Kim Burrell is hailed as one of the greatest voices of our time– in gospel and beyond.  You knew I’d be chattin’ with her eventually, right???

The interview was incredible.  Not only is she hilarious, she’s open and honest, conversational and real– that always makes an interview fun for me.  We chatted so long that I’m gonna have to break it into two-parts… I know how much y’all like when I do that. LOL

In this, Part One of my discussion, Kim responds to some of the complaints about her latest project, No Ways Tired, and explains why she recorded this type of album.  She also gives some EXCLUSIVE info to GospelPundit.com about another album from her, due sooner than you’d think… and you’ll never guess the label she’ll be releasing it on!

Dear friends, I give you Part One of my chat with the one, the ONLY, Ms. Kim Burrell…

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EJ:  Hi!  How are you?

KB:  I’m really good!

EJ:  I wanna thank you for taking a minute to chat with me.  I really appreciate it!

KB:  Absolutely.

EJ:  I wanna jump right by talking about your most recent album, No Ways Tired. I don’t wanna say you took 9 years “off,” because you were still working like crazy, but there was a considerable amount of time between albums.  Why?

KB:  It was nothing pre-planned whatsoever, but after the first year, it was starting to really feel good to NOT deal with record companies. *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs*

KB:  After the first year of taking a break, I continued working with other artists.  And that’s more comfortable for me– much more comfortable than having to deal with a record company situation.  That’s the reason that I’m not signed to any record company now.  I have a relationship with Shanachie– they’re a reputable company and, because of what they represent, I wanted to attach myself at this hour, but for the most part, I just kinda took a break from the whole record company scene.

And as I said, I’ve continued to work with ministries, doing other people’s albums… just kinda doing that.

EJ:  Sure.  Months ago, I said on the site that you’re one of the only artists who can go 9 years without a commercial release and remain relevant in the industry.

KB:  Oh!  Thank you!

EJ:  For real… you were everywhere, as if you were still releasing albums on a regular basis, but it had been years and many people didn’t really notice.  And then one day, you just decided “it’s time”?

KB:  You know what I did?  I had a conversation with Danny Weiss at Shanachie and decided to give it a go.  And I’ll be honest with you– I was intrigued.  After doing a song with George Clinton, I was intrigued by the producer– Chris “Big Dog” Davis.

I felt there was a sound and an approach that I had not experienced in quite a while.  It was mature, it was gospel, it was laid-back… it wasn’t the “hype” gospel, as I like to say.

EJ:  Nice!

KB:  And there were songs that he and I talked about that made sense.  Like “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” we always hear… mostly at funerals.  But I liked the way he voiced it, and I wanted to sing along with it.

To be honest with you, I took advantage of a sound that I was intrigued by, and interested in doing.  And that’s what made me do the album.  He presented several things.  Then, of course, we decided to do the “Happy” song.

EJ:  Yes!  Love that.

KB:  I know Vickie Winans has done the “if you’re happy and you know it” thing, but I had an interest to do “I’m so happy and I know it.”  And, of course, not to counter her song, because that’s been around for ages, but we did it.

Eventually, one thing led to another with music and we had enough songs to do an album.  We said “why not?!” *laughing*

EJ: *laughs* Sure.

KB:  And we did it in about 3 weeks… just went in and knocked ‘em out.  Said “Hey, y’all like this, Shanachie?  There ya go.”

EJ:  There ya go.  Mastered… delivered!

KB:  *laughing* Honestly!  Honest to God, that is exactly how that happened.

EJ:  Well, I love the album something serious.

KB:  Thank you.  I’m enjoying it, too.  Really, I am.  I think I listen to it at least once a day.

EJ:  Oh, it’s lots of fun.  You’ve got me and several people I know talkin’ about “using our happy” on a daily basis– it’s like a movement!

