Lumination’s 2013 Dove Awards preview: Rap/Hip-Hop nominations

I like to call Christian rap “lyrical theology.” So much music in today’s world rely on catchy hooks and a beat you can bounce to, but they lack sustenance or meaning. For many years, Christian rap was the total opposite. Artists’ produced songs with meaningful messages, but the production and quality failed to reach the ears of the hip-hop nation. This year’s crop of Christian hip-hop and rap artists have finally put it all together. Here are the nominees for this year’s Dove Awards for Rap/Hip-Hop album and song of the year: Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year Manafest – Fighter Fighter is the Canadian rapper’s sixth full-length album. If you like rap or hard rock, you will enjoy Fighter. I wasn’t really impressed with this album, but it is very encouraging and loud album for when you need a “wake me up.” The album is more rock then rap, laced with screaming, guitar and electronic sounds. Rap rock isn’t represented well in Christian music, so mad props to Manafest on this album. KJ-52 – Dangerous KJ-52 has been in the game for a long time and is arguably the most polarizing figure in Christian rap. Dangerous is a mixture of different styles and techniques from rock-rap to electro-pop and traditional hip-hop sounds. KJ-52 uses his quirky and self-deprecating sense of humor, combining his personality with his particular style of evangelism in Dangerous, which is sure to please hip-hop fans alike. Andy Mineo – Heroes For Sale This is one of my favorite album titles, and the album goes along with it. Mineo is a rapper who embraces many genres without...

Another group of performers join Dove lineup

Just when the preforming lineup couldn’t get any bigger for this year’s Dove Awards, it has. Needtobreathe was added to the mix for the awards set for Oct. 15 in Allen Arena.  The South Carolina-based band joins Big Daddy Weave, Kristian Stanfill, Michael W. Smith, TobyMac and other big-name Christian artists as performers in the 44th annual Dove Awards. Needtobreathe is a multiple-Dove Award winner, including a 2012 “Group of the Year” award and won two other awards last year for their song “Slumber” and for their album The Reckoning. Among the added artists, Andy Mineo, Dailey & Vincent, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, The Isaacs, Karen Peck, KB and Trip Lee are scheduled to preform as well. Bone Hampton was also announced as a presenter. He joins Joyce Meyer, Lecrae, Mandisa, Pastor Rick Warren and others previously announced. The pre-show takes place 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and can be streamed, along with the Dove Cares Red Carpet, at www.hearitfirst.com/live. The awards show will be televised on the UP network on Monday, Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the show are available at the Allen Arena box...

Amy Grant and Kirk Franklin set to co-host 2013 Dove Awards

Amy Grant and Kirk Franklin will co-host this year’s Dove Awards, set to be held at Lipscomb’s Allen Arena next month. Grant, a multiple Dove Award-winning artist, is no stranger to campus. She joins the Lipscomb community every holiday season for the annual Lighting of the Green concert. Grant released her seventeenth album, How Mercy Looks from Here, in May. Franklin is a renowned gospel artist and multiple Dove winner. He won the Grammy for Best Gospel Album in 2012 for Hello Fear, his eleventh album. Franklin also currently hosts the reality singing competition show Sunday’s Best. “There are not too many names more synonymous with Christian and Gospel music than our hosts Amy and Kirk,” GMA Executive Director Jackie Patillo said in a press release. “We are so grateful for their contributions to the Dove Awards throughout the years and we’re excited to have them as the co-pilots of what is turning out to be one of the most compelling nights of music ever on the Dove stage.” The first wave of presenters and performers were also announced. TobyMac, Tamela Mann, Michael W. Smith and Gaither Vocal Band will all be taking the stage to perform. Lecrae, Pastor Rick Warren, Jaci Velasquez, Dr. Bobby Jones and Isaac Carree are set to present awards. More talent will be announced soon. The awards will be handed out on Tuesday, Oct. 15, starting at 7:30 p.m. The show will air on the UP network on Monday, Oct. 21, at 8...

Students share excitement for Dove nominations

Lipscomb students and gospel music fans alike were tuned in during the first week of classes when the nominations for the Dove Awards were announced in the Hall of Fame room at Allen Arena.  Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman led the way in nominations with eight each. Tomlin will be going up against Francesca Battistelli, Lecrae, Tamela Mann and TobyMac for Artist of the Year. The nominations came as no surprise to Kelsey Turner, a junior business major from Smyrna. “When I looked at the nominations online, I wasn’t surprised with one nominee because I thought they all fit perfectly,” Turner said. Lumination Co-Managing Editor Brianne Welch personally knows Dove nominee Cliff Duren. “He was the assistant music director at my home church in Georgia and moved to Nashville to further his music career,” Welch said. Duren received a Choral Collection of the Year nod for Carry Your Name. “I am really happy for him.” Welch said. “I feel like I know somebody famous.” Some students were excited to see the nominees because they set the stage for the actual awards show, which is set to take place on Oct. 15 in Allen Arena. “I really like the lineup and am excited to see what each artist brings to the stage,” said Emily Townsend, a junior children’s ministry major from Chattanooga. “After the nominations, I realized that there is so much talent within the Christian genre,” Townsend said. “It’s a growing industry.” A couple of classes in the Communication department got the chance to cover the press conference for the nominations. The Practicum in Public Relations was one of those classes....

The Dove Awards make Lipscomb their home for 2013 show

One of the biggest weeks in Contemporary Christian and Gospel music will be coming back home to Music City. After spending the last two years in Atlanta, the 44th annual Dove Awards will be back in Nashville, Tennessee on Oct. 15. The taping of the awards will be on the grounds of Lipscomb University in Allen Arena. The news regarding return of the Dove Awards broke March 19 on the Gospel Music Association website. Along with the move back to Nashville, the taping has been moved into the month of October where sales in Christian music are on the rise. The event has previously been held in the month of April. With moving back to Music City, GMA also announced that they have added a film category to the list of categories this year. This primarily comes from the rise in Christian filming production companies and quality films that have been released over the past few years. Last year, Jason Crabb, Laura Story, Lecrae, NEEDTOBREATHE, Switchfoot and Chris Tomlin were among the winners. The hosts, performers and nominees will be announced on Aug. 22, 2013. To be apart of the voting process, become a member and apply on the GMA website by March 30. For more information on the Dove Awards and other GMA Events, go to...