Description
Gospel Rap is a six-track mini-album by the American (pseudo) hip-hop project The Rap’Sures, released on StarSong Records in 1985, distributed by Word. The EP was written, produced, and arranged by Tyrone, Darrell & J.J. Washington (a.k.a. two members of Daniel Amos – Terry Scott Taylor and Rob Watson – as well as producer/engineer Doug Doyle) for Incog-‘NEATO’ Productions.
Star Song’s release of ‘Gospel Rap’ by the Rap Sures hid the identity of Daniel Amos members Terry S. Taylor and Rob Watson who with producer Doug Doyle, posed as Tyrone, Darrell and J. J. Washington. Considering its jokey origins ‘Gospel Rap’ and its successor ‘O.T. Rap’ were surprisingly funky and successful pastiches of streetwise rap. The project was originally meant for children.
THE RAP’SURES – Gospel Rap – PRODUCERS: Tyrone, Darrell and J.J. Washington – Star Song SPGN 7-102-062869
Rest assured that gospel will let no bandwagon go unboarded. The popularity of rap music has led to this release of “righteous rap.” It’s interesting and surely timely, but it doesn’t have the grit of the street that makes the real thing so appealing. [Billboard Magazine, January 11, 1986, Volume 98, No. 2 (Reviews/Gospel Recommended)]
HRS: It’s kind of strange, the guy behind the founding father of Christian bands, becomes the first Christian rap artist to make a nationally distributed record.
Taylor: Well, there wasn’t any on the Christian labels. We do a kids thing, we see it as appealing to 7 and 9 year olds. No one was doing it. We just brainstormed a little bit, Rob (Watson) and Doug (Doyle) and I, we were just looking for something to do, something to work on, we did it and then didn’t think that much about it, and it was successful. Don’t ask me why.
HRS: Were you at all familiar with rap?
Taylor: No. We thought, no one will take this seriously, we’re just doing it for kids, a little Bible story kind of thing. Megamouth was kind of the same thing. We looked at it that way.
[Excerpt from an interview with Terry Scott Taylor, hosted by Brian Quincy Newcomb of Harvest Rock Syndicate magazine (The HRS Interview Part III, Harvest Rock Syndicate, 1991)]
EP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “The Rap-Sures Theme” – 4:20
A2. “You Must Be Born Again” – 8:20
A3. “Jonah And The Whale” – 3:40
Side Two
B1. “Break Out For Jesus” – 4:50
B2. “In Everything Giving Thanks”/”Rejoicing Always” – 6:20
B3. “Two Commandments” – 4:45
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl EP by StarSong Records.
CREDITS. Produced and arranged by Doug Doyle, Terry Scott Taylor, and Rob Watson. Songs written by Doyle, Taylor, and Watson.
Musicians: Doug Doyle (Keyboards, Synthesizers, Vocals), Terry Scott Taylor (Guitars, Vocals), Rob Watson (Drum Programming, Vocals).
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