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Christian
Group
uses
Rap
to
Bridge
Hip
Hop
Divide
By:
Ernie
Garcia
Herald
News
PATERSON
-
Eddie
Cortes,
a
young
Paterson
evangelist,
sometimes
encountered
skepticism
when
he
tried
to
share
his
faith
with
urban
youths
who
preferred
rap
music
over
rapturous
sermons.
"My
friend
asked,
'If
your
God
is
so
real,
why
aren't
there
more
people
representing
him
through
hip-hop:'"
Cortes
remembered.
That
challenge
forced
Cortes,
a
member
of
Iglesia
Bautista
Central
(Central
Baptist
Church)
on
East
20th
Street
to
retool
his
evangelic
pitch.
"Paterson
is
hip-hop,
...I
realized
that
there
are
people
out
there,
and
I
need
to
reach
them,"
said
Cortes,
who
set
about
creating
a
hip-hop
ensemble
of
his
own.
Cortes'
revelation
inspired
Carriers,
a
Christian
rap
group
that
will
perform
Saturday
at
a
free
block
party
outside
Iglesia
Bautista
Central.
2Restore:
Tha
Counter-Attack,
as
the
event
is
called,
will
feature
performances
by
half
a
dozen
Christian
music
youth
groups
performing
from
rock
to
merengue
in
English
and
Spanish.
Hip-hop
is
an
urban
street
culture,
including
rap
music,
graffiti
art
and
break
dancing.
The
block
party's
name
represents
the
group's
goals.
"2Restore
means
that
we
need
to
restore
Paterson,"
said
Cortes,
"and
we're
counterattacking
Satan,
drugs
and
violence."
The
Carriers
are
a
musical
component
of
Carriers
of
the
Cross
Ministries,
a
three-year-old
mission
established
by
Cortes
to
promote
the
Gospel
to
youth
through
music,
seminars
and
exhibitions.
The
Carriers
sprang
into
existence
when
Cortes
met
Paramus
resident
Jeremiah
Smaha
at
Nyack
College,
where
both
were
students.
Carriers'
DJ
Adrian
Orbe
of
Paterson,
along
with
Remy
Basuri
of
Clifton
and
Ben
deCido
of
Passaic
are
current
or
former
members
of
Iglesia
Bautista
Central.
The
Carriers
typically
feature
Cortes,
Smaha
and
Orbe
on
stage,
with
Basuri
and
deCido
serving
as
music
composers
and
producers
when
the
group
steps
into
the
recording
studio.
The
group
has
recorded
one
compact
disc
sold
through
the
Carriers'
web
site:
www.carriersofthecross.com.
Despite
their
musical
trappings
the
Carriers
don't
want
to
be
perceived
as
showmen.
"Hip
hop
is
just
a
tool
we
use,"
said
Cortes,
emphasizing
that
the
Carriers'
true
purpose
is
evangelism.
"We're
not
entertainers.
We
consider
ourselves
preachers,"
Smaha
added.
The
Carriers
deny
that
rap
music
is
incompatible
with
a
Christian
message,
insisting
that
they
live
their
spiritual
message
despite
rap's
reputation
for
delinquency.
Nonetheless,
culture
clashes
emerge
when
rap
meets
Christianity.
On
"You
Never
Told
Me,"
a
song
they
will
perform
Saturday,
the
Carriers
sing
about
a
young
Christian
who
has
lost
a
friend
to
street
violence.
The
spirit
of
the
deceased
visits
the
young
Christian
to
ask
why
he
did
not
share
his
faith
with
the
friend,
whose
spirit
is
now
burning
in
hell.
Cortes
and
Smaha
said
the
song
represents
a
Christian
rap
fan's
fears
that
he
will
drive
his
friends
away
if
he
tries
to
share
hi
love
of
Christ.
Saturday's
concert
is
the
third
time
Carriers
of
the
Cross
Ministries
have
staged
an
outdoor
event
at
Iglesia
Bautista
Central,
through
in
the
past
the
entire
block
was
not
closed.
The
Carriers
have
invested
much
of
their
own
money
to
stage
the
block
party,
which
they
said
does
not
bother
them.
"We
believe
this
message
needs
to
get
out
there.
Jesus
didn't
charge
to
preach,"
said
Smaha.
During
the
block
party,
which
lasts
until
8:30PM,
evangelistic
street
teams
will
answer
questions
about
spirituality.
Orbe
said
he
will
be
satisfied
with
Saturday's
concert
no
matter
how
many
people
attend
or
speak
with
the
street
teams.
"We
would
like
the
street
to
be
packed,"
said
Orbe.
"If
one
person
is
saved,
there
will
be
a
party
in
heaven."
The
Carriers
will
perform
at
2Restore:
Tha
Counter-Attack
on
Saturday.
The
free
event
starts
at
2:15PM
in
front
of
Iglesia
Bautista
Central,
6
E
20th
St.,
Paterson.
For
information,
call
(973)
776-3900
Ext.
3713
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