KB:  Alright!  *laughing* That’s wonderful to hear.  What I really like about it is that a lot of young people like it.  At our church, in one of the classes, that’s their theme– “Use Your Happy.”  And it’s just exciting to know that I’ve been able to affect and become a part of other people’s lives on an every-day basis.  It’s just a blessing and I’m glad that God trusts me to that degree, you know?

EJ:  Absolutely.  Now, having said all of that, though, I have to acknowledge some of the concerns of the readers at GospelPundit.com.  I want to give you a chance to respond to some of those, if you feel inclined.  Otherwise, feel free to just say “you’ll get over it” or something.

KB:  Okay.

EJ:  First, the style of the album.  After this amount of time, I think several people were anticipating another Everlasting Life.

KB:  Sure.

EJ:  But I think it’s somewhat of an unfair expectation because, to me, that album was one of a few projects that defined this new era of contemporary gospel music, so it’s hard to replicate it.  But was that even your focus on this album?  Were you trying to make another Everlasting Life for people to go bananas over?

KB:  Absolutely not.  Because there’s an Everlasting Life that exists.  It’ll always exist.  And if that’s what they would like to hear, some people still listen to it.  I know some of the greatest musicians, some who have nothing to do with gospel training, absolutely live by it.  Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, George Duke… all of them.  I respect those artists because they have gone to school for what they do.

Now, I respect– trust me– and always WILL respect, our gospel listeners.  But that’s what they are for the most part.  Most of them that are complaining– cuz trust me, I’ve heard it before– are gospel music listeners and not gospel music makers.  And you know, sometimes, when all you do is listen to music, all you really expect is something different.  But when you LIVE music, whatever an artist does, you’re cool with it because you have an insight on music, a love for music, and you’ll find something to be intrigued about.  You don’t have any unrealistic (or what I would consider unrealistic) expectations.

EJ:  Sure.

KB:  Because I’m the type of person… and I tell people to check me out on YouTube, especially songs that I’ve done repeatedly, I don’t do them the same.  And it’s not that I try not to, it’s just not my personality.

EJ:  Right.

KB:  When you let God live in you, the creative side of God will come out of you as often as needed.  And for me to REPEAT myself is, in a way, almost spiritually phobic… to say that God wasn’t creative enough for me to come out with something else.

EJ:  That’s real.  And when I first reviewed the album, I said “this is NOT Everlasting Life,” so if you’re looking for that, you may be disappointed.  But if you’re a music lover, you need this in your collection.  You have to have it.

KB:  Yeah, yeah… I feel you.  Can I tell you something?  It’s amazing– after 20 years or so in the music business, I know the sound, I know the posture of a real music lover.  I know you guys.  And I realize wholeheartedly that you all respect everything about music.  And trust me, I can tell by talking to you in just a few minutes, that you know.

You have no idea how much it intrigues me to hear other people’s opinions that differ on this.  You have to allow people to be themselves, but they’ll say “well, I’m your fan… I may not be a music lover like you, but I’m your fan and I like what you do.”

But when you’re a fan, it doesn’t matter what it is that I do.

EJ:  True.

KB:  I guarantee you this– on Michael Jackson’s WORST album, when it comes down to product sales, I can guarantee you that most of the sales are from his FANS.  No matter what he puts out, the sales come from people who love him.

Other people who, pretty much, judge what you do in a negative way, are people who just have an expectation of you out of judgment.  They’ll buy it just to have another to reason to judge you.

EJ:  Mmm-hmm.

KB:  So, those people, I don’t necessarily consider too deeply, and I mean “pay attention to.”  I don’t mean any harm, and everybody should be regarded in some way, maybe, but as it pertains to that, I don’t know.

EJ:  Sure.  And you’re not doing it primarily for us anyway.  God gave you a jazzy album in 2009, maybe in 2015 it’ll be something else.  I think that’s a great outlook to have.

Now, you performed a couple of new singles over the past several years, though, and people always thought an album was coming– like ”That’s What He’s Done,” and “Have Faith In Me,” for example.  To be honest, I’m STILL mad at Bad Boy for not releasing “Special Place.”

