If you've turned on the radio in the last 20 years or so, you know that hip-hop has become one of the dominant musical forces of our time. And while some of today's most popular mainstream rappers spend way too much time bragging about bad behavior, Christian artists like KJ-52 have brought a redemptive point of view, one that’s infused with creativity and faith, to this sometimes controversial genre.
So last year we decided it was time for Breakaway’s Talent Trek to focus on finding someone who might one day step up to the mic to become one of the next great Christian MCs, someone who’s got what it takes to spit the catchiest rhymes and raps.
Our grand-prize winner, 17-year-old Luke Sizemore of Springville, Ala., had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend a day with KJ-52 in KJ’s old stomping grounds around Tampa, Fla. Not only did Luke get a personal tour of the neighborhoods that inspired some of KJ’s hit songs, he got to spend a couple hours recording his song in the studio, with KJ manning the board and personally walking him through what it takes to produce a hit record.
Luke kept a journal of his time with KJ, and he gave us a chance to look over his shoulder as he recorded his thoughts and impressions about this momentous day.
The Journey Begins
Thursday, March 8, 2007
My parents woke me up this morning at 4:30 a.m., so basically I've spent the whole morning sleeping on planes. Our first flight to Memphis was just 30 minutes. Then we flew to Fort Myers, Fla., and I was pretty much dead the whole time. During my sleep, I was listening to my dad's iPod. I put Toby Mac's album Portable Sounds on repeat, and for some reason I kept waking up to his single, "Made to Love."
It's strange that I would wake up on that song, because it's very laid back. But because I kept waking up to it, I felt like God was using it to remind me not to get all caught up in His blessings and forget why I'm really here on this earth—to serve Him wholeheartedly with my life.
The second time I woke up to this song, I looked out the plane's window to see . . . water. LOTS of water—the Gulf of Mexico, to be exact—and I felt a whole bunch of excitement filling me up. I was one step closer to kickin' it with KJ.
Meeting KJ
Friday, March 9, 2007
My parents and I woke around 7 this morning to drive from Fort Myers to a Bennigan's in Tampa, where we were planning to meet KJ. We got there around 10:45, and five minutes later, KJ showed up.
Now, this was the moment I'd been waiting for, and I was incredibly excited. KJ spotted us at the table, and we introduced ourselves as we waited for the photographer and a few other people to show up. At first I was nervous, but I started opening up about 10 minutes into it. KJ and I really hit it off—especially when he gave me this little twig branch from his meal. I said, “Gee thanks, KJ, for this . . . stick?” And we had a good laugh about it. I had been a fan of KJ-52 for about thee years now, and so to finally be eating with him was awesome.
Learning Secrets in the Studio
When we finished eating, KJ and I started talking about certain studio set-ups before we headed over to Deep Productions studio in Tampa. That's where I would be recording my song.
We got down to business as soon as we got there. I had KJ preview the song we were doing. Once he listened to it, we sat down and talked about some of the basics of rapping. KJ complimented me by mentioning how natural he thought my flow was. And once I entered the recording booth, KJ was on the other side of the glass, coaching me on stuff I hadn't ever given much thought.
One of the things he taught me about was pocketing, which is how many words you speak between each snare hit. He said that if you pack too many syllables into your pocket, you would be forcing the material. But he also said that if you didn't pack it enough, it might be called out as too simple a flow.
He also pointed out such things as my tone and how I pronounced each word. And he said I should throw in something known as spices, which are not rapped words but little lines where you fill space with stuff like “yeah” and “uh huh.”
KJ also told me that we were just going to focus on the first verse and the first chorus. But we actually got through my entire song by the end of our studio time! He gave me so many professional pointers, which I had never been exposed to before now.
Connecting with KJ's Past . . . and Looking Toward the Future
After the studio time came an hour-long photo shoot, and then we headed to Ybor City, an old neighborhood in Tampa with a lot of old buildings. KJ showed us the places he grew up. We walked for about 45 minutes through his old neighborhoods as KJ told and showed us his history. Down to where he and his dad used to live, to the place where he shot the pictures for his first album cover on 7th Avenue. It was cool to see in person all these places he's rapped about in his songs.
As our day was winding down, I asked KJ what I would have to do to get to the next level of the hip-hop game. He simply said that it took him a lot of time and work, and he reminded me that God put him through a lot before he got where he is now. But he did say that my demo was better than his at the age of 16. And that meant a lot to me when he said that. When the day was finally over, we all walked back to our cars and said our goodbyes, where KJ told me, “Keep in touch.”
Thank you so much, Breakaway, for providing this very memorable time in my life. I will not forget it, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for me next! 
