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PERFORMER MELVIN JONES, PASTOR HERB TILLMAN,PASTOR BRIAN SMITH DISCUSS THEIR OPINIONS ON CHRISTIAN HIP HOP MUSIC. - KDKA News
Join us in congratulating the winner of the September 2009 Breakout Contest: Mele Mel.
We also want to thank everyone who entered for their passion for God, their desire to spread His message to the hip hop culture and for their dedication to their craft. We also would like to thank the Holy Culture Staff and Sponsors in making this a reality.
Prize package includes:
¦Premier Promotional package courtesy of Holy Culture, LLC (www.holyculture.net)
¦Artist Development Consultation courtesy of 90K Watts
¦Indie Design Package (Single Cover, Promotional Banners, etc.) courtesy of Ink Candy Design Group
¦Five beats from www.exclusivechristianbeats.com and banner placement on all sites
¦Single will be added to a National Compilation CD courtesy of UnderGround Blaze Records
¦Digital Distribution Deal for the single courtesy of UnderGround Blaze Records
- Holy Culture Radio
Melvin Jones aka Mele Mel, the Poet Prophet, won a national contest that featured the hottest gospel artists from across the country.
The contest is called Holy Culture Radio and is the foundation of Christian hip-hop music. It is the equivalent of Source Magazine for secular music.
MELE MEL
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Jones heard about the contest called the “Break Out.” They were searching for the next Christian hip-hop star with potential to break out and do big things. A lot of the details about the contest are promotional, but they also give you a distribution deal. The person who entered a particular song will get to distribute that song through a promotional company.
“The song that I submitted to be in the contest is called “Only You.” It’s going to be distributed across the country via the Internet. The ideal situation would be to have enough people know about what I do, so I could do it myself. One day I would like to have my own label and be independent. I have productions from all over such as Germany and the United Kingdom. The Internet opens you up to everyone. The ‘Only You’ track was done by a production company from Germany,” said Jones.
He likes to focus on the ministry side of things and feels that this is his chance to make his move to the next level. They are giving Jones a platform to showcase his music across the globe because this is a national contest and winning it is making him have to work harder to make some things happen.
“Hip-hop is in my blood and I’ve been doing it forever,” he said. “As I kid I was sheltered a little bit so I took my skills to the notepad. I didn’t have too many friends as a kid and I was pretty much by myself. Hip-hop became my friend from a standpoint that it didn’t judge me. I was drawn to hip-hop and I loved how I could express myself. I went to a predominantly White school and I was living with my mother in a single parent home from the projects. I started selling drugs.
“Music is the symbol of my life. When I was in the world, I did secular music and it represented who I was at the time. I wrote all the time and recorded for about four or five before my transition. I was not happy with my life and I became an alcoholic and I couldn’t shake it. I was in an ugly and dark place, but I’ve been clean for seven years now. I was at a friend’s house and on the refrigerator I seen an Alcoholic Anonymous pamphlet. I made up in my mind that I was going to go because I’ve tried to stop drinking many times before on my own and to no avail. A few days God stepped in and took the obsession and compulsion away to where I did not have to go to any AA meetings at all. It was God that lifted the obsession for sure.”
When it comes from going to secular to gospel, he stopped doing music altogether for about two years. God called him and he fell in love with him from the start. Jones had reached the worst place ever and alcohol became his God.
“I was a slave to it and it dictated my whole life. I was no longer in control of my life. As I said, I sold from since I was 12 up until I was 21. For the first time I started feeling guilty when I sold drugs to a kid that only was 18. I said to myself I am killing this kid. It was in my mind at the time that this kid could do something great or destructive with his life, and I was killing him. The climax of alcoholism and the emptiness of selling drugs made me feel completely worthless. I did not have a relationship with God at the time, but I knew what I was doing,” said Jones.
“Everyone can say they know God, but I knew for myself that only God could help me. I got on my knees, cried and surrendered to God and said help me. Within a month’s time, I stopped smoking cigarettes, selling drugs and drinking. I got clean and got baptized and went from killing people to helping people. I was looking at two years jail time, but by the grace of God I did not go,” said Jones.
