Relevant Podcast hosted CHH artist Caleb Gordon.

Gordon talked about his early days as a PK, and almost being drawn in by the Ministry.

Here’s a recap.

Did you grow up listening to like Christian rap when you first started music? How aware were you of that scene?

So I went to church so I’m a PK so, I heard a I heard Christian rat but that wasn’t something I was listening to in my headphones. Like I had iPods and all these things that we was having and I would be jamming other artists like Dre, you know all the people that was coming out uh Lil Wayne like all Eminem all them that was coming out in the time.

Soulja Boy all the new dances- I was one of them kids that was like yeah I’m in the church but I’m wild.

So I was Wilding’ but it’s crazy because it’s like I heard what was going on in Christian rap. I heard some Christian songs cuz you know at the youth stuff they always playing it but I didn’t really know too too much until I started doing it.

And now I’m like yo I need to know everything like I’m trying to learn everything there is to know about this because I had no idea this is going on for like 10, 20 years.

It feels like it kind of goes through like Cycles almost where like it has a really big moment and then it fades and then I feel like right now it’s having a really big moment, like do you feel that it’s having a huge moment.

I feel like it’s a Christian Renaissance right now, like Christian music is having this Renaissance of we are going to make great art and that’s our focus. We will make great art and that will bring people closer to God.

Because the thing is people are going to see the art and they’re going to be like ‘how did you do it,’ and that’s how we point them to God.

I feel like Jesus has the Bible and in the Bible Jesus would tell these Parables. These parables are great stories (…) that people make movies about and make TV shows about.

The stories he told they’re more than stories, but to the world that’s how he drew them in. So I feel like we do the same thing in music, we have to make great art first and that’s when the world and the people will be like ‘yo what is going on over here why is this so good? Why is it so great?’ And then we point it back to God.

Would you say that you’re putting out music sort of like as a way to bring people in or is it more like for you a natural expression?

No, I’m putting out music to literally show people the kingdom of God. 

Cuz I had a conversation with my homies the other day I was like, if God came and

saw me right now and just pulled up on me he would ask me he’d be like:

‘Yo does it look like heaven where I’m at? 

Like that’s what’s more important, like does it look like heaven where I’m ministering my music(…)?

I’m saying I’m doing this and I’m doing that. But is it heavenly focused? Is [it] bringing community bringing, people together or is this me? 

The moment it gets selfish is the moment he takes it away. 

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So that’s why I’m like you. My whole focus is: people don’t even know how much access they have in the kingdom of God. It’s like royalty. Like imagine you’re a prince or you’re a princess and you don’t even know all the access you have to the king. And the Queen and and the access you have in the kingdom and I’m trying to get people to know that like yo, you’re in this kingdom of God and you have this access. 

I think that that is my message. Like I’m trying to get people to know like you don’t have to be in the world to have fun, you don’t have to be in the world to have a good life. You can live for God, and have a good life.

There will always be struggles, trials and tribulations, but you can’t let that affect their mind. You can have a good life, you can have real joy inside your heart no matter what’s happening around you. 

Where are you getting your inspiration from when you create this music?

Open the Word I, watch a sermon.

I just made a song the other day cuz my pastor preached on training. A lot of Christians

don’t understand that they need to go through spiritual training, like they go to the gym they get a membership and they say ‘I’m going to train and I’m going to go consistently and I’m going to train,’ and it’s like, how often do we go to the church and be like ‘I’m going to train’ and like ‘I’m going to go to conferences I’m going to use all the tools at the church as like a training’ for my spiritual side.

That inspired me to be like yo, you’re right, like I should be active when it comes to these spiritual things that’s happening, whether it be me meeting together, learning new things on the spiritual side, going to conferences, going to events that have to do with certain things.

Dealing with trauma dealing with this and that, I’m like yo like I’m going to be I’m going to treat this church like my gym membership and that’s how I will receive everything I  need from the church. 

I’m active, I’m in there you know, I’m serving, I’m trying to figure out what’s the next thing yall doing, what’s the next thing, you know, just being a part you know? 

Do you want to be categorized as a Christian rapper or are you a rapper who happens to be a Christian? Cuz like there’s a little bit of a distinction there. 

I’m super yeah I feel what you saying, and that’s what I had to come in here and learn. 

I’m a super Christian rapper, (…) I was explaining to somebody this the other day, I don’t want to be like yo I’m a rapper because that has a stigma to it. So when I come up to people and I be like I’m a rapper that stigma is not positive, it’s just not like when I was rapping and when I was in the world like I don’t even want to be that because I know the enemy’s plan. 

Like yo it’s kids dying in the street in real life and they’re rapping against each other they’re dissing each other and they’re like who can be the most vulgar, who can say the craziest thing.

I’m like yo, I’m not that. That’s why I say, yo I’m a Christian rapper like don’t put me in that category. They going to eventually put the music in that category but I’m like don’t put me in that category.

When I say I’m a Christian rapper I’m separating myself (…) cuz at the end of the day, like I don’t want you to be like yeah I’m teamed up with what’s going on.

It’s like I’m (…)the aisles where they have cereal right? 

And it be all the bad cereal in the isle, like people go down that isle to get all the bad cereal. Imagine if there was a cereal at Whole Foods in that aisle you know what I’m

Saying?

Why would it be there? 

There’s a reason why there’s a Whole Foods where it’s like yo this is good clean organic food, we going to be over here and we not gonna be at Publix you feel me?

Like we are not Publix, we sell food, we just not Publix. So it’s like I want to specifically distinct myself from rap. Like I am a Christian rapper, but I am a rapper but I am a Christian. 

I’m like yo put them two together so you know I rap Christian bars, Jesus bars, but I also talk about my life. and I talk about my testimony you know?