Dear Christian Rapper,
Show me who you roll with and I will show you who you are. This is a very popular saying that I am sure you have heard way too often. I will advise that you do not take that saying for granted. There was a study that showed that a person is the average of the 5 people he or she rolls with.
So, who do you roll with? Who do you call friend? Who is in your inner circle? Whose advice do you listen to every time? These are people that impacts how far you will go in life. Your hunger for your craft, how you intend to go about it and the kind of opportunities that will come your way are dependent on those around you.
Do the guys you roll with care about you or your craft? The fact that you hang out together does not mean they care about you. They may have the best intentions but their actions may betray their intentions. Are the people you roll with instrumental to the growth of your person and your craft? If your answer is no on both occasions, my dear brother, flee.
If you take your craft seriously, you will care about the people you hang out with. They may not necessarily have a hand in the growth of your career directly, but if they feed your person with healthy advice and insights, keep them. You should roll with people who are purpose-driven. People who to some certain extent are going in the same direction as you.
All these I am saying, assuming you actually take your craft seriously. If you do not maybe you should stop reading this letter. This letter is for those who really care about their craft and want to use it as a means for changing the world for God.
I want you to observe great hip hop artistes and the people they consider to be part of their inner circle. Study the greats like Tupac Shakur, Kendrick Lamar, Lecrae and so on. They did not get to the level they got to by pure luck or chance. The people around them had a very significant role to play in the direction their careers took. So, I want you to look inwards and evaluate your ‘team’. Are they rooting for you? Do you have guys that will always alert you when an opportunity pops up? Do they constantly ask you what’s next for you? Do they care about your walk with Jesus? Can you have a heart to heart discussion with them, knowing they will give you the best of advice? All these things are very important in considering those you should roll with or consider part of your inner circle. The people who should be in your inner circle are people who have similar vision as you. To a certain extent your visions must intersect.
As you read this letter, seriously consider this. It is very essential to the longevity of your career as a creative.
I wish you all the best.
