Broken Vesselz

In late April, I interviewed a Christian rap group called Broken Vesselz. Here is the story.

Christian Rap- Sounds like an oxymoron to me. Surprisingly, it isn't. Christian rap has been a part of the music scence since the late 80's. Artists like Yolanda Adams contribute religious lyrics pertaining only to Christians, but a trio of three who go by the name of "Broken Vesselz" has broken that barrier by using the word of Christ to reach everyone through their contemporary melodies. From Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , the group consists of two lyricists, Dante "Sotog" (Servant of the One God), 21 and Ricky "Renewed Life," 19 and one vocalist, Liana Gomez, 20.

Fairly new, the group has been performing together since early 2007. Liana and Ricky (who are siblings) met Dante through a mutual friend and noticed their similarities in both Christ and music. They got their break from creating a mix tape of eighteen songs devoted to their awareness campaign "Project 215" relating to gun violence and the crime rate in Philadelphia . Not technically signed as of yet, the group has many supporters behind them. For example, their manager, Steve J, who promotes them strategically, the people of their campaign "Project 215" and their fans.

With inspiration from artists like Mos Def, Common, Lauryn Hill and Jackie Valsquez the group strives to produce empowering music for today's generation. "Foolishness inspires me to do better," says Sotog, who refers to the new hip hop artists. Broken Vesselz feels that hip hop emulates the artists to be center, instead of the music. The glorification of materialistic things you'll never have is an aspect of hip hop Broken Vesslez intends to exclude from their music. With all three of them contributing to the writing, they to bring the "lyrical content back into hip hop."

They are doing so with the recording of their first studio album. They have producers Teddy P, Boots and Eric Green pulling tracks for them. Presently, they're promoting a sample EP with three tracks to preview the album. Their performances consist of those tracks and others. They perform mostly in Philadelphia (where there's a hive of Christian rap groups) Ohio , Massachusetts and on weekend retreats in other parts of Pennsylvania .

The group is currently recording their album, but that's not all they're doing. Broken Vesselz is heavily involved in their community by feeding the homeless, speaking to youth groups and donating to charity. Liana, whose dream growing up was to sing, is now using her popularity to inspire young girls. Growing up in a rural neighborhoodin Philadelphia , she knows the struggles and intends to open a community center to assist teens with job employment, recreational activities and to give the kids of Philadelphia a home away from home.

These three youngsters are not only musicians; they're strong believers- of Christ. Liana and Ricky came from religious backgrounds, but like many teens they were not really involved in religion. Dante, who was saved three years prior, was raised in a secular environment. He found Christianity through a friend. All three experienced something that reinforced their faith. Now, it has blossomed into a successful career. Broken Vesselz has talent and much is in store for them. You can check them out at brokenvesslez.com or myspace.com/brokenvesselzministries.


Christian Rap- Sounds like an oxymoron to me. Surprisingly, it isn't. Christian rap has been a part of the music scence since the late 80's. Artists like Yolanda Adams contribute religious lyrics pertaining only to Christians, but a trio of three who go by the name of "Broken Vesselz" has broken that barrier by using the word of Christ to reach everyone through their contemporary melodies. From Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , the group consists of two lyricists, Dante "Sotog" (Servant of the One God), 21 and Ricky "Renewed Life," 19 and one vocalist, Liana Gomez, 20.

Fairly new, the group has been performing together since early 2007. Liana and Ricky (who are siblings) met Dante through a mutual friend and noticed their similarities in both Christ and music. They got their break from creating a mix tape of eighteen songs devoted to their awareness campaign "Project 215" relating to gun violence and the crime rate in Philadelphia . Not technically signed as of yet, the group has many supporters behind them. For example, their manager, Steve J, who promotes them strategically, the people of their campaign "Project 215" and their fans.

With inspiration from artists like Mos Def, Common, Lauryn Hill and Jackie Valsquez the group strives to produce empowering music for today's generation. "Foolishness inspires me to do better," says Sotog, who refers to the new hip hop artists. Broken Vesselz feels that hip hop emulates the artists to be center, instead of the music. The glorification of materialistic things you'll never have is an aspect of hip hop Broken Vesslez intends to exclude from their music. With all three of them contributing to the writing, they to bring the "lyrical content back into hip hop."

