Faithful in little

Faithful in little

Today’s devotion on Christian Musicians’ Corner is titled Faithful in little. You would recall that we announced some weeks ago that we would also begin to publish insights from Scriptures written by various Christians here on this blog. We call it Devotions. This is the first of it.

Where did I get this thought from?

Lately, I’ve found myself repeating the phrase, “If you are faithful in little, more would be given..” a lot to my wife. Actually, the phrase is found in Luke 16:10. Jesus told a parable about a certain manager who was wasting the master’s possessions. At the end of the parable, he said, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities”. Jesus taught this same principle in several other places in the Bible. For instance, we see it play out in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 and in Luke 19. Even in the Old Testament, we see this principle a lot. For instance, Joshua was faithful under Moses and he became his successor in leading Israel. Elisha was faithful in serving Elijah and he got a double portion of his anointing. David was faithful in keeping his father’s flock, and he became the next king of Israel. I could go on and on.

What about modern times?

This is a universally accepted truth and it is timeless. There is no argument about it; if you are faithful in little, more would be given to you. This applies both to resources (like money) and to responsibilities given to us. We’ve heard people say it over and over that the reward for hard work is more work. I’m pretty sure you might have experienced it play out in your life, at one point or the other, where you were faithful with an assignment and then more was given to you.

How does this apply to us as musicians?

Many times, we find ourselves complaining about what we don’t have. We feel we can’t accomplish much because we don’t have those resources that we think we need. We only see what we don’t have and rarely look inwards to recount the little that we have. But the truth about life is that if we are not faithful in little (that we have), we would never get the bigger resources/ opportunities that we need.

Let me give practical examples. You could keep lamenting that the reason you are not writing songs is that you don’t have money for studio sessions to record them. But if you really look at it, you have a phone with which you can record videos of yourself singing. You have friends that both have and can play guitar for you while you sing. You even have friends that could do back-up for you if you need them.  Be faithful in using the little resources you have. It is only when we are faithful in using those little resources that we can get more.

A real life testimony

Today, we all sing and celebrate Grace Lokwa’s ‘Kumama Papa’ song. But you know, before he got the studio versions that we hear today, he just did an acapella video of the song with his friends and posted on social media. That video went viral unexpectedly. Today, Grace Lokwa has been signed to a record label, he has a complete studio album, and he is celebrated in churches. Imagine if he was not faithful in using the little resources he had, do you think he would have gotten the greater opportunity he has today? I don’t think so.

So, to conclude, I just want to remind you again, to use what you have now faithfully. It is only when you are faithful in little that you can get more. I would love to hear your testimonies/ encounters with regards to being faithful in little. Please share your experiences in the comments below, let others learn from yours too.

 

 

 

Do you have insights in scripture that you would want to share to others, to either encourage them or correct them? Especially insights that would benefit Christian musicians. Please feel free to contact us and we will publish them on our blog for our readers to be blessed. You can send an email to jeplunemusic@gmail.com with the title, “DEVOTIONS”. Alternatively, you reach us on WhatsApp. God bless you.

 

Ant Man Strategy

Ant Man Strategy

Today, on Christian Musicians Corner, I would like to share what I call, ‘The Ant Man Strategy’. The first time I wrote this article, it was for publication in the maiden edition of Jogama Magazine, 4 years ago. But I think the message is still relevant for us today.

I am a lover of science fiction and super hero movies. One of my favourites is ‘The Avengers series’. The Avengers are a group of people; some with supernatural powers, some with scientifically modified bodies, some others with highly sophisticated battle suits while others just have unique skills used in battle. They all have one thing in common; they fight to defend the people from external or internal threats to human existence. Now, one of the Avengers that particularly interest me is called Ant Man. He has a special suit that allows him to shrink to the size of an ant. This makes him almost invisible to his opponent, while still retaining the strength of a full grown man. This unique ability allows him to enter a well guarded enemy territory and carry out operations that would have been impossible for others to carry out.

The war we are in

Now, as Christians we are at war (both spiritually and physically) with the devil and the world system. The devil and the world system have been consistently fighting to win the hearts of believers over to their side. And now, they have the same ability as the Ant Man; that means we don’t see them coming at us. The strategy they are using now in this war is the media. Just like Ant Man, the media penetrates our homes and does great havoc to our spiritual lives without us noticing. Our kids are being influenced away from the godly principles and values that we are trying to teach them. Yes, we still have morning devotions with them at home, and yes, we still being teach them in church, but right now, the majority of what an average teenager/ young adult believes strongly are things he/ she learnt from movies and music. Our territories have been invaded by the enemy like Ant Man.

Let me give practical examples

Over the years, just like Ant Man who enters without being noticed, the media have continuously projected an idea to the mind of young people that without money, life is worth nothing. Music artists portray this message in their music videos and the movies pass the same message too. The resultant effect is that greed has become the order of the day. The average young person now has this idea that whatever a person does is justified as long as it yields material gain at the end of the day. And so, they are willing to do anything, I mean ANYTHING at all, even if it is morally unthinkable, as long as they would get money. It is therefore not surprising, the rise in the cases of ritual killings and fraud by young people. Another example is the consistent degrading of the female gender and their portrayal as mere sex objects. This has made our young girls lose their sense of human dignity and so can condescend to any level. Check the kind of videos we see on social media today about our girls and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. But I think, we already got the point.

Now, how do we fight this war?

The solution is obviously not to ban the use of Television or the internet in our various homes. That would be like attempting to stop a moving car with your bare hands (except you are superman). In warfare, one of the best ways to defend yourself against the enemy is to attack the enemy. We need to use the same Ant Man Strategy to attack.

