Rap Fest Queens - Thank You

Hello and God Bless You All.

On behalf of Rap Fest, Inc. I want to thank all those that came out to support the evangelistic efforts which took place on Saturday, July 22, 2006 in Queens , NY . It was definitely an awesome time of minsitry in the street. Pastor Femi and The Life Zone Church (http://www.thelifezone.org) have an incredible vision for outreach and community.

We rolled up to the neighborhood at about 11:30AM in anticipation of the 12PM set up time. The weather was cooperating pretty much. It drizzled for a bit, but then, it poured like crazy. All this time, during the rain, the obvious transactions of illegal drug sales was the view we had from our vehicles. This neighborhood was no joke.

Nick Aponte and Heaven Bound Sounds showed up and it was still puring. Pastor Femi showed up with the generator and it was still pouring.

Finally, at about 1:10PM the rain subsided. We started setting up the tents and the equipment immediately. By 2PM all of the equipment was set up. Power was turned on by about 2:15PM and all was working lovely as DJ Tony Tone started spinning some heavenly hip hop.. (It actually started getting hot outside).

At 3PM on the dot we started our program as scheduled..

Von Vargas, from Baltimore , Maryland grabbed the mic and started breaking it down for the neighborhood.. Immediately after him The Quest, from Detroit , MI , hit with some powerful lyrics. While The Quest was up ministering, I got a call from Markilo Allen. Brother was coming in from Salt Lake City , Utah but he was held up in PA under severe storm conditions and was forced to end his travel there.. Unfortunately he was not going to make it on time.

God always provides though.. It's funny, most of the times, when there is an event going on, you find a bunch of rappers in the crowd anxiously awaiting an opportunity to get on stage. That wasn't the case this Saturday. Only the confirmed ministries were there at this time and no other hip hop soldiers had showed up to be spectators, support, chill, nothing.. Werid..

However, AOmega Global Military was in the house. Lavoisier (confirmed for Rap Fest Queens) was accompanied by AOGM artist, Switch'd. A Rap Fest veteran himself, we approached him requesting his help as a back up. Now, in normal circumstances we don't just throw someone in the mix but, in an indirect way, Switch'd is confirmed for Rap Fest Queens as a Lavoisier hype man so, it worked out lovely..

After Switch'd finished, Crossed out hit with heavy Reggaeton that attracted a few of the Spanish people int he neighborhood. In fact, there was a drunk man across the street whose wife just left him 2 days prior. Crossed Out ministered to him through their music. Eventually, this lead to pastor Daniel Delgado, of Third Day Ministries, going into his house to pray for him and bringing him out for the rest of Rap Fest..

Immediately after Crossed Out was Solomon Starr who was followed by his fellow Storyellas' mates, Brothers Inc. The night was capped off by Lavoisier. See, Lavoisier has done many solo concerts right in this same spot so, we let him break it down for everyone at the end.

At the end of the event, the testimonies and praise reports were coming in. At least 8 confirmed people gave their lives to the Lord. Others were prayed for ... even in their houses. My wife, my sister-in-law and my brother gave out some t-shirts to the neighborhood and the people were coming out with their Rap Fest T-shirts on to see what was going on. They even entered a few homes to pray for people and personally escort them to Rap Fest Queens.. It was definitely a blessed and successful evening... God is good and never fails..

Thanks again.

Rap Fest 2006 is approaching ... Stay prayed up.. Hope to see you there..

Bert Bocachica

White Out The Block

Hi and God Bless You,

I just received the shipment of Rap Fest 2006 T-Shirts. Wow, this is exciting. We have decided to white out the entire neighborhood.

As you might have noticed by now, Rap Fest will be held in the South Bronx again. Many people hear the Bronx or South Bronx and think dark, gloomy, scary, danger, poverty, etc. We are coming into this neighborhood with a different mentality. How many of you watched the NBA Finals and play offs? Did you notice how impacting the look of all white T-shirts in the arena looked. That's what we are doing. We want to bring in a feeling of purity and holiness to Arthur Avenue.

The Rap Fest T Shirts are, again, onn 6.1 Thick excellent quality material. I still use my Rap Fest 99 shirt.. Looks great.

M-L = $15
2X-5X = $18

Ladies Tank Tops - $15

This year we even have some bags (siilar to the nike drawstring bags) Bags are black with the Rap Fest design on them.
Only $14. So, as you buy CDs, you can drop them into your RF Bag and enjoy the day without having to hold the product in your hands all day.

Well, that's it.. the thought for today.. Let's White Out.. !!!!

Where They At ? .. Looking for the real CHRISTIAN hip hop soldiers.

I remember back in the days when I first started ministering, using rap as the tool to reach the young people. It was so different back then. We would gather weekly to rehearse songs and think of song titles. I mean, going into scripture as a group to discuss issues which can be topics in songs..

I remember when we used to go to concerts that had other Gospel rappers like God's Creation, Joyful Noiz, Demo/Understanding and others who have since retired from the HHH scene. The good thing is, we always had others to look at and be encouraged to know that we were not alone in this "rap game" as the world so wrongly labels it.

Anyway, lately I have been noticing that those real mentor moments are disappearing. Rappers starting out in the Christian Rap ministry route nowadays have no one to look up to.. Why? Have they all retired? Have they all slipped back into the world? Have they all become ordained preachers and abandoned the tool they used in the past? Have they all grown too old to continue?

I am not sure what the answer is but gone are the days when every week we received flyers at our churches announcing this rap group or that rap group coming to minister and the people would get excited. Seems like most of the groups that were looked up to back in the days or were more respected back in the days have disappeared from the "every day event or gathering".

Youth rallies, youth services, coffee houses, street meetings etc.. Where they at? .. Looking for the real CHRISTIAN hip hop soldiers. We all go around stating we in bad times and it's a war out there.. Spiritual war against the enemy etc.. etc.. but, look around.. Where are the soldiers..?

Perhaps the pay is not high enough to be in the little battles. We rather be in the aircraft carrier pushing buttons and getting paid big for that work.. Little effort with high, earthly returns. I remember when Brothers Inc ministered at the Smithsonian Institute for an entire week at their Folklife Festival. Wow.. not many groups can say they did that.. But, you know what was the best part of that trip for us? Going out to the local (small.. uhhhh.. very small ) churches and ministering. I am talking about, we had to rap into choir mics that were like lapels... Whew.. crazy... How many groups would even settle for that nowadays.

The altar call and the responses afterwards though were priceless.. We had parents buying CDs to give to their kids who were wrapped up in the things of the world..

I have been looking online for testimonies from rap ministries that were "freestyling on the corner" like quest used to do.. or hit and runs like TRUCE is currently doing in London.. or free concerts and events where the focus is Jesus and not "My manager requires me to make X amount of money per event"...

Can you feel the hurt my heart is displaying. And hey, I know we all deserve pay for our hard work and I am 100% for that at all times.. But, I had a young lady from a small NJ church on the phone recently and she was like... I wish there were groups out there that would minister at our church. It's small and we don't have money to pay big offerings... Where they at?... Looking for real CHRISTIAN hip hop soldiers.

Not sure what my closing thoughts would fit best here.. Perhaps just a humble request and cry to my fellow Christian Rappers worldwide.. Please please please.. do not forget the small churches and the outreaches worldwide... There are kids out there looking for Christian Rappers to look up to.. but, if they don't see them... hmmmmmm...

Where They At ? .. Looking for the real CHRISTIAN hip hop soldiers.

Bert Bocachica
July 6, 2006 12PM