A Watts-area church is under fire from social media onlookers for utilizing some brand new Shawn Carter music during a praise and worship segment involving two young girls.
The now viral incident occurred last week at the Tree of Life Missionary Baptist Church.
Ben Thomas, the cell phone recorder (and perceivably the church drummer), explained that he wasn’t attempting to start a Holy War by circulating the footage but rather spark some discussion between his immediate friends and family.
“Ok I just want to say that I didn’t upload this video with ANY NEGATIVE intent,” he wrote on his Facebook page, which also included footage of the praise dance being concluded to a more traditional tune in I was recording this for my personal friends and family to see what they thought. Is this to modern or should other churches allow the youth to do the same. All the negative comments about this church and what they do is on you. If it has offended anyone I apologize.
As it stands, JAY-Z’s “Story of O.J.” has been the most publicized record from his critically lauded 4:44 album. The song harbors around the recently paroled O.J. Simpson but mostly outlines the 47-year-old rap legend’s journey through the realm of finacial literacy. It also employs several cuss words such as “fuck,” “shit,” and a hook that connects its rhyme scheme with the n-word.
The record’s line about dismissing Instagram posts that feature stacks of money imitating phones also prompted several rappers to rebel in loose unison, including Juice Crew legend MC Shan, who openly dissed the song — without actually hearing it (and then spazzed out at HipHopDX for covering his errant statements).
Facebook comments such as “This church need Jesus, the holy Spirit, his angels, and etc. In there” and “Hecccck Nawl! Where’s the respect for Christ ?” permeated the video, prompting the church’s Minister of Music leader, John M. Bernard Jr. to “set the record straight” in a Facebook Live PSA.
Throughout the four-minute address, he openly admitted that the church used the dirty version for the praise dance [Editor’s Note: A casual facepalm will do] but also wanted to give additional context.
“It was intentional for it to be that way,” Bernard said of the unedited “Story of O.J.” record blaring against the stained glass windows before adding, “they ended their dance presentation with Tasha Cobbs’ ‘Break Every Chain.'”
He also defended Thomas’ post, echoing the drummer’s sentiment that no maliciousness was intended behind the share.
Bernard concluded his message by maintaining the congregation was given a stern disclaimer before. And he directed naysayers to the pastor’s full sermon while stating, “people were blessed, lives were touched.”
The full sermon in all its two-hour glory can be found below.
Eh…Churches have done worse imo
I go to church and love hiphop, folks act like this cant happen, those who were upset are just throwin stones, this is PART of the reason alotta folks are turned of by “church folk” and church in general
The fuck u talkn boyy*I love Jesus & am an avid hip hop head but this is sickening*The guy who calls himself hova when the bible said no man should be called as such in the house of the real Lord*thts not a real faith filled holy spirit church*…bible also says don’t make friends with the world*smh*
Amen to that. We are to love not the world not the things of it, so wht bring the World into the holy place…
Ummm..well firstly the dance wasn’t good at all. Were the girls comfortable with performing? How is someone getting saved off of the presentation? Where in this song AND the dance is God being glorified? The church could’ve at least used the clean version. I’m a Christian and I get that we all listen to hiphop/rap etc…but this isn’t a lounge or café. This is the house of God and that was terribly disrespectful. The whole thing could’ve been presented differently. Teach us about finances yes, that’s all good and dandy I see what he was TRYING to do but in all honesty did you consult this with God before you presented it to your congregation? When you have a calling you step aside and let God be your words, your dance, your praise and your sermon. I’m 22 and have been to many church’s where hip-hop is played for the kiddies and they do their little dances but in most cases the music is clean or it’s just the instrumentals.
I totally agree with you wrong place wrong words wrong all the way around . There’s a way to do it .i have kids who do hip hop music in their 20’s and my husband and I also do music . Not appropriate elders must have been shaking their heads .
It’s 2017 stop believing in fairy tales.