We’re back with another episode of DINO NUGGETS, FiveTwenty Collective’s music listening show! Join us to hear Alexander and Darius talk about hot new releases from August, Derek Minor’s legacy, and what messages hip-hop can bring to the Church that other genres can’t.
Listen on the FiveTwenty Collective Substack now! Plus you can paste api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1246501/s/62118.rss into your favorite podcast app to get new episodes automatically in your podcast feed.
Welcome to season 3 of DINO NUGGETS! To kick off the new year we’re talking about […]
This past weekend, I had the immense pleasure of being able to attend (alongside my DINO NUGGETS co-hosts) the third iteration of indie tribe’s SMOKE! Festival. And let me tell you: I can’t recommend it enough. It was a movie.
The first night of festivities featured a range of talented acts, many of which I hadn’t seen live before. A standout was Jon Keith’s performance. EREMOS is undoubtedly one of the best albums of the year, and hearing songs from it live was an incredible experience. The combination of synth-heavy tracks with incredibly vulnerable lyrics and striking but minimalistic visuals made Jon Keith’s set one of the most memorable of Friday night. Plus, the whole rest of indie tribe rushed the stage during “CHOSE,” sending the crowd into a frenzy.
“If you only take two things away tonight… You don’t have to be lonely alone. And God loves you more than you could ever know.” -Jon Keith
The first night of festivities finished out with an electrifying performance by Seattle-based alternative rock band Kings Kaleidoscope. It’s clear that they’ve honed their craft over years of shows. One indicator of this was how brilliantly the band utilized colors and lighting as part of their set (fitting for a band with “kaleidoscope” in their name). Finishing Friday night off by playing through all three parts of “The Rush,” Kings Kaleidoscope left this writer overwhelmed with emotion.
After the show was the VIP afterparty, starting off with the customary SMOKE! Cypher. DJ Mykael V facilitated the scene over two beats while emcee after emcee blew the audience’s mind. Did I mention this took place in a skate park? Truly an amazing scene to witness. Each artist melted the mic, but even amongst these giants Aable’s verse was something special.
As if the cypher wasn’t enough, we were also treated to Pass the Aux, where artists played unreleased music. 350 played a song he did in collaboration with Torey D’Shaun that he said will never be released due to uncleared samples. Mogli the Iceburg knocked our socks off with an unfinished track from his hyperrock project. DJ Mykael V played a track featuring John Givez that he said was from a 2018 album called Pinocchio Story that will never see the light of day. Torey D’Shaun had to get Jon Keith to help him turn off his iPhone notifications that kept interrupting his song, and nobigdyl. spilled some details on his next album.
Day one easily would have been worth the price of admission, but Saturday brought even more great music! The day kicked off with a Block Party outside the venue featuring vintage clothes, coffee by Cxffeeblack, a live DJ, and more. Alexander, Daniel, and I elected to use part of our time at the Block Party to record a live bonus episode of DINO NUGGETS.
While the Block Party continued outside, fans crowded into Rocketown’s indoor skate park, where the festival organizers had built a stage. I personally only caught Mogli the Iceburg’s set, and I’m glad I did. Experiencing Mogli’s unique brand of indie rock while packed into a skate park with hundreds of other enthusiasts was quite the experience. (Check out the 5th photo below)
After getting some lunch, we forged ahead into the main lineup of music for the day. Battz kicked things off, but his was no forgettable opener. I knew that I expected Battz’ music to be some of my favorite, stylistically, but I didn’t anticipate just how much he would be able to animate the crowd, especially once Aaron Dews joined the stage. (Definitely hoping to see a lot more collaboration between those two in the future.)
Derek Minor’s stage presence was impressively commanding–I loved that his band included live trumpet and electric guitar. The RMG rapper played a few songs off of his upcoming album, alongside several throwbacks.
I got to hear The New Respects for the third time, and they were incredible as always. The flow of their setlist stood out to me as especially well-put-together. They, too, played an unreleased song, and I’m always impressed by their drummer Darius’ ability to play and sing at the same time.
