Tuesday, March 26, 2013

BOOK FACTS: The Chemistry behind Hip Hop - Soup for your Soul

 I have been hanging in the balance of deleted twitter and facebook accounts, reinventing myself into the less dramatic and less political world of just being the Poet-me, rather than the social network music-promo nut I was. All the while, I have been waiting, waiting, waiting for a moment when I would feel all the bull behind the scenes of supporting the shamefully, still, somewhat-fledgling music market of "Holy Hip-Hop", would be worth my time and energy...not that alot of great music and ministry has not been dropped (Go check out dasouth.com, rapzilla.com, kifalme.com, rekcity.com etc, and see what I mean). And, not that the industry actually needs my services. I ain't that vain (well, except on Tuesdays, after 8:00pm O_O). I was merely looking to return to my former love of sharing the music of Artists of skill and purpose, in a manner that kept my use of my time firmly in the realm of simply enjoying the share, rather than getting too wrapped up in the religiosity and politics of it all. But since those, of late, who have been putting it down wiv ah niceness have decent promo support, I just have not been feeling inclined to really go all out with my usual promo blitz... Anywhooo...more on my behind the scenes rants later...Today, let's just focus on the great stuff...


 I am SUPER-excited-hit-the-jackpot-while-homeless over this upcoming #BOOK "Through My Windows: The History Behind Holy Hip-Hop", by Christopher J Cooper, of Beesyde Ent. More commonly known as Emcee, Soup The Chemist (formerly Super-C & Sup The Chemist of SFC fame), the book's Author helped pioneer a market for what is now known as Holy Hip-Hop, or Christian Hip-Hop. With his band "SFC" (Soldiers For Christ), and with his own solo career, he issued in a flair and perfect synthesis of Deejay and Emcee, setting new standards for quality and creativity within the struggling late 80's and 90's market of a just-born Holy Hip-Hop. SFC's 'Phase III' album of 1992, is laudably noted to have given substantial attention to the Holy Hip-Hop industry, made up of a rather insipid motley crew of Jesus Emcees, only a handful of whom, truly had talent for running their mouth on the mic (trust me, I tell no lie S.M.H smh).

Now some of y'all may be a bit sensitive about me cussing out Rappers who were rapping for the Lord, but, yo!...even Jesus cussed the fig tree that had no fruit...and the tree was not even in season to be able to produce anything to eat! Some people may find salvation in Jesus Christ and discover they are called to ministry, but, frankly, not every Hip-Hop shower-rapper is called, anointed, and gifted to bless the mic WITH ministry AND solid Hip-Hop. Sorry. Just the truth. Ya know, just like the FACT that I could, by motion of the Spirit of God, rush to the aid of people in a burning building, pull them out to safety, saving their lives, but, er, um...that would not make me a Fireman, now, would it? (ya feel me?).

The music of SFC and Soup The Chemist was crucial to my first walk towards a life committed to learning, and living the way of Jesus Christ, not simply for their lyrical Gospel content, but because they expressed that Gospel with excellence. My husband, of The Day Jesus Spoke Hip-Hop ™ fame, an avid Hip-Hop head, and all-round Jesus-music connoisseur, introduced me to Soup's discography when I was emerging out of an atheistic life, with cats like KRS-One, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Method Man, Nas, and even my own baby brother, Young Spray, blowing in my ear. So when I chose to put aside the musical things of a secular world, to refocus and reshape my mind towards Christ, I was seriously hard pressed to enjoy music, especially when Hip-Hop, one of my favorite genres, had been spear-headed, on the God side, by Stephen Wiley's Bible Break (No offense to Wiley, but dat track was the epitome of wiggedy wiggedy wack kindergarten rap).

