KJ-52
Encyclopedia
KJ-52
is a Christian
rapper from Tampa, Florida
. The "KJ" part of his name refers to his old rap alias, "King J. Mac," a name which he later described in one of his podcasts as "horribly cheesy." "52", which is pronounced "five two", not "fifty-two", is a reference to the Biblical
story of Jesus
feeding the multitude
with five loaves and two fish, which is also sung about in his song "Push Up" from The Yearbook and in the "KJ Five Two" on It's Pronounced 'Five Two. He was awarded the Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year for "Never Look Away" and Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards of 2007. On July 28, 2009, KJ-52 released "End of My Rope", which is the first single for his album Five-Two Television. His song "Dear Slim" is based on Eminem
's song "Stan
" and is a sort of personal message from KJ-52 to Eminem.
. The album's title referred to the numerous contributions made to the album by guest artists, including Ill Harmonics, Pillar
, John Reuben
, Kajanan also known as MC Flurry, Predator Kid 26 and Thousand Foot Krutch
. Collaborations
also represented his first nomination for a Dove Award, for "Rap/Hip Hop/Dance Album of the Year" in 2003.
KJ-52 has won four Dove Awards, three in the "Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year" category. He took the 2004 award for It’s Pronounced Five Two, the 2006 award for Behind the Musik (A Boy Named Jonah)
, and the 2007 award for Remixed. He received an additional honor in 2007, for "Never Look Away" from Behind the Musik, in the "Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song" category. KJ never tried out for American Idol
, but suggested such in his song "Fivetweezy".
On October 2008, he released his album, The Yearbook: The Missing Pages, a re-release of his album, The Yearbook. It comes with the original record with a slip over cover that has a code to download the 13 songs.
2009 Dove Awards
Another productive year for KJ-52 as he was awarded with "Rap/Hip Hop Song of the Year" for “Do Yo Thang”; The Yearbook; KJ-52; Jonah Sorrentino; BEC Recordings/Uprok
In 2009, he released "Five-Two Television", and album covering a variety of themes and rap styles. It is his first album in which autotune is used, a controversial step among his fans. The album brings us the (fictitious) story of Chris Carlino, a man who has ruined his life, through a series of interludes. As usual for KJ-52, the album includes both songs with a strong Christian message and songs that are meant only to entertain.
KJ-52's song "You're Gonna Make It" appeared at the end of Cold Case Season 5 Episode 8 "It Takes a village".
KJ-52 also rapped in the Newsboys
version of "Jesus Freak".
KJ-52 also rapped in the tobyMac remix of the song "One World" on the album "Hip-Hope" which also includes the KJ-52 remixed song "What You Want"
KJ-52 is currently in the early stages of developing a new record that is slated to be released in the Fall of 2011. In October 2011 he stated, via podcast, that he is working on a new album that will be released in March 2012.
scene was to KJ-52 and his single "Dear Slim", which was written to Eminem
in an attempt reach him with the message of Christianity, though Eminem claims to be a Christian. The song became famous and controversial among Eminem fans when it was featured on the hit show Total Request Live
. KJ-52 began to receive hate mail
(including death threats) from Eminem's fans, though KJ-52 claimed that the song was not a "diss". This also led to the single being disparaged by VH1
as No. 26 on their "Top 40 Worst Moments in Hip Hop", an issue the artist addressed in a follow-up song titled "Dear Slim Pt. 2".
is a Christian
Christian hip hop
Christian hip hop is hip hop music characterized by a Christian worldview, with the general purposes of evangelization , edifying members of the church and/or simply entertaining.-History:Since hip-hop started in the 1970s, various hip-hop artists have...
rapper from Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. The "KJ" part of his name refers to his old rap alias, "King J. Mac," a name which he later described in one of his podcasts as "horribly cheesy." "52", which is pronounced "five two", not "fifty-two", is a reference to the Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
story of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
feeding the multitude
Feeding the multitude
Feeding the multitude is the combined term used to refer to two separate miracles of Jesus in the Gospels.The First Miracle, "The Feeding of the 5,000" is the only miracle which is present in all four canonical Gospels...
with five loaves and two fish, which is also sung about in his song "Push Up" from The Yearbook and in the "KJ Five Two" on It's Pronounced 'Five Two. He was awarded the Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year for "Never Look Away" and Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards of 2007. On July 28, 2009, KJ-52 released "End of My Rope", which is the first single for his album Five-Two Television. His song "Dear Slim" is based on Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's song "Stan
Stan (song)
"Stan" is the third single from The Marshall Mathers LP, by rapper Eminem featuring Dido. It peaked at number one in the United Kingdom and Australia. It is also included on Curtain Call: The Hits, performed with Eminem and Dido as well track 17 on Curtain Call: The Hits as a live Performance from...