KB:  *laughs*

EJ:  I’m so serious.  I have a snippet of it from some teaser and I promise I listen to it, from the first verse to the chorus before it fades out…

KB:  *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs* I listen to it like it’s a full song!  But where’s the album that’s gonna feature those songs, or will there not be one?

KB:  There WILL be one.  There ABSOLUTELY will be one.  I’m actually going to work on that album, probably, around December.  It’ll be a 2010 release.  I’m going to work on that album so that it can be out in early 2010 and people can kinda… not you, I’m talking about other people that are fussin’… they’ll be alright.

But that goes to show you– that was me.  I didn’t want to put those songs on this album, because that’s not the kind of album this was.

EJ:  Right.  You did a PROJECT.

KB:  Yeeeeeeesss!

EJ:  With a THEME, a CONCEPT… imagine that. *laughs*

KB:  Yes.  And that’s not the album this was.  This wasn’t *starts singing the first line to “That’s What He’s Done”* No, no.  It wasn’t gonna be that.  It was *starts singing “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”*… because that’s what I felt.

EJ:  Right!  A rough estimate– how many unreleased tracks do you have recorded?

KB:  Oh, probably 40.

EJ:  Wow!  40 that are done and ready to go if you needed to?

KB:  No, done and ready to go?  Probably about 10.  A full album.

EJ:  Wow.

KB:  Yeah.  Full and complete… ready.  But I’ll release it on my label, though.

EJ:  You’re starting your own label?

KB:  Oh, absolutely.

EJ:  Amen.

KB:  I’ve already started, actually.

EJ:  Have you?

KB:  You’re the first to know that, publicly.

EJ:  Well, thank you!  Is that off-the-record?

KB:  Yeah…

EJ:  Okay.

KB:  Well, you know what?  NAW!  Actually, I’m gonna solicit to get other artists in just a few days.

You know, my Ephesians 4 conference allows me many opportunities to do quite a few things.  And that’s the most important baby to me right now, in my life.

EJ:  I’ve heard great things about it, by the way.

KB:  Oh, it is a force to be reckoned with.  It really is.  And that’s not a competitive thing.  That is a statement based on what God has done in these settings.  I promise you, it is nothing anyone would ever want to miss.

It is one of the most life-changing experiences that I have had.  There is an anointing that rests on Ephesians 4 that affords me the opportunity to meet with God in a way that… it’s incredible.

When God shows up at Ephesians 4, everybody who is anybody that has been to these conferences, they forget about who they are.  We did it in Atlanta– you walked in that room, you would’ve thought “what’s going on here?!”

You had Jonathan Nelson in one corner on the floor, crying out to God, Tye Tribbett in another corner… I was in another corner.  The only reason I knew they were in their corners is because I had to watch the video… I was messed up!

EJ:  *laughs*

KB:  Donnie McClurkin gone in, Dr. Bobby Jones… I mean, when I tell you that this conference is one that makes you SOUL SEARCH…  It is nothing to play with.

And that’s why I always invite everybody, and it changes each time.  It’s getting better and better.  We do our last set this year in October at Perfecting Church in Detroit, Pastor Marvin Winans.

EJ:  You know, I think that’s great… that there is a place for artists to come, meet, and experience a time of restoration.  We’re hearing a lot these days about artists falling and messing up, scandals that haven’t even come to light yet.  There’s a need for accountability for artists in the gospel music industry, and a need for artists to be able to come together in a safe place of refuge, to hold up one another.

KB:  Yeah.  And one thing about it, I’m given to this.  Love covers.  I grew up in a church environment where the doctrine of it was sometimes unforgiving and borderline judgmental.  But it’s learned behavior.  And I tell people, “make sure that in our relationships with Jesus Christ, we have encounters with Him, personally, and not necessarily functioning off of what we’ve learned.”

