Posted on by Dave Miers

Tedashii – Identity Crisis

Confession time. I like R&B and Rap music. Yep. Boyz II Men. Tupac. Sometimes I say to people that I used to like it during high school, but the truth is, I still like it! I like the beats, the harmonies, the poetry and the jive talk. BUT I came to the point where I couldn’t listen to too much Rap music because it wasn’t the best stuff to be filling my head with. I also realised that singing along to ‘I’ll make love to you’ wasn’t the most edifying gear for me to be singing as a single Christian dude.

Tedashii | Identity Crisis

This week I’ve been listening to a rap album that’s really good AND a lot more edifying for my ears and my soul. Tedashii – Identity Crisis. The album comes out on Tuesday (American Time). Tedashii is a Christian rapper (homies with Lecrae and the Reach Records crew). Here’s the thing. Christian Rap is often C-Rap. But for Tedashii, it’s actually good. Well produced. Not lame. He’s got cred. Creative lyrics. Good beats. Great R&B loops. Sweet R&B singers. Encouraging. (I often use the word encouraging, but I’ve been really encouraged by this album!)

So much of African-American hip-hop culture is about identity. Cars. Cash. Bling. Women. Alcohol. Status. Ripped abs. Gangs. Violence. Identity Crisis is brilliant in the way it re-thinks the idea of identity for the Christian. The identity theme flows throughout the album. Created in the image of God. Fallen. Adopted. Now part of a community. The album has a clear picture of the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection and the new identity that belongs to those that believe in Him.

Two of my fav tracks: Hollywood which is Tedashii’s testimony; and Make War which kicks off with a snippet of a John Piper sermon about making war against sin in your life.

This album is the goods. If you’re a young Christian dude into rap – check this gear out – it’s good and will encourage you. If you’re a parent or youth leader who’s got young crew into rap, buy them the album to help them think about their identity.

Tedashii’s MySpace | Reach Records | Buy album in iTunes

16 Replies to “Tedashii – Identity Crisis”

  1. Hey hey, here I am on pre-baby maternity leave and finally commenting on Dave’s blog. I’m not a huge rap fan but have enjoyed the stuff Dave has played me of Tedashii’s. The criteria for me to make rap listenable is that it has some nice melodic loops (not sure that is the right description) amongst the rapped phrases. My fav track is the “Make War” one with the into from Piper. Piper’s exhortation to “Make War” on my sin rather than just whine about it is made memorable my Tedashii’s arrangement of Pipers words along with his own words and music. It has certainly helped to pushed this idea to the front of my mind and hopefully into action in my life. Thanks Piper, thanks Tedashii, thanks Dave. Hey can anyone come up with a cool rapping name for Dave???

  3. P.S. Sorry for hijacking your blog Dave, it was clearly the most obvious of all mediums via which I could communicate with Row. :P

  4. hey row. You seem really cool. Let’s hang out. Good idea about rap names… What about D-Bom?
    Michelle. No worries about hijacking of comments!

  5. Hey Dave,
    I must confess that I have been listening to Lecrae a bit lately and really like it. So I will have to give this guy a try too.

  6. hey homeboy davemiers,

    got hold of tedashii’s album. not bad, not bad.

    lecrae’s good too. have a listen to his one :)

  7. @mike – i’ve only heard a few tracks of lecrae – but i reckon if you like him – you’ll like tedashii

    @sam – word up

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  10. I must say that is a good thing that you wrote. I was the same back in the day listening to 2Pac, NWA, Snoop and anybody on the big scene. But when I started listening to the words, the music didn’t really make sense so then I started liking artists like wrote songs that kept the song relevant to a good subject like Fresh Prince and Ed OG and the Bulldogs (Be a father to your child). Well when my life was changed by Christ, I so wanted to hear rap because I love it (like art work). Now I am deep in the Christen Rap music, telling others about it. Peep these groups out: Shai Linne, Cross Movement, Christsentric, Everyday Process, T.R.U.T.H., ADF, Corey Red and Precise, azriELicia(Kingdom City Records), Flame….just do a search, you will not be disappointed. This is all for Kingdom building yall!!

  11. yo LilmicLee

    thanks for stopping by and sharing some of your story.

    thanks for recommendation with those artists.
    to save me time – put in some youtube links to 3 of the best tracks from them you can think of…

    peaceout.

  12. Hear are some videos of some of the Artists that was mentioned. I hope you will be encouraged and blessed.

    (Cross Movement – civilian affairs) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4_HRhL4ekE&feature=PlayList&p=316C7D9556690C5E&index=2

    (Christsentric)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrTPXVcEaRA&feature=related

    Everyday Process – shine bright
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbxf60_1LcU

    (Da T.R.U.T.H.)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOPc3nHRGxQ&feature=related

    (ADF, J.A.Z. (Justified And Zealous) Against the Grain) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb6wbm8GkUs&feature=related

    (Corey Red and Precise – We Comin Out)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XRlOpbY7kE

    (Flame – Goodness to Repentance)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqfLiMA6TAE&feature=PlayList&p=12CA50E03BCD1B80&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=11

    (Trip Lee – Inexhaustible) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuTxveTDTfE&feature=related

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  16. THank you for this post, I agree Tedashii is amazing. Every Christian rapper is unique in their own way. I think of it like God has a diversity of personalities and stories so that people will be able to identify with one of them and be affected. DA Truth grew up as a strong Christian, Lecrae delt with drugs and gangs early in life, Trip Lee was a surbuban kid who was into rapping about fun things in life, Tedashii was a high school football star caught up in the idolatry of Hollywood. There’s so many stories with so much possibility to affect people.

    If you like Tedashii’s Identity Crisis I highly recommend: FLAME-Flame. Also, Trip/Lecrae which were already mentioned, 20/20 and Rebel are great. But if you want to try something new, try The Ambassador’s Chop Chop or Christology. Good stuff.

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