I am a hymn fanatic, perhaps because they were the songs sung into my ears in the dead of night that brought peace to my frantic soul.  I also really enjoy a great beat.  I am kind of like a well mixed smoothie when it comes to music, I like just about any good tune.   I am so excited to have discovered a new artist and his music that is rocking my world, so much so that I just have to share!

It was four years ago I sat in a house with some friends of mine trying to wrap our heads around a concept that was really never done before. Rapping and worship is considered taboo in most corners of the American church. Destiny Church of St. Louis allowed me to communicate the heart of the Almighty God in a way that is shunned and deemed "worldly" from the circles I experienced growing up. It really bothered me that rap couldn't be a tool in the hand of Jesus to heal the broken-hearted, and I wanted to do something about it. I've always had a love for the song, "I exalt Thee" because it places a direct emphasis on God and takes away the unnecessary attention we are tempted to place on ourselves in song.

One day a thought came to me about this song and the Holy Spirit said to me, "Why am I exalted?".  I really began to digest that question with reverence, awe, and the fear of the Lord. I realized during meditation that I have to do one thing first: I have to answer this question on what He's been to me and most importantly, what the Bible says about Him. As we sat in this home dreaming up the union of rap/hip hop meeting worship, I raised the possibility of turning "I exalt Thee" into a rap song. I told my friends that day, "We need to tell people why God is to be exalted, what He means to us and it doesn't have to be the typical 16 bar rap, but something that people could easily grasp and be a part of."

My friends loved the idea or at the very least seemed intrigued by it, and that made me happy. We were overjoyed at the powerful reaction of this song if we did it right and didn't mess it up! I was wavering about throwing in the chorus until my good friend said, "Yea but there gonna be itching for it." So we decided we would build the song dynamically and end the song with a bang, the chorus! Looking back I really didn't enjoy the thought of repeating 8 bars over and over again until God enlightened that the book of Psalms does the same thing!

We gave the song a shot on a weekend service and the feeling I got from the congregation wasn't what we dreamed up, but it was a new approach so we stuck with it. The team decided to sing it again at our "One Voice" service and the reaction we received was overwhelming! I marveled at how God had a predominantly white audience, elderly white ladies, and multiple ethnicities rapping...in church!! In my heart I have always believed that when we focus on the Lordship of Jesus, bless Him, honor Him, exalt His name we would experience the power that only He can give.

Now four years later, I don't have enough time to inform you of how many people have come to me telling me how much of a blessing this song has been to them. I've heard and felt the power of God released in this song in a way I never did prior. I don't believe it is because of my rapping abilities for there are far more talented ones, I believe it's because I took the question Jesus asked me seriously. I meditated on it, I prayed about it, and I wanted to express His presence in my life and what's He's meant to me in the highest way possible.

I hope you enjoy what many of us have thus far, the exaltation of the Worthy One in music!

Would you take a moment on "Worship Wednesday", to maybe try out a new kind of worship and help me spread the news about this incredible artist and his new release!  I love that He can be exalted in all of us, through all of us, for HIS glory!

I believe with all my heart as we partner with men and women like himself we will be able to reach countless people who would have otherwise turned a deaf ear to the praise of our Savior! You can purchase his release by clicking either of the pics below.

You can also find Dre Will on Facebook , and over at his website.