There’s nothing wrong with adhering to what seemingly has worked for us.  But if you happen to hit a glitch in the road, with what it is you’ve already learned, search it out in the Scripture and through prayer.  And find out if that’s the route that your life should be going in.  Don’t become bitter, destitute, upset and rebellious… just take a little time, press pause, and search after God.

EJ:  Sure– that wrestling is where growth occurs.

KB:  And I say that because a lot of what we, in ministry, suffer comes from trying to hold to what we’ve LEARNED, not necessarily what we’ve experienced.  We function off of what we’ve heard, not what we’ve tried out for ourselves.  And when we get to that place in the road where that thing that we’ve learned doesn’t work for us, the enemy comes in and tries to make us doubt EVERYTHING.

That’s why it’s important that we know what to embrace and what not to.  We’ve all got to take time and learn God for ourselves.

*     *     *

Aaaaaand, we’ll take a break there.

Hopefully, you enjoyed her insight as much as I did.  She really has some great stuff to SAY, not just sing, as it relates to our walks with Christ.

Plus, how excited are ya?!  NEW ALBUM from Kim Burrell in early 2010, AND she’s starting her own label!  Tell your friends, but don’t forget that she told GospelPundit first, aight?!

Ok, that’s it for now.  Check back TOMORROW for our conclusion– it only gets BETTER.

/// EDITOR’S NOTE: For Part 2 of this interview, click here! ///

What do you think so far?!

And just for the heck of it, here’s a great video of her singing “That’s What He’s Done”:

 

Alright, simmer down people.  I’m back with Part 2 of my convo with TON3X™!  Here, we wrap up the interview, discussing his “shock” value, where his music really belongs, where urban gospel is headed and LOTS more.

In case you didn’t read Part 1, you’re gonna wanna go ahead and CLICK HERE to catch up before you go any further.

Otherwise, if you’re all set, here we go… Part 2.

*     *     *

EJ:  You know, you’ve been an incredibly controversial artist in the gospel community for several reasons—your style, your lyrics, your approach.  How do you respond, or do you even feel the need to respond to critics who chalk up your image to someone who just wants attention and does things for shock value?

TON3X™:  Oh, well… they’re right.  I want your attention.  I wanna shock you.

EJ:  *laughs*

TON3X™:  *laughing* I want you to be shocked.  Because I know that as much as you’re saying you can’t stand it, or it’s out of the will… you know my name.  And you secretly have my music.  And, deep down, you love it.  But you can’t let a lot of people know.

Like, a lot of people love to say how horrible Michael Jackson was during the Thriller era.  “He’s this… hyperbolic chamber… he has monkeys… he makes cats and dogs mate…”  Ok, you can say whatever you want to about his nose, his face, his ranch and his animals… But 53 million people in 1984 said “yes.”  Whether they admitted it out loud or not, gangsters, politicians, church people included… You don’t sell 53 million copies of ANYTHING unless practically EVERYONE in America had it, or knew someone that did.

So, the higher up you go, the more arrows come.  And I used to address those naysayers, but now it’s just that I’ll play to the folks that do want it.

EJ:  Yep.

TON3X™: You know what I mean?  Don’t try to convert anybody over and convince them of your scholastic aptitude, of your spiritual aptitude, or your artistic aptitude.  Play to the ones that want it.  And for the ones that don’t– shake the dust off your feet, keep it moving and hit the next town.

Play to the ones that do want it.  Minister to the ones that need it the way you do it.  Cuz if you dilute it, that’s when I will lose my fan base.  When they saw that cover and heard this music, they said “THAT’S the TON3X™ I’m talkin’ about.”

EJ:  Right.  Absolutely.  I logged onto MySpace, saw “Advance Listen,” and within 20 minutes, was blogging about it because it was just great music to me.  And, like I said earlier, I’m seeing people comment, saying “wow… didn’t know it was gonna be this way.”