Now, admittedly, I was not all the way feeling SFC's first full album effort, "Listen Up" (1989), either. When my husband, who loves this album, just a wee bit much for my sanity, slapped it on high volume, at the beginning of my Christian Hip-Hop conversion, it was at a time, in the late 1990's, when Hip-Hop (and I) had grown passed that Big Daddy Kane, Whodini type of sound that the early SFC pumped out well. Thankfully, God had truly used Hip-Hop to speak the Gospel to my husband, so his collection, by the time we met, was significant enough to allow me a sound album sampling of Soup The Chemist and SFC (among others). Without a doubt Soup (and SFC) stood out among the handful of Emcees I respected from that era of my Christian journey, and my experience of the early days of Holy Hip-Hop. His music has continued to be a timeless 'go-to' for those days when I need to renew my mind and remember why I fight that good fight of faith in a world full of assnine people who tempt me towards going to hell, just so I can revel in the satisfaction of knocking their block off (oh yeah, as Soup once rapped, I am a "Saved Man In the Jungle" for sure! lol)....er, but I digress :-).........

The book, "Through My Windows: The History Behind Holy Hip-Hop", by Christopher J Cooper, aka Soup The Chemist, is representative of the journey of this Emcee, Deejay, and now, Author, whose 1987 debut on the EP "Fully Armed", led to an armory of albums that still speak today of how we can cope with a life in this world, holding fast to the hope of Jesus Christ. The book is his personal story of his walk with God, his music, and his, and others' efforts in forging the way for an industry to even exist today, so Emcees, called by God, can consider using their talent to impact, and change the culture of the world.

In the preview of the first chapter of the book, found on his revamped Beesyde Entertainment #WEBSITE, Soup The Chemist drops you off at his window, to look in and peep the world from whence the music and ministry came...and nah, his window pane ain't all that clean and pretty. In his usual flair for anecdotal drops of wisdom he challenges you, with his quick-paced narrative, to not only flow with him on his journey, but to open your mind, your heart, and think, within the experience, of the wisdom that lies outside those experiences you get to peek at. I forewarn you; like his songs, you will ride a wave of information, flowing effortlessly off his pen, then feel like you've been dropped off with thoughts and questions that require you to either rewind the chapter, or keep pressing play for the next page. The book, in it's entirety, thankfully, can be pre-ordered via his Kickstarter campaign, so your need to 'bump his track' will not be too long away satisfied.

Take a preliminary look, through his windows, behind the scenes of the curious world of music, ministry, the mind of an Emcee, and his love of Hip-Hop...PREVIEW Chapter 1 of "Through My Windows: The History Behind Holy Hip-Hop", by Christopher J Cooper, aka Soup The Chemist: http://beesydeent.com/book.html

PRE-ORDER and SUPPORT this pioneer Emcee towards the printing of this book by DONATING here BY APRIL 21, 2013: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/519197365/through-my-windows-the-histroy-behind-holy-hip-hop (and hey! your support can also offer you an opportunity to get with the man in person to chew the fat over an appetizing dinner.)






A Deejay's Hands © 2012 Kalinago Woryi

His hands could rock n groove me,
when the dance had left my feet.
When the pressures of the day had wound me up,
his get-up,
don't-stop,
can't-stop,
won't-quit breaks would rotate over,
and over,
and over in my head.
And as he made the bridge between Deejay and Emcee,
toasting n bubbling,
chanting n rapping,
I could feel my pores moving,
opening wide,
sucking every sound,
deep
down
into my blood,
boiling over,
spilling out of me,
in a rushed breath of relief,
mouthing in rhythm,
rapping along,
singing;
no, shouting,
at the top of my lungs,
above the beat,
swaying,
lifting joyful hands,
praising away the Monday blues,
like it was Friday night;
no, like Sunday morning worship -
Yeah bwoy!!! Thank God, for a Deejay's hands!


FOLLOW Soup The Chemist:

facebook:  Christopher J. Cooper http://www.facebook.com/christopher.j.cooper.39

twitter: @SoupTheChemist http://www.twitter.com/SoupTheChemist

Beesyde Entertainment:
web: http://www.beesydeent.com
facebook: Beesyde Ent. http://www.facebook.com/Soupdachemist

KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN (((EXPIRES APRIL 21ST, 2013))): http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/519197365/through-my-windows-the-histroy-behind-holy-hip-hop

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