Crank dat HHH (Holy Hip Hop)

I recently returned from one of the best summer camps designed for the urban student in the entire country; it’s called Kids Across America a.k.a KAA (U-KNOW!)

The camp is located up in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri where we just finished a great concert with surprise guest LeCrea & Tadashi! Now you know that I was sitting there as proud as a granddaddy could be (granddaddy of Christian Hip Hop that is…) I want you to picture the scene before the guys take the stage: about 800 urban youth, dancing, chanting & grooving to the beat as the DJ spins and everyone is having safe, holy fun and the dominant element that’s blaring in the foreground that seems to tie all of these individuals together: the music.

As the DJ pumps out every style and genre of music that would appeal to the urban teen yet with a strong gospel edge I’m sitting back and looking at this display of 21st Century Holy Culture and I realize that 25 years ago we surely didn’t have it like that, but I’m so glad that teens have the music out now.  Teens and music: what an explosive combination. 

This month we’re going to look at different sites where you can lead your students to either check out the latest sounds that cater to them or even upload some of there own jams up and let the world feel their flava.  One of my favorite sites where artist can share their gifts with the world is Sound Click.  The idea is simple. You have a page with a profile of you or your band, and a page where people can go and listen to your music.  There are also options where you can sell your music online through sound lick as well. 

Speaking of options, it seems like the optimal choice now days is either MySpace or Facebook.  Many artist are displaying and selling their music through both of these sites.  The concept is only a little more complicated to get your page up and running, but the good news is that your students live in this type of world, and it’s nothing to them to put together a MySpace site or a Facebook site together and if you still are having problems I found out that simply going to the help page on either MySpace or Facebook can get you miles ahead. Simply type ‘start a music page on facebook’ for your youth group, you can place a page where your students can put up their favorite song list and view other people’s list. 

Now I shouldn’t have to tell you to be on guard with MySpace as well as all of these sites.  But since MySpace is such a popular site right now, you have all type of fools out there trying to connect with students (which can make a strong argument why we should be up in my space making pages) so keep your discernment up as you go through these sites.

Now since this web world is so ruthless, you have to be as wise as a serpent, yet harmless as a dove.  One site that you can go to check out information on copyright protection for your music is Creative Commons. Creative Commons is a non profit organization that offers flexible copyright licenses for creative works from audio to video and visuals.  Virtually anything you can put online, they can show you how to protect it.  Well that’s it for this month, and remember the summer ain’t over yet; go out there and pump up your ipods, download your gospel music mixes and share them with your students!  Help them make the moment one that they’ll treasure forever.

FREDDIE FREEBIE: Here’s a list of some great sites to download, upload, or just listen to music online:
http://www.holyculturedownload.com 
http://www.dasouth.com
http://www.HollaFestRadio.tv
http://www.djpdogg.com/
http://www.wadeoradio.com/
http://www.realmusicnow.com/

Sharing the gospel from ‘Street to Street’

Fred D. Lynch III
GodStyle Productions

Fred Lynch is the founder of GodStyle Productions. A ministry committed to changing youth culture. For more information on Fred, go to www.godstyle.com or check out his latest project The Script (the gospel of John translated into rap) at: www.gettheepic.com