TON3X™:  I’m so surprised to hear that!  I mean, really, just to hear that… THAT makes me feel good.  I’m not gon’ lie.  Because some people are so clouded by the sensationalism and folklore that surrounds “TON3X™” that it’s really difficult for them to just sit down, listen and be honest.  They’ll be so quick to say they hate it.  But can you really say you don’t like this record?  Some people will just act like they don’t like it.  That means you’re trying to hate it.

EJ:  Right.  Some people want to hate it, though, as it relates to you.  For some, it’s just not their cup of tea, but for some… it’s easier to just say “no, we’ve already decided we don’t approve of what he does.”

TON3X™:  But it’s so funny because the majority of those that do that, and there’s a certain demographic (which I’ll leave nameless) that love to be very spiritual, but very catty… like, high school… chicks.  I see them take different nods to what I’ve tried, fashion-wise, or even musically.  They’ll never admit it, but I see it all the time.

I see where TON3X™ got in there somewhere, whether you want to admit it or not, I know you saw a risk I took and you said “lemme flip this, but I like the risk he took.”  And that, in itself, is enough to say that I’m doing my job.  If you’re not affecting a culture, not just with music, but with your lifestyle– culture, fashion, your walk with God… then, to me, you’re just a little puppet who has a record deal.

EJ:  WOW.  That’s good for the artists to hear.  Step up your game!

TON3X™:  For real.  You know?  Who are the ones we remember– Biggie, Tupac, Hendrix…  These are people who took those risks to advance not just their albums, but to raise the musical consciousness of an entire generation.  This generation, I believe, needs to be uplifted and, right now, education is not the way it’s happening.  Technology is where it’s at.  So, I have to make sure I stay in my lane so I can minister to them.

EJ:  That’s a new look for gospel music, but I hear you.  If I go into a brick and mortar music store, if I can find one these days, your albums are probably stocked in the “Gospel” section.  Is that where your music belongs?

TON3X™:  This album isn’t.  This is the first album where, in all the mainstream stores, I got placed in “R&B/Pop/Rock”… next to Usher, Justin Timberlake… so I’m very excited about the real estate position that the album was given.  That was strategized and calculated and it was one of the reasons that I went with Battery Records.

I was like “do NOT put me in the gospel section.”  And it’s not that I’m ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, but I am ashamed of where our music ends up in mainstream commerce.  You know?  It’s in the back, between “world music” and “comedy.”

EJ:  *laughing*  Right.  It’s all around the corner…

TON3X™:  Yeah, around the corner and you’ve gotta have a GPS Navigation System to find a gospel album.  That’s not where the quality of my music needs to be placed, where the quality of my message needs to be placed.  It deserves a fair shot just like the rest cuz it can hang with the rest.

And that’s not just me– there are several artists in gospel that I just believe are placed in the wrong category.  Not that they don’t sing gospel, but their visibility is limited.

EJ:  Like who?

TON3X™:  KiKi [Sheard], 21:03, Trin-I-Tee 5:7, Canton Jones, Mary Mary.  I just feel that there are certain ones of us that have the style and the flair to appeal, fashion-wise, statement-wise and production-wise… it should be in the regular R&B/Pop sections.  And it’s better than most of the R&B/Pop that’s out.

EJ:  Absolutely.

TON3X™:  Mary Mary’s The Sound, the mix of that alone, surpasses all of the other female R&B records I’ve heard this year.  Period.  And let us not forget… I know everyone is on Bold Right Life, but I think everyone needs to rewind and smell what they slept on with [Kierra Sheard's] This Is Me.

EJ:  I knowwww!

TON3X™:  And I hope she returns back to that.  Because that’s HER.  That’s her lane and it was like, literally, the Full Moon of gospel and nobody really caught that.

EJ:  And by “Full Moon,” you mean Brandy’s Full Moon?

TON3X™:  Yes.

EJ:  *laughs*  You’re my buddy!  That’s awesome.

TON3X™: *laughing*  Yep.  Mmm-hmm… You know I know!

EJ:  Well, you know, some of the saints say we ain’t supposed to be listening to Brandy.