WHATUPRG also had an exceptionally well-organized set. Last time I saw RG perform was on the Unashamed Forever tour, where he put on an amazing show, but Saturday’s show was next level.
Probably the solo set I was most excited for was nobigdyl.’s, and it paid off. The bassline in “Lighter Fluid” felt like it would punch me through the floor, and dyl.’s decision to use an AI-generated clip of Obama’s voice as the transition from “President” to “PARABOLIC!” was brilliant.
This was personally my first time at SMOKE!, but when indie tribe finally took the stage the energy was as high as I would’ve guessed. Anybody who doesn’t think God is doing big things through the tribe hasn’t been to SMOKE!. “This is shocking to people, but we always knew this culture was here,” nobigdyl. said in between songs, to which the crowd responded by chanting “JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. JESUS.”
“Say I won’t come all the way to Nashville to support one of the dopest music festivals.” -Lecrae
After performing several of the top songs from last year’s Church Clothes 4, Lecrae’s set honestly felt more like a blessing over the event with songs sprinkled in. The two-time Grammy winner exhorted artists to be faithful to what God calls them to and charged fans with supporting the movement indie tribe is at the helm of.
“You don’t get no extra rewards in heaven for selling the most albums. You don’t get no extra rewards in heaven for winning Grammys. You don’t get no extra rewards in heaven for selling out shows. All those things are fine, there’s nothing wrong with them, but the motivation is the difference. … So just be faithful to what God put in front of you, y’all. … It don’t mean don’t be a good steward; it don’t mean don’t work hard. But it just means, at the end of the day, life on earth is just preparation for the next life.”
Lecrae may have been the last artist listed on the schedule, but indie tribe had a surprise in store. The mysterious “Still Holy Premiere” listed on the Saturday schedule turned out to be the debut of a new song called “Still Holy,” and, much more notably, the addition of a new official member to the indie tribe: Torey D’Shaun!
Obviously there’s a lot more that happened at SMOKE! Festival 2023; these are just a few highlights that stand out to me as I reflect a few days later. One thing I haven’t mentioned is the incredible sense of community I felt as I interacted with artists, content creators, and fans alike. One aspect of the festival that I didn’t consider beforehand that I enjoyed immensely was getting to meet in person many musicians, writers, and graphic designers who I’ve known for years, but only online. By the time the weekend was over, I was wiped, but SMOKE! Festival 2023 was a highlight of the summer (and even the year) for me. You can bet that it will take a lot to keep me from being there again next year.
Elohin has reached veteran status within the independent faith-based hip-hop scene. The Detroit emcee’s newest […]
Welcome to the July 2023 edition of DINO NUGGETS, FiveTwenty’s music discovery show! This time around Darius, Daniel, and Alexander are talking fresh releases from the month of July, the catchiest indie tribe. songs, country rap, some concert-going stories, and more. Listen on the FiveTwenty Collective Substack now! Plus you can paste api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1246501/s/62118.rss into your favorite podcast app to get new episodes automatically in your podcast feed.
This episode also marks a whole year of DINO NUGGETS! Thanks for rocking with us!
Welcome to season 3 of DINO NUGGETS! To kick off the new year we’re talking about […]
What’s good, everyone! Welcome to the eighteenth installment of The DIVE Series*!
Last month, we dove into Back Soon by 1K Phew and TEAM by Shepherd on the 5th and 20th, respectively.
Today, I will DIVE into the brand new Christian Hip Hop (CHH) track, More on the Way. You can listen to the track near the bottom of this page before or after reading this article. I will be diving into only the most important parts of this track. Now, let’s DIVE right into the music!
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” - Colossians 3:23-24
About the Track
Derek Minor‘s track, More on the Way, featuring Jon Keith, 1K Phew, and nobigdyl., was dropped on June 2nd, 2023, and is on his unreleased EP, Nobody’s Perfect. The only other track on Nobody’s Perfect that has been released as of today’s date is Pressure, released on November 18th, 2022, by Derek Minor, featuring Thi’sl and Aaron Cole.
