• BC Christian News • SEPTEMBER ISSUE 1999 • VOL. 19 #8 • Formerly "Christian Info News" •

Race and style divides Christian music industry
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By Kevin Pollard

ALTHOUGH THE Christian music industry has grown to a substantial size, most of the mainstream world remains unaware of it. Unfortunately, in the same way, sub-genres of gospel, urban, R & B, hip hop and rap are given little exposure through Christian radio, retail and media avenues.

Even though these genres have topped mainstream charts for years, the Christian music audience has been slow to break free from racial and stylistic boundaries. Dozens of talented ã and diverse ã artists have been lumped under the general label of åblack music.¼

Christian radio programmers claim that most åblack music¼ does not „fit our format.¾ This may be true, given the fact that the majority of Christian radio is made up of adult contemporary åwhite¼ pop acts.

• Various: Bridges: Songs of Unity and Purpose, Benson / Verity, 1999.

Bridges tries to break down some of these walls. This compilation features 11 original songs that unite the vocal talents of contemporary Christian and gospel artists. This one-of-a-kind album focuses on reconciliation between races by recognizing our common love for Christ.

Unique collaborations include Clay Crosse and Virtue; Helen Baylor and Kathy Troccoli; Oleta Adams and Jaci Velasquez. Among the highlights are the album-opening R & B /pop tune åLike Minded, Like Hearted,¼ a beautiful ballad showcasing the vocal abilities of Anointed and Russ Taff, while the opening lyric of åIt¼s Gonna Rain¼ by 4Him and The Canton Spirituals pretty much sums up the album: „We walk the same road but we¼ve drawn a line / You walk on your side and I walk on mine / But I¼ve got a feeling that it¼s gonna rain.¾

With stellar production by the likes of Fred Hammond (Commissioned, RFC, 4Him) and Mark Heimmerman (dc Talk, Michael W. Smith) directing this cast of talented artists, let¼s pray this album will be given the hearing it deserves and not just buried in the black gospel section.

• Out of Eden: No Turning Back, Gotee, 1999.

Out of Eden are among the artists who have struggled for several years to gain the respect of the contemporary Christian music industry while building an impressive core of devoted fans.

Toby McKeehan of dc Talk chose sisters Lisa (23), Andrea (21) and Danielle (18) and their blend of urban, R & B, and pop to help him launch Gotee Records back in 1994. With the release of No Turning Back, their third album, this vocal trio has finally begun to gain the recognition they deserve.

Following its release in June, No Turning Back remained in the top 10 Christian retail selling albums for eight weeks straight. And the August issue of CCM Magazine featured the trio on the cover.

The album brings to-gether urban, hip hop, rap and Motown sounds in a slick R & B package that makes it hard not to dance. åRiver¼ is currently number one on Christian Hit Radio (the hip format of a handful of U.S. radio stations that play all the songs that have too much åbeat¼ for typical AC stations). Other hits are åHere¼s My Heart,¼ with great background support from The Katinas, and åOpen Up Your Heart,¼ which features the rapping of label mates Grits and Knowdaverbs.

• Winans Phase II: We Got Next, Myrrh, 1999.

The next generation of Winans has just released their much anticipated first album. This foursome ã Winans Phase II ã is made up of Carvin Winans III, Marvin Winans Jr., Juan Winans and Michael Winans Jr., all teenage sons of members of the Winans gospel dynasty.

With their smooth vocal stylings and similarities to groups like Boyz 2 Men, the only hurdle will be whether they will be embraced by the contemporary Christian music family. Their first single, a remake of the classic åEl Shaddai,¼ which even features a little help from label-mate Amy Grant, has received lukewarm radio response.

The record has everything from straightforward pop tunes like åCome on Over¼ and åAlways For You¼ to lush R & B melodies and infectious grooves on åSend Me¼ and åReal Love¼ and a little rap on åWho Do You Love?¼ Other highlights are a remake of the Bee Gees¼ 1979 hit åToo Much Heaven,¼ and a silky rendition of åJust for a day,¼ a tune written for the Winans by Babyface. A weak track is åI¼m a Winans Too,¼ which comes off a little corny.

We Got Next is a hybrid of musical styles from R & B, hip hop, rap and pop, with production by Rodney Jerkins (Brandy, Whitney Houston), Narada Michael Walden (Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin) and Cedric Caldwell (BeBe and CeCe Winans).

• RAZE: Power, Forefront, 1999.

Another group stretching the boundaries of Christian music ã and having a difficult time finding its place in the industry ã is the dance / pop multiracial group RAZE.

Billboard magazine has compared them to early dc Talk, although that is a bit of a stretch. But Power is a very accessible dance/pop album ã if their hoped-for audience can see past their over-the-top image.

Their world beat and electronica influenced sound are much like World Wide Message Tribe, but it¼s catchy pop melodies like åPlace in My Heart¼ and åAlways and Forever¼ that make this effort so strong.

Teens looking for something to call their own that offers great dance/pop music unique in the Christian arena should give this new group a listen.