HOPSIN'S JOURNEY - and Why it Should Matter to You

Hopsin, (aka Marcus Hopson) is known as a hugely talented and charismatic MC. Even though I've never met him, but it seems he's a hard-working intellectual, with a big heart.

Just over a few years ago, a high school kid asked me if I'd heard of Hopsin, and told me that he'd dissed Lil' Wayne and other rappers. I then looked him up, and have followed him ever since. While he's never been one to play the major-label game, he's developed a huge following, mainly through “word of mouth”... or social media. (One of his videos has close to 40 million views [edit: it's now clocked just over that number], his most recent clocked over 1 million views in it's first day online! He's been called the “Black Eminem”, and skills-wise, he deserves the title. He's actually just about to tour with an Australian hip hop artist called 360. That's a tour I'd pay see.

The year before last, (2012), it seems that Hopsin found faith, and found God.

Check here to see an interview with regular outlet “Hard Knock TV”. In this segment (of a four part video) shows he's a deep thinker, who values being “authentic”... more than most people... definitely more than your average rapper. That authenticity has led him to share about his faith journey at times... Watch at least the first 6-7 minutes if possible.

In this video, in my eyes anyway, Hopsin really seems to have encountered God. He seems to have really changed in the way he sees things. I don't think you can “put on” the whole “convicted” thing, even if he did care about winning over the Christian crowd.

For a long time, I've had the view that if someone who has a profile finds Christ, generally they need to come out of the limelight for a while. This is similar what Jesus did with Simon, Andrew, and the rest of the disciples. I'm not saying we should all leave our homes right now and join a commune, but there are times & seasons where we need to get away with Jesus, and get “discipled”, in the same way that the 12 did. They had to get trained, unlearn old habits, learn new ones, and basically learn how to live like Christ. Even though Jesus can appear to us today (and he does), for some reason he seems to use people most of the time to manifest to us (see Acts 9:5 for the former, but also verse 6 and 10-12 etc for the latter).

For Hopsin to find God during the journey he was on.... would have been tough. He's a smart dude, and a song he released soon after his encounter with God is a confronting song. But the journey he's been on since has been rough, as it would be for anyone... just like it has been rough for me.

Last month, he released a track that I think is one of his most powerful yet. Check it out, if you don't mind deep themes wrapped in some R18 language.

This song show's a new level of maturity artistically, both musically and as a video. Spiritually though... it's even more profound. A lot of people have said "this is him walking away from Christianity" etc... really, this is perhaps the biggest set-up of his life... and I have a feeling he knows it. There's so many things that the God-haters will ignore.... here are some random thoughts about this video.

-He's talking to God the whole time. Even when he says "my gut feeling says it's all fake..." he's saying it to God.
-He's challenging God to reveal himself to him. Marcus has met God before. God does things His way - but at the same time, God is seeking us... God won't let him get too far.

-Even in the middle of his wrestling... Hopsin says that when he looks at the earth and sun he can "tell a genius man designed it - it's truly mind blowing, I can't deny it" He's honest enough to share the tension at hand. (See what I mean about authenticity? It's much cooler than being dogmatic - either for or against faith.)

-God can handle being called a "Poltergeist".

-Hopsin's coming to Australia soon. Christians everywhere are praying for him. It's like the rap game... for every "hater", there's at least 4-10 fans. It's the same with judgemental Christians. Jesus (not just the devil) is at work. I'd be surprised if Marcus DOESN'T come across Christian after Christian in the future that love him.

-Those that seek, find. (Matthew 7:7-8 in case you didn't know. Marcus is doing that, so please don't judge him, or anybody who's on a spiritual journey.)

Peace/love.