Bobby Bishop

Government Name
Artist: Bobby Bishop
Label: Beatmart Recordings
Time: 11 tracks

Bobby Bishop is his Government Name, it is official: Bobby has street tenacity, melodies, and creativity. His beats are crisp and catchy. For being hip-hop music these songs on Government Name are a little bit more poppy. Starting out the beats are there for support, then the songs get a little slower in pace, and then towards the end he snaps forward and they BoUNcE! On this CD Bobby can be hilarious or serious or just flowing. He voices issues about triple X and rape, and a whole lot of perspective on the simple things in life. "Song for Amy" is gripping and at the same time gets people to think. It talks about some conversations that Bobby had with this one girl about the time she got raped and then it goes on to tell a little bit on how the story unfolds and what she learned from the ordeal. Bobby is catchy, smart, relevant, and can lay down thoughtful lyrics and still he is able to keep that street tenacity.

Bobby Bishop, that is his Government Name (aka "official name"), his hip-hop name is for real.

Len Nash 7/25/2005

3.5 out of 4 - The Phantom Tollbooth http://tollbooth.org

I'll admit it - I'm not a huge fan of rap/hip-hop. Maybe it's my age or the fact that I'm a vocalist so I like singers, but whatever it is, you won't generally find me listening to it. But, because I know that this isn't just about my own personal taste in music, I stuck Bobby Bishop's CD Government Name in my purse to give it a listen on the way to pick up my son from school. Mike is 16 and loves that style of music but he's never really gotten into Christian rap because he and his friends have determined that it's "lame". So, knowing his opinion on the subject, I didn't say anything about who or what it was, I just stuck it in the CD player right after he got in the car. Not quite halfway through the first track he asked me to please turn it up. The next question was "Who is that mom?". My answer, being a smart-alec mom, was, "Oh - just one of those lame Christian rappers son. Nobody you'd be interested in". That started a diatribe about how I just didn't know anything about rap because this guy wasn't lame at all, etc. etc etc. Success!!! By the time we got home we were on track four and the CD disappeared into the house with my son. I've seen it once since then but I've heard it several times coming from his room!

Mike was so impressed with the CD that he offered to write down some comments for me (since I'm so rap illiterate) and being a smart mom, I took him up on it. Bobby Bishop reached my kid with this CD and that was no small feat.

Mike's Comments

* War Cry is really inspirational because it says what so many teenagers think, but can't put into words.

* Get Your Back Up Off The Wall has an awesome old school beat. The song is about two brothers who are so different and it could be about almost any two brothers that I know.

* Government Name is good because Bobby makes it sound like he just didn't care what anybody thought, he was going to do what he wanted to do. Most people are so worried about image because they think that an appearance is what makes them fit in that they don't really follow their dreams.

* He Won't Leave You has a beat that just jumps out at you. It speaks about God just helping people and this is something that many people really need to hear.

* Here We Go has a techno beat that people can move to and it will really catch your attention and make you listen.

* Face of Hip Hop tells about how it was and how it is. So many people just see it as drugs and girls, and can't see past the stereotype. This song breaks that up.

4.5 out of 5
- http://www.about.com Kim Jones, Christian Music Guide

Bobby Bishop
Government Name
Beatmart Recordings

Bishop is an inner-city youth pastor and an emcee. As an artist, Bishop uses his skills to communicate stories to kids in his youth group. Sometimes his stories are shocking but truthful, like “Song for Amy” which is about a young girl who was raped. As an emcee, Bishop has a smooth rhythm and rhyme, which gives Government Name a well crafted sound. His lyrics are both personal and evangelical and never offensive. Government Name is a good substitute for the polluted messages of secular hip-hop.

On his web site you can find devotionals, tour dates, lyrics, and more.