  • Yes, we ought to keep praying for our youth and teaching them at home and in church ( which by the way is VERY IMPORTANT). But in addition to that, we also need to start invading the media and bombarding it with QUALITY godly content.  If we are truly going to engage young people, we need to throw away that ‘mediocre’ mindset. We need to start providing media content that could compete with every other one out there, in terms of quality. Let’s include expertise in our productions; whether we have to spend years getting it or we spend money to hire it. We need to get into the mainstream entertainment industry, like Ant Man, but with our Christian message. By all means, let the content we put out be of great quality and be able to meet up to industry standards. And we don’t have to compromise our message to achieve this.
  • We also need to break down those mighty walls of ‘the secular vs the sacred’ in music genres and entertainment generally. By this, I do not mean that we should start compromising our Christian values in our productions, but let’s reduce the categorization. We should just have rock songs (not secular rock and Christian rock) or rap songs (not Christian rap and secular rap) or movies (not Christian movies and secular movies). Let the audience do the categorization themselves.
  • Another thing is that we don’t have to sound ‘preachy’ all the time in our songs and movies (although sometimes, we need to sound ‘preachy’ and be firm in our message). But what we need to do more is ‘gently’ (without compromise though) re-introduce godly principles, standards and values to the younger generation. In 2Timothy 2:25, the Bible says, “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth…” Did you notice the word ‘gently’? I could almost replace that word with the phrase, ‘like Ant Man…’ That’s how God expects us to fight this war. A quick example of what I’m talking about is the movie ‘The Chronicles Of Narnia’ by C.S. Lewis. Another example is the movie, ‘The Lost Medallion’ written by Bill Muir. At face value, you would not tag any of these movies as ‘Christian movies’. But when you watch them, you’ll find that they pass strong Christian messages without compromise.

This has been a long article, but it is worth it. If I had broken it into two, the message wouldn’t have been complete. I hope you gained a lot from it though. Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below.

 

 

Do you want to hear the truth about your songs without sentiments?

Get your songs reviewed by professionals without bias for just a token. You’ll get honest appraisals as well as constructive criticism of your songs. This would help you get better in your music. Plus, other people who might never have heard about you before would get to listen to your songs when they read the published reviews (who knows, they might even turn to fans). If interested, send an email to jeplunemusic@gmail.com with an mp3 (please don’t send wav files) of your song and a few details like release date, artists featured, your artist bio and a link for people to listen to the song.  Check out some music reviews we’ve done in the past. Terms and conditions apply.

A true-life story of Ric’s brother and lessons from it

Ric's brother

There’s  this very good friend of mine, Ric.  I met him in 2012 during his one-year compulsory service to Nigeria (NYSC). At that time, I had just finished mine. Over time, we began to grow close and bond. Today, because of how close we are, I can say we’ve grown beyond friends to brothers.

Anyways, last month Ric’s elder brother visited him from the south-eastern part of Nigeria. And within the period of his stay with my friend turned brother, they scheduled that I meet with him. Actually, Ric’s elder brother is an ordained minister of the Gospel. But he is also a talented singer. He had recorded two full albums ten years ago, but they were not distributed and definitely not promoted. So, only members of their family and just a few friends heard the songs in the albums.

What we did

Basically, the major aim of the meeting was to consult with me on how they can revive and publicize those albums. I think I need to pause a little here to give a little explanation of the albums we are talking about. Ric’s brother recorded both albums like medleys, so each song flows into the next and it continues like that till the end. So, you could have 30 minutes of continuous play time without stop. Also, he sang all the songs in Igbo. After talking with them for a while, we agreed that we need to separate the individual songs in the albums, to stand as single songs and then make lyrics videos for each of them. The job was contracted to Jeplune Music Studios, one of the music companies in Nigeria that make beautiful lyrics videos. Within a few weeks we had separated the songs in the albums and started work on the lyrics videos. We also created a YouTube channel for Ric’s brother.

Now here’s where the story get’s interesting. We uploaded the first lyrics video on his YouTube channel (you can see for yourself here) and the result was massive. Within a few days, Ric’s brother got over a hundred views on the video and some subcribers too.

So, what happened?

First, this was the first time the public was hearing this album that Ric’s brother recorded 10 years ago. To them, it’s a new music release. Secondly, due to the fact that we released the songs as lyrics videos, we could project the English translation of the words of the song that was originally sang in Igbo. This made it possible for everyone to both enjoy the sweet melody of the songs and still understand the words sung. Finally, we were able to direct all the traffic to his YouTube channel since we didn’t upload the songs on any other platform.

Ric’s brother is feeling a lot more fulfilled right now because his songs are finally being heard and the message which were in Igbo can now be understood by people who aren’t Igbo. All this because he got awesome lyrics videos for the songs from Jeplune Music.

You too can get beautiful lyrics videos for your songs and increase the views on your YouTube channel, like Ric’s brother. It doesn’t matter if they are old songs or new ones. You can check out a few of the lyrics videos we have done for various artists in the past here.

Songwriting tips from top musicians in Jos

songwriting tips from musicians in Jos

I would like to begin by explaining that I chose the title, Songwriting tips from top musicians in Jos, simply for S.E.O reasons. Yeah, in all sincerity, so this publication should have been titled, Songwriting tips from top (selected) musicians in Jos with great songwriting skills. But that title is quite long,  I shortened it the way I did. I know there are many other great musicians in Jos, and some of them might even have better vocal quality than some of the ones I selected. But I selected these musicians because of their strong songwriting skills as displayed in the songs they have released so far. I believe that as far as songwriting is concerned, these are the people worth learning from.

Why songwriting tips?

