By Michael Ashcraft —
Christian Hip Hop star Jarry Manna used to be a “pothead” Darwinist who thought the church was a scam to get people’s money.
“I was allowing dark things to take over my mind,” he told JamTheHype. But he also always “thought someone was coming to get me. My spirit was just open to any type of darkness, anything to tamper with my mind. There was something deeper going on there, at the point of thinking about killing myself.”
The paranoia, a product of his cannabis addiction, was taking over his brain. He remembered a cousin who had a gun.
“I was gonna go get his gun and off myself,” he recounted.
But then he remembered his grandmother, a devout Christian, and called her. Her wisdom that day saved Jarry’s life and gave him a new direction.
“She kind of allowed for me to come back to Christ,” he said.
He returned to church and quit rapping. That’s what his pastor wanted him to do.
But a friend, Quincy Howard, kept bringing him back to rap. He knew that Jarry was good and didn’t want to see the gift squandered. But when he returned to hip hop, this time it was Christian lyrics.
In 2019, Jarry Manna dropped two albums, Legends of Lotus Waver 1&2, which combine his passion for anime with truth bombs.
“I’ve been giving (my listeners) truths about life and the world and things like that,” he noted. “But I never really get into my story so that the fan can relate to me.”
Jarry’s voice is that of a thug, but his music belongs to the Disneyland parade, making him the hottest fusion food in CHH right now. Jarry’s music is part of the new wave of CHH that has moved beyond sermonizing and theologizing into the real Christian experience of minorities in the hood.
His latest work exposes some painful biographical details, such as his divorce. “I’m dealing with it right now,” he said. “It’s tough. There’s a lot of stress.”
He’s tried to distance himself from the negative energy, however. “It does nothing good for your life,” he admitted.
He’s come a long ways since learning to rap on his dad’s computer while he babysat his siblings. Because he identifies with anime, he feels inspired by the cartoon characters who pull off heroics. (Read related: Is there Christian anime?)
“I don’t know how to say it without feeling arrogant or braggadocios, but sometimes I do feel super,” says the gifted rapper.
Read about other Christian hip hop artists by clicking: 1K Phew – Aaron Cole — Ada Betsabé – Andy Mineo – Benjamin Broadway — Bizzle – Canon – Cass – Datin – Flame – Gawvi – HeeSun Lee – Jackie Hill-Perry – JGivens – Joey Vantes — John Givez – KB – Lecrae – Lil T Tyler Brasel– MC Jin – NF – nobigdyl. – Propaganda – Ray Emmanuel – Ruslan – Sevin – S.O. — Social Club Misfits – Steven Malcolm – Tedashii – Tobe Nwigwe – Trip Lee – Wande Isola – WhatUpRG — YB
And secular rappers who have come to Christ (at least to some degree): Chance the Rapper — Kanye West – Kendrick Lamar – Snoop Dogg — No Malice
And an overview article about the state of affairs in CHH: Christian Hip Hop in Controversy.
Michael Ashcraft sells bamboo steamers to help pay for his true passion for Christian journalism.
Inspiring! 💖
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