It's been a busy 12 months for award-winning Christian hip-hop artist Aaron Cole. He signed with a new label, released a new album, and appeared on popular TV shows. morning shaking I attended the show and went on tour. But most importantly, he became a father. Cole's wife Erica gave birth to their first son, Omari Anthony Cole, on October 19th.
“It changed me a lot, just the way I think about life,” Cole told Crosswalk Headlines with a smile.
Cole, 25, has grown up in front of the public, signing with TobyMac's Gotee Records as a teenager and winning the GMA Dove Newcomer Award at age 20.
It was fitting, he said, to release a three-song project inspired by his newborn son. it is called Omari Available on all major platforms. One of the singles is a collaboration with Tauren Wells.
“This past year has been amazing,” he said.
Cole's music has been a mainstay for Christian hip-hop fans since his 2017 single. on time and One More Day And continuing from 2018 starts with me. His voice will also be featured on Toren Wells' 2022 single fake it.
He signed with Sony last year and released his latest album in April. Sorry, I've changed.
Music is a part of who he is, he said.
“I'm a Christian and I'm blessed enough to make music in a way that allows me to be true to my music,” Cole told Crosswalk Headlines. “I get to share my struggles. I feel like I'm sharing what I'm going through and still engaging with people who aren't even Christians. But still making music that pleases God.” I feel like that's my calling because that's what pleases God.''In my daily life, I actually talk about my life and share experiences that help others. I'm very blessed. ”
Cole realizes the impact his music has on his fans while touring.
“When I get to play shows like this, go on tour, and see how much my music is helping other people, there’s nothing more inspiring. I feel like I’m going to be just like Toby. . I'll be around 50 years old. I'm 60 years old, but of course I'm still playing music,” he added with a laugh.
Cole's God-honoring approach to hip-hop stands in stark contrast to the rough-and-tumble themes often found in mainstream hip-hop. Many such artists, he says, feel pressured by their labels to create “harmful” content.
“I’ve met a lot of mainstream artists, from singers to rappers,” he says. Mainstream labels “expect that toxicity in their music.”
“A lot of these artists think, 'I don't have any other choice. If I want to take care of my family, I have to talk about harmful things in my music,' and that's sad. …and if they don't do that, the label will fire them.”
Cole hopes his music inspires not only fans but also mainstream artists.
“I want to keep doing what I'm doing and get to the level that I want to get to, because it's going to inspire other people to say, 'Maybe we could do it differently. Talk about toxic things. Because it shows that there's no need.” [stuff in my] music. '”
Meanwhile, Cole said he understands why mainstream hip-hop artists often collaborate with Christian singers.
“That's why we're seeing a lot of different collaborations today, like mainstream artists wanting to work with Christian artists,” he said.
Although Cole didn't mention names, one of the most controversial collaborations of the year involved Maverick City Music and rapper Glorilla.
“People are like, 'Hey, why is this person working with this person? All their other music is terrible and toxic.'” Cole sometimes says, “When we meet these artists and connect with these artists, we give these artists hope.”
Photo provided by: ©Facebook/aaron cole
michael faust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His articles have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star, and Knoxville News Sentinel.
