The Interview with the Red Baron
DJ Worship More: Red Baron first of all I would like to say thank you and thank you again for the privilege to air your music on our station. Red you are an artist of many accomplishments in the industry and you are NOT a stranger by any means to rap and Hip Hop scene.
Tonight we will be discussing your new single Have Plenty feat. Tomeka Carroll from new your sophomore album Shades of Grace.
Before we discuss your new album, many of our readers/listeners would like to know about the stage name Red Baron.
(Question #1) DJ Worship More: Red please inform us, why did you decide to give yourself the title of the Red Baron.
(Answer #1) Red Baron: In all honesty, I didn’t first choose my name considering all of symbolism of the title—I simply liked how it sounded. After the passing of my grandfather, whom I closely resemble, people began calling me “Red” to emphasize how much we looked alike (he was called “Carpenter Red”). Meanwhile, some of my friends began calling me “Red “because of my complexion. Shortly after I began rapping, I chose Red Baron because the moniker “Red” had already stuck, and I also thought “Red Baron” sounded cooler and more distinctive than “Red.”
Now the moniker “Red Baron” means” the baron painted red with the blood of Christ.” In John 12:32 Jesus says, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” During British nobility, a baron’s job was to add to his king’s kingdom (e.g. annex new land and/or obtain other forms of wealth for the kingdom). Rather than extending the boundaries of a given territory as barons of old, I desire, to exalt Jesus with my music and with the life I live. In so doing, I add to my king’s kingdom.
DJ Worship More: Red you are the [Session 1 Grand Prize Winner in the Hip-Hop Category of the John Lennon Songwriting Competition]. That is an awesome accomplishment by a Christian rapper; to me it’s no surprise after hearing your music and ability to flip a metaphor.
(Question #2) Question DJ Worship More: Were you surprised to taken this honor as the 2010 winner in this category and as a Christian rapper do you think that this is new door the God has opened for you and other Christian rappers to present music that is accepted by the secular world with a power spiritual message?
(Answer #2) Red Baron: First, I appreciate your kind words on Have Plenty. To answer your question, winning the John Lennon Songwriting Competition was humbling. The selection committee is an assemblage of some the more notable names within the music industry, and to have them think so highly of the record is an honor.
You’re also correct about God using this opportunity to open new doors. One of the more formidable obstacles for “Christian Music” reaching nonbelievers is Christian music incorporating contemporary genres (e.g. rock, rap, R&B) has traditionally paled in comparison to its secular counterparts. On an episode of King of the Hill, the show’s main character, Hank, stumbled across a lackluster Christian rock band. He approached them and simply said, "you're not making Christianity better, you're making rock and roll worse." I believe people would be more willing to hear what we have to say if we presented it in a more compelling fashion. For Christians who make music, that starts by allowing God to use them to make great music.
With every song I write, I strive to make timeless music that conveys God’s eternal truth. As a believer in the living God, I should strive for nothing less, and rely on Him to guide the process. Winning this competition is yet another medium God has used to offer legitimacy to what I do with my music, and prayerfully for those who come after me.
DJ Worship More: I would like to take a quote from you when you wrote that, “Music you hear is the organized noise that clutters your ears, and is soon forgotten. Music that you listen to captures your attention, resonates within your spirit, touching your soul in ways that you often lack the ability to describe. In hearing the
Red Baron, you are compelled to listen to him; and if you’ll just listen, you'll know all you need to...”
That quote is exactly how I felt when I first heard you new release Have Plenty and to use a quote of my own the message is in the music!
Red Baron: Praise the Lord. That is a high compliment.
(Question #3) DJ Worship More: Love the single Have Plenty, please tell me about Shades of Grace what is the meaning behind the title?
(Answer #3) Red Baron: Thank you. In one of my songs I say, “A friend says, ‘God is a painter and the sky is His canvas’/I say, ‘Man is painted in the hue of His grandness/And it’s enchanting, how God stands and/Colors our struggles with the beauty of His planning‘. . . ” Basically, we see the shades of God’s grace with the passing of everyday. At times believers obsess over the black and white letters of the law and fail to see the blood of Christ within the shades of grey.
Conceptually this album grew out of a desire to navigate the intersection of faith and everyday living. How does my faith mollify our society’s urges to quench belief? How do I reconcile my faith with my racial identity? How does my faith drive my intellectual pursuits, or steer my quest to find a fulfilling vocation? How does it absolve the lingering doubts of my non-believing friends? How does it guide my search for companionship? These are the types of questions we all wrestle with once we leave our houses of worship. This project seeks to illustrate the subtleties of God’s grace working through our lives as we grapple with these issues.
(Question #4) DJ Worship More: What inspired you to write the song Have Plenty?
(Answer #4) ) Red Baron: The concept came to me as I sat in my old apartment in Philadelphia and noticed how sparsely furnished it was. I had begun imagining where I could soon place new furniture and artwork when I remembered how a short while before I simply prayed to find a place to sleep, any place other than my car. I had moved to Philadelphia several months prior, trekking nearly eight hundred miles from the place I called home, to begin my pursuit of a juris doctorate. At the time that I moved, I did not have a place to say. I merely held onto my belief that God was calling me to attend law school. As the mention of sleeping on the floor would suggest, there were struggles along the way, but God provided. During that time, I came to understand “how to be abased, and I know how to abound.” Regardless of the state, I know that when I have the Father, I have everything that I need. As I sat in my seat, I reminded myself to be content with what I had before I began bemoaning what I “lacked.”
(Question# 5) DJ Worship More: Do you feel that even in today’s economy that the “Jones” are still looking for more and not settling for less yet not looking for more in the spiritual?
(Answer# 5) Red Baron: Our society is inherently materialistic, so I do not believe challenging economic times will squelch our desire, as a society, for more . If anything, this economy has caused less pretending amongst everyday people, but a cursory glance at the entertainment industry will show that the “haves” are still looking to have more.
(Question #6) DJ Worship More: Red, where can we purchase your CD?
(Answer #6) Red Baron: Shades of Grace is slated for release Tuesday January 18, 2011. It will be available virtually any where you may purchase music online (e.g. iTunes, Zune, Amazon, Myspace Music, Wal-Mart Music Downloads, et cetera) and also available in stores initially within the tri-state area, and then in stores nationally. Have Plenty is currently available at iTunes, Zune, Amazon, Mysapce Music and other online stores. My debut album Paint the Town Red is also available online in the same locations.
(Question #7) DJ Worship More: What websites can we read more about you and how can fan’s follow up on your latest achievements?
(Answer #7) Red Baron: Anyone interested in learning more about my music may do so by visiting my website: www.paintedred.net, or by visiting my electronic press kit at www.sonicbids.com/redbaron. You may also read my thoughts on some of the compelling issues of our day at my blog, Kind of Red, by visiting: www.thepaintedone.wordpress.com. I am also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/The.Red.Baron1) and Myspace (www.myspace.com/thetrueredbaron). Lastly, I regularly send out an electronic newsletter with updates about my music. All those interested in receiving it should send an e-mail to contact@paintedred.net, and I will have them added to the e-mail list.
DJ Worship More:
Red Baron I would like to thank you personally for taking this time to interview with us and share your message and music. Please don’t let up and keep looking up.
Thank you and God Bless
Red Baron: Thank you, I appreciate the opportunity; it’s been a pleasure.
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