KJ-52 (Jonah Sorrentino) is a Christian rapper from Tampa, in Florida. He w… Read Full Bio ↴KJ-52 (Jonah Sorrentino) is a Christian rapper from Tampa, in Florida. He was born on June 26, 1975. He's known for two songs addressed to another rapper, Eminem. The name stems from "KJ," which was an abbreviation of his old rap name (King J. Mac) and according to KJ, also stands for "knowledge and justification. "52" (pronounced "five-two") represents the miracle of the five loaves and two fish as told in the Bible. KJ-52 feels he is spreading the word of the Lord in much the same way Jesus shared the food in the story.
He was awarded the Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year for "Never Look Away" and Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards of 2007. KJ-52 also has four Dove awards to add to his 'collection.'
KJ-52's song "You're Gonna Make it" was played at the end of Cold Case Season 5 Episode 8 "It Takes a village." He rapped in the Newsboys version of Jesus Freak alongside, and had a part in TobyMac's remix of One World.
He has been rapping since 1993 (age 18), and his current label is BEC.

Industry
KJ-52 Lyrics

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Do you remember the time, when the purpose and the rhyme, was to see the souls affected.
But now its to man, every purpose and every plan, to whom the praise is directed.
We live out dream, make the crowd scream, but turn to yell at the sound man,
Since where and when did we stop checking the word and begin to start checking the sound scan.
Remember when shows were for souls and rhymes were for flows.
Now we spend one minute to pray, if even that for each day, but spend 2 hours checkin our clothes.
what happened to the passion we was having that was sparked in the begining.
but we're quick to cry, point the speck in your eye, but even quicker to justify our sinning.

we're wuick to diss and raise the fist to justify the things that we do.
but for every finger we point at them, just remember freind there's 4 more pointin back at you.
how and when did it all begin as ministry turned to industry.
cause did jesus need a manager, record label, ditributor, or even a boooking agency.
when troubles came, did he call upon the name, or turn to a lawyer to handle it.
why do we ask God last, ignore the past, but be the first to ask our management.
cause next to him, our glory's dim and truely pales in comparison.
why does every move we choose seem to revolve around
we can get our groove on, but yet worry about comin on to strong.
yet we water it down so much there aint even nothing left to chew on.
souls become sales, and sales become a salary
give the crowd something to feel, whine about keepin it real,
but dont try to keep it to reality.

yet when its all over and the mic is hung and its all said and done.
it wont matter how many battles i

Overall Meaning

won, just how many souls i won.

The lyrics of KJ-52's song "Industry" critique the modern rap industry's focus on fame, money, and self-promotion rather than on making music that has a meaningful impact on listeners. In contrast to the original purpose of rap - to speak truth to power and inspire social change - KJ-52 argues that contemporary artists are more concerned with elevating themselves and accumulating wealth. This shift in priorities is reflected in the language and attitude of these artists towards their work, with a lack of focus on spirituality and a preoccupation with materialism.

The lyrics highlight the ways in which the rap industry has changed over time, as well as the negative consequences of that change. KJ-52 calls on artists to remember the original purpose of their craft, and to remain mindful of the impact they have on their listeners. The song is a reminder that music has the power to inspire, motivate, and change lives - but only if artists are willing to use it for those purposes, rather than solely for their own gain.

Line by Line Meaning

Do you remember the time, when the purpose and the rhyme, was to see the souls affected.
In the past, the goal was to use music to change and impact people's lives for the better.

But now its to man, every purpose and every plan, to whom the praise is directed.
Nowadays, the focus is on seeking human praise instead of spreading a positive message and changing people's lives.

We live out dream, make the crowd scream, but turn to yell at the sound man,
We chase our dreams and make the audience excited, but when something goes wrong, we blame those around us instead of taking responsibility.

Since where and when did we stop checking the word and begin to start checking the sound scan.
When did we stop focusing on the message and start prioritizing the metrics of success such as sales and views?

Remember when shows were for souls and rhymes were for flows.
In the past, live performances were about connecting with the audience on a deeper level and expressing creativity.

Now we spend one minute to pray, if even that for each day, but spend 2 hours checkin our clothes.
We prioritize our appearance and image over our faith and spirituality.

what happened to the passion we was having that was sparked in the begining.
We have lost the initial fire and drive that motivated us to pursue music and make a difference.

but we're quick to cry, point the speck in your eye, but even quicker to justify our sinning.
We are often critical of others while rationalizing our own mistakes and shortcomings.

we're wuick to diss and raise the fist to justify the things that we do.
We are quick to criticize and use violence to defend our choices and actions.

but for every finger we point at them, just remember freind there's 4 more pointin back at you.
We should be mindful of our own faults before judging others, as we have our own flaws and mistakes to consider.

how and when did it all begin as ministry turned to industry.
When did music, which used to be about spreading a spiritual message, become just another business and industry?

cause did jesus need a manager, record label, ditributor, or even a boooking agency.
Jesus didn't rely on a team of professionals to spread his message and make a difference, so why do we?

when troubles came, did he call upon the name, or turn to a lawyer to handle it.
In times of difficulty or conflict, Jesus relied on his faith and trust in a higher power, not legal representation.

why do we ask God last, ignore the past, but be the first to ask our management.
We often prioritize external guidance and worldly advice over seeking guidance and strength from a higher power in moments of uncertainty.

cause next to him, our glory's dim and truely pales in comparison.
When compared to the glory of God and his power, any human accomplishments or recognition pale in comparison.

why does every move we choose seem to revolve around
Why do we constantly prioritize our own desires and needs over others, and ourselves over God?

we can get our groove on, but yet worry about comin on to strong.
We prioritize being liked and fitting in over staying true to our message and beliefs.

yet we water it down so much there aint even nothing left to chew on.
We dilute our message and compromise our values so much that it loses all meaning and impact.

souls become sales, and sales become a salary
We have turned our message and music into a commodity, with the goal of earning profits rather than spreading a message.

give the crowd something to feel, whine about keepin it real,
We focus on manipulating our audience's emotions rather than staying true to our message and authenticity.

but dont try to keep it to reality.
We don't make an effort to be truthful or authentic, instead we prioritize pleasing the crowd.

yet when its all over and the mic is hung and its all said and done.
At the end of our careers, when all is said and done and the spotlight is gone, what truly matters is the impact we made and people we've reached.

it wont matter how many battles i won, but if souls were saved and how many hearts were won.
What truly matters is not our personal achievements or victories, but the lives we have changed and the souls we have impacted through our music.

Contributed by Bentley H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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