TON3X™:  But that’s where most of our licks, within the past four years, have come from.  *sings a Brandy-styled riff*  Y’know?  Come on.  Learn it, live it, love it.

EJ:  *laughs*  Y’all got that from Brandy and you know it, huh?

TON3X™:  Yeah, and she took her share from us, you know?  We all inspire each other.  You can’t tell me Kim Burrell didn’t influence a little of Full Moon.

EJ:  Absolutely.  Lemme ask you:  I hear you were slated to tape 106 & Gospel soon, but I’ve heard that the show has just been cancelled.

TON3X™:  Yeah, me too.

EJ:  How strong of a blow do you think that is for the gospel industry?  Cuz it seemed like it was a viable outlet.  You mentioned KiKi and 21:03– artists who bridge the gap in that youth/urban gospel scene– do they still have a place?  If they can’t get their product out of the “Gospel” section of the store, where is their outlet gonna be?

TON3X™:  Umm… YouTube.

EJ:  Hmm.

TON3X™:  If people really want their own platform, we don’t have to have those kinds of shows.  I was taping it because I wanted to show that I support the effort.  However, I don’t think that we have to create our own knock-off versions of mainstream shows.  We’re innovative enough to come up with our own format, our own name, our own lane… And I think that’s gonna happen.

And if I can help it, I’m going to be a part of whatever that lane is.  Cuz the way that you cross-over with something like that is to include mainstream artists that have songs that fit in that lane.  Maybe their whole album doesn’t, but perhaps a couple of songs from that album fit the lane.  And that way, you get the notoriety of the mainstream artists and the credibility– that they would even spend time with artists like a KiKi, or a Canton or TON3X™, whatever it may be… it brings validity to the show, versus “this is our knock-off version of 106 & Park.”  You know what I mean?

EJ:  I can hear that.

TON3X™:  I know where they were trying to go, but I think it was important to… Like, gospel music already gets the short end of the stick, so when you have a subgenre (like urban gospel) within a small genre, it’s gonna be difficult– advertisement dollars-wise– to justify the overhead for the spending budget of a show that takes that kind of production quality.  If you’re not getting those mainstream companies to see the viability and why they should put their ads on that show– there’s only a small niche of a niche that’s watching.

So you have to bring folks that may not be gospel artists, but that have songs or testimonies that are inspirational– which they were doing for a minute.

EJ:  Yeah, they did at first.  Like, with Lil’ Mo.

TON3X™:  Exactly.  Bring them in for performances.  AND, don’t just have two gospel hosts.  You need to have someone who’s already recognizable either in the BET sector, or the comedic sector, someone who is recognized on BOTH sides of the spectrum that fits their demographic.  That’s just my humble observation.

If something like that is going to work, I think somebody from the mainstream– unfortunately, until we get our own– has to bring some kind of commercial credibility to what we’re trying to do.

EJ:  Wow.  So, right concept, wrong execution?

TON3X™:  Correct.  And it’s actually TIME for something like that.  That’s what’s so funny about it– the timing was good.  The timing is perfect, cuz now… if you wanna be honest, the urban inspirational scene is at its prime right now.  The quality of music that’s coming out from the people I named before– we’ve never heard records like this.  We’re there.  Whatever kinks need to be worked out, we’re there.

I’m very proud, really.  This is not me alienating my fan base, or me not wanting to be associated with anyone.  I’m really proud to be named among them, because I feel proud that we’re finally making the music that we make without apologizing for it.  We’re saying “this is what God gave us.”

This is what we do.  We’re a part of this Body, too, though we may not do it like you.  Now, if you want us to, we’ll take you to church, too.  Don’t get it twisted– we’re all PK’s.  But don’t knock the ones who need what we do.

EJ:  Do you think of yourself as a pioneer of that movement?

TON3X™:  *pauses* Hmmm… *laughs*

EJ:  *laughs* You can be humble about it, but do you think you have worked and worked to get gospel music this kind of recognition or acceptance?

