Alexis: When did you first decide Christian rap was what you wanted to do and how long have you been pursuing it?

Decatur Dictator: I’ve been doing Christian rap now for three years, it’s something I’ve played around with for about 6 or 7. I’ve gone to church all my life, but I first really got exposed to Christian rap I guess back in ‘96, ‘97. And um… just to be honest, it was corny, a lot of what I heard was extremely corny.  Since I’m born and raised in Decatur Georgia, a lot of it had a northern vibe and a lot of it was really behind the times. Especially down south. I’m going to tell my age now, but back when I was in high school it was about Cee-lo, and 8 Ball and MJG, Master P type thing.  And while the Christian rap I heard definitely had positive lyrics, the sound just was not what I was used to.  So um, it started off with me just writing raps for my youth group at church. I started off doing that and then after it continued to grow and people continued to enjoy it more, and soon I began to really start to pursue and to put it out there so that a wider audience could hear it.

Alexis: Before I keep going what do you like to call the type of music you make?

DD: The type of music I make is, I like to call it “Christian conscious crunk,” if you will.

Alexis: What’s your main goal for your career, and even life?

DD: My main goal is to just let younger people know that you can be a Christian, and not be lame. Because I think a lot of times, like I said being raised in church all my life, I had just gotten used to the fact that Christian was synonymous with lame. You know, that was what people thought of us. Actually, looking back, that’s what I thought I’d seen too.  But you know, you can wear the trendy clothes, have the trendy style of music, and you can still do it for Christ. You know the bible says make a joyful noise, he didn’t say make a joyful noise and have organs, or make a joyful noise with an old lady, he said make a joyful noise. And then whether you want to believe it or not, … like, how old are you?

Alexis: I’m 15

DD: Ok, you’re going to hear a rap song a lot quicker than you’re going to hear Mahalia Jackson or James Cleveland. That is not where your head is.  I’m 26 and my head is barely there. People, especially in our age bracket, who don’t have the attention span to sit in church and listen to a sermon and while older people will give y’all a hard time ‘cause y’all can listen to all this music, and how do they say, you can memorize all this music but you can’t memorize your schoolwork. I’ll actually say in your defense you have to listen to 6 hour lectures everyday.  Monday through Friday you know you have to sit there and listen to somebody talking down your throat. But so you need that something that makes it a little more appealing but still gets that message.  So like I said yeah that’s just pretty much my goals to let young people know, you can be Christian, you can live right, you can follow trends without necessarily having to follow lifestyles. You know you can have on your air force ones and your sideways hats without having to go shoot somebody. You know women can wear nice clothes and attract a man without having to give it up to him, and without having to show all their body.  So that’s just pretty much what I would like to convey with my music. Have fun, get crunk, rock the party, but stay saved.

Alexis: Have you ever been put down for doing what you do, or has it pretty much been all love?

DD: Oooh Jesus, (laughs) Umm…I will definitely say I haven’t gotten as much hate as most people would think. But you know anytime you’re doing something, especially for God, anytime you’re doing something that you love, you’re definitely going to face some controversy. I’ll never forget the very first radio interview I did, a man called and, I don’t know if you’ve heard my music yet, but my song  “Urban Alternative”, you know it has that little down south crunk beat that we listen to and everything, and this dude was just upset,  he was like that’s just not right. And he was like how can you take something that’s unholy, and try to make it holy? I said well sir, with all due respect, why don’t you ask Jesus. I said because that’s the basis of salvation. He told us that we were unholy and made us holy. So I like to look at my life as a remix if you will. But yeah it hasn’t been too bad, naturally you know a lot of the older crowds will get upset. That’s why I definitely, even with sounding crunk, and trying to have that southern sound, I try to make sure that you can understand every word I’m saying. Because some of these same older people who look at me when I first get on stage with the Dickies and they are looking at me like oh lord -- one of them. After the song is over they’re like, wow, I’m impressed. For one that I can actually understand what you’re saying, and then two they’re impressed with what I’m saying and that you can trace my songs back to scripture. And things of that nature, but yeah I have had a few fights, definitely had a few fights.

Alexis: What’s your main motivation that keeps you going?

DD: You. Yeah it is you, people like you, um you know, young people who are striving to be Christ-like. I’m assuming you’re a Christian?