Pastor, rapper, and record label owner Dav1d, talks about KCHH (Korean Christian Hip Hop), his journey in music, and his upcoming U.S. collab.
What made you start doing music?
I have loved music since I was young. I became immersed in hip-hop culture while watching the movie “8 Mile” by Eminem during high school. As a pastor’s kid, Eminem’s incredibly candid lyrics were shocking to me. So, I wrote rap lyrics alone to express the things I couldn’t say to anyone.
Then, I created my signature song “Nevertheless” and won various CCM competitions with this song. It was my most honest story and a confession of faith. Through rap music, I have been spreading the message of Jesus both inside and outside the church, and that’s how I have been active as a rapper until now.
What is your goal in doing music?
The goal of music is firstly to glorify God, secondly to communicate and spread God’s love to the world through good music, and thirdly to have a good influence as an artist in the world. To achieve this, I believe the most important thing is to strive to love and know Jesus more today.
I read the comments in Korean on your latest video, are you a pastor also?
Yes, I am a rapper and a pastor. I was officially ordained as a pastor last year in March 2023. When asked how I balance being a rapper and a pastor, I respond like this: “Both rappers and pastors use microphones. As a rapper, I primarily share Jesus with the world through my stories and music. As a pastor, I primarily share God’s word with the church. I don’t see them as fundamentally different and that’s my calling.
Can you tell Rapzilla about the Christian Hip Hop in Korea? Is it getting more popular?
In Korea, there is a Korean Christian hip-hop community called ‘4Christ’. K-Christian hip-hop has been present in Korea since the early 2000s when Korean hip-hop was underground. Since then, rappers who are Christian like YDG, BewhY, and others have become widely known in the world. As a result, rapping in churches has gradually become more accepted. The situation in the Korean hip-hop scene itself has become challenging. However, Christian artists who aim to spread the gospel or confess their faith through rap continue to walk their own path.
What is the impact of Christian Hip Hop in Korea? Is the music inspiring the younger generation?
Recently, the perception that Christian rappers lack skill and aren’t good has been changing a lot. Regardless of whether it’s Christian music or not, we’re in an era where whether the music is good or not is more important.
In my case, after performing, even people who didn’t know me expressed support and encouragement, regardless of whether I was Christian or not, as long as they enjoyed the performance. And I hope that through good Christian artists, good influence will be exerted on the next generation.
Do you have any recommendations in Christian Rap for us to put on our Spotify playlist?
In the realm of Christian rap music, I’m part of a team called NMN. Additionally, I recommend Anandelight, BewhY, and my man, Fidel.
How did you connect with Bryson Gray to collaborate on a song?
Bryson Gray followed and DM’d me on Instagram. Honestly, I didn’t know who he was. However, after checking his followers and posts, I understood that he’s a Christian rapper. He said, “Yo, I’m making a song called ‘Jesus Going Global’ and I would love to have you on the song to represent Korean culture.” So, I shared my new song ‘DAV1D’ with him in advance and was curious about his reaction. He said he liked it. That’s how I ended up featuring on his project.