They are doing so with the recording of their first studio album. They have producers Teddy P, Boots and Eric Green pulling tracks for them. Presently, they're promoting a sample EP with three tracks to preview the album. Their performances consist of those tracks and others. They perform mostly in Philadelphia (where there's a hive of Christian rap groups) Ohio , Massachusetts and on weekend retreats in other parts of Pennsylvania .

The group is currently recording their album, but that's not all they're doing. Broken Vesselz is heavily involved in their community by feeding the homeless, speaking to youth groups and donating to charity. Liana, whose dream growing up was to sing, is now using her popularity to inspire young girls. Growing up in a rural neighborhoodin Philadelphia , she knows the struggles and intends to open a community center to assist teens with job employment, recreational activities and to give the kids of Philadelphia a home away from home.

These three youngsters are not only musicians; they're strong believers- of Christ. Liana and Ricky came from religious backgrounds, but like many teens they were not really involved in religion. Dante, who was saved three years prior, was raised in a secular environment. He found Christianity through a friend. All three experienced something that reinforced their faith. Now, it has blossomed into a successful career. Broken Vesselz has talent and much is in store for them. You can check them out at brokenvesslez.com or myspace.com/brokenvesselzministries.

Back on site

I've just recently gotten back to HarlemLive from a unexpected vacation. But now, I'm back and I've been doing some stories. Im still working on my article on the Christian rap group, Broken Vesselz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tomorrow I'm going to the Thurgood play starring Lawrence Fishburn at Booth Theatre in Times Square. The play is inspired by Thurgood Marshall. Born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 2, 1908, Thurgood Marshall was the grandson of a slave. His father, William Marshall, instilled in him from youth an appreciation for the United States Constitution and the rule of law. After completing high school in 1925, Thurgood followed his brother, William Aubrey Marshall, at the historically black Lincoln University in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His classmates at Lincoln included a distinguished group of future Black leaders such as the poet and author Langston Hughes, the future President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, and musician Cab Calloway. Just before graduation, he married his first wife, Vivian "Buster" Burey. Their twenty-five year marriage ended with her death from cancer in 1955.

In 1930, he applied to the University of Maryland Law School, but was denied admission because he was Black. This was an event that was to haunt him and direct his future professional life. Thurgood sought admission and was accepted at the Howard University Law School that same year and came under the immediate influence of the dynamic new dean, Charles Hamilton Houston, who instilled in all of his students the desire to apply the tenets of the Constitution to all Americans. Paramount in Houston's outlook was the need to overturn the 1898 Supreme Court ruling, Plessy v. Ferguson which established the legal doctrine called, "separate but equal." Marshall's first major court case came in 1933 when he successfully sued the University of Maryland to admit a young African American Amherst University graduate named Donald Gaines Murray. Applauding Marshall's victory, author H.L. Mencken wrote that the decision of denial by the University of Maryland Law School was "brutal and absurd," and they should not object to the "presence among them of a self-respecting and ambitious young Afro-American well prepared for his studies by four years of hard work in a class A college."

Thurgood Marshall followed his Howard University mentor, Charles Hamilton Houston to New York and later became Chief Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). During this period, Mr. Marshall was asked by the United Nations and the United Kingdom to help draft the constitutions of the emerging African nations of Ghana and what is now Tanzania. It was felt that the person who so successfully fought for the rights of America's oppressed minority would be the perfect person to ensure the rights of the White citizens in these two former European colonies. After amassing an impressive record of Supreme Court challenges to state-sponsored discrimination, including the landmark Brown v. Board decision in 1954, President John F. Kennedy appointed Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In this capacity, he wrote over 150 decisions including support for the rights of immigrants, limiting government intrusion in cases involving illegal search and seizure, double jeopardy, and right to privacy issues. Biographers Michael Davis and Hunter Clark note that, "none of his (Marshall's) 98 majority decisions was ever reversed by the Supreme Court." In 1965 President Lyndon Johnson appointed Judge Marshall to the office of U.S. Solicitor General. Before his subsequent nomination to the United States Supreme Court in 1967, Thurgood Marshall won 14 of the 19 cases he argued before the Supreme Court on behalf of the government. Indeed, Thurgood Marshall represented and won more cases before the United States Supreme Court than any other American.

Until his retirement from the highest court in the land, Justice Marshall established a record for supporting the voiceless American. Having honed his skills since the case against the University of Maryland, he developed a profound sensitivity to injustice by way of the crucible of racial discrimination in this country. As an Associate Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall leaves a legacy that expands that early sensitivity to include all of America's voiceless. Justice Marshall died on January 24, 1993.