Now, some of you might be wondering, what is it with you and songwriting tips? Those of you who have been following my blog for the past 13 months will have noticed that I have written more articles on songwriting than on any other subject. Let’s just say I’m passionate about good music and great songwriting contributes to having good music. I listen to a lot of music, both Nigerian and foreign. And to be honest, we have a lot a people talented with beautiful voices. We also have a lot of skilled producers that create magic. But then we have very few skilled songwriters. Many times, I’ve listened to songs with great production, beautiful vocals, but then the songwriting spoils the song. That’s why I hammer a lot on songwriting tips.

Why Musicians in Jos?

Let me just put it this way, Jos as a city in Nigeria is like Nashville in the United States. You can call Jos the music capital of Nigeria; not in terms of the market, but in terms of raw music talents. I dare say that there is no other city in Nigeria with the abundance of music talents that Jos has. In one of the blog posts I made this year on Top 3 DAWs used by music producers in Jos, I explained this in detail.

So, let’s get to the songwriting tips:

  1. A songwriter’s job, just like a poet’s, involves saying old things in fresh ways. Cliché`s are therefore not a songwriter’s friend.

Doug Kaze (JOGAMA Award winning Afrofolk/Afrosoul singer, songwriter and performing artist).

 

  1. One of the ways to write better songs is to write your own experience. It will help you put in the emotions in the words and even vocal delivery that would make the song a great one.

Kespan Yaron  Zaki (Mulitiple Award winning Singer, songwriter, and music producer).

 

  1. I strive to find the fewest words to send a profound message when I write songs. This involves studying the message and finding synonyms in order to say a lot using few words. This helps me not to have songs overstuffed with lyrics.

Neken Chuwang (Multiple Award winning singer, songwriter and performing artist)

 

  1. I usually take time to write my songs. I generally do not rush my songwriting process. I make sure every word I write connects to my spirit. There are some of my songs that took me 5 years to complete. And I keep going back to a song and keep making adjustments till every word sounds right in my ear.

Philip Dobson (Singer, songwriter, and performing artist)

 

  1. Most of my songs are introspective. So, I write songs from my own life and experiences. It’s easy for me when I say things because it’s really what is happening in my life or an experience that I passed through or a lesson that God has taught me over time.

Vblaiz (CHH artist and music producer)

 

  1. Be deliberate in your songwriting. Write with the consciousness that the lyrics of your song has power. And this power is active first in the ear, which is the passage way to the hearts of your listeners. Whatever the message of your song depicts, whether joy, pain, encouragement, sadness, etc, let the effect of your words be powerful enough to affect the mind of your listeners.

Skiffy Kanees (Inspirational singer, songwriter and performing artist, Co-founder Jeplune Music)

 

  1. Stick to one theme (message) when writing a song. Some songwriters often write about multiple things in one song. This makes it difficult to understand exactly what the song is centered on. After you choose the subject to write about, try not to deviate from it in in your songwriting.

SON Chuwang (JOGAMA Award winning Singer, songwriter, and music producer, Founder SON-city Records)

 

  1. There’s a lot of recycling going on in the business of songwriting due to the lack of capacity for pure creative instincts, laziness, skillfulness and craftsmanship in the business of songwriting. To avoid this, I constantly develop what I call my ‘word bank’. There are a couple of sources from which I do this; reading scriptures, listening to intelligent discussions, radio/TV, nature, other people’s music, etc.

WordSmith (Worship leader, Singer, songwriter and music producer. Founder, Word and Sound Music group)

 

So there you have it; 8 songwriting tips from 8 different musicians who are very good songwriters. You can also check out the series on Songwriting that I wrote last year for more tips tat will help you improve on your songwriting.

 

Music distribution in Nigeria

Music distribution in Nigeria

A lot of people, even music artists, confuse music distribution with music promotion. I see a lot of upcoming artists distribute their music and then they cross their feet (and relax), thinking they have promoted their music. So, I decided to write this article to explain the difference between music distribution and music promotion and what they entail. I will also offer advice for upcoming artists with low budget. So, let’s dive into it

So, what is music distribution?

Music distribution is simply getting your music releases (whether albums, Eps or singles) to places (or platforms) where your listeners can easily access them. Music distribution is a very important aspect of the career of any music artist. No matter how beautiful the melody of your songs are, or the depth of the messages they carry, if they don’t get to where your audience are, then your efforts in creating the music has been wasted. It’s a like a business person selling a particular goods (let’s say clothes). Imagine he has very beautiful clothes for sale, but he leaves them in his warehouse. As long as those clothes remain in his warehouse, people will never be able to buy them. But the moment he brings the clothes to his shop or boutique, people who need those clothes would see them and buy. That’s how important music distribution is for music artists.

Music distribution in Nigeria in the early 2000s

Before now, music distribution in Nigeria entailed getting your music album to one of the major CD distributors in Alaba (Lagos). Those guys had a wide connection with music stores all over Nigeria. So, if they were to distribute your music, your music CDs would be sold in music stores all over Nigeria. And when that is combined with very effective music promotion, you would become famous. However, music distribution in Nigeria has taken a complete U-turn in recent years. Nowadays, nobody buys music CDs any more (at least not like they used to). Music releases are now done on the internet. So, getting your music to those major music distributors is no longer necessary.

So, what does music distribution in Nigeria entail now?

Music distribution in recent times entails getting your music on platforms and stores where people can easily find them and stream or buy. Some of the major platforms where you can get your new music releases on includes Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Boomplay, YouTube Music, Soundcloud, etc. There are several other streaming platforms, but these are some of the major ones in the world. Audiomack is one of such and it’s gaining grounds in Nigeria. There are also stores where you can upload your music for people to buy and download, such as itunes and Amazon. In Nigeria, artists also use selar.co to sell their music albums.

