::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

Philadelphia-based rapper Christawn is in a life and death battle to survive. His health is fine but his pulsating radio single, “Save Me,” is dying at gospel radio. On the autobiographical track, he freestyles about the day police apprehended him on suspicion of selling crack. While sitting in the back of the squad card, he prayed for God to save him.  He escaped arrest and seven years later, he says he is “saved” and uses rap to draw youth to church but so far the church community hasn’t shown interest in helping his cause. “That’s the toughest thing about being a Christian rapper,” Christawn says of his current plight to get his music heard. “The people you would think would help support the holy hip hop movement are the ones who are condemning it. Most of the black gospel radio stations won't even play hip hop for the most part. Rappers like Lecrae have to make their music appeal to the contemporary Christian market for that reason. Another thing I'm seeing is that a lo...

Urban Rock Song Details Rapper’s Transformation From Drug Dealer to Bible Belter Christawn is a THUG on a mission. A THUG. for him, is The Higher Understanding of God. This Hip Hopper has real talk street cred. In his past life, he ran the streets, sold crack, packed pistols and chased skirts. He’s rapping about all of it on his forthcoming debut CD Life Story (Abundant Harvest Entertainment/Universal Music Christian Group) that hits stores everywhere on May 18, 2010. Christawn’s first radio single “Save Me” (featuring firey tenor Micah Stampley on the hook) is heating up around the country. The in-your-face rock guitars set the stage for Christawn to rap about the day he cried out for God to save him in 2003. “I had a bundle of crack I had stashed in this brick wall,” he recalls. He and a buddy were leaving the area when the cops caught them. “They threw us up against the car, took our money and put us in the back of the squad car and I’m thinking this is it,” he says. One of the ...