More on the Way is a modern trap song with a unique hype vibe to it. Each artist on this particular track does an extremely good job at bringing their own feel-good flavors into the track. This song has four total Hooks performed by each artist on the track.
Interpretation of the Track (Part 1)
Derek Minor begins with the first Hook:
“Workin’ non-stop (Non-stop). That’s why I got a lot (Got a lot). Feel like they wanna see me fall so I bought the drop. I leave a stain on everything, they can’t take the spot. (Woah, woah woah,) Now we up, now we up. Talked to God yesterday, He said, “There’s more on the way.” I done made a lot of money and there’s more on the way. I done got a couple plaques and it’s more on the way. Put a lot of people on and it’s more on the way.“
The first Bible passage that comes to mind when hearing this first Chrous is Colossians 3:23-24, which states:
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Derek mentions praying to God and God giving him the sign that more is in store for his life. The general premise of this Chrous is that he’s working heartily unto the Lord and receives his blessings from the Lord Jesus. As a result of these blessings and fruits of his labor, Derek mentions being “up,” which means he’s content and happy with life serving Jesus and working hard unto the Lord. He sees his continuous purpose as a follower of Jesus as winning.
Interpretation of the Track (Part 2)
Derek continues with the first Verse of the track:
“(Lay low) Poppin’ up. Life a marathon I got no choice but run amok. Sliding on these tracks, my haters need a salt truck. And they still won’t melt the ice. And it’s black and I’m back. You talkin’ down, what is that? Boy you act like we ain’t blessed or som’. God ain’t flex or som’. If you want me on your set or som’. Cut a check or som’. We been bringin’ dreams alive like Freddy Kruger, we ain’t done. I’ve been movin’ on this blind faith while starin’ at the Son. Just what winnin’ sound like. They don’t see it let alone what it feel like. Dawg, why you worried ’bout them? Go get your own life. Countin’ everybody pockets like you work for Levi. Oh my, that won’t get you nowhere.“
One of my favorite parts of this track is when Derek says, “Sliding on these tracks, my haters need a salt truck. And they still won’t melt the ice.” He’s essentially saying he’s doing his own thing serving Jesus, and his haters are salty because of his dedication to serving the Lord, but his haters will never be able to melt the ice (stop him from living and serving Christ).
He mentions bringing dreams alive. Here, I believe he is referring to his Reflection Music Group company, RMG Amplify, where they help independent Christian artists rise to prominence by making God-centered music. Minor raps about having faith in God while focusing on his relationship with the Son of God (Jesus).
Derek Minor continues to rap about how following and serving Jesus is what winning in life truly is and says some don’t know what that’s like. He wraps up by implying people shouldn’t be worried about other people’s success more than their own. Derek states that comparing your success to others will get you nowhere. In this final part of the verse, his point is: Don’t worry about and compare your success to other people’s. Focus on your own success.
Interpretation of the Track (Part 3)
1K Phew comes in with the second Hook of the track:
“I came way too far from hide and seekin’ with the police. But we came way too far, my gang was sittin’ in the nosebleeds. Prayin’ down on my knees and got back up, we in the floor seats. (Yeah) Lookin’ at full-court games like of course we had to go steal some full-course meals, now there’s more on the way (Get it). Why would I stress about these bills? I got more on the way (Bills). I’m a Stellar winnin’ politician, more on the way. Pull up deep, I’m never solo and it’s more on the way.“
1K Phews begins his verse by rapping about how he came a long way from running from the police when he was younger in the east side of Atlanta. He mentions praying on his knees and implies that it’s not good for him to stress and worry about bills when God provides for all who are called according to His purpose (See Romans 8:28). Phew ends his Hook of the track by mentioning he’s never solo, meaning he has God with him and his team behind him.
