Gospel is not a genre, its a lifestyle'; J.Soldier

By tawanda Ngena

According to rapper and Zim Hiphop Awards nominee in the category for 'Best Gospel Act', J.Soldier, gospel is not just a genre......but a lifestyle!
Being one of the few local artists who naturally fall under the 'gospel hiphop/hiphop gospel' umbrella, the rapper (whose real name is Malvern Bere) said he never took kindly to the term.

"I don't and I have never liked using that term "gospel hiphop/hiphop gospel' loosely because to me, gospel is not a genre it's a LIFESTYLE, my way of living and importantly who I am. Im a Christian first before I'm a rapper and what that means is my Christian values and beliefs will always come first in all that I do, especially in my music.
"Hiphop itself is already a culture so I (we) use the term 'gospel hiphop/hiphop gospel' to further explain or to give a clear picture of the kind of message you are receiving (the gospel-the good news). Long story short, we are all hiphop artists but we each carry a different message!", said the rapper.

Though a lot of people out there still have reservations in as far as the 'gospel hiphop/hiphop gospel' genre is concerned, J.Soldier is of the view that the genre is gaining considerable ground by the day.

"The thing with hiphop is that, many people, especially in the so called "Religious Community" had already made their own conclusions in regards to it. Back then people used to say that it's associated with whatever it's associated with (some say its satanic), but nowadays I think they are grasping the message more, they are dwelling on whats important.
"Music, nomatter what genre it is (Hip Hop, RnB, Rock etc.) is a means of communication , it's all about the message you are putting out there. Personally I can say I have been getting a good reception/response from the fans, our music is playing  almost everywhere, the shows are coming in as well and we are performing in the streets, in schools, major events and even in churches", he said.

But what is it that attracted the young man towards 'gospel hiphop/hiphop gospel' and what are some of his goals?

"The thing that gave me the motivation to venture into or rather start doing 'gospel hiphop' was my salvation (when I gave my life to Christ) and the Word of God. The more I received the Word the more it changed my mindset, the more it gave me a clear picture of what I'm supposed to do, of how God wants me to live my life and hiphop gave me a voice.
" My aim is to 'impact' and inspire a generation that is lacking in spiritual guidance, to create an 'Army of Believers' ready to move with the work of the Lord. Through my music I want to push this message (the gospel-the good news) to places I won't be able to physically reach and hopefully create a platform whereby I can promote and influence young artists with the same passion", said the ZHHA nominee.

J.Soldier debuted with a mixtape titled 2.B.2.B.C (Too Blessed To Be Cursed), released early 2012 and which paved the way for his first album, a 14 track CD titled 'Suicide Note', which got favourable airplay on local radio stations and spawned hits for the rapper such as the title track (Suicide Note), 'Larger Than Life' and 'Jesus' Soldier' among others.
That very same year, his Crew 'J Army' was nominated for Best Group at the 2014 CHH Awards (Christian Hip Hop Awards).
He recently released a 9 track EP titled #TheGraceEffect.
"I'm working with my Team (JArmy) on putting out videos for some of the tracks on my EP (#TheGraceEffect). We recently released the Kwete Zvekudaro video (shot, directed and edited by Aaron Mheta) and right now we are working on Calna's 'Pressure Zero' video.
"You can expect a 'Kwete Zvekudaro' remix anytime soon and a couple of other singles. After being nominated for the 2016 Zim Hip Hop Awards #ZHHA for the Best Gospel Act, all I can say is that we are working flat-out to bring that gong back home", he said.

As to his plans for the immediate future, Bere said that he had his sights set on breaking the international market.
"Well 2017 we have our gaze and focus on the International Market, we are planning on crossing the boarders and taking the music (Videos and Audios). We are also working on finally establishing our Record Label/Video Making/Clothing Line (J Army Global Studios) next year. I believe 2017 is going to be a Blessed and Fruitful year for us, you can look forward to some new and hot projects from the team (J Army)", he said.

And to those curious enough about the stage name as we were, the rapper gave us a bit of insight.
"Well basically the name J Soldier came as a Revelation from the Word of God I was receiving on a daily basis. I used to go by the name Venom back then but when I received Christ, my priorities shifted and the vision changed. Since I was now focused on the work of the Lord and building an Army for Him, it only seemed appropriate to go with the name J Soldier...."