HM | The Hard Music Magazine

West Coast rapper Benjiman will appear tonight on JCTV’s “1 Music Village” at 11 p.m. ET. Benjiman is this week’s featured artist on the show and will perform songs from S.K.R.I.P.T. (Spreading Kingdom Realities In Perilous Times), his latest CD on Save the City Records.

Benjiman grew up in the Pacific Northwest and began his career rapping for Kutless. As he followed the call of Christ on his life to reach people through music, his earliest inspirations were Christian rock pioneers Petra and dcTalk.

In an interesting twist, Benjiman’s “1 Music Village” taping was scheduled at TBN’s Nashville area studios on the same day that legendary recording artist John Schlitt, solo artist and lead singer for Grammy Award-winning band Petra, was taping his own episode of the show.

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard that John Schlitt was taping on the same day as I was!” says Benjiman. “The day after I saw him perform with Petra for the first time in 1989, I went out and bought a jeans jacket and cut the sleeves off!” remembers the rapper. “It was cool to spend time with him; he is so high-energy, and yet incredibly humble at the same time.”

Produced by Brandon Bee (Amber Pacific, Jaime Jamgochian, Stacie Orrico), Benjiman’s S.K.R.I.P.T. features collaborations with Sparrow Records recording artist Shawn McDonald and indie artist Paul Wright (formerly of Gotee Records). Although there’s no denying that Benjiman easily falls into the rap category, elements of his music take it beyond that simple classification.

Benjiman’s unique brand of rap/rock/funk, combined with his down-home lyrics, appeals to kids of all races and economic backgrounds. At festivals, concert halls, churches and prisons—wherever he goes, he finds himself ministering to them.”My ministry is to reach kids who no one else will talk to,” says Benjiman. “After my live appearances, I often end up talking to kids with troubled pasts—they gravitate toward me. Rap is a universal language that opens doors to many audiences.”

Benjiman has been burning up the highways in support of S.K.R.I.P.T., which has been well-received by fans, ministries and media outlets including TBN and Campus Crusade for Christ, among others. “Benjiman is putting out music that can compete with the best, and it’s great to have him back,” says Christian music website JesusFreakHideout.com.

Benjiman’s S.K.R.I.P.T. is available on Save the City Records, a division of Rain On Me Productions, LLC, and distributed through Bema Direct Distribution. For more information on Benjiman and S.K.R.I.P.T., visit savethecityrecords.com or myspace.com/benjimanactivate.

JCTV, a Christian youth network designed for the 13-30 age group, is part of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). ”1 Music Village,” a JCTV exclusive weekly show, highlights the best in contemporary Christian music. Each week’s program is a mini-concert, featuring a band or artist who hosts the program and showcases a handful of tunes from their latest project. To watch a live stream, go to jctv.org or tune into your local television station (jctv.org/updates).

John Schlitt’s episode of “1 Music Village,” which showcases his latest release, The Grafting, aired in January. For more information on John Schlitt and The Grafting, visit johnwschlitt.com.