However, to get your music on these streaming platforms and stores, you need to employ the services of a distribution company. Yes, as an independent artist, you cannot get your music on these platforms/ stores by yourself. Think of these distribution companies like those music distributors in Alaba back in the days. They help you get your music to major stores/platform that you cannot do yourself. But you’ll be required to pay a fee (usually yearly). There are many distribution companies available now. Some of them even offer some free services. Just google music distribution companies and you will find many of them.

What’s my advice?

After reading several reviews of the various music distribution companies, I would recommend Distrokid to independent artists. It’s not free, but a yearly fee of less than $20 for unlimited uploads of all your music is not a bad deal. When you really break it down, it’s less than N1,000 per month. And I think it’s a worthy investment to get your music to major platforms/ stores. Let me say this here (even though I will still dedicate an article to write on this), getting your songs on major streaming platforms does not take the place of promoting your music. Music distribution is not the same as music promotion.

Another thing new artists do is upload their music for free download on several blogs. You may argue that it gets more people to know about your music. But in the long run, it’s better to have your music on recognized platforms. A better alternative would be for you to pay bloggers to direct all the traffic to those streaming platforms where your songs are. I will talk more on this when I write about Music promotion in Nigeria.

I believe you have learnt a lot about music distribution in Nigeria today. And I believe you will no longer confuse it with music promotion.

For further reading, you can check out this article by our friends at Cresthub on the benefits of music streaming for artists in Africa.

Updates for Christian Musicians’ Corner blog

Christian Musicians' corner

Last Friday I didn’t publish any article on Christian Musicians’ Corner. However, I figured I needed to update you guys about the blog. So, here’s a few updates you need to know:

Change of name

I recently changed the name of this blog from “Musicians’ Corner” to “Christian Musicians’ Corner”. This change was done for two major reasons. The first is for a better SEO (search engine optimization). The second is that I recently began to ponder about what I do. I am a Christian and a musician. Underneath every single article I write is an underlying tone of my faith. Sometimes, it’s subtle, but other times it’s bold. Obviously, my publications here make more sense to Christian musicians. So, I figured it’s best if the name clearly indicates my main target audience – Christian Musicians. That’s why the blog is now Christian Musicians’ Corner.

New addition to the blog

That said, we are introducing something new in Christian musicians’ corner blog. From now on, we will occasionally publish reflections from scripture by various Christians, especially those who are musicians. We’ll call it devotionals. The devotionals will revolve around Christian living generally, but especially written in a such a way that Christian musicians will relate easily. So, we’ll look at topics like overcoming temptations, purpose, Christian service/ ministry, Christian love, personal devotion, etc.

Let me use this opportunity to invite submissions of reflections from Christian musicians. Age or location does not matter. You only have to be a Christian to qualify to submit reflections for publication. Like I said earlier, any topic revolving around Christian living is welcomed. Send your submissions to jeplunemusic@gmail.com and title it “DEVOTIONALS FOR CMC”.

One last thing,

We were recently listed by FeedSpot among the top 80 Nigerian music blogs/ websites. Actually, we were ranked 39th on the list. This might seem inconsequential to some of you, but it’s a great encouragement to me. At least it shows that what we do here at jeplune.com is relevant and needed. I’m encouraged to do more.

Alright, that’s all the updates I have to share with you guys concerning Christian Musicians’ corner. While you are here, please do well to check some of the services we offer here at jeplune.com. Some of them are totally free, like press releases. You’ll get the others, like music reviews, songs of the week, lyrics videos, etc for just a little token.

 

From chasing stardom to purpose; an interview with A4C

interview with A4C

Today, on Christian musicians’ corner, I will be featuring an interview with A4C. In this interview, he shares how his motive for doing music has shifted from chasing stardom to pursuing purpose. A4C is a Christian Hip pop artist, street evangelist and children coach. He is the founder and leader of the Rep Jesus crew, a creative- based discipleship movement in Jos city. I met A4C in 2016 at an event for children where he performed and I have since followed his music. So, let’s dive into the interview.

Spirit: Let’s start with the stage name. Now I know A4c means “All For Christ”, how did you come about the name?

A4C: Before I adopted A4C my stage name used to be ‘Psychofan’ which came from my high school days. Psychofan was gotten from Psycho’s fan. Back then, I had this strong argument about maltreating mentally ill patients, so I stood for them in a way.  An old adage says, “Your name precedes your character”. That was exactly what began to happen to me. Eventually, I started behaving like a mentally ill person, though not pronounced.

In 2008, my sister got married and her husband, Evan Joseph Musa (of blessed memory) grew fond of me. So, we spent a lot of time together. This led to my conversion from secular to Gospel rap in 2010 and also my decision to drop dance and take up music fully. Now, back to the question, my sister’s husband was cool with almost everything I did and stood for, except my name ‘Psychofan’.  We had severally disagreements about the name. On one faithful night, we debated on the name psychofan for over two hours and he made it clear that he didn’t like the name. That night, the Lord called me out in a dream “A4C”. I didn’t understand, and I didn’t know the meaning. Early the next morning I told Mr. Joseph that I had found a new name. When he asked what the name was, I told him A4C. Moments before then, I couldn’t recall the name but the moment I opened my mouth to answer Mr. Joseph, it came out of my mouth. Mr. Joseph asked me the meaning of A4C and in complete ignorance also, I told him “All for Christ”. The whole thing was just supernatural. Since then A4C has been undergoing transformation and living a life that totally belongs to Christ.

Spirit: Wow! That’s a great testimony. Please can you share with us a little about your childhood days before music?