1K Phew knows everything works together for his good because he knows he is called according to God’s purpose. He also knows it is essential to have patience and adhere to God’s timing to pursue his dreams in life. Given 1K Phew’s verse, we can conclude he pursues his dreams to glorify God.1K Phew then hits us with the second Verse of the track:
“(Let’s get it) I done put a lot of people on and got no thank you (A lot of people). I’m not sayin’ I’m God or none (I’m not). But I’m Allen Iverson (A-I). When I’m talkin’ ’bout crosses I ain’t tryna break your ankles (Ain’t tryna break ’em). Tell ’em I’ve been steppin’ for so long I got cankles (Stepper). Wanna make me mad, try to come tell me what Jesus can’t do (Wanna make me mad). Well you better be glad you ain’t no villain, Jesus saved you (Better be glad). Everybody used to be like, “What’s that smell?” Jesus bathed you (What’s that smell). And the real ones always recognize me ’cause I’m fake-proof. (Let’s go) Every time I’m lit I don’t get bit ’cause I’m snake-proof (Snake-proof). Had to tell that sinny sin sin I can shake you (I can shake). And I told Goliath this a thirty, I can take you (This a thirty). But I came too far from livin’ dirty.“
Phew continues here, rapping about how he helped many people (likely artists or producers) with no “thank you”s and compares himself to Allen Iverson. He implies that there’s nothing Jesus (God) can’t do and refers to Jesus saving God’s children from spiritual death (eternal damnation) by dying on the cross for our sins.
1K Phew continues stating that he’s “fake” and “snake” proof, meaning he does not actively associate with people who do not treat people kindly when they’re watching but treat them poorly when they are not around.
He finalizes his part of the song the same way he started it: Noting that he’s come too far to start living sinfully again.
Interpretation of the Track (Part 4)
Jon Keith hits us with the third Hook of the track:
“Ayy, gave me no respect (No). Lonely on me neck (Neck). Zeroes on these checks (Checks). What did y’all expect? Been brown, homies kept it holy from the lobby to the penthouse. Blessings coming on me I, I need a list now (A list). ‘Cause there’s more on the way. Made a lot of hits and there’s more on the way. I done caused a lot of fits and it’s more on the way. Yeah, oh you like that? It’s more on the way, yeah.“
Jon Keith starts his part of the track by rapping about his success, with “zeroes on [his] checks,” implying he’s financially successful. He mentions he and his friends keep it holy no matter where they are and implies how he’s well-known.
He finishes his Hook the same way the previous hooks ended: By rapping about how there’s More on the Way.Jon Keith then hits us with the third Verse by saying:
“(Feel me bro?) O-M-G look what God did. Nine to five, was puttin’ in the work when I was jobless (Uh, huh). Couldn’t get the Ray-Bans and it hurt but now my optics can’t believe, I took a look around they sendin’ options (Options). Yeah, God blessed me, I know that (Right). Had to take the whole city, put it on my whole back. Gotta take the bros with me, I can not hold back. And I done took like four lefts. Got Jesus piece, no Kodak. I’m movin’ like there’s four of me. They try to close the door on me. But like the chorus said, they start implorin’ for some more of me. If we back on that board then I be Jordan how I’m scorin’. When I be out in Florence, play the tortoise, so historic.”
Here, Jon Keith raps about how he succeeded in serving the Lord in his life and with his music and gives all the glory to God for his blessings. Keith notes how much he used to struggle and couldn’t afford that much. However, he worked heartily unto the Lord with his crew and now sees the fruits of his labor.
He makes it clear in this verse that he worked heartily unto the Lord and that all of his blessings are God-given.
Interpretation of the Track (Part 5)
nobigdyl. comes in with the fourth and final Verse of the track:
“Billboard albums back to back, just thought that you should know that (Just thought you should know). But I got riches in His name that couldn’t fit on no plaque. Rest in peace to the corny rap ’cause I could not support that. He snatched me out of Preverbs five and I could never go back. Left the label, did it indie, and it’s more on the way (More on the way). Festival inside my city and it’s more on the way (It’s more on the way). Worship God and make it litty and it’s more on the way (It’s more on the way). I turned twenty four and did a tour and it’s more on the way.”
