|PIC1|“Hip-Hop can be used as a ministry tool, because it works,” Director of TRUCE David Ham noted.

TRUCE, a U.S.-based ministry and part of Nicky Cruz Outreach, stands for ‘To Reach Urban Communities Everywhere’, aiming to reach out to communities and lead them to Christ through hip-hop and rap.

In July, TRUCE toured the most deprived areas in East London and took part in hit-and-run mission journeys, where they performed in the streets and gave their personal testimonies.

As a result, over 1000 people and 150 gangs were reached.

Before returning back to the States, TRUCE shook up the stage once more at Kingsway International Christian Centre last Saturday with a dynamic rap/dance performance at the launch of Soul Week 2006.

According to Roney Henderson, founder of UK’s first-ever Gospel and Church Awards, ‘Oasis Awards’, the overall Christian music scene in the UK looks ‘very urban’ at the moment, while it’s still at its roots.

In the U.S., according to the history of the GMA(Gospel Music Association), when Christian music first sprouted, it was mainly defined by Southern Gospel. It was only until a few years ago that America started to embrace other genres such as rock and urban/hip-hop music.

|AD|With black gospel music sales growing to represent more than 20 percent of all gospel music sales and urban music continuing to lead the Billboard charts, the GMA has responded with the Urban Music Connection at GMA Music Week 2006. The new programme was designed specifically for artists and professionals working in or interested in the popular style of music.

British rapper Jahaziel noted that Christian music is still ‘humble’ in the UK, but it’s moving forward as there are ‘many talented Christian musicians out there’.

In addition, having witnessed and performed at the Oasis Awards in the UK, American gospel artist Antonio Neal shared with Christian Today: “I was really pleased to see that urban music is part of the roots in Christian music in UK.”

“20 years later, you’ll get people fighting if urban or hip-hop music should be a part of Christian music. The Oasis Awards showed me how it was embraced since the beginning.”