Folks thought I was crazy for saying that THIS week’s chart would give a more accurate depiction of nationwide sales of Bishop Eddie Long’s project, The Kingdom Vol. 1., than last week’s figures. Click here to read that post.
Actually, someone even called me a HATER, for which I’ll accept an apology in the form of ground coffee from a foreign nation– I’m a collector… 
If you recall, Bishop Long’s project debuted at #2 on Billboard’s gospel chart last week. This week, it did not chart within the top 25 gospel albums in the marketplace. Now, that’s no slight against him, his calling or his ministry– it’s simply how I’ve seen it happen historically, which was my only point last week.
In any case, debuting at #2 in its place is Identity Crisis, the sophomore album from Tedashii. He’s a holy hip-hop artist and founding member of the 116 Clique, a group out of Dallas, TX. If you haven’t heard his first album, you may have heard him on projects with Lecrae, FLAME or Trip Lee.
I surely haven’t seen much promo for him leading up to this release, but he must’ve spread the word sufficiently to outsell Donnie McClurkin, Israel Houghton and the WOW Gospel compilation this past week. That’s not easy for an artist of any genre, especially the often-disparaged holy hip-movement. So, congrats to you, dude!
And what do we think about the charts, folks?
C'mon EJ! LOL anyone who is an avid listener of Gospel music has to know of the 116! If you don't I plead go and cop albums from Lecrae, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka, and Tedashii, these young men are truly after God's own heart, their lyrics aren't about themselves but scripture based and very uplifting and along with hot beats ....it's the way God originally ordained hip hop to be! I've been a follower of these guys since Lecrae's first album "Real Talk" which pretty much set it off and ever since then I've been back for more from each of those guys!
Please don't take this the wrong way, but they advertise a ton, just not in the traditional gospel outlets. His audience isn't necessarily the same as Donnie McClurkin's so no need to advertise there.
@DJ Wade-O: nah, no offense taken to that at all, doc!
@Chad I wouldnt say "anyone who is an avid listener of Gospel music has to know of the 116" you have to remember that gospel rap, although growing in popularity, is still not widely accepted as other forms of gospel. Lecrae had a number one record, but I can assure that there are "avid gospel listeners" out there who have never even heard of Lecrae.
@EJ I'm with you, I havent seen much promo either, but DJ Wade-O's comment does make sense. You arent going to be passing out Tedashii flyers at the Beverly Crawford concert, lol!
@ luda ..ok i see where your coming from, but to be an avid listener is just have a extreme interest whether popular or unpopular it's still gospel music that's why i used the word avid there lol but good look on pointin that out
@Chad LOL, that's what you get for trying to use them fancy words like "avid". Take care bro!
EWWWWWW luda! Don't mind him, Chad. He's a bully. LOL
That's my boy(Tedashii)!! Good friend of mine; well I havent heard from him in a minute, but its all good though! lol Proud of em!
Ok, I am trippin, I live in Dallas and I have never heard of this dude but I will check him out.
@EJ LOL, Chad knows I'm just messing with him, but the fact that Tyrone is in Texas and has never heard of him does prove the first point I was trying to make.
@EJ LOL it's cool we all family here that's y i love this site, i know Luda was just messing lol but for real ya'll need to cop that album. and don't hate because i know my BIG BOY words lol get like me and grab a dictionary lol
I'm loving the fact that the new class is getting noticed on the charts. But i can't help thinking about all of the great projects that came out in the past that didn't get their true shine: SFC - Saved Man In The Jungle TBone - Testimony of A Hodlum SSMobb - Papa Didn't Raize No Punks Freedom of Soul - Caught In A Land Of Time DC Talk - Free At Last (... well, at least they made appearances on ARSENION and Jay Leno's TONIGHT SHOW) Preachas - Violent Playgrounds
@ EJ LOL. The radio stations are not giving him any radio play so I am trying to see what's going on, but we have some SORRY radio stations and some 1955 hosts. Help us LORD....
@Tyrone I feel you on those 1955 hosts
@ Tyrone & luda LOL I feel both of you on those 1955 hosts, up here in Pittsburgh we hardly have any gospel radio and the one minority radio station that played Gospel just got sold to a Catholic church... yea we church folk here in west pa are trippin over that
Thanks EJ, I'm not into the holy hip hop movement or the holy hip hop rappers rather. I just have never been b/c of the whole sterotype w/ rappers as a whole now-a-days. I'm a 80's baby so whatever-lol. However, I think I will check out this genre and the artists mentioned above - if they are speaking the word and it touches me- then hey!
LOL @ y'all about these radio hosts. @ebonisun: that's awesome that you were encouraged to check 'em out. i think i'ma do the same! lol
Eddie Long's album ain't even in the top 30 this week. LOL. Goodness...what a difference a week makes.
LOL @ J Matt comment Hey EJ, I guess they use the buddy system at mega churches too, 20 people buy it, and burn it for everyone else lol
I love Tedashii's new album, I didn't know it was doing so good! It ought to be, though. I love gospel rap; mainly the 116 members and some other Cross Movement Records artists. Their lyrics are modeled completely after the Word of God, and that's what I love the most. Anywho, too bad about Bishop Eddie Long...man...Oh, and as far as the promotion, Tedashii and his labelmates did a lot of promoting on their Myspace pages, their website, reachrecords.com, and radio shows, etc. I probably only know that because I am a faithful listener of their music! :)