Todd Bangz

GOSPELflava.com: The Todd Bangz-produced "Oh Wretched Man" is a clever jam, and you use the sample of the same title from the popular group, Acappella. What was the thinking behind that one?

Ambassador: I’ll be honest with you. Bangz had already done that track. I seized it and said, "I hear a perfect way to deal with the true problem with Hip Hop today, which is the nature of man." The problem with Hip Hop is not the hip or the hop —but the heart. "Oh Wretched Man" being that it [samples] a Christian group, might trigger some things in the Christian community. It’s a beautiful peace. We just wanted that to be our inroad to deal with the issue of the heart. Some people say that their [wretched] condition is because they didn’t have a father in their life or that it’s the genes. No, it’s the heart. It’s the wretchedness of who we are. If I change the heart, we began to see a change in the behavior of Hip Hop culture.

The song also makes for a bangin’ move on the marketing side. It’s a good marketing strategy to use that [familiar] song and blend it with Hip Hop. Other than that, the genius is Bangz. I just took it and used it for my purposes.
- GOSPELflava.com

Channel 4 News/Lion Television Hits the States to Begin Filming Hip-Hop and Religion Documentary

Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment CFO, Hip-Hop Producer and New Urban Christian Publication to Be Featured in Film

New York, NY – March 17, 2005 -In an effort to convey Hip-Hop music and Religion as a legitimate art form, with dignity and validation, Channel 4 News, the UK’s largest broadcasting station in collaboration with Lion Television has chosen one of New York’s busiest men, Chief Financial Officer of Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment, Derek Ferguson, Hip-Hop Artist/Producer Todd “Bangz” Elliott and Xii Magazine to be featured in their highly anticipated documentary, tentatively entitled, “Rapping the Faith”.

The documentary, which will be a 4X 1 hour piece, sets to focus on, not only Hip-Hop and its relationship to Religion, but also, how American churches are using this type of evangelism to spread the Gospel to a wider, younger audience and how receptive they are to it, whether or not the traditional church has issue with this new way of bringing Jesus, as well as, where do we see this art form heading? And are there certain artist jumping on this now widely accepted bandwagon since this music combined with the gospel has crossed all major boundaries?
Surprisingly enough, it is not Mr. Ferguson’s day job that brings the Channel 4 News all the way to the States; it is, however, the entrepreneurial endeavor taken on by Derek a few years ago. You see inside of this busy family man, beats the heart of a business man as well. With a life long love and desire for Hip-Hop and a man of deep faith, Derek concluded that his two loves consumed much of his time so he came up with a very pure and honest way to combine the two for God’s glory.

This desire birthed Life Music, an independent Hip-Hop label, whose artists are all Christian and rap exclusively for the Lord. Life Music, located in New Rochelle, NY has already released their premiere project with Hip-Hop dynamic duo, Corey Red and Precise, last May, entitled, ”Resistance Iz Futile”. Life Music, whose mission is to create cutting-edge music for the purpose of reaching the lost throughout the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Derek Ferguson are both pleased to be given an opportunity to share in this experience with Channel 4 News.

As Head Producer for Life Music Studios, it’s no wonder Todd “Bangz” looked so desirable for this documentary. With a reputation some would envy, Todd has become extremely respected for their delivery, style and TRUTH.

He’s purposefully come to answer the above posed, and many other hardcore questions. This husband and father of two has been through it all; the violence, the crime, the good, the bad, the ups and the downs and yet he made it. He gave his life to the Lord and is here to tell others, how they too, can make it. His individual story may not sound or look any different from many others, but his resolve to beat the odds does and this journey you won’t soon forget.

Todd has and is presently supervising several projects including, Cross Movement, Corey Red and Precise, Mark J, Elle Roc, Maurice Lauchner, Shabach, and B. Dill. While simultaneously working on his upcoming debut album, entitled: “Think it’s a Game…” due out Summer 2005. With a continuously growing, as well as, extensive track record, Todd “Bangz” promises to remain busy in the Lord’s call on his life. - Affinity Public Relations