A4C: I was born into a Christian home with very good moral values but I grew up in a morally decayed environment. A place where every child wanted to be like Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xhibit, Bone Thugs,  Wutang clan, 2pac and the rest. So it didn’t take long before i join the train. During my junior secondary school days, I realised I could dance without stress. It was more of a gift.  My friends had interest in dance too so we formed a crew at home.  The crew had students from different schools so it gave us an edge cos we could fuse the famous step dance from Kuru with the breakdance from FGC Jos. Other dance genres like Salsa, Calipso, were part of our routines. Soon, we started living our dreams, partially. We were invited for social events from various schools. By the time we finished Secondry school, we were already getting opportunities in radio stations. We toured the clubs in Jos with Ray Power’s famous Djs, Mr brown, late G Connection. But as time went, and with the exposure, we began to realise how limited dance is and our childhood dreams fueled our passion to delve into music. So we recorded our first track as a crew (de Exclusives)  in 2006. All we wanted was ‘blow’ and become famous so we jumped at every opportunity we got. In 2008, the group had a fall out after the maiden edition of Malta Guiness street dance competition which we dropped out at the semi-finals.  After the split I had a slight change of friends which gave me time to think, change my priorities and refocus, then I took the decision to do Gospel in 2009.

Spirit:  Wow! You really had an eventful childhood. Are there people you would say motivated you to start rapping?

A4C: Like I said we grew up seeing the likes of Snoop, Dre, Bone Thugs etc. When I got to Science school Kuru (Jss 1), I saw someone rapping in real life, for the first time in my life, outside TV or radio. It was a senior (Radio DNA) and he was very smallish. Back then, he was known as Kas K. Eventually, I realised there were more guys around me that could rap. The likes of Daniel Dean Abuku (who was two classes ahead of me), Ngwal Mariyom (who was my closest friend in Jss2) etc. All these gave me the confidence to try rap too. From Jss 3, I started writing and rapping but I couldn’t do it in school cos I wasn’t confident enough to rap alongside those guys. So, I only tried rap at home during holidays. After secondary school, a friend of mine introduced me to a foriegn Rap group called Cross Movement. I learned a lot from them and the likes of Da truth, Flame, Ambassodor, etc

Spirit:  What were some encounters you had in your early days of your music career?

A4C:  Really, it wasn’t easy then and it’s still not easy now. Some of the challenges I had were lack of finance, access to good producers, lack of platforms, especially when I switched to gospel. One of the biggest challenge I had was that my family didn’t really believe in what I was doing, so I got little or no encouragement.

Spirit: I can imagine. Now, despite all these encounters you continued. Why? What is your motivation?

A4C: What kept me going at first was the dream to become a super star someday. Then I got caught in God’s web of purpose and now, I can’t stop even if I wanted to. Finally, there is this peace and satisfaction I derive only from doing music.

Spirit: Interesting! Now, let’s talk about Rep Jesus Crew. What’s the inspiration behind it? Maybe a little story about why and how it all started?

A4C: In 2014, when I would say I received the Rep Jesus vision, all I wanted was put up a show to declare publicly that I have switched to Gospel. So, we tagged it Rep Jesus. In 2015 we had another concert at Plateau Poly and it was still tagged Rep Jesus. The idea began to grow from just a declaration to an awareness and getting more people to follow suit. 2 years down the lane, contrary to what some people expected, we were still doing gospel. So we staged another concert tagged ‘The Streetz Rep Jesus’. This was followed by the release of the album Rep Jesus in November, 2016.  After the rep Jesus album, the burden became heavier but this time it was redirecting me to children. I had no idea on children ministry (actually I still don’t) but after I prayed and made consultations, I decided to give it a try. In 2017, I started training 6 children to be part of my stage performance. By December, 2017, we had our first performance  together at the ‘Son of David’ video premier. And that’s how we adopted the name Rep  Jesus Crew. We had so many engagements that year it was a new wave of entertainment. Some people accused me of initiating children into cultism cos of our art and costumes. Haha. Prayerfully and obediently, we persisted and today we’re celebrating 5 years of existence as RJC.

Spirit: Wow! I normally don’t do this, but can you share some of the things you’ve done in the past as a crew?

A4C: Yeah. In 2018, we recorded our first single (Our God is Great). We participated in the first Ecwa talent show and was made Ecwa TV ambassors. We performed at PRTV Christmas tree lightening, NTA Christmas funfair, Jos museums Christmas fun fair, Mista Ali Christmas funfair. We also hosted our first chapter of Carols According To Rap; an event that featured over 40 artists. In 2019, we staged Da revelation concert. By then, our number had grown from 6 to over 20, with more engagements and activities. We grew in number, skills and character throughout 2019 and we did monthly evangelism which we called ‘Street rehearsals’. We did that in upto 10 streets within Jos metropolis. We also hosted our second chapter of Carols According to Rap (which was an outdoor event). In 2020, the outbreak of Covid 19 made us pause our monthly evangelism (street rehearsal). We lost partners and gained new ones though not as we would have wanted. It was a trying moment for us but we held on.  Thanks to people like Priscy and Pamzat that were already on board to help me out.They really made me feel I’m not alone. It was still in 2020 that we started the Rap Worship Experience (RWE) journey. We are still holding on and growing after close to two years now. By God’s grace we have grown to over 60 in number currently. We’ve planted close to 20 House of prayers (Hops) among children outside the RJC circle. These HOPs are in schools, workshops and within the communities. We have grown beyond  just performers to disciples taking up the Great Comission among children and teenagers.

Spirit: Wow! Are there some of the challenges you face with regards to leading a Christian rap crew and being a Christian rapper yourself?