Religion

Hey People.
I just finished my best work yet. I went on a 6- month investigation on teens perception on religion. Religion, being the controversial topic, that it is, it really was a challenge. I interviewed Atheists, Christians and Muslims. I visited mosques, churches and weekend retreats to explore this topic. Religion is a touchy topic that most people don't want to discuss.

Mainly because the same questioning of evolution passes the surface. Personally, I am not a religious person. Religion brings a burden. My problem is that people instantly link religion with morals. Being that different religions have different moral codes, it becomes a struggle. I believe that you don't have to be religious to lead a productive life. Also, you can be non-religious and still believe in God. It may sound stereotypical, but it's true. Religion is man made and based on the individual beliefs, God isn't. God didn't make religion, man did. Therefore, it shouldn't be immoral to not believe in the propaganda fed by humans.

My opinions may seem biased, but that was how I thought before I went on my investigation. After talking to all these different people of various ethnic backgrounds and different beliefs, I came to one conclusion. Religion consists of principles and beliefs and beliefs are based on FAITH, not ACCURACY! As a person, I respect all religions and all non religious folks. As an individual, I believe in God, but I refuse to believe in religion.

That's my opinions, but here is my article.

"Religion is not the key to happiness in your heart," said 17 year old Josh Holcomb of LaGuardia High School's Christian Seekers Club in New York City. Many may wonder, "Then what is it?" Religion, being one of the world's most talked about topics, has an enormous affect on peopleÑteens in particular. Some of them are confused, yet some sure. Sure of what exactly? A collection of theories, ideas and traditions that might have been true but are used to fit society's various agendas? Then there are some teens who express their ideas about religion in a nonchalant manner. Through my studies I've encountered a diversity of skeptical religious teens and assured believers as well as nonbelievers.

At the well-known Islamic Cultural Center on Third Avenue, I was greeted with a warm "Salem Ma Laicum" by a group of kids studying the holy Qur'an. The class, full to maximum, was occupied with kids from different ethnicities. I observed as people all over the prayer room bowed down in prayer, while infants ran around the room jovially.

Islam is a religion of many. Eleven year old Hanan Shaker, who attends the mosque two times a week, said, "I'm proud of my religion and how I follow it." As a Muslim you are to believe in the holy Qur'an, follow Allah's teachings and pray five times a day. Islam enforces the act of showing honor, nobility, distinction and virtue. The Islamic teachings forbid drinking, eating meat, adultery, fornication, fighting and quarreling. Though the negative press has blamed the military's violence on Islam, all Muslims are not destructive. In fact, in the Islam religion, dignity is considered moral excellence.

The teens at the mosque were quite knowledgeable about their religion. Their presence did not seem forced. Actually, they looked really comfortable there. It was quite interesting that none of the kids in the mosque seemed to question their faith. For example one teen commented, "I have no questions actually."
In contrast, majority of Christian teens question their faith. Christianity, not being based on earning God's favor, but accepting Christ for eternal life, has a history of contradictory claims. About half of the teens I've surveyed, question the theory of Jesus and God being one. If that claim were true, according to "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel, Jesus would have to have all the qualities of God. Jesus would have to be omniscience, omnipresence, eternal and immutable. And he was, according to Christian's interpretation of the bible.

He had:
Omniscience (all knowing)
-"Now we understand hat you know Everything and don't need anymore to tell you anything. From this we Believe you came from God.[John 16:30]

Omnipresence (everywhere)
-"And be sure of this: I am with you always even to the end of age."[Matthew 28:18]

Omnipotence [all powerful]
-"I have been given complete authority In heaven and on earth."[Matthew 28:18]

Eternality( no beginning or end)
-"In the beginning the Word already existed.He was with God and He was God."(John 1:1)

Although there is evidence that religion is a set of principles that were man-made, many Christian teens view their religion as a relationship with God. As a Christian you are to accept Jesus Christ as your savior to become closer to God because he died for mankind's sins, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." (John 14:6) By accepting Christ, Christians have found the word of the Lord. With time, the approval of Christ gives you direction, perspective and hope.

The term, "Jesus saved my life," may sound stereotypical, but if you heard Jasmine Manigault's story, you might believe in clichŽs. Jasmine 18, from Midtown has a huge amount of strength for someone who was abused, both verbally and physically, raped and in foster care. Two years ago, she joined a youth Christian program called Student Venture. For months, she would deliberately walk past the Student Venture recruiters, but one day she went and it changed her life.