His family embraced what he was doing for God and was happy for him. Jones did not have a tight group of friends as a child and did not fit in with the crowd. At this time, he has people in his life that look out for him and have his back no matter what. His eyes are wide open and the blinders off. It is amazing to see how God is working in his life. The transition was not easy, but felt comfortable for him. God took him away from his environment and the people he knew. He could not have grown being around the same people.
“I do not consider myself just a rapper and I will not do music with anyone gospel or secular if you are not glorifying God. My goal is glorify Christ and that you see and hear him through my music and message. Even if a gospel artist is glorifying himself as far as him having swag and money, I will not get on the track with him because he is not glorifying God. I will not, under any circumstances, promote a secular message,” said Jones.
When th - Ashley Woodson
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Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Melvin Jones known to the world as MELE MEL is an artist/songwriter whose passion is to minister the word of God via Hip-Hop. A true lover of Christ, he tries to live his life according to God's word realizing that one of the most powerful forms of ministry is to lead by example. He was raised in a rough housing project in Pittsburgh, Pa where seemingly there was a black cloud and not a hint of Gods presence. A self-described ex-knucklehead, he was a slave to drug dealing, alcoholism and every other aspect the streets had to offer a faithless child.
At age 20 Mele Mel was forced to relocate a considerable distance from home and any familiar faces. It was at the end of that one year period that God would do his greatest works in his life. He reached his all time low when he first discovered that his favorite social hobby had evolved into full blown dependency of alcohol. Making matters worse his crack career brought about a client who was a fellow classmates younger sibling who was only 18 years of age. It was then that Mele Mel lifestyle transformed from boastful to shameful. He had prayed a million times before but this time was different, he got on his knees, surrendered to God and cried out God I need you, this thing is bigger than me and I cant do this myself, I need change, please help me and his life was forever changed! He attended church for the first time with no real expectations but would soon be led to give his life to Christ on June 29th, 2003. With no hesitation he quickly brought an end to his heavy drinking, smoking and drug dealing lifestyle and would soon be baptized, enroll in college and begin working a full time job. God tugged at his spirit for many months telling him to use his gift of music for his glory, but he repeatedly rejected his call to ministry as he found the idea of Christian hip-hop to be extremely lame. That fortunately changed a few years ago when he realized that he could no longer outrun this calling on his life. He is currently hard at work on his debut album entitled MY TESTIMONY which tells of his compelling journey from hopelessness to righteousness. Mele Mel can be heard on several radio broadcast such as; Rapfest Radio of New York, KING fm 99.5 of Los Angeles, Wamo, WGBN, 106.7fm and Point Park University 670am of Pittsburgh and WPPJ, Revolt Radio of Baltimore. Mele Mel has been featured on the cover of The New Pittsburgh Courier, Pittsburgh Post Gazette and Exodus magazine. In November 2007 Mele Mel shot his first video Titled God or Hip Hop which has been receiving rave reviews and as of Jan 2010 Mele Mel has received his 4th Hip Hop Award nomination.
Listening to him minister, it's impossible not to notice the anointing placed upon his life and sense his genuine love for Jesus Christ. Christians and non Christians alike can't help but to recite the lyrics to one his most powerful Anthems; Soldier which boldly illustrates his soldier status in the army of God. Without missing a beat Mele Mel change gears and take you to a peaceful place with creative selections like My Bible n- My Bus Pass. Only You, his latest single, has been running through radio and making its way around the world due to its Universally Refreshing sound. And September 2009, Mele Mel would win The Breakout contest, which is a national contest held by Holy Culture Radio in which they searched the world for the next Gospel Artist who they feel has the potential to breakout and be the next big star. This kid seems to be the complete package, most known for his authenticity, passionate rhymes, creative concepts and uncompromising delivery, Mele Mel has already begun to fulfill his goal of changing this world one soul at a time.
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