Welcome to the February 2024 episode of DINO NUGGETS! It’s just Daniel this time for an exciting and unorthodox solo episode. Check it out on the FiveTwenty Collective Substack!
Just a quick reminder that you can get DINO NUGGETS in your favorite podcast app, which only takes a few seconds. Thanks for listening!
Welcome to season 3 of DINO NUGGETS! To kick off the new year we’re talking about […]
Welcome to the September 2023 edition of DINO NUGGETS, FiveTwenty’s music discovery show! This time around Darius, Daniel, and Alexander are joined by special guest Joseph Muniz to talk about fresh releases from the month of July, international Christian rap, the “Church Clap,” concert bathrooms, and more. Plus, is indie tribe the new Reach Records?
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 […]
“indie tribe. two years ago was a moment, but now it feels like a movement.”
We’re live from SMOKE! Festival! Alexander, Daniel, and Darius met up at the SMOKE! Block Party to record a special bonus episode. We’re talking about the festival itself, indie tribe.’s new album L O W B L O W, and the future of CHH. 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 […]
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 […]
Hello everyone! Thank you for tuning into the 21st installment of The DIVE Series*. Firstly, I apologize for not posting on the 20th of last month. Moving forward, I will do my best to be more on top of these installments.Today, I will DIVE into Torey D’Shaun’s 2022 single CATFISH, featuring nobigdyl.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” - Romans 12:1-2
About the Track
Torey D’Shaun‘s single CATFISH featuring nobigdyl. has over 971,000 streams on Spotify, making it the 5th most popular track by Torey D’Shaun. The track was released on April 29th, 2022, and was produced by the music production duo WEARETHEGOOD made up of Wes Writer and Quinten Coblentz.
Interpretation of the Track (Part 1)
The following is the Intro of the single:
“It’s been Boopie, y’hurr me?”
If you’re unaware of what this means, allow me to break it down. Boopie is an endearing slang term primarily used to describe a female significant other. Synonyms of this word include “shawty,” “honey,” and “baby.” “Y’hur me” is a short slang phrase meaning “You heard me.” This is essentially another way of saying “you feel me” after a sentence to emphasize what you’re saying.
Now, the widely-known slang meaning of “Boopie” itself actually has little meaning in the Intro of this track. As seen in Rapzilla’s July 2018 Q&A with Torey D’Shaun, his mother called him “Boopie” as a child. I think the woman on this track is trying to emphasize that he’s been “Boopie” since he was young.
Torey begins the meat of the track with the Chrous and Post-Chorus, respectively:
“Jesus’ peace in my heart, you can’t snatch this (Nah). Holy Spirit in my soul (Common cold?), you can’t catch this. Old me, is that you? I need glasses (Huh). I done looked up in the mirror, almost ended up gettin’ catfished.”“Who is that? (Who is that? I don’t look like where I’ve been). Who is that? (It’s been way different since God been my friend). Who is that? I don’t know, but I’m attracted. Who is—who is—who is—catfished.”
In the Chorus, he speaks about the peace of Jesus being in his heart. This directly correlates with John 14:25-27, which states,
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
In these verses, Jesus informs his Disciples how the Father will send the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ Disciples no doubt received much comfort due to Jesus saying this. Whether they knew it or not, they could (as well as Christians can today) fully trust the Spirit and have peace in Jesus because they can fully rely on the Spirit to lead, guide, and teach them.
Jesus says that the Father will send the Holy Spirit in His name. Given this, the disciples could fully trust the Spirit as we can rely on the Spirit to lead, guide, and teach us in every situation.
Interpretation of the Track (Part 2)
Torey then hits us with Verse 1 of the track:
I woke up with a mission. Solve the case ’cause the old me missin’. When I praise different, uh (Sheesh). Breakin’ through the ceilin’, uh (Okay). Devil make a killin’ (Yes, sir). I’ma make a livin’ (No way). For wakin’ up the children (Okay). Why they on that with me? (Okay). Oh, they mad ’cause now I’m groovin’. Keep it funky with me. Is my mirror lying to me? Almost faded away, but it weren’t Kobe. Time don’t stop when you wit’ your Rollies. I was in the state when You had to show me, yeah. Ankle monitor, holdin’ my day one. He was a heavy stepper wit’ a metal leg. We was extra, yoked up heavily. I was the deviled egg, tryna cook up whatever. The devil said, headed for the Feds. In the (Dead of night). Don’t look like what I’m supposed to (I don’t). Come close (I don’t), catfish, it send me social (Okay). In this, in this, in this, in this.
Torey “woke up” with a mission to share the love and grace of Jesus with people through the Gospel when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He mentions how different his old self was before the Holy Spirit transformed him into a new person.
He continues in this verse about how one of his goals is to make a living by waking up the children. In other words, Torey wants to work heartily unto the Lord by spreading the Gospel to people in a loving way, thus “waking them up” spiritually with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
One line in this verse I personally found quite interesting was, “Time don’t stop when you wit’ your Rollies.” I believe he’s conveying that Rolex watches (or Rollies) might be nice, but they don’t have any value in an eternal and spiritual sense. If you have another idea of what Torey is attempting to convey in this line, please comment below and let me know!
I also found it interesting how he raps about being a “deviled egg,” explaining that he was doing what Satan preferred him to do before Jesus saved him. As a potential metaphor, he said he was headed for the Feds, meaning he was sinning habitually.