She accepted Christ and she feels it changed her attitude, mind and soul. Her once shattered relationship with her mother became better, she forgave all of her enemies and most importantly, she became closer to God. The false/man made ideas may contradict a believers' faith, but empowering stories like Jasmine's might reinforce hope. One major aspect of Christianity is that Jesus knows that humans are sinful and he embraces that by offering forgiveness. Not only Christianity and Islam have moral codes. Every religion has a different set of morals that helps shape society, but do you need religion to enforce good morals?

Secular humanist, Rick Riley doesn't think so. In the Atheist community, religion is not the only way to lead productive lives. "I believe that all religions are equally false," says Riley. The conflict of religion burdens many. Some religions totally contradict the message that God wants his believers to know. One of the philosophies of Atheism is that people don't have to be religious to be moral. Naturalistic, Alon Levy, 19 believes that the world is a closed system and there is no need for supernatural explanations to explain the universe or morality. Because who knows what is moral or immoral? There is not one document that everyone agrees on. Immorality in the Atheist community is basically anything that causes harm or hindrance to anyone. While in other religions, morality varies.

The clichŽ that all Atheists are malicious is completely inaccurate. Furthermore, many Atheists are actually wise individuals. Generally, Atheists are nonbelievers because of the lack of substantial evidence, not because they are ignorant about religion. Actually, many atheists were raised religiously, but as they matured their opinion changed. Then the matter of questioning comes into play. Many may not know, but Atheism is the art of questioning, simply because there is no absolute guarantee as to whether or not God exists. That is a common battle that people face with the idea of religion.

"Most people need religion because they can't face the prospect of not existing," said Kapil, an atheist. Society has shaped the perception that religion should be accepted by everyone. "They [people] grow up thinking that way," said another Atheist. Atheists are people to. They have lives and they deal with everyday problems just as religious people. They just don't practice a religion. Their beliefs should have as much value as a believer's would.
With religion being such a confusing topic, teens sure have their opinions set. Regardless if you're an Atheist, Christian or Muslim, everyone has their own set of beliefs. This world

is so complex with a variety of everything and in the country of America, freedom of religion is strongly enforced. You have the freedom to practice Islam, where you believe in Allah and the teachings of human dignity or Christianity, where you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the offering of forgiveness. You even have the right to believe in nothing. Either because you're lacking substantial evidence, were raised in a secular environment or it's just unnecessary in your life. Some feel it's needed, others don't, but isn't religion just a collection of theories, ideas and traditions?

Post your comments people!

Lucky Duck

I'm so late and behind on this, but April 13th, I will be on Nickelodeon. I was interviewed for Nick News on various world topics such as the economy, Iraq and other topics. Anyway Seli, Dyeemah, Nana and I were privately exported to Lucky Duck Productions for the interview. Although, the van wasn't the best looking ride, I felt like a real journalist with my team of reporters and administration. When we finally got there, we were introduced to Kara, the coordinator of Lucky Duck. We were sent into the lobby and everything was normal. Until, I almost fell out of my seat when I saw the coolest Coke-a-Cola machine. It looked like the machinery was used in the sitcom "Cheers". It was so cool.

We had to use dimes and then pull out the soda and take the cap off using the pulley looking thingy. [Such great terminology for a journalist, but there was no other way for me to describe it]. Anyhow, Kara ordered pizza for us as we waited for the journalist to interview us. We ate pizza and waited, just until Linda Ellenbee[famous journalist from Nick News]

I was thrilled and just as I saw her, I thought about all the times when I was younger that I would deliberately turn the channel when Nick News came on after "All That". A smirk came upon my face as I introduced myself respectfully and wished that I would have watched Nick News instead of turning the channel. I'm older now, so it's cool. I just had to get that off my chest. It was so cool!

Nyiesha Showers

Hey everyone. I'm a dedicated journalist from HarlemLive, which is an online teen publication. I found HarlemLive thorough a program [I was involved in] called Children's PressLine that features in the Amsterdam News. Within months I joined HarlemLive and I've made it my home for nearly two years. I love HarlemLive because it provides a relaxing atmosphere, yet with such empowering inspiration to introduce students to journalism, film, video, etc. Anyway, I've done stories on various issues and events. Here is my blog of different topics. Hope you like!