A4C: First of all, RJC is not just a rap group but a creative- based discipleship movement. Having said that, few of our challenges are:

  • One of our biggest challenge is funding. The movement needs a lot of finance considering the fact that it is creative- based and targeting the non- income earners. The burden of  financing projects mostly bounce back to me since we are not currently  under any sponsor or financial partnership.
  • Another huge challenge is the slow transformation. Sometimes I become frustrated when I see my boys behaving in certain ways. I’ll be like “una suppose don grow pass like this now haba!” But I remember how I was before God changed me and how many times I’ve fail Him even in my current stage.
  • There is also a huge generational gap between the older generation and the emerging.  A lot of the older folks find it difficult to connect with our art, so they kick against or talk down on what we’re doing.
  • Another challenge is denominational differences. A friend of mine once told me “You don go put yourself for cult say you dey do Christianity.” He further stated that as long as we identify with a particular denomination there are certain platforms we will never get, and he asked “Is that one not cultism?” I became conscious of that fact and realised he is right in a way.
Spirit: I’m sure there are times you feel like quitting. What do you do at those low moments of your life to keep going?

A4C: Almost everyday, I feel like quitting. But any time I look back and see how far God has brought me, I just know I can’t quit even if I feel like.

Spirit: Are there benefits you’ve enjoyed as a musician because of your faith?

A4C: Time and space will not permit me to talk about the benefits. However, here are a few

  •  I’ve met some great men of God that played and are still playing major roles in my transformation journey. I used to be a drug addict, but through this God has dealt with that issue in my life and I am completely free and sober.
  • Music led me to my Purpose. Today I am gladly living it.
  • Music has opened business doors for me. As a Builder, Electrical installer and teacher I have a lot of people, who were thrilled when they discovered that I have other lucrative abilities asides music. These people have either connected me with Jobs or given me Jobs in my field.
  • We launched a merchandise brand For RJC in 2021. Through music we were able to sell over a hundred T shirts, hoodies, neck chains and bangles. We still hope to sell more.
  • Through music I’ve had access to people and places I would have never had in my life. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be interviewed by Jeplune music, Ecwa TV Africa, NTA, PRTV, Rhythm FM or Peace FM as a builder,  electrical technologist or a teacher. But through music, I’ve enjoyed this privileges and even more.
  • Music has given me opportunity to connect and disciple children and teenagers within and outside Jos
Spirit: That’s interesting. So, what should we expect from you with regards music in the future?

A4C: What to expect from me is cleaner and refined music that addresses common issues faced globally.  And to add to that, also expect emerging Artists from RJC that will influence  global entertainment positively.

Spirit: I like the sound of that. Any final words of advice for upcoming Christian Musicians?

A4C: My little piece for Christian creatives is, “know that you represent a high authority, therefore you must be represent Him well both on and off the stage. Stay connected to the Father for without Him we can do nothing.”

Spirit: Wow! It’s been a great time talking with you. Thank you so much for your time A4C.

A4C: Special appreciation to Spirit 3:6 and the entire Jeplune music team. God bless you for all you do for the kingdom.

This where we will wrap up this interview with A4C as he has shared his journey so far with purpose. You can follow A4C on Facebook.

Don’t forget that you can get your songs reviewed by professionals without bias for just a token. You’ll get honest appraisals as well as constructive criticism of your songs. This would help you get better in your music. Plus, other people who might never have heard about you before would get to listen to your songs when they read the published reviews (who knows, they might even turn to fans). If interested, send an email to jeplunemusic@gmail.com with an mp3 (please don’t send wav files) of your song and a few details like release date, artists featured, your artist bio and a link for people to listen to the song.  Check out some music reviews we’ve done in the past. Terms and conditions apply.

Top 3 DAWs used by Music Producers in Jos

Music producers in Jos

Today, I will be unveiling the top 3 DAWs used by music producers in Jos. This article will be a lot beneficial to aspiring/ upcoming music producers.

How did I arrive at this my result?

I recently carried out a survey among music producers in the city of Jos, Plateau State. In the survey, I asked the producers their choice DAWs when it comes to recording, beat making, mixing and mastering. 25 different producers in Jos took this survey and I compiled their answers to get a final result.

So why music producers in Jos?

For those of you wondering why I carried out my survey with music producers in Jos, let me tell you a little bit about the music industry in Jos. Jos is a city in Plateau state known for it’s abundance of music, dance and poetic talents. It has been said that from every three families in Jos, there would be at least one person that is either a singer, dancer, poet or footballer. I can tell you that statement is true. In many ways, just like Nashville is regarded as the music center of the US., Jos can be regarded as the music center of Nigeria. So, if you’re looking for where to find the most talented music producers in Nigeria, Jos city is the place.

Having said that, let’s dive into the survey results.

Most used DAW for recording

Recording is an essential aspect of music production. Asides the vocals, instruments like the guitars, the bass, etc are usually preferably recorded live. From the survey, the most used DAW for recording is Cubase. The second is Sonar (Cakewalk) while Logic Pro is the third most used DAW for recording.

Most used DAW for beat making

Beat making is another important aspect of music production, especially for genres like Afrobeats, Hip pop, EDM, etc. Here, FL Studio was preferred by most music producers. The second is Logic pro, followed by Cubase.

Most used DAW for mixing and mastering

No matter how beautiful the vocals in a recording are, and no matter how awesome the production, if they are poorly mixed and mastered, the song will still sound like crap. So which DAW do music producers in Jos prefer for mixing and mastering? Surprisingly, Cubase is still the most preferred here. The second is Sonar (Cakewalk), followed by Logic Pro as the third most used DAW for mixing and mastering.

Overall most used DAW

Overall, the most used DAW by music producers in Jos is Cubase. Next to Cubase is Fl Studio, which is basically used by most for beat making alone. The third is Sonar (Cakewalk). I think it is worth mentioning that quite a number of the producers that took the survey also prefer Logic Pro, but the numbers for Cubase, Fl Studio and Sonar outweigh that of Logic Pro.