- Ken W.

http://www.bobbybishop.com - http://alphaomeganews.org

Album Review

Being a Christian rapper, Bishop will be compared to usual suspects like KJ-52, but he's got something Christian hip-hop doesn't have yet: "straight-up" delivery with old-school, tongue-in-cheek flavor from the Fresh Prince playbook. The heavy "Amy's Song" is a screeching detour from the low bounce of the overall LP; "Up Off the Wall" and the title track are great starters. - http://www.rhapsody.com

Bobby Bishop – Government Name: One of the first things I noticed about Bobby Bishop’s new CD is that it is well produced. Most of the beats stand out throughout this project. On Government Names this emcee from the Massachusetts area shares a lot of his experiences growing up. Bishop attempts to get you to relate to his experiences as a young man trying to live for God as he deals with many inner issues. To be honest, after listening to the album, I’m not all that clear about why he chose the theme Government Name. Nevertheless, I still got something out of the CD. 3.0 - http://www.wtwmagazine.com

Over the past eight years, Bobby Bishop has invested his life into urban youth programs in the inner city of Boston, Massachusetts as youth pastor at East Coast International Church. As he realized his calling to ministry and began using rap music as a tool of communication with youth, Bobby recognized the purpose of this music through the harsh circumstances and experiences he was working through with young people. Through this Bobby has become a positive role model for many young people while at the same time building a solid fan base of his hip-hop music through independent releases and touring with artists such as Grits, KJ-52, Verbs and many others.

Bobby's songs deal with real issues that effect the youth culture of today. Government Name combines Bobby's open and honest lyrics with creative beats offering an album that people can listen to with a positive message. He Won't Leave You reminds you that God will be with you no matter what trials come your way, and Amy's Song deals with relationships, self esteem, fear and doubt. The message of encouragement throughout the songs is one that many young people are crying out for. - http://www.independentbands.com

Bobby Bishop brings an energetic set of tracks and rhymes with his first full album release, Government Name.
Bobby Bishop is passionate about music and getting his message out-much of his album material comes from his own life experience and his time as an inner-city youth pastor from Lynn, Massachusetts.
You are going to find a ton of culteral references on this album. On this album, he shows knowledge of the media in a culture that idolizes who we see on TV and in magazines. He does a great job of being relevant without becoming controlled by the culture of which he is speaking. Bishop brings a quality projecxt in Government Name with the production of Christian music veteran Todd Collins. There is also legitimacy to his album with appearances by Pigeon John, Pee Wee Callins, and Bishop's mentor, KJ-52. Within the 20-track album Bishop doesn't always shy away from tough subjects. "He Won't Leave You" tell of people rising about their circumstance and becoming the person God intended them to be. "Amy's Song" is a story of a girl in Bishop's youth group dealing with the aftermath of rape, and the issue of "why bad things happen to good people." A personal favorite is the last track, "The Laundromat" which shows beauty in diversity and how day-to-day experiences can proclaim God's creative design.
Not only is Government Name a good album overall, it is also a useful tool for youth ministry. I will be interested to see how Bishop develops in his own style. The influences of John Reuben, KJ-52, and even Eminem are heavy. As Bishop progresses in his musical career, I am sure that he will break away from the comparisons and make his "Government Name" one known for solid beats and fresh rhymes.

by: Jeff Bachman, Interlinc 2005 - Interlinc

Bobby Bishop - Gov. Name Special Edition
Written by LaRosa
Thursday, 08 March 2007
Bobby Bishop - Government Name: Re-Election Special Edition + One Shot EP (Beatmart)

Bobby Bishop has made his rounds as an emcee. He started off with his debut project The Hip-Hop Alternative back in 2002 and his Community Music EP in 2004; and since then he has quickly become a household name and a fan favorite. It is because of this, that this youth pastor was signed by Beatmart Recordings and given the opportunity to release (and now re-release) his major label debut titled Government Name.

Bobby Bishop - Government Name: Re-Election Special Edition + One Shot EPSo, why even re-release Government Name to the public? The reason for doing so is because after the original release, Beatmart inked a better distribution deal, therefore they went back to market this album so that it could get more exposure. With it being released on Independence Day, they gave it some pizazz and promoted it like a re-election campaign for Bobby Bishop to be president of hip-hop. Along with the updated (and might I add nicer) cover art, they also included a five-song bonus EP (One Shot EP) for those who might have already picked up the original and still wanted to support the "re-election campaign."