TON3X™:  I believe that, with this record, now is when I feel like I’m a pioneer.  Pioneers don’t make moves that benefit them– they trailblaze for the betterment of an entire race or people.  Now that my music is in mainstream places, getting mainstream rotation, and people are seeing how I really am– still loving God and representing the Kingdom, now I feel like I’m beginning to be a pioneer.  Because now that’s gonna help the betterment of the whole.

Not that before, it wasn’t… But it was really about me trying to be true to myself.  This is now about me just being obedient to the call for the overall plan and purpose of where the Kingdom is right now.  It’s less self-driven.  It’s more about how this is going to affect, consequently, all of the ones coming up behind me.  And about how much easier it will be for us to be accepted for who we are and not questioned because of what we believe, but are actually respected for the art that we put out, THEN they find out what we represent.

EJ:  That’s a great take on it.  Hey, are you still pastoring?  How’s the church doing?

TON3X™:  YES.  Oh, I never stop that.  Always.  That’s my heart.

EJ:  What does your congregation look like?  Are they old church mothers are some new breed of folks?

TON3X™:  They look like… umm… maybe SoHo?

EJ:  *laughing*  I live in New York, so that’s very relevant for me.

TON3X™:  Yeah, they’re very couture.  Very couture, fashion-driven, culturally relevant church, but not hip-hop in style of worship.  That’s what’s weird– we’re very “us.”  But, the way we worship is very old school.  It’s an interesting contrast.  It’s a very young church in San Diego.

EJ:  Alright, well… if I’m in town… *laughs*

TON3X™:  Yeah, man.  It’s old school, like… you’re gonna have church.  But the church itself looks like an art gallery, like something you’d see in the [Greenwich] Village, or like a loft in Upper East Manhattan somewhere.  It’s just a very artistic church in presentation, with technology.  You know?

We have Wi-Fi and a lot people come in there with their Starbucks, their laptops… we dissect the Word, read from our laptops.  We predominantly teach from The Message Bible Remix, but we always cross-reference with the King James and the NIV.  But the way we worship is very “churchy.”  Every now and then, on some special occasion, we may do something hip-hop.  But honestly, that doesn’t really do it for us.

EJ:  What?!

TON3X™:  I know that sounds crazy coming from TON3X™, but that really does nothing for our congregation.  That’s not the backbone of the worship experience there.

EJ:  That’s awesome, man.  Really great stuff.  Ummm… I think that’s it for me, though I could probably go on talking to you for a few more hours cuz it’s just a cool conversation.

TON3X™: *laughing* Yeah, exactly.  Cuz I mean… you “get” it.

EJ:  I’ve really enjoyed chattin’ with you.

TON3X™:  I appreciate you taking the time to highlight what I’m doing, and even taking the time to share how you felt about it personally– your observations are very objective.  I wish you much success with what you’re doing… and keep going.

EJ:  I appreciate that, man.  For real.

TON3X™:  And if I have any exclusives, I know who to call!

EJ:  And please DO.  I’m glad you’re back and I think a lot of people are as well.

TON3X™:  Awww.  I feel that, too.  Just for the record, and you can put this in there, I haven’t had any funny experiences.  Like, everyone’s been very receptive.  So, either they’re acting very well or they’re really happy to have me back, and I believe the second.

EJ:  Yeah, I don’t think the saints can act that well. *laughs*

TON3X™:  Yeah.  But the love that I’ve been gettin’, it’s been incredible.

EJ:  Well, keep in touch and I’ll be talking to you.

TON3X™:  Thank you, sir.  Be well.

*     *     *

So, that was my chat with my new buddy.  LOL

Seriously, what did y’all think?  I think he said a lot of GREAT stuff and, even if you wanna feel a certain way about him or his music, I love that he challenges the status quo and makes us really assess WHY we believe WHAT we believe… regardless of where you land, the exploration is well worth it.

Great dude.  Thoughts???