Contemporary
Norman, Bebo - Pop/Contemporary
Norman, Larry - Modern/Alternative Rock
Normandy - Metal/Hard Rock
Nuwine - Rap/Hip Hop

O

Oak Ridge Boys, The - Country
OC Supertones - Modern/Alternative Rock
Orquesta Inspiracion - Salsa
Orrico, Stacie - Pop/Contemporary
Out of Eden - Urban Gospel

P

Pace Sisters- Urban Gospel
Papa San - Raggae
Paris, Twila - Inspirational
Passion - Praise & Worship
Patillo, Leon - Urban Gospel
Patty, Sandi - Inspirational
Paul Colman Trio - Pop/Contemporary
Pax217 - Metal/Hard Rock
Peacock, Charlie - Pop/Contemporary
Peters, Eric - AC
Petra - Metal/Hard Rock
Pillar - Metal/Hard Rock
Pinto, Mandie - Inspirational
Plus One - Pop/Contemporary
P.O.D.- Metal/Hard Rock
Point of Grace - Pop/Contemporary
Praise Band - Praise & Worship

R

Rabeto- Spanish Praise
Randolph, Robert & The Family Band - Urban Gospel
Ramiyah - Urban Gospel
Raphael - AC
Ray, Richie - Salsa
Raymond & Company - Urban Gospel
Red Cloud - Rap/Hip Hop
Redman, Matt - Praise & Worship
Relient K - Metal/Hard Rock
Rhymz Suhreal - Rap/Hip Hop
Rice, Chris - Pop/Contemporary
Richter, Chip - Children & Youth
Rios, Giovanni - Merengue
Road to Revelation - Metal/Hard Rock
Rodriguez, Alex - Salsa
Rodriguez, Ricardo & Julissa - Spanish Praise, Merengue and Salsa
Rosario, Ingrid - Spanish Praise

S

Sackcloth Fashion - Rap/Hip Hop
Sallie, Nate - Pop/Contemporary
Salvador - Latin/Contemporary
Sanctus Real - Modern/Alternative Rock
Sapp, Marvin - Gospel
Schultz, Mark - Pop/Contemporary
Selah - Inspirational
Seven Places - Modern/Alternative Rock
Seventh Day Slumber - Modern/Alternative Rock
Shane and Shane - AC
Sheard, Kierra "Kiki" - Urban Gospel
Sienna - Pop/Contemporary
Silers Bald - Modern/Alternative Rock
Sixpence None the Richer - Modern/Alternative Rock
Skillet - Modern/Alternative Rock
Smallwood, Richard - Gospel
Smith, Jami - Praise & Worship
Smith, Michael W. - AC
Sonero Pichardo - Tropical Salsa
Sonic Flood - Praise & Worship
Soto, Manuel - Salsa
Souljahz, The - Rap/Hip Hop
Spirit Creek - Modern/Alternative Rock
St. James, Rebecca - Praise & Worship
Starling, Kristy - Pop/Contemporary
Steele's, The - Southern Gospel
Stonehill, Randy - Modern/Alternative Rock
Switchfoot - Modern/Alternative Rock

T

Taff, Russ - Pop/Contemporary
Take 6 - Urban Gospel
Talley Trio, The - Southern Gospel
T-Bone - Rap/Hip Hop
Tesh, John - Praise & Worship
Third Day - Modern/Alternative Rock
Thousand Foot Krutch - Metal/Hard Rock
Toby Mac - Rap/Hip Hop
Tomlin, Chris - Praise & Worship
Travis, Randy- Country
Trin-I-Tee - Urban Gospel
True Vibe - Pop/Contemporary
Tree63 - AC
Troutman,Rufus - Hip Hop/R&B

U

Under the Son - Metal/Hard Rock
Upton, Jason - Praise & Worship
Urban Compositions - Urban Gospel

V

Vail, Greg - Instrumental
Vega, Tony - Salsa
Velasquez, Jaci - Pop/Contemporary
Vidal, Marcos - Spanish Praise
Virtue - Urban Gospel

W

Walker, Betsy - Pop/Contemporary
Walker, Hezekiah - Urban Gospel 
Walton, Debbie - Blues
Wash, Martha - Pop/Contemporary
Watermark - Pop/Contemporary
Weber, Linda - Southern Gospel
Webster, John David - Pop/Contemporary
West, Matthew - Pop/Contemporary
Williams, Joy - Pop/Contemporary
Wilson, Natalie - Urban Gospel 
Winans, CeCe - Urban Gospel
Winans, Vickie - Urban Gospel
Witt, Marcos - Spanish Praise
Wong, Arnold - Hymns, Praise & Worship
WOW Worship - Praise & Worship
Wrench - Metal/Hard Rock

Z

Zoe Girl-Pop/Contemporary