" and is a sort of personal message from KJ-52 to Eminem.
Works during Life
In 2002, Sorrentino released his second album, CollaborationsCollaborations
Collaborations may refer to:*Collaborations , a 2002 album by KJ-52*Collaborations , a 2005 album by Sinéad O'Connor*Collaborations , a 2007 album by Jill Scott...
. The album's title referred to the numerous contributions made to the album by guest artists, including Ill Harmonics, Pillar
Pillar (band)
Pillar is a Christian rock band currently located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their sixth studio album, Confessions, was released in 2009.- Formation and independent albums :...
, John Reuben
John Reuben
John Reuben is an American hip hop artist signed to Gotee Records until late 2010. Reuben has sold over 200,000 copies of his first four albums. He released his sixth album, Sex, Drugs and Self-Control on December 22, 2009...
, Kajanan also known as MC Flurry, Predator Kid 26 and Thousand Foot Krutch
Thousand Foot Krutch
Thousand Foot Krutch is a Canadian Christian rock band formed in 1995. They have released five major studio albums: Set It Off , Phenomenon , The Art of Breaking , The Flame In All of Us , and Welcome to the Masquerade . They also have one live album, Live at the Masquerade...
. Collaborations
Collaborations
Collaborations may refer to:*Collaborations , a 2002 album by KJ-52*Collaborations , a 2005 album by Sinéad O'Connor*Collaborations , a 2007 album by Jill Scott...
also represented his first nomination for a Dove Award, for "Rap/Hip Hop/Dance Album of the Year" in 2003.
KJ-52 has won four Dove Awards, three in the "Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year" category. He took the 2004 award for It’s Pronounced Five Two, the 2006 award for Behind the Musik (A Boy Named Jonah)
Behind the Musik (A Boy Named Jonah)
Behind the Musik is the fourth studio album by rapper KJ-52. A deluxe edition was released, which included a bonus disk with more songs, music videos, and behind-the-scenes videos on the production of the record.-Track listing:...
, and the 2007 award for Remixed. He received an additional honor in 2007, for "Never Look Away" from Behind the Musik, in the "Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song" category. KJ never tried out for American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, but suggested such in his song "Fivetweezy".
On October 2008, he released his album, The Yearbook: The Missing Pages, a re-release of his album, The Yearbook. It comes with the original record with a slip over cover that has a code to download the 13 songs.
2009 Dove Awards
Another productive year for KJ-52 as he was awarded with "Rap/Hip Hop Song of the Year" for “Do Yo Thang”; The Yearbook; KJ-52; Jonah Sorrentino; BEC Recordings/Uprok
In 2009, he released "Five-Two Television", and album covering a variety of themes and rap styles. It is his first album in which autotune is used, a controversial step among his fans. The album brings us the (fictitious) story of Chris Carlino, a man who has ruined his life, through a series of interludes. As usual for KJ-52, the album includes both songs with a strong Christian message and songs that are meant only to entertain.
KJ-52's song "You're Gonna Make It" appeared at the end of Cold Case Season 5 Episode 8 "It Takes a village".
KJ-52 also rapped in the Newsboys
Newsboys
Newsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 15 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold...
version of "Jesus Freak".
KJ-52 also rapped in the tobyMac remix of the song "One World" on the album "Hip-Hope" which also includes the KJ-52 remixed song "What You Want"
KJ-52 is currently in the early stages of developing a new record that is slated to be released in the Fall of 2011. In October 2011 he stated, via podcast, that he is working on a new album that will be released in March 2012.
Eminem and "Dear Slim" controversy
KJ-52 was often compared to Eminem, as many called him a "Christian counterpart". One of the most notable mainstream reactions to the Christian hip hopChristian hip hop
Christian hip hop is hip hop music characterized by a Christian worldview, with the general purposes of evangelization , edifying members of the church and/or simply entertaining.-History:Since hip-hop started in the 1970s, various hip-hop artists have...
scene was to KJ-52 and his single "Dear Slim", which was written to Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
in an attempt reach him with the message of Christianity, though Eminem claims to be a Christian. The song became famous and controversial among Eminem fans when it was featured on the hit show Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. KJ-52 began to receive hate mail
Hate mail
Hate mail is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient...
(including death threats) from Eminem's fans, though KJ-52 claimed that the song was not a "diss". This also led to the single being disparaged by VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
as No. 26 on their "Top 40 Worst Moments in Hip Hop", an issue the artist addressed in a follow-up song titled "Dear Slim Pt. 2".
