Posted on Sunday, April 2, 2023

Kim Burrell Reveals on ‘We Sound Crazy!’ Podcast that Beyoncé Listened to Her Music for 11 Hours Straight Due to Jay-Z Marriage Issues…

Hello World,

I’m going to be honest. I cannot name not one Kim Burrell song, but nevertheless she is a very popular gospel singer. And yet, despite singing the gospel she only seems to have negative press. And this latest story is no different…unfortunately…Most recently, it’s being being reported that she revealed a private conversation she had with Jay-Z aka Beyoncé’s husband which led to the creation of his song 4:44 on the We Sound Crazy! Podcast. Below is what she said…

“He called me and said, ‘Hey, when my wife is going through it, I always know because I hear you playing in the background.’ He’s says, ‘My wife locked up one day for 11 hours and I heard nothing but Kim Burrell for 11 hours. Here’s why I’m calling you. When she came out, she was better. She was so much better. He says, I’m calling you because I need to have a meeting with the person that made my wife better.'”

See the full interview below. The Jay-Z portion of the interview starts at about 33 minutes…

Now, some are bashing her because she revealed some of the personal life of the Carters, who seem to be as private about their personal lives as they can be given their celebrity status. Initially, I was thinking that way too but as I type this, I’m not sure if I feel it’s negative or not. Now, if someone shared information with you in confidence and you, in turn, shared the information with others, that is most certainly a negative as it’s a violation of trust. However, that conversation led to the creation of Jay-Z’s song “4:44” in which he apologizes to his wife for various infractions including infidelity…Since he put his business out there, I’m not sure that the conversation that led to him putting his business out there via his song, which features the vocals of Kim Burrell, by the way is wrong. At the very least, her revealing this conversation does make me think that maybe Jay-Z did cheat on Beyoncé. Because after reading her biography “Becoming Beyoncé: The Untold Story,” written by J. Randy Taraborrelli, I share his opinion about the matter…

“Now, I’m not a psychic, I’m a biographer, and I can’t say that Jay Z didn’t have a one-night stand in a tour bus a week ago, but I do know from my studying of Beyoncé [that] her personality is such that if in fact she was actually having marital problems, she would not be sitting down writing songs about it for the nation to dissect and interpret. That’s not who she is. She’s too private a person to handle her marital dysfunction for the world to see and examine. More likely what she’s doing is she’s possibly writing about her mother’s marriage and what she witnessed there. That sounds like Beyoncé.” Read the rest of this story on yahoo.com.

Given that this podcast episode was released in October 2022, I’m not sure why this excerpt recently surfaced, but that’s the power of these Internet streets. Something can be dug up from a decade ago and be poppin’ again…Be careful out here…Anywho…

What do you think about Kim Burrell and this latest headlining story?

Any thoughts?

Posted on Sunday, July 16, 2017

Gospel Artist Marvin Sapp Reveals Why He Almost Quit Singing On Next Episode of TV One’s UNSUNG Airing TONIGHT!

Hello World,

I was first introduced to Gospel artist Marvin Sapp about 20 years ago by a dear friend who has since sadly passed away from leukemia. I figured if my friend thought he was an awesome artist, I needed to check him out…

But it would be years from then when I became a true fan of Sapp’s music for myself. When “Never Would Have Made It” came out in 2007, I couldn’t go anywhere without hearing that song and I understood why. I think we can all testify that there is nothing we could have achieved without God or the help of someone else. I believe that Sapp was testifying about God, but the lyrics can be applied to anyone who has been a significant support in our lives…Check out some of the lyrics below….

I never, never would have made it
No, I never, never could have made it without you
I would have lost my mind a long time ago
If it had not been for you…

I remember on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008 when I was in the sanctuary of Ebenezer Baptist Church, along with the whole and packed church, waiting for the results of that historical election. I heard “Never Would Have Made It” at least three times during the night at the church. Me and the hilarious man sitting next to me didn’t care if we heard that song again for at least a few days. But when it was announced that Barack Obama was elected president, that song fit perfectly. President Obama would have never been elected president of these United States without God! That’s for sure.

All of that to say TV One’s longest-running and award-winning series Unsung, now in its 11th season, will air its latest episode featuring Marvin Sapp TONIGHT at 10 p.m. ET! Check out the promo below!

