Trent G Gutta Gospel Creator Changes Lives Through Music

Trent G: Gutta Gospel Creator Changes Lives Through Music

Interviewed and written by Aaron Robinson - Editor

 

Trent G, a.k.a. The Messenger continues to utilize the power from his gift of music to touch the youth and young adults around the word. Reaching the streets with his Gutta Gospel, a genre he created, his aggressive and serious message would have his fans and listeners have a very different outcome versus listening to typical hip hop music.

 

The road wasn’t a walk in the park for the once secular Trent G as he once lived the unfriendly street life of gang fighting, carrying weapons, attempting crimes, and witnessing the lives of his friends and individuals around him being taken. Going through hardship and hurt in his life, a transformation was eventually made. Trent G would be called upon by God to spread the Word of the gospel.

 

Trent Davis made his first national TV appearance on the Steve Harvey's Big Time TV Show winning $10,000 as the fastest rapper in the world. The Grammy nominated artist would later go on to appear on Good Morning America, Bobby Jones Presents, and the Life Showcase to showcase his talent, just to name a few. Not only is he talented as a rapper, but also an actor, where he appeared in the film What About the Children’ and casted on the National TV series Chicago P.D.

 

I had the opportunity to speak with Trent G. Here is what he had to share during a recent interview with Consciousness Magazine regarding his inspiration for touching people with his music, giving back to the community and making a difference in society.

 

Aaron Robinson: What do you believe separates you from hip hop artist?

Trent G: My delivery and aggression when I rap, I demand attention.  I demand to be listened to when words come out of my mouth.  A lot of rappers today, they don’t do that, it’s more like they’re talking. They don’t put any passion into what they are doing. My passion is very intense when I rap.

 

Aaron: You are the creator of Gutta Gospel. How did this style of music derive?

Trent G: With Gutta Gospel music, it’s not your average gospel music. I’m trying to reach people that other gospel artist and gospel singers are not reaching. I came up with the name from being in the secular environment and trying to reach a different audience. I use regular hip hop beats and some beats that you may hear Lil Wayne rapping, Young Jeezy rapping on or Drake. I use those beats and yet I put the Word of God over those beats. Gutter Gospel reaches the street, it reaches the hood, it reaches the urban community, and it reaches those drug dealers and gang bangers.  That’s who Gutta Gospel reaches and that’s who I’m aimed at. That’s why I created Gutta Gospel to let them know that this is a street Gospel, but yet better an acronym that stands for Getting Utterance Through The Anointing.

 

Aaron: Your artistry is rooted on the foundation of your belief in God. With that said, what do you believe is your ultimate goal or mission, not only as an artist but as an individual?

Trent G: My goal for the music is to reach people all over the world with the Word of God and to change peoples’ lives, because music can touch you in a way to make you change your life and make you want to have something better for yourself. Music is a very powerful tool to use. You have some things people can’t say, but they can say it within their music. When people hear my music I want them to be changed, I want them to be touched. I want them to say ‘hey, I want to come out of this negative lifestyle I’m living.’

 

My goal as an individual is to pretty much let my light shine amongst others and let them see that here’s a guy who is being himself, he’s not being a follower; he’s not compromising. He’s letting his light shine to other people who may be in a situation attempting them to compromise their faith and their belief. The goal as an individual is just to reach people on an individual basis and just get them to understand that being their self is better than being somebody else and being somebody you’re not…just to be who you are and what God has called them to be.

 

Aaron: There are many Christian hip hop artists who have a challenge being accepted in the music gospel arena by traditional pastors and traditional church goers or believers. What are your thoughts on this?

