Mahogany Jones pre-interview!
Mahogany Jones: the master lyricist… Let me preface this interview by saying that Mahogany Jones is a Christian Warrior! Her heart is truly toward Kingdom harvest, she is a co-laborer with Christ working to free souls to Truth & Light. I have evangelized with this young woman, & I have seen her spit rhymes on the street as she ministered the gospel of Christ to thirsty souls. She's BANANA'S! Her first mixtape project Obedient Dirt Mixtape Series Vol. I "The Gathering" drops on February 10, 2007. The CD features Mahogany Jones along with a host of other artists (Precise, Chris Clark, Levitical Priesthood, I-ron-ic-lee, just to name a few). Friendship was able to get an interview with Mahogany Jones the four times 106th & Park freestyle Friday winner, and let me tell you guys…
She spits fire 10 times hotter than secular chart toppers,
This show stopper will erupt her molten lava,
And plug the mouths of Sadducees and Pharisees
On the 10th day of February….
Sorry, for a minute I thought I was an MC, forgive me.
-Shereena Kelley
SK
Obedient Dirt Mixtape Series Vol. I "The Gathering", what's the story behind the title of the mixtape project?
MJ
Well," the gathering" came first and then the "obedient dirt" followed shortly after. The whole point was is that we I-ron-ic-lee (my producer) and I knew that my album would have very few features on it, but I really had acquired so many friends and people's who's work I admired and wanted the opportunity to work with. So with that- we decided that a mix tape would be the best route and since it was with friends, I originally wanted the mix tape to have the feel of a group of good friends kickin' it- just building about life. Henceforth "the gathering". But God had other plans and flipped the concept so that the gathering was more like a rally of activist prepared to use their voices and everything else to bring about change. So I guess that's where the "obedient dirt" comes in. I-ron-ic-lee came up with the term. Basically that we as humans are just that or at least we should strive to be "obedient dirt". So since I was the first of many mixtapes to come we have the- "Obedient Dirt Mixtape Series Vol.1"
SK
Let's dissect a few of your songs on the project. Sex featuring Shekinah (track #10) is as RAW as it gets! The lyrics of this song step to the real issues with no hesitation. In the song a dude is promiscuous, and has a bunch of baby mama's, in the verse you say to him,
"…you get them draws, you're like bubble gum, you make em use they jaws.."
Was there ever a time you felt hesitant as a female MC to spit such raw lyrics? What motivates you to write songs like Sex?
MJ
I was hesitant- but this is not a time to sugar coat the truth. The truth is sex is just as destructive and addictive than any other drug. And it is a tool that the enemy is using against those who don't know Christ and those who do. And we just have to stop walking around issues like they don't exist and address them head on! This is war fare. And I know that I am a female- but I am a person first- a spiritual being first- so I don't approach the pen and the pad like God is going to give me a word for the people that only pertains to woman. I hate the sexism that's in the world, in hip-hop, and in the church.
SK
What challenges if any, have you faced being a female MC in a male dominated Christian genre?
MJ
Man, I guess one of us is on target I keep addressing questions you ask before you can ask them. Lol. The challenge is that even though there are many qualified and skilled female ministers of holy-hip-hop it's rare that we are on the same bills, or asked to minister with the men of our genre. Often we are seen as anomalies if we are gifted, or off bat thrown in the box ' oh their females so they're wack". Another challenge that I pray not to have but I know some women do is that you can still be feminine and rock the mic. I take joy in how God made me and again my heart is not just for women, but it's for the people and so are the messages God gives me through music. So I don't want my gender or my self to be alienated or counted out because of our physiological make up.
SK
In the song Be Aggressive you say,
"…in America it's like we skippin the bill, is the church a movement or just a building to fill?"
This seems to be the central theme of the mixtape, while listening to it I could feel your desire to wake up and ignite the church to action. What do you feel we as individual Christians need to do in order for the church to function in the fullness of power as it should?
MJ
For one we need to begin to experience the fullness of God's love and begin to give it. Too often being a Christian is a membership card to say you're better than somebody. God wants people to experience His love- everything we do has to be driven by our love for God and as that happens He will change the desires of our hearts individually and collectively and we will begin to stop trying to be better than other people/other denominations and come together to work towards the common goal of getting people who are killing themselves spiritually, emotionally, physically to see all they need is God's love. That love will drive us to be more devoted to learning about the word, so we can be equipped to live it and to teach it.
Our main goals- 1) Love God with all of our heart mind and soul and to love our neighbor as ourselves
2) To be about the great commission- have compassion like Jesus did for a lost and dying world and to guide them back to a restored relationship with the Father.
SK
Track #13 No Sense is one of my favorite tracks. In it you state,
"They spendin' billions buildin' prison complexes, paintin' the walls with them dark complexions."
These lyrics speak a tragic truth. "At yearend 2005 there were 3,145 black male sentenced prison inmates per 100,000 black males in the United States, compared to 1,244 Hispanic male inmates per 100,000 Hispanic males and 471 white male inmates per 100,000 white males" (US department of justice statistics,
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/prisons.htm). It is more than apparent that something is wrong. Some argue it's the fault of a corrupt justice system, some say there are no fathers in the black community to guide young men, some blame secular hip-hop. What do you feel is the cause of these sobering statistics?
MJ
It is simple- when people are able to love God then they can know and love themselves- that love binds you to press beyond what feels good to your senses and do what pleases God. If we can't get that in place, the ploys of the enemy are going to continue to work. It's a saying that the family is the nucleus of society- single parenthood is now an epidemic that is plaguing society with an imbalance that is causing more negative effects than we could have imagined and the main one is an excess of African American's and minorities incarcerated. When people don't feel loved or wanted, their natural instinct of "survival" kicks in. I could go on and on but there is one scripture that sums it up-"the wages of sin is death"
SK
I have to ask you the staple question, how did you get started rapping?
MJ
Other than the fact that I truly believe that this is what God has called me to do. There are so many factors that play into how I got started. I spent most of my years running and being afraid that I wouldn't be good enough. I hated my voice- I was always out of the pocket and honestly was intimidated. But from being a middle school kid who memorized Mc Lyte lyrics and couldn't wait until my throat was sore so my tone was as raspy as hers to meeting so many em-cees and spoken word artist who's work I admired and music changed my life to hooking up with so many people (past and present) who were willing to see my potential and help me achieve what I was so hungry for- it feels like I am still on the journey and will be for a while. So as far as how I got started- I am not really sure I even know-lol.
SK
What are some immediate goals you are working toward? What's on the horizon for Mahogany Jones?
MJ
Honestly to be a full time minister of the gospel using the music God has given me. My producer and I ( I-ron-ic-lee) had plans on working on what I thought was going to be my debut release –The Charyse Bailey Project: Chronicles of a Humble Beginning. But so much has changed, God has taught us so much, and we have decided to work on a new concept for the full-length release titled "Morphed". Other than that, I want to help other artist in developing their craft as I grow and develop and really I just want to be "Obedient Dirt".
SK
I have had a chance to talk to you about the plans and concept for the mixtape release party. The concept is very creative, can you share a little about what the event will be like? Or will readers have to come out to find out?
MJ
Ummmm…. We are blending the artistic mediums of theater, graphic images, and of course music to create for those who attend an experience- that will hopefully spur people to 'Make Moves' in the right direction.
SK
Well Miss Jones, I am more than looking forward to "The Gathering" release party.
I am coming expecting great things, monumental things in the spirit.