Firstly, nobigdyl. begins his verse by bringing up his Billboard-charting albums. He then brilliantly raps about having plaques earned from Billboard and notes that his relationship with Jesus is worth much more than anything else.
Dyllie finishes his verse by clarifying that he is independent after having left his record label and that he worships God and puts Him first.
Thank You for Reading DIVE!
I appreciate you for reading this far into the article! 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!
DIVE Conclusion
More on the Way is a 2023 CHH song by Derek Minor, featuring Jon Keith, 1K Phew, and nobigdyl. This track has over 22,000 Spotify streams in less than four days, making it a relatively popular track in Derek Minor’s arsenal of tracks.
This track has a generalized theme to it. However, the primary themes that the artists attempted to convey in this track are the following:
As Christians (followers of Jesus), it is imperative we work heartily unto the Lord
All things work together for the good of those who are called according to His purpose (God provides for His children)
All of our blessings and fruits of our labor are granted to us by God
The artists on this track may be successful now, but their work for the Lord is far from over, and there’s More on the Way
It is important to remember the Bible passage of the day (which directly correlates with the track), Colossians 3:23-24:
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
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—**Listen to the full More on the Way track at the end of the article!**—Want more content from The DIVE Series? Check out the previous article now!
Elohin has reached veteran status within the independent faith-based hip-hop scene. The Detroit emcee’s newest […]
Hello, and welcome to the thirteenth installment of The DIVE Series*! Like last month, I did not post on the fifth of this month since FiveTwenty does not post on Sundays. In the previous installment, I spoke about Runnin’ with God by YB.
For today’s show, I have chosen a classic CHH (Christian Hip Hop) song from 2017. I recommend listening to the track near the bottom of this page before or after reading this article. Without further ado, let’s DIVE right into the music!
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8
About the Track
Derek Minor’s song, Take Off, is the second track on his fourth album, Your Soul Must Fly, released on September 1st, 2017, featuring Ty Brasel, Canon, and KB. This song gives me a sense of personal nostalgia, and it also gives me a unique feeling of unparalleled energy I had not felt performed in the same way before. This track has that “Minor” feel that has been a theme in Derek Minor’s songs before, and the artists featured do a particularly great job at matching this feel of the track.
Interpretation of the Track (Part 1)
Derek Minor starts off the track with Pre-Chorus:
“Take off, take off, take off, take off, take off.
Take off, take off, take off, take off, take off.
Runway, take off, take off, take off, take off.
Take off, take off, take off, take off, take off.“
This introduces us to the general theme of the song.
Ty Brasel comes in with the Chorus of the track:
“Clear the runway. Take flight, MJ.
Clear the runway. Take flight, MJ.
Clear the runway. Take flight, MJ.
Clear the runway. Take flight, MJ.“
Ty mentions clearing the runway and taking flight like Michael Jordan, a retired NBA player nicknamed “Air Jordan,” famous for being an ariel force to be reckoned with when dunking the ball. These phrases emphasize the hype of the track and make it clear they are bold in their life walk. Why? I suppose we’ll find out.
Ty Brasel then comes in with the first verse of the track:
“All things work for my good, I know. Big dreams, top flow. Eat good, combo. Just give me some time. All my life I[‘ve] been waitin’ for my chance. Have patience, Young Ty, man. They want my soul and the glean (yuh). They want me switch up the team. Lucy just want my allegiance. Run in cahoots with the evils. My God, I pray. Your blessings, my way (my way). Light beams, Kanye. You lead, Sensei.”
Ty starts his verse by referencing Romans 8:28. He knows everything works together for his good because he knows he is called according to God’s purpose. Ty remembers that it is essential to have patience and adhere to God’s timing to pursue his dreams in life. Given Ty’s verse, we can deduce that it is important to him also to pursue his dreams to glorify God.
Ty continues the verse by mentioning how the evils of this world (demons, including Satan) want Ty’s soul and ultimately want him to stop worshiping Jesus and turn away from God. Mr. Brasel implies that spiritual warfare is essential to his walk and relationship with Jesus. (See Ephesians 6 talking about the armor of God, which is crucial to protect yourself in spiritual warfare).
