As a general rule, I don’t like mixtapes.

For one, they are often titled with too many capital letters and intentional misspellings (i.e., DJ KOOL- MIXTAPE VOL. IX:  EAZY STREETZ MIX SO U CAN LIST3N IN YOUR KAARRR). *shrug*

Beyond that, while they demonstrate creativity, they too often major in studio tricks and minor in great vocals, which is not a combination that suits me.  But I get that some people like to do ‘em, and I get that some people like to hear ‘em.

When I heard Onitsha was releasing a mixtape, I thought “interesting… no one in their right mind would allow a VOCALIST like Onitsha to be drowned out by beats and studio tricks… this might be GOOD.”

Cut to this morning, when I finally got a chance to reeeaaaaally listen to mixtape since its worldwide, FREE release on Thanksgiving Day.

The scene:

EJ’s in his jammies, sipping coffee… he slowly starts inadvertently bopping his head.  He’s aware of music in the background, but he’s got to blog… and what is he gonna wear today?

He listens to “Holdin’ Me Down” and thinks “yep… this is dope… good job Eric Dawkins, good job Amber Riley.”

He gets to “Somebody” and, in between keystrokes on the computer, he starts playing the bridge’s chords on his air piano, a sure sign that he’s diggin’ the musicality.

He’s out of coffee, but doesn’t want to pause or leave the speakers… he decides he’ll go dry for a minute. (wow)

EJ gets to “No Woman, No Cry,” and enjoys  how incredibly Onitsha gives voice to the passing of her father, and all that goes along with that, to the popular Bob Marley tune.

He looks at the clock– time to get ready, and OOPS!  Need some coffee, for real.

The boppin’ turns to one of those bites-his-lip-cuz-the-groove-is-niiiice situations as “Karaoke,” featuring Drake, plays.

Enjoyment turns to sheer mirth when the iTunes hits “You.”  As the verses come, he immediately recognizes them from a live stream studio session that O did back in 2009– must be a good song.

But by the end of the song, EJ began to worship.  Definitely didn’t mean to– had things to do, AND the song had a beat to it (that’s a joke… worship, dear friends, is not defined by a beat or tempo. Lol)

“Why are my hands raised and why am I doing the Holy Ghost rock in my chair?,” he wondered.  As he tried to answer himself, he realized he should blog about it…

See– it was one of those moments in which I was reminded that God is the giver of ALL creativity, innovation and gifting. And every now and then, I hear SUCH gifting that it smacks my face away from the giftED, and directs me upward, toward the giftER.

And I happily lost my mind for a moment, thanking God for still giving us beautiful things to enjoy in such a cursed world (that’s deep, but true– it’s gracious of Him, if you think about it).  More personally, I thanked Him for still giving a dude like me– who adores music more than he could EVER express– glimmers of overwhelming musical excellence in the increasingly barren landscape of the music industry.

Back to my story– EJ had to listen to the rest of  the project as he got dressed (no one wants to hear “hey, sorry I was late, but Onitsha has this dope new mixtape, and, well YOU know…”).  But he did catch the Spinners sample on “Falling” and managed to scream “BRILLIANT!” while throwing a pen at his speakers.  And he nearly squeezed lotion onto his toothbrush, distracted by “Try Me,” featuring Teddy Campbell… that would have been a problem.

Anyway, this is a very basic, unsophisticated way to say YOU NEED TO DOWNLOAD THIS FREE MIXTAPE BY CLICKING RIGHT HERE.

I really do believe you’ll love it.

If you’ve already got it– can I get a witness???

You know how the minister of music at church introduces a new song one Sunday, and the whole congregation responds so well that he/she does it again NEXT Sunday, then the Sunday after that and the Sunday after that, until it gets a little stale to everyone but the minister of music (and maybe the pastor)?

No matter how incredible the song is, sometimes churches have the tendency to wear a good thing out. Some examples might be “Total Praise,” “Souled Out, and “One God.”

Undoubtedly, they’re hits on the radio, and they will forever be everyone’s “jaaammmm,” but I’d be lying if every now and then, I didn’t think “we’re singing that AGAIN?!”

Maybe it’s just me, but I doubt it.

