WILMINGTON, DE, November 14, 2023 — When Holy Culture Radio’s James “Trig” Rosseau Sr., DJ Wade-O and B.E.R.I.D.O.X. joined ‘Sway in the Morning’ on SiriusXM Shade 45 (an uncensored hip-hop channel created by Eminem), the result was a spirited conversation that went deep into the genesis and evolution of Christian hip-hop, and built a bridge across rap’s sub-genres.
“When people think about Christian rap, they put it in a silo, like it’s not a part of hip-hop culture,” SiriusXM host Sway Calloway (aka Sway) said during the morning show with the Holy Culture Radio team. “And we’ve seen plenty of biblical stories where folks who are coming with the truth always experience the most resistance.”
Sway’s comment established a cultural common ground and set the tone for a discussion that explored the importance of avoiding labels and preconceived notions, and allowing actions to speak one’s truth.
Rosseau, the man behind Holy Culture Radio’s bold move from a small and growing digital/online station to a 24-hour channel on SiriusXM Channel 140, traces the actions of another that led to the shift in his own trajectory.
“I remember when I was still producing secular music, a cat came into my studio, and as he was leaving, he said, ‘man you do some dope tracks. It’s a shame they’re not for the Lord.’ And then he walks out,” Rosseau recalled. “He left enough to convict me without beating me. And I think that’s what happens sometimes in these public conversations … we’re too quick to go to the left or the right versus trying to understand where people are at that time.”
Since that pivotal moment, more than 20 years ago, Rosseau has blazed trails and built platforms for Christian hip-hop. He was recently honored at the 2023 Kingdom Choice Awards in New York City “for his exceptional contribution, commitment and leadership in Christian hip-hop.”
“There has always been a question of whether there is a market for Christian hip-hop music,” Rosseau added. “I believe our listeners have shown that the genre has broad viability given the above average listener engagement we’ve seen across our 14 shows and music mixes as we play a wide diversity of Christian hip-hop artists.”
About Holy Culture Radio
Holy Culture Radio (SiriusXM Channel 140) and its affiliated website www.HolyCulture.net and social media channels are owned and operated by The Corelink Solution, a nonprofit founded by James Rosseau with the purpose of helping people develop their passion and purpose, create an informed plan and use provided tools to help them succeed, while establishing accountability and ownership.
Learn more at www.holyculture.net, or follow Holy Culture on Twitter (holyculture), Instagram (holyculture), YouTube (holyculture), Facebook (holyculturenet) and TikTok (@holyculture.net).
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In