In this episode of Da Fixx we welcome special guest Kato on the Track who shares his journey as a music producer and his perspective on creating music with authenticity. We also discuss our experience at the Stellar Awards, the importance of producing high-quality music and Christian and secular collaborations. Let jump right in!

A Weekend to Remember

Our episode kicked off with Dice Gamble sharing her anniversary weekend experience. She and her partner had a fantastic time in downtown Chicago, attending Lollapalooza and people-watching. We also mentioned other Christian artists performing in Chicago, such as K-Drama. It’s exciting to see Christian artists getting opportunities to perform at non-Christian festivals.

The Real Talk: Christian Artists and Secular Collaborations

We then transitioned into our real talk conversation: should Christian artists make music with secular artists, and how does it affect the fruit in the song? We encourage our listeners to send in real talk topics and discuss them on the show. We play 90% Christian hip hop artists but also include some faith-based songs by secular artists like Chance the Rapper, Justin Bieber, Slim Thug, and Lil Flip.

Meet Kato on the Track

Our guest for this episode was Kato on the Track, a top producer in the game. Kato shared his journey as a music producer and how he built his brand and business through social media. Starting in Atlanta, he networked with artists and producers, eventually gaining recognition and opportunities to work with well-known artists like Joyner Lucas, Jaron Benton, Snoop Dogg, and more.

Kato’s Journey and Perspective

Kato’s breakthrough moment came when he started working with Jaron Benton, and his music began gaining traction on the internet, leading to him getting signed to an independent label. He also shared his experiences touring with Jaron and the excitement of seeing people recognize his name and music in different cities.

Kato believes in creating music with passion and authenticity, starting from a place of love for the music. He expressed his openness to working with gospel and Christian hip hop artists, citing his positive experience at Reach Records. He also discussed turning down projects that don’t align with his passion or timing.

The Christian Community and Secular Artists

We then discussed the topic of whether Christian artists should collaborate with secular artists. Some people have issues with this because they feel that mainstream artists may not have a relationship with God or may still be caught up in worldly behaviors. However, DJ Focus shared his personal journey of rededicating my life to Christ and the struggles I faced in transitioning away from my previous habits of smoking and drinking.

Dice Gamble expressed her disappointment with the arrogance and judgment she sees in the Christian community when it comes to partnering with or working with secular artists. She believes that as Christians, we are called to reach out to sinners and share the gospel, regardless of their background or lifestyle.

The Stellar Awards Experience

We concluded by mentioning the Stellar Awards and our experience playing in the celebrity basketball game. We expressed gratitude for the opportunity and the support we received from Bishop Marvin Sapp and Kirk Franklin. We also discussed our excitement for next year’s event and encouraged listeners to watch the show.

Final Thoughts

In summary, we ended the episode by urging listeners to be great, choose to follow God, and turn their negative experiences into positive ones. We emphasized the power they have as ambassadors for Christ and the importance of advancing God’s kingdom.

Remember, we are agents of freedom and have the power to slay demons. Stay focused on turning negative situations into positive ones and remember that Jesus Christ is always the answer. Prioritize the advancement of God’s kingdom and find a way out of your struggles.

Thank you for joining us on this journey, and we look forward to sharing more insights and experiences with you in future episodes of Da Fixx.

TIMECODE REFERENCES:

Weekend Recap [00:00:23] The hosts share their weekend experiences in downtown Chicago and attending Lollapalooza.

Chance the Rapper’s Grammy Performance [00:03:34] The hosts discuss Chance the Rapper’s performance at the Grammy Awards and how it changed their perspective on faith-infused music.

Introduction of Kato on the Track [00:07:30] The hosts introduce their guest, Kato on the Track, a producer, and discuss his background and success in the industry.

Building a Brand and Business with Social Media [00:08:29] Kato talks about his experience leveraging social media to build his brand and business as a music producer.

Recognizing Success and Reaching a Wider Audience [00:11:18] Kato shares the moment he realized his music was reaching an audience outside of his bubble when working with Jaron Benton.

Sharing Knowledge and Helping the Next Generation [00:14:33] Kato discusses the importance of sharing information and experiences with the next generation of artists and producers.

The importance of passion in creating music [00:20:14] Discussion on how starting with passion leads to creating something great and the importance of loving what you do.

Pharrell Williams’ transition to faith-based music [00:20:43] Discussion on Pharrell Williams’ recent foray into faith-based music and his track called “Joy.”

The potential for collaboration between Christian and secular artists [00:21:30] Kato answers if he would be interested in producing for faith-based artists and mentions Reach Records and Lecrae as examples. Kato shares his positive experience at Reach Records and the openness to collaboration.

The struggle of transitioning to a Christian lifestyle [00:30:56] Discussion about the personal struggles and gradual transition to a Christian lifestyle, including overcoming habits like smoking and drinking.

The importance of relationship and accountability in the church [00:33:07] Highlighting the role of elders and deacons in supporting and guiding individuals in their faith journey, emphasizing the importance of non-judgmental accountability.

The need for Christian artists to collaborate with secular artists [00:35:32] Expressing disappointment in the arrogance and cherry-picking mentality of some Christians, emphasizing the importance of reaching out to secular artists and audiences to spread the message of the gospel.

Christian artists at secular events [00:42:34] Discussion about why Christian artists are often seen at secular events and the importance of showing up and being in the room.

Building relationships with secular artists [00:43:07] Exploration of the need for Christian artists to build relationships with secular artists in order to have conversations and ask questions about their performances and imagery.

The importance of supporting Christian artists [00:47:06] Emphasis on the need for the Christian community to support Christian artists and how lack of support affects their ability to reach a wider audience.

Christian artists collaborating with secular artists [00:50:27] Discussion about Steven Malcolm’s collaboration with Snoop Dogg and the impact of such collaborations.

The importance of speaking to people in their language [00:51:18] Emphasizing the need for different genres and styles of music to reach different audiences and share the message of faith.

The experience of playing in the celebrity basketball game at the Stellar Awards [00:56:07] Recap of the celebrity basketball game at the Stellar Awards and the excitement of being able to participate and win trophies.

The Weekend Experience [00:58:25] Discussion about the fun and entertainment experienced during the weekend, including the Stellar Awards and clean entertainment options.

Performance at the Stellar Awards [00:59:45] Praising the performance of Travis and Jackie Green at the Stellar Awards pre-show and expressing a desire for them to return next year.

Recap of Stellar Awards Winners [01:03:04] Listing the winners of various categories at the Stellar Awards, including Pastor Mike Junior, Tina Albertina Walker, Maverick City, and Zachary Quartet.

The weekend experiences [01:07:17] Discussion about their weekend experiences and encouraging listeners to go out and be great.

Collaboration between Christian and secular artists [01:07:55] Debate on whether Christian artists should collaborate with secular artists.

The goal of kingdom advancement [01:07:55] Emphasizing the importance of kingdom advancement and making it the ultimate goal in life.

Related Radio Show: DA FIXX MORNING RADIO SHOW