The Divine Soldiers

by Robin Parrish

Divine Soldiers are a hip-hop duo from Ohio, comprised of brothers J-Wal and S.O.L. (Servant of the Lord). After living in some of the harshest neighborhoods in Ohio and Arizona, the two finally settled down in Akron, Ohio, and finally coming to Christ, they decided someone needed to reach out to the gangs and ghetto kids with hip-hop music of genuine quality that talks about things of eternal value.

Equivalent To Water is their second album as Divine Soldiers, a 15-track disc with straightforward lyrics that don't back down and some surprisingly scrumptious beats. The songs cover topics like encouragement to keep the faith, personal stories of how God changed their lives, and frustrated depictions of modern ruined lives. The brothers' deliveries are always smooth, sometimes rapid-fire and sometimes full of attitude.

Equivalent To Water is a battle cry for rescuing the lost, and a resounding wake-up call to anyone who feels abandoned or stuck in a life they never asked for. All the answers are found in Christ, and the Divine Soldiers make their case with clarity and conviction. - CM Central

Four official days of music, prayer meetings and speakers all geared toward betterment through Christianity begin Wednesday in Stark County.

The Alive Christian Music Festival -- like an annual religious Woodstock, except soda replaces booze and daily Bible readings replace daily acid dropping -- is in its 19th year at Clay's Park.

Sitting on 350 acres that include camping areas, a lake, water slides and putt-putt golfing, Clay's Park is often the site of family vacations.

This year's festival will be the biggest yet with more than 70 national and local artists and 25 speakers that will attract an expected crowd of more than 25,000 people a day.

National acts include TobyMac, Audio Adrenaline, Brian Littrell of Backstreet Boys and Canton-area natives Relient K. Two local acts hoping to attract a larger audience at the festival include Divine Soldiers of Akron and Inhale Exhale of the Canton area. Both perform untraditional Christian music -- rap in the case of Divine and heavy metal for Inhale Exhale.

Jason Wallace said Divine Soldiers won't be worried about playing in front of throngs of Alive attendants. Jason, 30, and his brother, Brandon, 28, a fellow Divine Soldiers frontman, starred at St. Vincent-St. Mary and Central-Hower high schools, respectively, playing basketball in state tournament games in front of thousands of fans.

``I've played in some huge games... and I think that has prepared me,'' Jason Wallace said. ``Maybe it'll be different when I'm on stage, but right now, no way.''

The Wallace brothers grew up listening to rap and rhyming along to instrumental tracks.

``The whole rapculture was a big part of our lives,'' Jason Wallace said. ``There's a lot of negativity to the lyrics and a great influence to do things that aren't pleasing to God. We knew that when we turned our life around, we knew there were still a whole lot of kids engulfed in that culture. It was our responsibility to give them a positive alternative.''

Divine Soldiers will perform Tuesday at the pre-festival concert and on Thursday. Wallace said the opportunity to perform at Alive ``is a dream,'' but they're going to be on a mission.

``Our mind-set is that we just want to honor God,'' he said. ``We don't want to make this an opportunity to showcase ourselves, we want to showcase him.''

Wallace is also concerned people might think rap and religious beliefs can't be combined.

``Automatically, people might want to turn to the negative image they get from the secular world,'' he said. ``I think the biggest stronghold is that Christian hip-hop music still hasn't broken into the mainstream as far as secular radio is concerned. So what you have is people hearing what you're doing and comparing it to what's out in the world.

``Those barriers will be broken down, but there are times when that image is still there. That's why we always try to present ourselves in a way where we don't come across like other hip-hop artists.''

Wallace said he and his brother don't wear a bunch of jewelry or gold teeth like a lot of rappers.

``We're professional and we challenge kids to do the same,'' he said. ``If you want people to judge you by who you are, don't let people judge you by how you're dressed.'' - The Beacon Journal

These soldiers of the cross use hip-hop to spread the word through their music ministry

By Colette M. Jenkins

Beacon Journal religion writer


Jason and Brandon Wallace aren't traditional evangelists.

Their pulpit is the stage.

Their congregation is made up of young hip-hoppers.

Their message is delivered using rap music.

``Hip-hop has been one of the most influential forces in our lives,'' said Jason Wallace, 29. ``We know how much of an influence it can have on the lives of young people.''

Armed with that knowledge, the two 6-foot-5-inch brothers are passionately committed to using the music genre as a tool to win souls for Jesus Christ. Jason Wallace (whose rap name is J-wal the Rizon Product) and Brandon Wallace (S.o.L. or Servant of the Lord) make up the duo Divine Soldiers.

The Christian rappers describe their music as ``holy hip-hop'' and have a style that borrows from East Coast rap, jazz, Latin music, rhythm and blues and rap-metal.

``We're not a Christian entertainment group. We're a ministry,'' said Brandon Wallace, 27. ``Music can really impact people. Music can move a nation.''

As a teenager, gangsta rap moved Brandon Wallace to buy a gun.

``I wanted to be a gangsta,'' Brandon Wallace said. ``I remember showing (the gun) to Jason and he gave me a tongue-lashing, telling me either I was going to get killed or I could kill somebody else and end up in prison, like our uncle. I ended up getting rid of it, but that is just one example of how powerful music can be.''

Gangsta rap became a major force in hip-hop in the late 1980s, and in the mid- and late 1990s it dominated the charts. Before that, rap usually reflected the tone of socially conscious soul music of the 1970s.

Some philosophies trace rap back to ancient African societies where men and women related their history through spoken word.

The Divine Soldiers, much like those men and women, are using the spoken word to relay their message of hope in Jesus Christ.

``If we could sing, we wouldn't be rapping,'' Brandon Wallace said. ``While the beats may draw some people to listen, what is important are the lyrics because the message is in the words.''

The Wallace brothers state on their Web site (http://www.divinesoldiers.com/) that their mission is ``to intercept enemy communication by adding a fifth element to the hip-hop culture -- Jesus Christ.'' They say they are at war, trying to help save the lost.

Lyrics from a song called Desensitized on their first CD release, Equivalent to Water, intend to make their mission clear:

Time's running out so we declare war

Don't want to open your heart I'm gonna kick down the door

You think your life is a game then I think that's a shame

When the circle's been completed you ain't got no one to blame

I've come in Jesus name I've come to smother flames

That might burn your flesh I don't do this for fame

Cuz in these last days I'm gonna fight for someone's life

And if I lose mine I'm going home tonight.

The brothers will release a new CD in November on their own record label, Motiv8tor Records. Samples of their music are available on their Web site, and a pre-release single with three songs from the new release and two remixes is available for $5.

``There's nothing like the feeling I get when I look out and see people's faces change and know that we've changed their hearts,'' Brandon Wallace said. - The Beacon Journal