Trent G: You said the keyword, tradition. They are afraid to come out of the box. They are afraid to rock the boat a little bit. People like that, they have to understand that this is a new generation. We’re coming up in a new generation where traditional gospel is not reaching the urban community. I think t’s people like that who give gospel hip hop artist a hard time, they do not see and they don’t understand the change. You can’t say that God can’t use Christian rap to reach these people. God is a traveling God; He’s all over. You can’t put your little limits on God. So when pastors and stuff like that give Christian rap a hard time, they don’t see, they don’t understand the cause of Christian rap and they don’t understand the meaning behind Christian rap. Traditional gospel is not reaching the Chef Keef’s, it’s not reaching the Young Jeezy lovers. It’s not reaching them. What we as Christian rappers do is put the Word of God over these hard beats, over these dope beats that youth and young adults listen to and that’s what will get there attention. Traditional gospel is not reaching rap heads.

 

Aaron: Working in a music business that can be cruel and unfriendly, how do you stay humble?

Trent G: I stay humble from just staying in my Word, staying close to God and staying prayed up. I always remember ‘he who exults himself shall be humble and he who is humble himself shall be exalted’…the scripture tells us. I never want to get to the point where I feel big-headed or I feel that this is all me, because I know whatever blessing is given to me comes  from God  and as surely as it’s given it can be taken away. I remain humble and I remember any good thing comes from God...any money, any opportunity, any tools and things that will make you think that you are in the lime light comes from God. It’s not by my might, not by my strength and not by my power but only because I have God on my side. So God keeps me humble.

 

Aaron: When it comes to the community or giving back, what are some of the efforts or community initiatives that you partake in or are involved with?

Trent G: We have a food pantry in Englewood, Chicago. We give to the homeless. We go to schools within the city of Chicago and we put on concerts for the students. We saw students just fall on the ground crying out for God and just crying out that God would change their lives. These are students and kids…16, 17 and 18 year old gangbangers who are really crying out for God. We engage in the street ministry. We go out and talk to the teens and talk to the youth on the street. We pray for them. And I do individual things myself. I give to the homeless; I pray for people with need. I do what I can until God blessed me with more to bless them more. But as of right now I just do what I can. Even when I can’t give, I still try to be a blessing for them in another way or I give out of what I do have.

 

Aaron: You are from the Southside of Chicago where many youth’s lives have been taken away from them. What do you believe are some of the solutions to counteract violence in this city?

Trent G: I believe that we are the solution. And when I say we, I mean the people that are from that community…people that use to live that lifestyle as far as the drugs and the gangs and things like that. Another solution is the church. People within the church, we have to come out more. It’s amazing what a word can do for somebody’s life. I seen words just transform people’s whole frame of thinking. What I learned is that these kids on the Southside of Chicago, a lot of them have broken hearts. They’re broken-hearted because their parents are divorced or they’re living in lack or a relative died… lack of finances. There can be many solutions. I’m just talking about what I believe in celebrities can come back to these streets within Chicago and talk to the kids and give back and show that they care. We have to put on different programs that they can go to and try to create jobs for the youth. All the former gangbangers in Chicago, they can step out there and come talk to these kids. I believe the people are the solutions to a lot of the problems that are going on. If you would just open your mouth and say something to these kids, words can change their life.

 

Aaron: Do you have any new projects that you are working on or expected to release?

Trent G: Right now, I’m working on two singles that were released through Universal Music Group that are titled “Christ Can Change the Game” and another called “Convicted Felon.” I’ve been promoting those singles. Right now I’m in the studio just making music. There will be more singles and EP’s released. It’s a lot coming from me.

 

Aaron: Would you like to add anything in closing?

Trent G: Basically, I would just like to say to the streets out there, to the young guys, to the young women out there who may come across this interview, who may be reading it - be yourself, be yourself! Don’t follow after the status Quo. Don’t follow after the negative lifestyle. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now, where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Where do you want to be? Go to school, get an education. Try to keep your records clean. Don’t get caught up in the system of being in jail, having felonies on your record. Stay away from that lifestyle as much as possible because it’s nothing but the devil and is set up to destroy you. Be your own man, be your own woman and try to live life as righteous as possible because righteousness pays off in long run. Being evil and doing dirt… it doesn’t last.

For latest music, videos, and interviews, please visit Trent G at http://www.youtube.com/user/treal21/videos