Which song is THAT SONG in your church?

An editorial from Associate Editor Troy Lilly…

It may be hard to believe but it’s been 30 years since Bobby Jones Gospel debuted, making its host, Dr. Bobby Jones, more popular on Sunday mornings than most preachers in the pulpit.

When Bobby Jones Gospel first aired on BET in 1980, the network’s first year, I wasn’t even alive. My parents weren’t married until the following year, and Martin Luther King’s birthday wasn’t a national holiday. Albums were still called LPs then, and everybody’s home entertainment center consisted of a deluxe turntable. Remember those days? Okay, neither do I, but I’ve done some research.

Anyway, what I’m saying is that it’s been really long time since the cameras started rolling on the set over there, and things have changed. A lot.

We’ve come a long way.  We have Sunday Best now, which is the gospel equivalent of American Idol. Singers (and pretenders) belt their hearts out in front of the judges for weeks, and at the end the home viewing audience  votes to decide who wins a recording contract. And then there’s the yearly Celebration of Gospel where gospel and secular artists make music on the same stage while host Steve Harvey tries to tell clean jokes. How’s that for progress? I know some of you are disenchanted with Sunday Best but this isn’t a comparison, so hear me out.

Long before the competitions and musical soirees went mainstream and hit primetime, Bobby Jones Gospel put a face with the music and gave the industry its first national platform. Dr. Jones expanded that platform across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans , earning the title “Ambassador of Gospel.” I hold him in the highest of regard for everything he’s done for gospel music, and I’m sure you do as well. I just have a couple of questions, and I want to know what you think.

Although the music and mediums have changed over the years, those changes haven’t affected the show very much. You can still find it airing on the same network, on the same day, in the same timeslot, same format, and still hosted by Dr. Jones. In fact, Bobby Jones Gospel is the longest-running show on BET and one of the longest in cable television history. However, do you find it strange that the show has stuck to the same formula for three decades?

I mean, Bob Barker did the same thing with The Price is Right, so maybe it’s not a bad thing. But I’m leaning against it.

Consider this: traditional radio and television viewership is declining; digital music sales via iTunes and online music retailers will eclipse physical sales this year; internet marketing through social media is rapidly becoming the most effective way to market and sell music, aside from the music itself. Let us also remember the rise of blog sites in the last five years, sites like GospelPundit.com (which we love, right?).

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware that many artists who were introduced on Bobby Jones Gospel went on to achieve unprecedented success. Gospel heavyweights like Yolanda Adams and Kirk Franklin, who are two of the best-selling gospel acts of the last 20 years, both got their start there.

I’m just asking you, when was the last time you saw a new artist on the show Sunday morning and headed to Best Buy or jumped on iTunes to cop their album? I’m curious to know.

If anything, I feel like the show has become sort of a rite of passage. It’s the place every major gospel artist must go to pay their respects at some time or another, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

I think it’s very appropriate for us to take this time to appreciate (and congratulate) Dr. Bobby Jones for all he’s has done for gospel music. By introducing the look and sound of gospel to households across the nation, Bobby Jones Gospel has allowed countless artists to share their ministry with the world. And I love a good ole’ gospel jamboree.

As we celebrate 30 years, however, I’m just wondering– will you still be skipping Sunday School to watch?

There are certain praise & worship songs that just stand the test of time– they’re the songs that are so popular and powerful that they’re kinda “must-haves” in the Sunday morning worship experience.

I’m talking about Fred Hammond’s “You Are The Living Word.”  Or maybe Martha Munizzi’s “Glorious,” or Maurette Brown Clark’s “Just Want To Praise You.”  And what about “Here I Am To Worship?”

They’re the songs that practically every church musician and congregation knows, across the country.  They’re the go-to tunes, the never-fail songs of the modern day church experience.

I’m curious– in your opinion, what are some of the must-have songs in praise & worship???

Last reminder, friends and loved ones– voting for this season of Sunday Best ends 24 hours from now– June 19th at 12 noon ET.  We’re choosing between LeAndria and Elder Goldwire McLendon and our voice is the one that counts!