This first verse is essentially about Torey’s perspective on his old self and how his old self is unrecognizable to him now. This difference was caused by his accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior and being transformed by the Holy Spirit.The Chorus and Post-Chorus run a second time before nobigdyl.’s verse…
Interpretation of the Track (Part 3)
nobigdyl. finally comes in Verse 2:
If God don’t like ugly, how you explain me and my buddies, huh? Did so much dirt right after church, my slacks muddy, huh (Wow). She was lookin’ real lovely, never mind that it’s Bible study (Whew). I was huntin’, lookin’ for Boo like Mike and Sully, then I heard suddenly (Yeah, okay, ayy, ayy). God say “Stop, what is you doin’?. Like look what I taught, wearin’ that crucifix” (“What is you doin’?”). “Made you My image and what did you do with it?” (“What did you do?”). “Used it to cheat when I asked you to steward it” (Still the truth). “You went and Judas’d this, so now I’m mercy. I’m gonna move and I’m comin’ like Ludacris” (“You fool”). “You act a fool with the words in your mouth. And I still didn’t roll out, now let’s get to the root of it” (Yeah). Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is that? “That’s the new you” (Who’s that?). “Sword of the Spirit, I’ll put it right through you” (Ooh). Holy water stream, hop in it like Hulu (Okay, alright). Now you Mushu, holy fire through the Bluetooth title (Whew). YouTube idol, SuWu, child of God (Whew, whew, whew). Defiled, redeemed, eternity in my smile. In this, in this, in this, in this.
nobigdyl. brilliantly begins his verse by emphasizing that God loves us despite us being sinners (explained in this verse as being spiritually ugly). I like how he mentioned a problem every Christian has dealt with: Going to church on Sunday and sinning habitually during the week.
nobigdyl. continues the verse by rapping about how he struggled with trying to find a significant other too quickly, and he ended up cheating. He references Genesis 1:26-28:
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth’.”
In this passage of Scripture, God creates humans, making them in His image. Since we were made in his image, we were made to be stewards of the Earth and our bodies (temples). Being told to be fruitful and multiply by God had stewardship implications that consist of doing so in a way that honors and glorifies God (such as not participating in sexual immorality like cheating on your significant other with another person).
So according to this verse, God told nobigdyl., “[You were] made in My image and used it to cheat when I asked you to steward it.” nobigdyl. ends the verse by rapping about how God saving him changed him spiritually beyond belief and how the Sword of the Spirit (God’s Word/The Bible) allowed his eyes to be opened to Jesus’ grace and love.
Now, just like Torey D’Shaun and other Jesus-believing folks, nobigdyl. is unrecognizable spiritually when compared to when he was not saved.
DIVE Conclusion
CATFISH by nobigdyl. and Torey D’Shaun, produced by music production duo WEARETHEGOOD, is a track with nearly 1 million streams on Spotify.
It is important to remember the Bible passage of the day of this installment and the themed Bible verse of this single we talked about today:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” - Romans 12:1-2
This CHH (Christian Hip Hop) single is about being transformed spiritually by the Holy Spirit as a result of accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The song’s general theme conveys that many spiritually mature Christians in their relationship with Jesus feel like they can’t recognize their old selves before being saved or earlier on in their faith walk with God.
Thank You for Reading DIVE!
Thank you for reading this far into the article! I hope you all enjoyed this installment of The DIVE Series* on FiveTwenty Collective. Again, my apologies for not posting on the last scheduled day for The DIVE Series*, but be sure to tune in for the next installment dropping on the 5th of next month (September 2023)!
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 CATFISH single 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 […]
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 […]
Welcome to the April episode of DINO NUGGETS, FiveTwenty’s music discovery show! 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. For the April 2023 episode they’re talking Jude Barclay, DC Talk, NF’s newest album, and more! Listen to it on the FiveTwenty Mixcloud now!
DINO NUGGETS is also now on Substack, and going forward that will be the main place you can find it. Listen to it in the Substack app or online, or paste api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1246501/s/62118.rss into your favorite podcast app to get new episodes automatically in your podcast feed. (Find brief instructions for that here.)
Background Music for episode 02.04: Sketchbook by ImageryOnWax
Tracklist for episode 02.04:
nobigdyl. – Lighter Fluid
NF – Happy
Jude Barclay – Ex Broke Up W/ You
DC Talk – I Luv Rap Music
Jon Keith – All in Hand
Disciples of Christ – To Da Dome
Godlands – Charmer
Rob & Jay – Swimming in the Deep End
Sam MacPherson – Stretch
Welcome to season 3 of DINO NUGGETS! To kick off the new year we’re talking about […]
Welcome to the March episode of DINO NUGGETS, FiveTwenty’s music discovery show! 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. And this month they’re joined by guest co-host Eric Boston to talk about the vinyl resurgence, favorite Andy Mineo albums, the best way to listen to house music, NF’s latest video, and more. Listen to it on the FiveTwenty Mixcloud now!
Welcome to season 3 of DINO NUGGETS! To kick off the new year we’re talking about […]
Welcome to a very special episode of DINO NUGGETS! Why is it special? Because we have our very first guest on the show, Lucas Brogdon of “That Band” and The Listening Party radio show! It’s the same stellar format as usual though, with each host bringing one new CHH release, one old CHH release, and one non CHH release. Check it out on the FiveTwenty Collective Mixcloud right now! We’re talking about NF’s new direction, buying CDs at Lifeway, some CHH hot takes, and Camp Electric. Plus a song lineup that’s honestly killer. Don’t miss it!
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!
