Pastor Mike McClure Jr., who goes by Pastor Mike Jr., isn’t feeling the Donda spirit. He has spoken out following Kanye West’s recent success as a now gospel artist. Ye has reached added to his already lengthy musical catalog but now, in a totally new lane. Billboard crowned Kanye “Top Gospel Artist of 2021” and “Top Christian Artist.”
Pastor Mike Jr. has reservations about Donda
Pastor Mike Jr. has reached top musical success in the gospel category. He has blazed his own trail with his unique ability to be cross-generational & cross-cultural. With the intent to reach all ages and ethnicities, His mission to make the church the driving force in the community. Correspondingly, he has been nominated for seven awards at The Stellar Awards. He won in the 2021 Artist of the Year category as well as one in the Urban/Inspirational Single or Performance of the Year for his hit song I Got It and one for Rap/Hip-Hop Gospel Album of the Year for Big: Freedom Sessions.
Pastor Mike Jr. stepped into TheShadeRoomChurchh on Instagram to comment on their post congratulating Ye’s latest success.
“Kanye West is not a gospel artist. He’s a rapper who did a gospel album. Ye is an inspiration musically PERIOD. So many people are afraid to speak truth for fear of being cancelled! Something about this doesn’t feel right, and I believe we have to speak up. As cool as the Donda listening part was it felt so demonic, so NAH.”
Pastor Mike Jr. Rebukes Kanye West’s Ranking As Billboard’s Top Gospel Artist of 2021 https://t.co/5CnkfDrnbL
— Black Enterprise (@blackenterprise) December 6, 2021
Kanye’s venture into Gospel
In like manner, Ye is venturing the same trail. His start to the industry is known to be on a “secular” level. However, His 2004 album The College Dropout, produced “Jesus Walks.” Kanye West knew the challenges of getting “Jesus” on secular radio. Jesus is a word that would quickly have you banished from musical streams in the hip hop category. With lyrics,
“So here go my single dawg radio needs this, They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus. That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes, but if I talk about God my record won’t get played, Huh?”
His challenge to the possible pushback seemingly worked. West earned his first career Grammy for Best Rap Album (The College Dropout), Best Rap Song (“Jesus Walks”) and Best R&B Song (“You Don’t Know My Name”). He also made his Grammy stage debut at the 47th Grammy’s, performing “Jesus Walks.”
With his Sunday Service debuting in 2019, The rapper told David Letterman: “It’s just an idea we had to open up our hearts to make music that we felt was as pure and as positive as possible and just do it for an hour every Sunday, and have something where people can just come together and feel good with their families.”
https://youtu.be/SSv7YBYyaQU?t=58
Is this judgment or facts?
West’s Donda album pushed all types of boundaries and pressed further into unchartered territories.
Billboard’s credits Kanye West’s Donda album as faith-based
Whether Pastor Mike’s comment is fact or opinion, Billboard credits Mr. West’s success to the strength of his second faith-based album, Donda, which is the Top Gospel Albums No. 1 LP for 2021. Both men are artists breaking barriers on their prospective sides of music. It just so happens that Kanye has a wider reach for his music, therefore opening his range on awards and achievements.
Would you expect Pastor Mike to win Best Rap Song as a gospel artist that raps? Much like Ye winning top gospel artist for a faith-based rap song. Possibly the pushback comes from some others who are featured on the album. Marilyn Manson is less than favored for some accusations made against him. Also, DaBaby may be a factor. Hip Hop DX dove into the semantics of these artists’ introduction Donda listening party.
While it is easy to ridicule, Donda has put up numbers that smash boundaries and statistics of music. Take a listen and see if you agree with Pastor Mike’s opinion of the album.
Read more on Kanye West’s Donda album and its successes here.
Written by Antoinette Ford