He finishes the verse by referencing his prayers to God, asking for direction and accepting His will for Ty’s life (all while referencing Kanye’s track “Ultralight Beams,” which talks about how Saul became Paul after being blinded for three days by a light beam from Heaven in Acts 9).
Interpretation of the Track (Part 2)
The second verse, which Canon performed, is as follows:
“Take off, get ready to go. Young Moses with the glow. I’m livin’ color, check my skin tone. Dressed in all white like the pope. Young Joseph with the coat. Dream big ’til they hate you. We don’t do it to get famous. Knock it off nah, bruh. I’m just tryna be faithful.”
Firstly, Canon compares himself to Moses, the man who was given the ten commandments and was described as having a glow on his face due to being with the Lord in Exodus 34. He then compares himself to Joseph, the son of Jacob, whose father made him a colorful coat to show that he loved him in Genesis 37. He then wraps up his first verse of the track by saying he and his friends and family do not work to become famous but rather to be faithful to God and those he loves.
Derek Minor comes in with the Pre-Chorus again, as Ty Brasel comes in with the Chorus for the second time.Canon comes in with his second verse (third verse of the track) by saying:
“I ‘skirt’, whip in the coupe. Don’t try to walk in my shoes. I’m Superman with them tight jeans. I teach life in the booth. She say she want the guala, guala. Check, this ring on my finger, no holla. I had to leave them genies in them bottles. Found a model now I’m full throttle. Woah!“
Here, Canon continues to speak on being faithful. Except now, he promotes and talks about being faithful to his wife rather than doing the opposite.
Interpretation of the Track (Part 3)
KB comes in with the fourth verse of the track:
“One way, downtown. Oh me, oh my. Sauce, sauce, Alfredo. Buckets, kango. Take off, they know. I land, Caicos. Start up, then invest. Three stacks we, break outcast. Peak of the vibe (yuh). Daily I die, Cinco de Mayo. I come on down from the side. Intellectual that’s quick to get with your hype. Don’t go to hypin’ that boy, yeah. We will not lie to that boy, yeah. We do not wait for support, no. No vultures allowed in my courts.”
KB starts with some references, such as referencing Kangol bucket hats. He continues saying, “three stacks we, break outcast.” He also refers to Acts 2, where Peter led 3,000 people to salvation through Christ. These people were considered “outcasts,” and Peter “broke” their chains.
Derek Minor begins to wrap up the track with the song’s fifth verse:
“Minor in the pocket. Won’t you come take off wit me. This United, if you blocking. We might move you out yo seat. You must be sippin’ on sake. Boy, I ain’t worried ’bout nobody. I know, I know that God got me. Float on this beat like a ‘Rari. Wow, mane I see the devil on prowl. Yeah, he want to hold me down. He don’t want me way up in the clouds. He don’t want me way up in the clouds. I could never ever come down. A lot people online, tryin’ to flex for a check. Always talking ’bout birds but it’s never verified. None of my business, I just worry ’bout mine. The wave a tsunami, everybody run and hide, take off.”
Before this track was dropped, Delta Air Lines had an incident where a passenger was forcibly taken off an overbooked flight, and Delta was criticized for its poor customer service. Derek references this incident by saying he and his crew won’t let people get in his way.
He continues to talk about how he’s not worried about anyone working against him because he’s in God’s hands. He mentions Satan being on the prowl wanting to keep Derek down and keep him struggling with sin. Here, he is referencing 1 Peter 5:8, which happens to be the verse of the day. These schemes by Satan mentioned in this verse promote the opposite of “taking off.”
Conclusion
This track has over 1,300,000 Spotify streams, making it the second most popular track on his album Your Soul Must Fly.
These artists care deeply about their relationships with Jesus and collectively reference key Biblical concepts in this track.
