Deputies Pick Up Rap Beat
Stafford deputies spread the Gospel with microphones and a hip-hop beat
Date published: 8/14/2010
BY JONAS BEALS
By day, Angel Irizarry and Johnny Kyle are Stafford County Sheriff's deputies, working as school resource officers in middle schools. Behind microphones, they become Angel I. & Johnny K., and they want to be the next big thing in Christian hip-hop.
"Our whole concept is to change people's lives," Irizarry said. "Our vision is to take Stafford by storm, to take Fredericksburg by storm to take the world by storm.
"It's a message ordained by God," he added. "It can't be stopped."
Mixing the crass braggadocio of popular hip-hop music with Christianity might not sound like a match made in heaven, but gospel rap has been around almost as long as rap itself.
From Michael Peace to DC Talk to Group 1 Crew, there is plenty of proof that the word of God lends itself to a poetic flow. Even superstars MC Hammer, 2Pac and Kanye West have worked Jesus into a popular hip-hop context.
But Irizarry and Kyle want to do more than shout-out to the Lord--they want to spread the Gospel, live the word and convert their listeners.
"We see a lot going on with the youth," Kyle said. "We want to get out there and really change some things; reach some people."
They hope a recent record deal with Tate Music Group will spread their rhymes to a wider audience. Their latest album, "I See You," is scheduled for a Nov. 2 release, and will be available on iTunes.
The opening track is "Foolish Man," a cut that features what Irizarry calls a SWAT intro. It sounds like heavily armed officers are about to break into a gangster's hideout. At face value, it's difficult to differentiate it from the sort of violent skits rappers like Ice Cube and Onyx used to litter albums with.
But the lack of bad language is a giveaway. Despite the gun references, these officers want to slay evil with morals.
"We act as people with authority--people who are bold," Irizarry said. "We're armed with the word of God."
Kyle said that their music is a reflection of their professional lives, and vice versa. He and Irizarry fully embrace their charge to "protect and serve." Both men spoke of using their profession to offer salvation to kids and adults who chose the wrong path and wound up in the back of a squad car.
"No matter where you've been, no matter what you've done, you're somebody," Irizarry said. "That's how we treat everybody. It's empathy."
The two deputies were working security at the Virginia Gold Cup Races in Fauquier County when they discovered a mutual interest in music.
Kyle perked up when Irizarry mentioned his "demo." Kyle had been playing guitar since he was a kid in Northern Virginia. He had his own home music studio in Stafford. When he finally listened to Irizarry's rhymes, he heard potential.
But Kyle, 34, wasn't exactly a hip-hop expert. He grew up with rock 'n' roll, playing in a number of rock bands in and out of church. His heroes were Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix.
"I had to learn a lot about hip-hop," Kyle said. "I think God just entered into it for me. I started picking up on things and was able to create rap beats. It was awesome."
Irizarry, on the other hand, was well-versed in hip-hop. The 32-year-old grew up in York, Pa. He said that as long as he can remember, "he always wanted to be an entertainer." He was drawn to popular hip-hop like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and the Wu-Tang Clan. He performed in a group called the Young Godfathers.
"I was into everything, but I loved hip-hop," Irizarry said, "I couldn't just make a rhyme, I could make people's heads bob."
After a stint in the Marines, he decided to stay in Stafford. He was saved in 1999, and got married in 2001. His musical life changed when his pastor suggested he use his talents to write a song for Jesus.
So now Irizarry does the writing and the rapping, Kyle makes the beats and produces the songs.
"We've got something," Irizarry said. "Everyone can jam to it."
Part of the music's appeal is that it relies on the familiar tones and aggressive posturing of popular rap. In some cases, the spiritual message almost becomes subliminal, available only to those listeners paying close attention. But Kyle and Irizarry have a decidedly different attitude than their sound implies.
"So much of gangster rap is negative," Kyle said. "I think, with us being police officers, it's so awesome to bring it to a positive. Being on patrol and being on the streets, we've seen a lot of things. We're here to bring a positive message and reach the youth."