In summary, the most used DAWs by music producers in Jos, in their order of preference, are:

  1. Cubase
  2. Fl Studio
  3. Sonar (Cakewalk)
  4. Logic Pro

 

By the way, I’m creating a directory for music producers in Jos. So, if you are a producer (or you know one) please take 2 minutes and fill out this google form (or send the link to your producer). The directory will be published so that music artists can easily contact music producers of their choice.

 

Another Easter Message: lesson from the life and death of Jesus

Easter message

Easter is a time when Christians, all over the world, celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The whole celebration revolves around the fact that Jesus Christ came to the world as human. He lived among men, taught about the kingdom of God and did great miracles. He was crucified on the cross and buried in a tomb. On the third day, after His death, he resurrected. And now, he is alive and he sits at the right hand of the Father.

Why do we celebrate Easter?

We live in a time where the essence of Christian celebrations is gradually being lost. Today, we talk of Easter bunny and eggs. For some people, Easter is just another holiday; an opportunity to stay at home with family and to rest. For others, it’s a time to catch fun, eat and drink excessively.

But is that why we celebrate Easter? John Piper once said, “the resurrection, along with the death of Jesus, is the greatest event in the universe. It’s greater than our sun”. Why would he say something like that? I’ll tell you why.

  1. If Christ did not die and resurrect, then we wouldn’t be saved. And if we’ve not been saved, then our faith is useless. This is exactly what Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14-18. The whole essence of our Christian faith hinges on the death and resurrection of Christ.
  2. Another reason we celebrate Easter is that the resurrection of Christ gives us hope for future glory. In 2 Corinthians 4:14, the Bible says, “…the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to Himself.”

So, why did I decide to write this article today?

I guess many of you might be wondering at this point, when did Spirit 3:6 turn our favourite Christian Musicians blog to a church/ theological blog? Relax, it’s still Christian Musicians Corner. But I’ll tell you why I chose to write this article today instead of my usual articles on music. A few days ago, I was discussing with the teens in my church about knowing and doing God’s will and I used the life of Jesus Christ as an example. We saw how he did the will of God, even to the point of being crucified. Now, since it’s Good Friday, I figured it would be nice if I shared my insights from that discussion with the teens. After all, it’s Easter. And as Christian musicians, our faith lies at the center of the music we do.

 

                                          In case you missed: Am I doing well enough?

Let’s look at the life and death of Christ.

So, before Jesus’ resurrection (which is why we celebrate Easter), he lived and died. He was born by a virgin. Went through the normal process of growth and development like every human being. Remember that Jesus Christ is God. He created man, yet he humbled himself to be trained by humans until he reached the age of maturity. But that’s not all, throughout his years of ministry on earth, he received several insults and false accusations. At one point, he told his disciples that he did not have any place to lay his head. When you look at it, Jesus really suffered. And to cap it up, he was crucified on a cross. History has it that dying by the Roman crucifixion is the worst kind of death. They stripped him in front of everyone, tore his back with whip, made him carry a heavy wooden cross up a hill. They nailed him to the cross, pierced his head with thorns and hung him on the cross. His side was also pierced with a spear while hanging there.  You need to understand that the  cross they used were not made from smooth logs of wood; they were rough. So wooden splinters would enter his already torn back while hanging on that cross and struggling to breathe. It is such a painful death.

Now why would anyone agree to go through all these suffering and have such a painful death? The answer is that Jesus knew why he was here and was willing to fulfill his purpose, no matter the cost.

What can we learn from this?

First of all, I want to say here that no length of article will be sufficient enough to write about all the lessons from the life and death of Jesus. In this article, I would just like to focus on the lessons I learnt with regards to  purpose.

  1. The fact that it is God’s will or that you are fulfilling purpose, does not mean that things will work out very easily. Jesus was in the perfect will of God, yet he went through suffering in this life and even in death. So, if you’re going through suffering as well, don’t give in.
  2. Jesus was able to endure suffering and even death by crucifixion, because he knew that was his purpose. It was not easy for him. I know this because of the prayer he made at Gethsemane. However, he went through the pain. In the same way, when we know our purpose, it helps us to remain focused despite the several difficulties we might face along the journey.
  3. Jesus kept his focus on the outcome. In Hebrews 12:2, the bible says about Jesus, “for the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning it’s shame…”. So, despite whatever difficulty we might encounter on way to fulfill purpose, let’s fix our eyes on the prize. Our labour is not in vain; there is a reward. Be encouraged.

There wouldn’t be Easter if Christ didn’t know or decide to fulfill purpose. As we celebrate Easter, let’s make up our minds to discover our purpose and resolve to fulfill that purpose at all cost. The prize at the end is far greater than the price we pay now.

Happy Easter in advance.

 

Beyond the music; an interview with Aizek

Interview with Aizek

Today, on Musicians Corner, I’ll be featuring an interview with Aizek. Aizek is a rap artist with D.P.E Records. He has two published projects and several other singles. He is also a part of the HBR Squad, and in collaboration with the other artist in the group, they have two published joint projects. So, let’s get on with the interview.

Spirit: Please can you share with us a little about your childhood days before music?

Aizek: I grew up in Rukuba Road in Jos, Plateau State, moved when I was 10. I’ve always been the laid-back person, had a couple of friends. You know how childhood days are na; playing, eating, getting into trouble ?, and all that. Fun memories and not so fun memories. It was good though.

Spirit: So, what or who motivated you to start rapping?