The primary theme of this song that the artists Derek Minor, Ty Brasel, Canon, and KB are attempting to convey is “taking off.” Part of “taking off” as a Christian is being sober-minded and watchful of Satan’s desire to hold us down (See 1 Peter 5:8). Another big part of “taking off” is faithfully adhering to God’s will in the process of working heartily unto the Lord.
Ty Brasel references Romans 8:28, which states, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”So not only is this track about being sober-minded and watchful of the devil’s schemes to prevent us from “taking off,” but it is also about working heartily unto the Lord and promoting the act of adhering to God’s will for our lives since all things work together for those who are according to His purpose. If you follow Jesus, you have nothing to fear regarding how your life will turn out if you keep a strong relationship with Jesus and faithfully adhere to God’s will.
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—**Listen to the full Take Off track at the end of the article!**—Want more content from The DIVE Series? Check out the previous article now!
Elohin has reached veteran status within the independent faith-based hip-hop scene. The Detroit emcee’s newest […]
The November episode of DINO NUGGETS, FiveTwenty’s music discovery show, is out now! Half podcast, half radio show, on DINO NUGGETS each host brings
One new CHH release
One old CHH release
One non CHH release
to listen to and discuss. This month: Church Clothes 4, DJ Mykael V, and even some Christmas music, all while Darius and Alexander are battling the flu! Check it out on the FiveTwenty Mixcloud now!
Welcome to season 3 of DINO NUGGETS! To kick off the new year we’re talking about […]
The long-awaited album from 5x GMA Dove Award-nominated Christian Hip Hop artist Steven Malcolm is here.
Tree is the third studio album from the CHH sensation.
Malcolm’s landmark album features international stars Snoop Dogg and Shaggy. Adding additional oomph are Malcolm’s CHH homies Derek Minor, KB, Ty Brasel, Canon, and Social Club Misfits.
“This being my third studio album, [I] focused on the growth and fruit that came from a foundation rooted in truth,” says Malcolm. “I stood firm throughout my life and now I’m seeing the fruit of my labor. LEGACY! The gift that continues to bear fruit. Thank you and many blessings to my fans worldwide.”
Tree‘s release arrives a week after premiering smash single.
Included on the album is the hit “Summertime” which features hip hop legend Snoop Dogg and Malcolm’s IVAV labelmate Jay-Way. The visual for the record premiered with Vibe Magazine. Grammy Award-winner Shaggy is also featured on “Fuego (Remix)” which has racked up over 6 million combined streams.
Tree is an eclectic depiction of Malcolm’s past, present, and future.
Each song digs deep into the peaks and valleys that shaped the rapper we currently know. Since releasing his self-titled major-label debut in 2017, Malcolm continues to captivate listeners with spellbinding anthems that celebrate his love for Jesus and the unifying force of hip-hop. The genre-blending rhymer demonstrates his enthusiasm to share his messages with a broad audience.’
Malcolm continues to blur boundaries with Tree.
The album includes star-studded production by Sango, BoogzDaBeast, FNZ, and Social House. It illuminates Malcolm’s growing artistry; his spiritual depth; and his versatility as a hip-hop artist.
Tree arrives via 4 Against 5, Curb | Word Entertainment’s hip-hop imprint. Both of Malcolm’s previous releases cracked the Top 40 on the Billboard Christian charts, receiving multiple award nominations. Due to this past success, Tree is one of 2022’s most highly anticipated CHH releases. Malcolm is even the cover artist on Spotify’s “The Flow” playlist.
Tree is available now across all streaming platforms!
What’s good, everyone! Welcome to the eighteenth installment of The DIVE Series*!
Last month, we dove into Back Soon by 1K Phew and TEAM by Shepherd on the 5th and 20th, respectively.
Today, I will DIVE into the brand new Christian Hip Hop (CHH) track, More on the Way. You can listen to the track near the bottom of this page before or after reading this article. I will be diving into only the most important parts of this track. Now, let’s DIVE right into the music!
Hello, and welcome to the thirteenth installment of The DIVE Series*! Like last month, I did not post on the fifth of this month since FiveTwenty does not post on Sundays. In the previous installment, I spoke about 
