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Pettidee
Christian hip-hop's premier crunk rapper gives his reasons for why the genre has failed to take off, and how he reconciles his look with his ministry.
By Andree Farias
posted 07/16/07
You're something of a veteran in Christian hip-hop, yet you're not quite a household name yet. Why is that?
Pettidee: My sound is street. It's been street since '94. Christian radio says I'm too urban, so I don't fit into a lot of formats that play Christian music. So I'll just continue to be who God made me.
You were making "crunk" hip-hop before it was hot in the mainstream market. Why haven't Christian audiences caught on to this style?
Pettidee: It's not for them; it's for the lost. I won't make music to tickle people's ears. Artists do that, and then call it ministry. I make music to win the lost, and to encourage the body of Christ. The soldiers [i.e., believers] catch on.
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Where are you from originally? Tallahassee, Florida
Favorite place you've traveled to? Africa
Best meal you prepare? Breakfast
Pet peeve? People eating on the phone while talking!
Your most annoying habit? I'm a 100% perfectionist
What makes you laugh? Geico caveman commercials
Last good book you read? Make It Happen, by Kevin Liles
Last good movie you saw? Fantastic Four
Band/artist you're listening to the most right now? Lecrae's After the Music Stops
Band/artist that comes closest to your sound? Believe it or not, Goodie Mob
Song you wish you'd written? "High" by GRITS. The beat is crazy!
Age you became a Christian? 19
Your favorite Bible verse? Luke 4:18
Last lesson God taught you? Trust in him when everything looks impossible!
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In a nutshell, why do you feel Christian hip-hop has yet to become a force to be reckoned with?
Pettidee: No unity. Gospel rap is very cliqued up. They fake like it's not, but it is. I'm a producer, so I get along with everybody. I love seeing new soldiers come up and stand for Jesus. But everybody doesn't feel the same way. No unity, no army, no force.
You image yourself in a way that's bold and representative of Southern hip-hop culture. How do you reconcile the gold-plated teeth and the platinum chains with your call to minister?
Pettidee: I wear a grill and chains because that's what I like. Pettidee is not a concept, or an image. I am the man God made me to be. When I open my mouth, the word of God comes out clear. People didn't understand John the Baptist's look either, but his ministry was effective. As long as people are still getting saved at my shows, I'm-a keep being me.
You have a long trajectory in your music ministry. What song on Resurrections: Past, Present & Future is your favorite, and why?
Pettidee: Right now it would have to be "All Alone." It's about the Darfur genocide in Africa. We just shot a video for it in Africa, and a lot of eyes will be opened by this video.
The new album is a retrospective of sorts, but it's also a look into what's to come. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Pettidee: I used to think I knew that answer, but truthfully, whatever I'm doing, I just want to see myself in God's will.
Click here to read our review of Pettidee's Resurrections: Past, Present and Future. Go to Christianbook.com to listen to song clips and buy the music.
© Andree Farias, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.
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