With one of the most unique voices in gospel music, Marvin Sapp has been spreading the Gospel through song for over three decades. His powerful mix of old-school sensibilities and new school swagger led him to dominate the gospel charts in the 2000s with seven Top 10 hits including the #1 songs, “Never Would’ve Made It,” “The Best in Me” and “My Testimony.” The Midwestern pastor’s music resonated beyond the pulpit, often being played on mainstream radio and even landing on the Billboard R&B and Hot 100 charts.

But Sapp’s faith would be tested on several occasions – from illness, to personal attacks, to the tragic death of his wife, MaLinda, to colon cancer.

And he almost stopped singing….Check out a clip below about why he almost gospel music behind….

Sapp recently created headlines when he compared the popularity of Jay-Z’s latest album 4:44, in which the rapper reveals his infidelities in marriage, with how the public receives the music of gospel artists…Check out his commentary, which he posted on his Facebook page below…

Do you agree or disagree? Should we look past the imperfect lives of gospel artists and support their music? I think we should in general because not one of us is without sin. But on the other hand, there should be a demonstrable difference between the lives of those of us who have surrendered our lives to God and those of us who haven’t.

Speaking of other gospel artists, also on the Unsung episode, insights from family and friends are provided by Kirk Franklin, Byron Cage, Donald Lawrence, Dorinda Clark Cole, Myron Butler, Aundrae Russell, Marvin Winans Sr., Tyrone DuBose, Karl Reid, and Fred Hammond.

I’ll be watching Unsung with Marvin Sapp tonight! What about you?

Any thoughts?

Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2015

Should Beyoncé and Jay Z Have Bought a Converted Church Mansion?

Hello World,

Word on the street is that BeyonZ other known as The Carters allegedly bought “La Casa de Castille, a hulking, 13,292-plus-square-foot Spanish Baroque-style converted church mansion in the heart of New Orleans’ Garden District,” for approximately $2. 6 million according to Variety magazine. The building was once known as Westminster Presbyterian Church and was constructed in the 1920s. “The altar is now the dining room, and the master suite, replete with sitting area, two-room bath and a dressing area, is located on the third level in what was once the choir loft.”

Am I the only one that sees this purchase as sacrilege?

I remember when I first heard that Third Baptist Church in Atlanta would become the House of Blues for the 1996 Summer Olympics held in the A, I was aghast that what was once a house of prayer would now become a venue for the blues…Even James Brown had a problem with performing there according to this article on augustachronicle.com. In fact, a tent had to be erected in the venue’s parking lot in order for him to perform…”I’m having a little problem with the church,” Mr. Brown said Wednesday in an interview from his office in Augusta. “We’re going to play in the yard. I’m going to do my singing and dancing in a tent.”

Following the games, the House of Blues was renamed The Tabernacle although it continues to operate as a venue for a variety of musical acts. I remember discussing my feelings about this issue with a musical artist. I was also sharing about my faith with this artist and declared that I would never cross the threshold the Tabernacle because the house of God had been converted into a secular music showcase. (And to be clear, I do listen to more than Christian and or gospel music, but I don’t think every venue is for every artist.)

Well chile, I made a hypocrite of myself when a Christian friend offered me a free ticket to see Jill Scott at the Tabernacle. I’ve been a fan of Jilly from Philly since her first album and someone gave the opportunity to see her free too? I told my Christian friend about my apprehension, but she assured me that it would be alright with God although my spirit didn’t exactly agree…When I walked into the mammoth former church house, which used to have a membership of over 3,000, I could see how it used to be a church. The pews had been removed and the stage replaced the altar area, but other than that, the construction looked similar to what it must have been when it was a church. And wouldn’t you know it that as I was getting my groove on, I saw that very same musical artist that I had told that I would never go into the Tabernacle much less party up in there…It was a ministry failure…And that wasn’t the last time either, I went there for two more concerts: one for Erykah Badu and one for Lauryn Hill. I figured that since I had already been there once, what did it matter if I went there again and again? (By the way, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill are pretty much at the top of my list for my favorite artists of all time…)

So fast forward to 2012 as I was preparing for the launch party of my book “After the Altar Call: The Sisters’ Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God.” I tried to have my party at the Museum Bar, another converted church building here in Atlanta, because I thought it would be cool to use the venue for its original purpose: to uplift God. But the venue wasn’t available which in hindsight was probably for the best since I don’t think I agree with church houses being converted to secular structures…