Prolific composer, Gospel sensation and member of the new school – Deon Kipping – has unleashed a marvelous sophomore project entitled – Something To Talk About – which sums up the sentiment and theme of this terrific new album.
The 15-track collection of carefully crafted songs by the symphonic
maestro delivers a delightful sonic blow that’s noteworthy. With a
progressive project now on the marketplace that’s both fresh and
next-frontier, BlackGospel.com decided that both the artist and the album were definitely something to discuss for 5 good minutes.
Christopher Heron: Congratulations on the release of your
sophomore project. How satisfying is it to finally give birth and bless
others with your artistry?
Christopher Heron: I love the title, Something To Talk About. Why was this song the perfect billboard for your new album?
Deon Kipping: The title of the song comes from a story in
the Bible where Jesus heals a blind boy, but before He heals the boy the
disciples asked him, ‘’What did this boy do to be blind?’’ And He
responds by saying, ‘’This boy is blind so that I can be glorified.’’ I
know the disciples were talking about the boy because he was
healed…word travels fast.
Basically, people will talk about you when you do bad, when you do
good, the highs and lows. At the end of it, your life is something that
will give God glory, so that’s what this record is about, understanding
that everything you go through, people will talk, and it’s all to give
God glory.
Christopher Heron: What is your creative process for writing and producing songs?
Deon Kipping: Every song is different, every song comes from
a different place, but what inspires me is life. I’ve seen a lot of
things in my lifetime. I know people that have gone through things in
their lifetime that I’ve had the opportunity to see. I just look at
lives and start writing songs and jotting down ideas. There are songs
that I’ve sang into my phone that haven’t been heard yet. I get songs in
the shower, when I’m riding in the car, the creative process is
different for every song. I can’t really pinpoint it but at the end of
the day, I’m grateful to be able to write ‘hope music’ that’s changing
lives.
Christopher Heron: As a Gospel artist, what is your
spiritual exercise or diet, to match the kind of power and favor that
you want over this album?
At the end of the day, I try hard to understand why I do this, why I
believe in Jesus so much. I’m seeking, I’m learning, I’m growing. You
just can’t wake up in the morning and just do this. You have to put
effort into reading the Word. There’s so much that goes into my
spiritual diet. I stay hungry. I want to learn more, I want to grow
more.
Christopher Heron: Your music is very commercial, definitely
crossover. You describe it as ‘hope music’. Have you considered
producing music and songs that are for artists from other genres?
Deon Kipping: Definitely. I started out in this industry working with artists like Mary J Blige and Angie Stone and Mario.
I love music. My grandfather always told me that whatever genre of
music that I did, just always put God first and don’t write songs that
your grandparents would not be able to listen to. I do believe in
writing for all genres of music. If Celine Dion called me today to write a song, I would write for her and if Kirk Franklin
called me to write a song, I would definitely do so. I know God has
given me this gift to create music not to just make money but to change
people’s lives around the world, through any genre.
Christopher Heron: Well, you’re clearly a veteran in the music industry. What are three valuable lessons you’ve learned to be a successful artist?
Deon Kipping: First, I would say study. Study those artists and songwriters that came before you, study your craft. I listen to Marvin Winans and Andrae Crouch. I studied how they wrote their songs; how they approached the music.
Finally, I think that everyone needs mentorship. You need people
that have gone before you to help give you guidance. I have people I can
call like Kirk Franklin, people that have had success and some
disappointments. They can tell you stories of what they’ve gone through,
so that you can relate. There are a lot of people that want to do this
but they have no understanding how hard it gets. I attach myself to
people that have had hard times in this industry so that I can learn the
lessons that they learned. Those are my three lessons. Attach yourself
to great people, study, and know why you’re doing this.
Christopher Heron: When you create ‘hope music’ is it
intended for you to express an emotion or an experience to the listener
or is it about bringing the listener into the presence of God or is it a
little bit of both?
Deon Kipping: It’s definitely a little bit of both. I think
that at the end of the day, we are relational in the sense that there
are people that have gone through the same things that I’ve gone through
and we share that common ground, that kind of relationship. Telling you
what I’ve gone through, I relate it to God because the reason I’m
standing here and able to write songs is because of Him, which connects
these songs back to God. I just think that I’m pursuing God in my
writing and talking about my life. I’m also trying to lead people into
the presence of God. There’s no way possible that this could all be
about me. It has to be about Him.
For more information on the album, Something To Talk About, and to contact Deon Kipping, visit the official website at www.deonkipping.com.
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