You’ve got three ways to vote…

Vote online:
That option is easy… just click here.
You may vote online up to 20 times.

Vote by phone:
For Goldwire, call 1-888-923-7801
For LeAndria, call 1-888-923-7802
You may vote via phone up to 20 times.

Vote by text:
For Goldwire, text 1 to 33088.
For LeAndria, text 2 to 33088.
There is a $.99 per text charge and you may vote by text up to 20 times.

If you have already exceeded your voting limit, you’ve done your good and reasonable service.  Sit down somewhere.

OTHERWISE, what are ya waiting for?!  Don’t be mad when your favorite didn’t win… it might be ALL YOUR FAULT.

Just a reminder for you good people– don’t forget that voting is open for this season of Sunday Best.  We’re choosing between LeAndria and Elder Goldwire McLendon and we only have until Saturday at 12 noon ET!

For your votin’ pleasure, there are three ways to get it done.  You can vote up to 20 times with each method, so in essence, you get 60 times to make your choice known.

Vote online:
That option is easy… just click here.
You may vote online up to 20 times.

Vote by phone:
For Goldwire, call 1-888-923-7801
For LeAndria, call 1-888-923-7802
You may vote via phone up to 20 times.

Vote by text:
For Goldwire, text 1 to 33088.
For LeAndria, text 2 to 33088.
There is a $.99 per text charge and you may vote by text up to 20 times.

Get it?  Got it?  Good!  Let’s go!

If you good people happen to get a copy of the May/June issue of Gospel Today magazine, you might find a little article called “The NEW Gospel Music Industry” in it, written by a young man named EJ Gaines.

My article focuses on the state of the changing music industry economy– explaining where we were 10 years ago, where are are today, and what changed during that time to affect the industry as it has.

The magazine, published by Dr. Teresa Hairston, is the leading magazine in the urban faith-based community, reaching over a quarter of a million people.

Click here for a preview of the editorial… let me know what you think!

Folks, I want you to meet one of GospelPundit.com’s newest contributing writers– Mia Paylor.

Mia, like EaZy before her, is a loyal reader of GospelPundit.com whose comments caught my attention because of how accurate, and hilarious, she is.  I’ve wanted to feature her for MONTHS now (even she didn’t know that), and I finally got up the nerve to ask her about writing.  She said “sure” and here we are!

Mia is an upper-twenty-somethin’ divorced mom of two, working hard to juggle all of it well.  She’s passionate about the power of gospel music to change people’s lives, but she’s also passionate about spending her dollars WISELY!

Like all of us, Mia’s trying to get the best music possible for her money– she’s not just dishing it out.  So, she’ll be reviewing some music for you guys, trying to let you know whether you, too, should be buying the album, or whether she’ll be seekin’ a refund. LOL

I believe you’ll find her musical tastes trustworthy and her writing style on point.  I don’t let just anybody on here.

You’ll be hearing from Mia VERRRRY soon, but in the meantime, can you guys make her feel welcome by sayin’ “HI”?!

Right now, mine is Donald Lawrence.

Purely out of curiousity and simply for fun– who’s your favorite gospel artist?

I often get requests from people who ask to write for GospelPundit.com.  Truth be told– I’m a bit of a stickler when it comes to writing, punctuation, grammar, subject-verb agreement, dangling prepositions and wit.  So, I tend to operate on more of a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” policy.

Every now and then, though, I stumble across some folks whose writing is so good that I’m willing to shamelessly pursue them.  With that, I’ve got a couple of fellas I want you guys to meet–

TROY LILLY

“Troy is a writer, photographer, journalist and aspiring author.  He’s also the founder of The Urban Intellectual DC and creative eye behind UrbanSophistic Photography.  Troy is a gospel music lover and car enthusiast rewarded most by helping others live fulfilling lives.”

 I stumbled upon Troy’s website and was so impressed with his writing ability that I simply HAD to ask him to contribute to GospelPundit.com.  The bonus was that he’s a great photographer, too.  I think you’ll find a professionalism in his style and delivery that cannot be matched by many.  You’ll see what I mean VERY soon…

EZEKIEL ”EaZy” HARRIS

Folks, please say hello to Troy and EaZY.  And get ready.