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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!

Connect with Alexander, Daniel, Darius, and Lucas on Instagram, and follow the DINO NUGGETS playlist on Apple Music or Spotify.

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!

Connect with Alexander and Darius on Instagram, and follow the DINO NUGGETS playlist on Apple Music or Spotify.

The newest episode of FiveTwenty’s newest show, DINO NUGGETS, 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: Misfits, Mineo, Marlowe, misinformation, and more! Check it out on the FiveTwenty Mixcloud now.

DIVE series: nobigdyl. "Sleepin'"

Hello everyone, my name is DJ Expander, and welcome to yet another edition of The DIVE Series*!

Last month we went over two consecutive tracks by Andy Mineo and Lecrae called “Coming In Hot” and “Been About It”. This month, I am going to switch it up a little bit. I will not be going over mutually complimenting tracks this month. However, today I will DIVE into the brand new single by artist and musician nobigdyl. called SLEEPIN!

“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” – Proverbs 22:4


About the Single

Dropped by nobigdyl. on September 30, 2022, STEPPIN! has over 49,000 plays in about 5 days. The song is doing very well statistically and is expected to rise in streams as the weeks pass by.

The first line in the track’s intro goes, “Eli got it jumpin’, Eli, alright.” It is a slowed sample from nobigdyl. ‘s verse on indie tribe’s “HOLY SMOKE!” track from their album ‘UPPERHAND’. The intro conveys that the Christian Hop Hop producer Wow Eli is a producer on this particular track. The second line, “Hol’ up, Wop, you made this?” is the official beat tag of Christian Hip Hop producer Scottie Wop. Later in the song’s outro, Wow Eli’s beat tag, “Wow Eli, can you be a little more serious?” is featured.

These lines show the audience that this track was co-produced by legendary Christian Hip Hop producers Wow Eli and Scottie Wop.


Interpretation of the Single

While I will not go over the entire song and its details, I will attempt to extract and analyze the lyrics to show what nobigdyl. is most likely trying to convey.

Diving into the chorus of the track, nobigdyl. says:

“Everybody keep on sleepin’ on Dyl. Blood, sweat, tears, man, look what I spill.”

Based on the other lyrics in the song, it seems like nobigdyl. believes he has a good enough work ethic to be less slept on by people than he currently is. (For context, “slept on” means when the greatness of someone or something is ignored or not appreciated). In verse one, he mentions how sometimes he’s “way too obsessed with [his] legacy.” He ends the chorus with, “Industry kill or be killed. And e’rybody just keep taking they pill.”

The overall premise of the hook is potentially that nobigdyl. wants to impact more people’s lives by becoming more known within the music industry and less “slept on.” This potential premise not only arises as a result of the chorus itself but also nobigdyl. ‘s overall belief and faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

There are some Biblical references in this track, a popular trend in nobigdyl’s records. The following is the Biblical reference that stood out to me:

“I think I won my fight with God. Came away limpin’. They think I’m pimpin’.”

He uses the slang term “pimpin’,” which means looking cool and is typically popularized by Hip Hop culture.

The Biblical reference in these lines is in Genesis 32:24-32, which tells the story of Jacob wrestling with God as a representation of nobigdyl. ‘s conflict with God. Jacob ended up winning, but there was a significant consequence. He gained a severe hip injury, causing him to walk with a limp.

nobigdyl. was born in Oakland, CA, but was relocated to and raised in the backwoods of Tennessee in Bell Buckle to be with family.

In the second verse, he compares these roots to Christ and His physical roots, who was born in Bethlehem but raised in Nazareth. He does this by saying, “Online, it say he from Tennessee. But really I come from Nazareth.”

I noticed that, in the second chorus, nobigdyl. slips the line, “This is a song about ego.” This gives the audience a clear indication that the song is at least partially about his struggle with his ego and how it affects his relationship with God.

nobigdyl. finishes the second verse off by saying:

“Can’t play with God like that, rather be hearin’ him out. I’m fearin’ him now. Spent years out here chasin’ things that now I don’t even care about. I’m here and devout.”


Conclusion

SLEEPIN! by nobigdyl. co-produced by Wow Eli and Scottie Wop. It has over 49k streams on Spotify in less than a week. While this track is not one of nobigdyl’s most listened to tracks, he has put together an astonishingly well-written song that:

  • Conveys his struggle with his ego
  • His want for fame
  • The desire for his legacy to be great
  • How His relationship with God helps him to overcome these struggles

As mentioned in the verse of the day, Proverbs 22:4, “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.”

Having a healthy fear of the Lord and a strong sense of humility is very important for nobigdyl.

As a follower of Jesus, in the spotlight of the Christian music industry, it is of the utmost importance to have and show humility on a daily basis.


About The DIVE Series*

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

In Special Edition installments of the series, I interview the artist(s) involved to get an exact idea of the true 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

**See the full SLEEPIN! music video at the end of the article!**

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

Oh, it’s that time of year again?

In 2020 CHH saw several of its notable up-and-comers take shots at each other. From Mitch Darrell to Thomas Iannucci, what turned out to be a bit of fun struck a nerve with some of the genre’s leaders.

After what we can call a “cooling off period”, it looks like we’re back at it. But is it all fun and games this time around?

It turns out the artist in question was YP aka Young Paul.

On his new track, released on YouTube, “Duck Duck” featuring Selah the Corner, YP takes shots at Indie Tribe and others. Let’s start with this question, “is YP taking shots or simply clapping back?”

Indie Tribe scored big with their reloaded roster and the release of the new project Upperhand. On the track “Tribal Council”, DJ Mykael V delivers a strongly worded outro (although it is not clear if it was directed at any artists in particular or general hype). You can determine for yourself how you interpret the lyrics (courtesy of Genius):

It’s safe to say that YP aka Young Paul took at least a level of exception to what was said.

“Tell these CHH rappers boasting in they records or making competitive statements in their songs and [they think] no one will feel like challenging them…lol” -YP

“Duck Duck”

YP and Selah the Corner teamed up on “Duck Duck” and set the CHH Twitterverse ablaze. 

People have called it corny; some have called it needed; others have remained unphased. While group chats and timelines have been filled with debates of the song’s relevance and quality, very few appear interested in finding out what was really behind the release.

YP gave this statement to FiveTwenty, “I threw a jab expecting a punch back. Then we elevate the bars in Round 2.”

Young Paul has spent his #NewMusicFriday working his Twitter fingers as everyone seems to have something to say. Selah seemed to be ducking (no pun intended) the majority of the backlash, at least until The Crew brought the entire God Over Money roster into the conversation:

Yep, things get wild in these CHH streets I guess. Need examples? The best I can do is point you to YP’s Twitter feed.

Regardless of how you feel, it appears that this is where we’re at.

CHH continues to thrive off its drama. The question is, what’s next?

Check out “Duck Duck” and sound off with your view of the situation in the comments below!