Discography
- Insightful Comprehentions (with Sons of IntellectSons of IntellectSons of Intellect was a short-lived alternative hip hop group composed of KJ-52 and Goldinchild. They released one album, Insightful Comprehensions, with the single "Worldwide". KJ-52's solo career may have been intended as a side project, as implied by It's the S.O.I...
) (1997, Omega) - 7th Avenue7th Avenue (album)7th Avenue is the first studio album by rapper KJ-52, and his only release before signing to BEC Recordings. The album notably contains little to no pop influence, instead favoring old school hip hop, and KJ-52 has a more conventional flow here than in his BEC Recordings work, in which it is very...
(2000, EssentialEssential Records (Christian)Essential Records is a Contemporary Christian record label based in Franklin, Tennessee. It is a division of a major label, Sony Music Entertainment.-History:...
) - CollaborationsCollaborations (KJ-52 album)Collaborations is rapper KJ-52's second studio album, and his first distributed by BEC Recordings. It features his most known song, "Dear Slim" which was shown on Total Request Live and described his aspirations such as "Rise Up" as well as "Revenge of the Nerds" .- Track listing :#...
(2002, UprokUprok RecordsUprok Records was a record label created in 1999 under the parent company Tooth & Nail Records, with a focus on distributing Christian hip-hop artists. The name Uprok Records refers to the breakdancing term . The first three artists on the label were Ill Harmonics, Sup the Chemist and MG! The...
) - It's Pronounced Five TwoIt's Pronounced Five Two- Track listing :# "Welcome to the Five Two's"# "KJ Five Two"# "Whoop Whoop"# "Dear Slim Pt. 2"# "So in Love With You"# "Cartoon Network"# "Rock On" # "Back in the Day"# "Can I Speak With a Manager? /Ya Bref Stank"...
(2003, Uprok) - Soul Purpose (with T.C. aka Todd Collins) (2004, BEC)
- Behind the Musik (A Boy Named Jonah)Behind the Musik (A Boy Named Jonah)Behind the Musik is the fourth studio album by rapper KJ-52. A deluxe edition was released, which included a bonus disk with more songs, music videos, and behind-the-scenes videos on the production of the record.-Track listing:...
(2005, BECBEC RecordingsBEC Recordings is a Christian rock record label that is a subsidiary of Tooth and Nail Records. The label was formed in 1997 in partnership with the EMI Christian Music Group....
) - The YearbookThe Yearbook-Awards:In 2008, the album was nominated for a Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year at the 39th GMA Dove Awards. The song "Wake Up" was also nominated for Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year....
(2007, BEC) - Five-Two TelevisionFive-Two Television-External links:*** KJ-52's Podcast site which includes the downloadable mixtapes...
(2009, BEC)
Side Projects/Other Releases
- Peace of MindPeace of Mind (band)Peace of Mind was a Christian rapcore/nu metal band composed of rapper KJ-52, rock artist Pete Stewart , keyboardist/producer Todd Collins, and drummer Rick May. Songs were written and performed in hip hop form by KJ-52 before being edited by Stewart...
(2003, BEC Recordings) - Soul Purpose (2004, BEC Recordings)
- KJ-52 RemixedKJ-52 RemixedRemixed is a remix album by KJ-52, featuring a reggaeton mix of Behind the Musiks "Jesus", "47 Emcees " which reimagines the originally beatbox-driven track with multiple layered beats, each corresponding to the verse's genre; East Coast, West Coast, old school, and Dirty South, and an...
(2006, BEC Recordings) - The Office Prequel Mixtape (2009)
- This is The Remix Mixtape (2009)
- Born AgainBorn Again (Newsboys album)Born Again is the fourteenth studio album by the Christian band Newsboys. It was released on July 13, 2010 and is the first full-length album with lead singer Michael Tait.-Commercial performance:...
guest rap on "Jesus Freak" (2010)
Charts
| Song | Album |
|---|---|
| Are You Real | Behind the Musik (A Boy Named Jonah) Behind the Musik (A Boy Named Jonah) Behind the Musik is the fourth studio album by rapper KJ-52. A deluxe edition was released, which included a bonus disk with more songs, music videos, and behind-the-scenes videos on the production of the record.-Track listing:... |
| Back in the Day | It's Pronounced Five Two It's Pronounced Five Two - Track listing :# "Welcome to the Five Two's"# "KJ Five Two"# "Whoop Whoop"# "Dear Slim Pt. 2"# "So in Love With You"# "Cartoon Network"# "Rock On" # "Back in the Day"# "Can I Speak With a Manager? /Ya Bref Stank"... |
| Dear Slim Pt. 2 | |
| Never Look Away (Featuring Brynn Sanchez) | Behind the Musik (A Boy Named Jonah) |
| Right Here |