Aizek: Okay, a little background before I answer that, before rapping I used to sing, ??  I remember being in a boy band in school that eventually had female members?. And back in Sunday School I remember presenting ‘special numbers’ with some friends. I joined the church band in my church and all that… Music was kinda part of me, and I love rap. Back in secondary school I loved hip hop, used to search for lyrics and try following some of the songs, fast forward in 2006 I got introduced to CHH and man, it was a great experience, having Christians rapping and sharing their faith in hip hop, it was something else. I enjoyed listening to amazing songs back then and the desire to rap kept increasing, I believed this was something I was supposed to do, sharing from my experiences and worldview, basically the things I believe in. So, in ’07 I and Bwans co-founded a hip hop group named Da BOARD, we talked to some of our friends that shared the same passion for music, CHH…and some became a part of it. Cross Movement was a big motivation back then. Shout out to my big bro Wanger, he was my first plug that year to CHH, access to the music he shared with me played a key role in me doing this now.

Spirit: That’s interesting. So, what were some encounters you had in your early days of your music career? Was it easy?

Aizek: Honestly it wasn’t easy. First there’s the process of actually growing and becoming better, taking criticism and stuff. Then support, raising support and money wasn’t easy, cos you need money to do this… Like you really do. Great thing we had people that believed in us when we started (I’m saying we cos I started rapping with a group). The whole thing about rapping in church or at church events was a strange thing to a lot of people, so different people kicked against it and stuff, some legit couldn’t hear what we were saying.

Spirit: I can imagine… But, despite all these encounters/ challenges you continued. Why? What is your drive/ motivation?

Aizek: I’ve been down different times, thought about quitting, I’ve actually said ‘I quit’ different times too, but somehow, I get back. I believe this is something God wants me to do right now. Using my experiences and what I believe in to just speak to someone… In most cases I’m the someone. It’s beyond me and it’s beyond just the music. Being part of a community also helps; as you renew your mind with the word, you renew your vision with the community around. So, I keep pushing hoping that God will use it all for his glory, the good, the bad and the in-betweens.

I believe this is something God wants me to do right now. Using my experiences and what I believe in to just speak to someone… In most cases I’m the someone. It’s beyond me and it’s beyond just the music. Being part of a community also helps; as you renew your mind with the word, you renew your vision with the community around.

Spirit: Wow! There’s a whole lot of message in there. I think I need to take a minute to let it sink…

Back to the questions, I still remember the first time I heard one of the songs from your first mix tape. I did not believe you were Nigerian because of how good you were. What would you say made you become this good?

Aizek: I appreciate that. I believe in having the desire to keep growing and striving to be excellent. As I grew in my work with God, I realized sometimes we don’t put in work to be good at various giftings God has given us, especially within the church, you see people that will just do whatever and not give their best. God wants us to be excellent with whatever giftings we have. That’s something my group back then believed in, so we strive to be better. And believe me, it’s a lifelong process because most times I don’t think I’m that good.

Spirit: You are part of the HBR squad. What does it feel like working with a team now, especially since you used to be an independent artist?

Aizek: It’s not a new thing, like I pointed out cos I actually started rapping with friends in a group. It’s a great feeling. I do music with some very creative and artistic individuals, like they’re all good. It’s fun, engaging, pushes me to be better. I mean when I look back to how we worked on our various Cyphers, you should check them out if you haven’t, from the concept and ideas surrounding each one… Crazy. Then our joint projects; The Unserious Project and We Are Serious (WAS)… Creating those two projects was mad amazing, it was really good.

Spirit: Ok. Do you think your faith as a Christian has limited you in your music career in any way?

Aizek: Nah… I don’t think so. There are people that definitely won’t listen to me but I don’t see that as a limitation, there are places they won’t call me to perform at… Still. Something to point out here, being a Christian doesn’t limit the kind of songs you do, cos I believe whatever song you’re working on will be from the worldview you have and your belief system. There was a single I had some years back, ‘Kpomo vs. You’ featuring Haye, a Christian blog didn’t publish it when I sent it, they said it was more mainstream than Christian… I don’t know what that means sha ?. Limits here is very relative.

Spirit: Are there benefits you’ve enjoyed as a musician because of your faith?

Aizek: Some respect and admire what I do and support it.

Spirit: Ok. One of the qualities you have that I admire a lot is your humility. Are there things you consciously practice to stay humble?

Aizek: Hmmm… This is tricky for me. Humility is thinking about yourself correctly, like C. S. Lewis said “Humility is not thinking less of yourself but think of yourself less.” That’s something I try to do cos believe me I think less of myself sometimes. It’s a continuous process…

Spirit: Yeah, I totally agree… So, what should we expect from you with regards music in the future?

I’m working on a project, so hopefully this year, hopefully I’m dropping another project. Different stuff are coming too… Fingers crossed.

Spirit: Any final words of advice for upcoming Musicians and Producers?

Aizek: Stay true to what you believe in and keep striving to be better, even when you have setbacks and mess ups. Fall, get up and keep moving. Keep your eyes fixed on the Son.

Spirit: Wow! It’s been a great time with so much to learn. Thank you so much for your time, Aizek. I really appreciate this opportunity. And thank you, especially for your honesty.

Aizek: Thank you for having me. I’m grateful.

Well, guys we’ve come to the end of this interview with Aizek. I hope you learnt some things from it. I’d love to hear feedback from you guys, so please feel free to reach out. Also, you can check out music by Aizek using this link.

One last thing,

I have started doing song reviews for both published songs and songs that are yet to be published. The reviews could be private (for your consumption only) or it could be published on our site. If you’re interested to get your songs reviewed. Send an email to jeplunemusic@gmail.com and attach an mp3 of the song to be reviewed with the artwork and release date. Also, state if you would like a private review or if you would want it published. You can check other song reviews I’ve done here.