A member of the Christian Examiner newspaper group

Vol. 33, No. 4

April 2011

www.mcchronicle.com

Im tired, and I want to be a brand new man

Christian rap artist uses life experiences to write music
By Scott Noble TWIN CITIES Growing up in St. Louis wasnt easy for Dwayne Culpepper. He is the oldest of ve children, and his momas a single parentwas on welfare. Seeing my mom raise ve kids as a single parent, seeing her go through abusive men, seeing drugs and stuff like that in my family, seeing all my brothers going in and out of jail was tough, he said. In spite of the drugs and jail and temptations he experienced, Culpepper said he never felt drawn to that lifestyle. Ive never been the type of man that gravitates toward that side of life, he said. It was just something about that side of life that didnt intrigue me. He had a general idea about God growing up, but he didnt know Him personally or completely believe in Him. I didnt know about Christ at that time, he said. My mom had said a few things; we heard a few things growing up, but I didnt know about Jesus. I knew of a guy. I would lie in my bed at night and look out the window and talk to God, not knowing that He was really real. The role of music Being the oldest of his siblings and having to be the man of the house at an early age, Culpepper found music to be an outlet a voicefor him. He began to write music when he was six years old. When I started writing music at age six, we would perform for my mom, he recounted. We had no television in the house; we would all pick things we wanted to do. My mom would sit right there in the living room. She would watch us; we would entertain her. Music stayed with him during the difcult times growing up including a time after his family moved to the Twin Cities and had to sleep in their car during the winter because they did not have a place to stay. When he got older, he eventually became a secular rap artist and recorded CDs and traveled a lot; he also participated in talent shows and demos. Beginnings of faith When Culpepper was 25 years old, he met a woman and the two began to date. Shortly thereafter, on Christmas Eve, his girlfriends mother asked him, Do you know Jesus? Do you want to get to know Him? Are you willing to submit and admit that you are a sinner? He prayed the sinners prayer with her, and his life got more interesting. Christ was beginning a process within Culpepper aimed at surrender and helping him place everything before Christ. However, things got tougher before they got better. At one time, Culpepper was at a low point. He knew he needed something more, so he drove up to a church and met a pastor who seemingly knew what he needed. They talked in the church parking lot on a summer day, and Culpepper realized he needed to resubmit himself to Christ. A few days after their talk, the pastor called Culpepper and asked him

The Storm Is Over is Dwayne Culpeppers new CD.

if he had been baptized. Culpepper told him that he had not. The pastor told Culpepper, The old man in you needs to die, and the new man needs to rise. The two of them scheduled Culpepper for the baptism service the next Sunday. My testimony at the baptism was I got tired of being robbed by Satan, Culpepper said. Taken money from me, tried to take my life, he had taken people from me, he destroyed my childhood. Im tired, and I want to be a brand new man. Music for Christ Culpeppers new beginning also resulted in a new commitment to music, something that had always been an integral part of who he is. What really led me back to

music was I wanted to do something for the Lord, he said. In 2010, Culpepper recorded the Christian rap CD The Storm Is Over. He says the CD isnt about himself but about other people. He wants it to tell a story: that Jesus still loves us no matter what. Culpepper also hopes he can use his experiences growing up to teach other men about Christ and following Him. Now, being a brand new man in Christ is a lot less tiresome than being the man he was before He met Christ and was baptized.

For more information about Dwayne Culpepper and his new CD The Storm Is Over, visit www. daywalkazentertainment.com.

2011 Minnesota Christian Chronicle and Selah Media Group. Reproduced with permission.