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Created in an effort to celebrate Christian hip-hop ministry and bring light to gospel MCs, the Holy Hip Hop Awards is an offshoot of Holy Hip Hop Week, which has featured rap luminaries like Kurtis Blow, Grand Master Caz and Ma$e. Though largely unknown outside of Christian circles, this year's nominees include Mobsters of Light, Che Che Da Supastar, Chris Chicago, Mobigga, Mr. D-Note, Halo & Reign and many more.
Play, born Christopher Martin (not that Chris Martin... or that one either) will be sharing his duties with radio personality Minister eDDIe Velez aka Da Prechin Puerto Rican, with music provided by DJ Dex, DJ Radikal and Higher Ground Record Pool. The Holy Hip Hop Awards take place on April 17 at the North Event Venue and Lounge in downtown Atlanta, Ga.
Martin currently teaches a bi-weekly class called Hip-Hop Seminar at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Fla. He has been serving as professional-in-residence with the school's newly minted Institute for Hip Hop and Music Industry Studies since January.
"In addition to the rich heritage of the music [hip hop], I want students to gain the knowledge and appreciate the stories behind the music," said Martin in a statement. "People like the song 'Through the Wire' by Kanye West, which is a sample of Chaka Khan's single 'Through the Fire,' said Martin. "What some people do not realize is that Kanye almost lost his life in a car accident."
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