Now that the formalities are out of the way, what is it exactly that you get with this particular project? Well, you get a more mature Bobby Bishop who continues in the same path that he has been on, showing his comical side with fun tunes, while also reaching out with the message of Jesus Christ. After a brief intro, the album quickly jumps off with the title track "Government Name" where Bishop clearly lets the world know that he's not trying to become some hip-hop bishop or anything, but that Bobby Bishop is his government name given to him by his parents. Upon finishing up another upbeat tune in "Get Down," the album begins to then turn into the more meaningful content with songs like "He Won't Leave You" and the gut-wrenching "Amy's Song" (which tells of one girl's story of being raped & her recovery from it). It is these first handful of songs that set the tone for the remainder of the album and gives you a glimpse of what you can expect from the hip-hop president. Songs like "Change the Game" with KJ-52, "Show Love" with Sev Statik and Pigeon John, and "Stimulate My Senses" featuring manCHILD are some of the bangers from this project and they are just a taste of what you get with the rest of the "Hip-Hop Pie." Blending fun and ministry is what Bobby Bishop does best and this is clearly shown on the One Shot EP, which serves as an urban tale of redemption and hope.

As far as production goes on this album, it's just what you'd expect from Todd Collins. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of his production, but it works perfectly for an emcee like Bobby Bishop who is able to rhyme over that style of production. Overall, the production is very upbeat and bouncy, but when needed it is also able to take a back seat to the lyricism, like on "Amy's Song."

In all, I was very impressed with this effort from Bobby Bishop. He delivered exactly what I thought he would, which was a quality project from a quality emcee. The balance of fun and ministry helped to keep things fresh from start to finish, while the production helped to bring home a winner. Government Name is definitely Bobby Bishop's best project to date, and the One Shot EP is nothing to sleep on either. If this were an election, I guess I'd be voting for Bobby to be re-elected as hip-hop's president. B's up!

For fans of: KJ-52, New Breed, Fresh Digress, Urban D

- http://www.sphereofhiphop.com

Ones to Watch: Bobby Bishop
By Paul Colman

Beatmart recording artist Bobby Bishop is a rapper/youth pastor from inner city Boston who has shared the stage with everyone from KJ-52 to Sev Static to GRITS. Bobby’s new record, Government Name, is an eclectic mix of serious and fun songs all delivered with authenticity and passion.

Paul: Do you think it’s possible for a kid from the streets of the inner city and a soccer mom to enjoy the same record/artist?

Bobby: I hope so! My history is both, although my mom was a “baseball” mom and not a soccer mom. I grew up in the suburbs, so I’m familiar with them, but I’ve ministered in the city for 10 years, and I live in the city, so this is also more than familiar territory. Rap is as diverse a genre as there is, and its audience reflects that.

Paul: Tell us the story behind “Amy’s Song,” one of your CD’s key tracks.

Bobby: Amy was one of my favorite youth in our ministry. In 1999, she approached my wife Jessica and me and disclosed that she had been raped at school on numerous occasions but hadn’t told this to anyone. We took several steps to assure she was getting the help she needed. In the process, I wrote the song, and she helped. Since that time, the song has been my most unique ministry tool. At each concert I have the opportunity to pray with the crowd for healing, that we can all embrace the truth that even in the midst of hardship, God will never leave our side (Hebrews 13:5).
Paul: What is a lyric on Government Name that you love the most?

Bobby: My favorite lyrics are in the song “War Cry.” It tells tell the story of a stubborn young man, enamored by his rap dreams. Throughout the song, his father’s asking him to hand over the dream, a request to which he finally submits after selfishly holding on: “..then please hand over your rap, and not just a song, I want it all, do you think you can do that for me, son?” The young man is blessed by his father exponentially more after he relents. His father, of course, is our heavenly Father. This song was inspired by The Prayer of Jabez and his request for God’s blessing as His follower.
- CCM Magazine August 2005