The DIVE Series: Childlike CiCi, “Verse For Free”

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Hi there! Welcome to the fourteenth installment of the one and only DIVE Series* on FiveTwenty Collective. If you are new to the series, I cover Christian Rap records. I post on the 5th and 20th of every month (except Sundays). Whether you have tuned in before or are reading for the first time, I appreciate you tuning in!

This month in The DIVE Series, I will exclusively cover Childlike CiCi’s latest EP, 4 Friday. How will I do this? Well, today, I will cover one track from the EP. Then on the 20th, I will cover the entirety of the EP.

Throughout this installment, I will mention many Bible verses. So, depending on your preferred method, it may benefit you to open up your Bible or use a Bible app to follow along with the verse references. Without any more delays, let’s DIVE into the music…

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” ‭‭- John 3:16

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About the Track

The track I will cover in today’s DIVE, Verse For Free, is on Childlike CiCi‘s latest EP, 4 Friday. Said track was released on January 13th, 2023, along with the EP. This particular track has over 7,000 streams on Spotify. It has a modern trap feel, with an exhilarating grand piano melody that inspires a sense of hype within me as a listener.

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Interpretation of the Record (Part 1)

Childlike CiCi kicks off the song with the first verse:

“I seen people slip, like the Devil been mopping. I’m tryna grow them, a bloom, a blossom. They cop please and gossip. We play it cool Hakuna Matata. God told me to pray for my enemies that’s the energy he like. These days they tryna pay for a verse from me. John 3:16, that verse for free.“

Firstly, she mentions seeing people fall into sin, just like Satan wants. She alludes to her wishing to plant seeds of the love and hope of Jesus into these people who are falling into sin. The love and hope of Jesus are described as the Word of God (See Luke 8:11) and are consistently found in the Gospel. CiCi implies that she and her crew don’t play into gossip like the world often does. She then promotes praying for our enemies (See Matthew 5:44).

At the end of the first verse, she mentions John 3:16 being “free.” John 3:16 just so happens to be the verse of the day and the primary theme of this song, which emphasizes that eternal life is free for all those who believe in and seek Christ.

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Interpretation of the Record (Part 2)

She then comes right in with the Chorus of the track:

“That Word gone give you surgery, sharper then a two edge sword. The Devil a thief, back then it was burglary but he ain’t taking nothing no more. Nah we bout to walk in His power, Holy Spirit guarantee our inheritance. We boast in the Lord when we talking bout blessings don’t think for a second we arrogant.“

Here, she speaks on the Word of God (the Bible) being a two-edged sword that grants unparalleled wisdom (See Hebrews 4:12). Hebrews 4:12 is a verse that emphasizes the unmatched decisiveness of God’s Word and how the Bible can never be avoided or have it’s relevance to us taken away. CiCi then talks about Satan (the father of all lies). She primarily speaks about how he is a thief who cannot steal anymore. I believe she refers here to her sinful life being heavily influenced by Satan and his schemes before she started following Jesus.

She continues the Chorus by promoting boldly walking in God’s power by putting her faith and trust in Jesus (See Isaiah 40:31). She mentions how the Holy Spirit (who guides Christians through their life walk) guarantees our inheritance of the Kingdom of God (Heaven) as followers of Jesus (Christians). The Holy Spirit guarantees Christians’ inheritance of Heaven by guiding God’s children through life in a way that is pleasing to God and in line with God’s Word. This is why Christians often receive a sudden inner fire (also known to many Christians as a “Holy Spirit nudge”) within them to carry out following God’s laws found in the Bible.

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Interpretation of the Record (Part 3)

CiCi finally comes in with the second verse of the track, which is as follows:

“Exposing the Devil and all of his schemes don’t think for a second we sparing him. I read Ephesians, praying and fasting and reading come with a rhyme and reason. I don’t [be] worried bout no opposition, kingdom talk no competition. God Omniscient he already know what’s up, no need to run from his love. No need to run to the plug, God he deliver[s]. Satan your timing is up. No need to knuck if you buck. If I turn my cheek, I’m meek, not weak. God hit harder then me. Deuteronomy 3:22. I fear God, not you. On my woosah it’s cool.“

Biblically, Satan’s consistent schemes will be brought to light and exposed one way or another. This is what CiCi mentions to start the second verse.

She promotes the book of Ephesians found in God’s Word, which does speak on things like praying with God and fasting unto the Lord. Her point here is that staying ingrained in God’s Word and being involved in her relationship with God is essential to her as a follower of Christ. This translates well into the following line, where she mentions not being worried about opposition since she has the confidence that comes with being a genuine follower of Christ. She knows what her worth is as a loved child of God.

CiCi continues the verse by rapping about God being all-knowing, so running from God and His love is futile. She also mentions how God delivers, breaking chains and granting peace to His children (followers of Jesus).

CiCi then disses Satan in a way by saying Satan’s timing is up and there’s no point in futilely fighting back (hence the slang reference “knuck if you buck.”)

She continues by promoting the “turn the other cheek” message given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. She says, “God hit[s] harder than me.” This clearly references Deuteronomy 3:22, which states, “You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.” She ends the verse by letting it be known that she does not fear Satan but has a healthy fear of the Lord, her God.

The Chorus runs for a second time, and then the song ends.

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DIVE Conclusion

This track has over 7K Spotify streams, making it a relatively popular song on Childlike CiCi’s catalog.

This artist cares deeply about her relationship with Christ and emphasizes key Biblical concepts in this record.

The record’s primary theme is about how simple the message of John 3:16 is: All you need to do to gain an inheritance in God’s Kingdom is to follow Jesus and believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross for our sins.

She mentions many key Biblical concepts, including the boldness and confidence of being a genuine follower of Jesus. Children of God have a sense of spiritual security knowing they have an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Christians mature in their walk with the Lord, stay rooted in God’s Word, and pray with God. These Biblical concepts are essential in a Christian’s walk with the Lord.

Another important aspect of this track is the Holy Spirit’s significant influence on the lives of Christians, guiding them through their life walk. (Christians gain the Holy Spirit upon believing in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior).

Childlike CiCi finally references Deuteronomy 3:22, which essentially emphasizes that there is no need to fear or fight the spiritual enemy (demons) by yourself since God is always there for you. It is worth mentioning that death, sin, and Satan have already been defeated on the cross by Jesus. So there is no need to fear demons (including Satan), but a healthy fear of the Lord is essential in a Christian’s walk with God.

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Thank You for Reading DIVE!

I hope you all enjoyed this installment of The DIVE Series* on FiveTwenty Collective. Stay tuned for the next installment dropping on the 20th of this month!

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About The DIVE Series*

In this series, I DIVE into the precise and potential meanings of Christian Hip Hop singles, albums, and EPs.

In Special Edition installments of the series, I interview the artist(s) involved for the whole meaning of their art.

Thanks for checking out today’s edition of FiveTwenty Collective’s DIVE series! I drop a new installment of this series on the 5th and 20th of every month (except on Sundays).

God Bless,

DJ Expander

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**Listen to the full Verse For Free track at the end of the article!**

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Want more content from The DIVE Series? Check out the previous article now!