I am currently working on my next hip hop album project. Please pray for me! I currently do not have a title for it.

For those who haven’t checked my recent release Revolution of the Heart, that album was based principally on my experiences of Religious Life and Theology. I will continue to write very theological lyrics in the future. The next one will seem less theological

This current project bumped up, in advance, what I wanted to do to follow up Revolution of the Heart. I initially envisioned a multi-album project that would be an exposition on the theology and traditions behind the major feasts and seasons of the liturgical year. It would be liturgical hip hop only in a didactic sense, not in a liturgical music sense (I do not intend to make or design any music to be used for the liturgy).

In the course of three years of giving hip hop presentations around the world, I have found that I am typically called up on to talk and rap for people who do not know very much about classic hip hop. I am, and my crowds, are always at a disadvantage, expecting me to be someone that I am not (ie, black, swag, bling, eminem). I have found that I spend a lot of time explaining what classic hip hop is, and so I started writing songs about it, as well as to distinguish how mainstream rap has differed from underground and classic hip hop.

This is, as I imagine, a sort of exile. Classic Hip Hop is in exile from the Rap Game and the Entertainment Industry. It is almost like living in Babylon, and you know you don’t belong. Most of my songs, therefore, will deal with the tension and struggles of a Classic Hip Hop Head against the Rap Game which has the favored position.

For those who don’t know, one of our elderly friars has 24 hour care. One of the caretakers is also a DJ. Its funny how God connected us, and I wanted to make him a bigger part of this project then before. It’s been a tremendous blessing, not just for the whole project, but to have someone who goes through this same sort of thing.

The lyrical and thematic content will be heavy in terms of hip hop, and it may appear less deeply spiritual/mystical or theological then Revolution of the Heart. I currently try to tell the history of hip hop as well as my own experience in it. Whereas Revolution of the Heart might make more sense to Catholic nerds, I think my next project will sometimes make more sense to Hip Hop nerds.

I currently have several of the beats of my own that need some tweaking. I have more lyrics and songs than have beats, however. I am waiting on a few beats from guest producers. I have one and a half songs recorded, and I am also planning a few more skits in between songs.