Since its inception, the CM has chosen to define themselves as the Christian or holy division of hip hop culture as opposed to the hip hop or rap division of Christian culture. Within the genre of rap music, there are various subgenres such as gangsta rap, Conscious rap, old school rap, crunk, and reggaeton, but all of it falls under the rubric of rap and, by extension, hip hop. In choosing to define their music as simply being another subgenre - i.e., the Christian rap subgenre - of hip hop culture, the CM attempts to "keep it real" in order to maintain the validity needed to influence members of hip hop culture who may or may not be Christians. In their 2003 release, Holy Culture, The CM stated their reasoning is based on a passage from the Bible, St. John 17:15-19 in which Jesus is reported to have said to God:
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”
As the word sanctified means "to set apart", the interpretation maintained by the CM is that they are instructed by Jesus to remain a part of hip hop culture while being set apart from the majority of the followers of hip hop culture in order to influence it from within to conform to the mores and moral code preached by the followers of mainstream Christianity. The acceptance of this interpretation has been mixed, however. Despite their claim to be a part of hip hop culture, the CM has slowly found more acceptance, though not total acceptance, in the Christian community than in the secular hip hop community as the majority of their concerts are held at churches or church-sponsored events as opposed to secular venues. In 2006, the CM received a Grammy nomination for “Best Rock Gospel Album,” as opposed to any of the traditional hip hop or rap categories. Additionally, the CM has generally only been recognized at Christian and Gospel awards shows such as the Dove Awards or Stellar Awards as opposed to hip hop-only award shows such as the Source Awards or the Vibe Awards.
Closer To You
The Cross Movement Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna be closer to you
I wanna be your hearts desire
I wanna be number one
Even though you play me shy
I wanna be closer to you
I wanna be all you need
And watch Me change your life
(The Ambassador)
Its the 2-00-3 and I'm lovin it "B"
The blood covanent is still coverin my brothers and me
Though we all love urban livin
For us its not about "herbs" and "women"
It's bout spiertin the words of heaven
Lord something's still wrong wit the picture
I'm workin for you daily but barely I'm gettin witcha
Something keepin me from gettin wit You
Diggin in your Scripture for food where there's infinite truth
You get pushed to the side like when I'm cockin a brim
It's like we're on the couch but we're on opposite ends
Lord, come and put a stop to this friend, I'm lockin us in
Tonight it's me and You back in the pocket again
(The Phanatik)
Goodness gracious Lord
Anybody in the hood every taste this before
Ever been chased by the Lord?
Embraced by the warmth of the Son
Then end up wit their face on the floor
I love what you cooked up, to make me look up
Said I could pick your brain if I picked your book up
And ever since the day you and I hooked up
Life has been Super Fly like Jimmy Snuka
But I know you want more then Sundays, more then cliches
What you want is for me to obey
And if I cant give jack
You dont want my hands if my heart aint attached
Wit out my heart to match, my lip service is dead like artifacts
Though I call it worship
And wit no ring on my hands and as a single young man
There's more to give and I can hear you sayin to me
(Chorus)
(T.R.U.-L.I.F.E.)
Dad, I love you and you know it's true
But I dont show it all the time when I'm goin through
Its hard to stay in front of you
Focus aint easy, cats are greasy
The world's systems is set up to decieve me or leave me
I know where your love comes in
And I know for sure you gon judge sin
So as I work through life and watch my doctrine closely
I stay close to you so you can get the most of me
Now if things feel different I'm the one trippin
If we seem distant I'm the one slippin
You're the same as You have always been and will be
Representin you is what fulfils me
(The Tonic)
God, I say you're the greatest light of my life
Your corss, the greatest sight of my life
When I believed, the greatest night of my life
Since then, its the greatest fight of my life, to get at You
That's why I'm so glad you dont do it like ... I
Patience and love, you dont do it like ... I
Forgiveness and stuff, you dont do it like ... I
Even though I play you shy
Cause I'm a model of the man
Who be followin the plan
But like the hood be sayin
"Yo holla at your man", You say "Holla at your God"
And read the love letter I inspired
You're never satisfied until you're wit me
And it gets me: I study wit zeal and energy
Ona mission to affect the industry
Mature in the faith, and I'm active in the ministry
All that and I can still hear you sayin to me
(Chorus)
The Cross Movement's song Closer To You is a Christian hip hop track that talks about wanting to be closer to God. The song starts with J.R. singing the chorus of the song, expressing their desire to be closer to God's heart and be number one in his life. Following the chorus is a series of verses from each member of the group, talking about their experiences in their faith journey and their struggles to stay connected with God.
The Ambassador's verse talks about how he finds it hard to connect with God despite reading the Bible and preaching the message of heaven. He feels like there is something keeping him from getting closer to God and hopes that they can put a stop to this distance and be close again. The Phanatik's verse talks about how his life has been transformed since he found God, but he knows that God wants more than just lip service on Sundays. He acknowledges that without his heart being fully into it, his worship is just like artifacts -- dead and meaningless. T.R.U.-L.I.F.E.'s verse focuses on how it's hard to stay focused on God when the world is trying to deceive and leave them. They strive to stay close to God to give Him their all. Lastly, The Tonic raps about how their faith journey has been a fight to get closer to God, but understanding that God is always patient and loving, unlike humans who are not. He acknowledges that he needs God's guidance and reads the Bible to mature in his faith and be active in ministry.
Overall, the song Closer To You encourages listeners to be vulnerable and honest about their faith struggles and desires to be closer to God.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna be closer to you
I desire to be in a closer relationship with You
I wanna be your hearts desire
I desire to be what You long for the most
I wanna be number one
I desire to be the top priority in Your life
Even though you play me shy
Even though You seem hesitant or distant towards me
I wanna be all you need
I desire to be everything that You require
So wont you give me a try
So, will You trust me and give me a chance?
And watch Me change your life
And see how I transform Your life for the better
Its the 2-00-3 and I'm lovin it "B"
It's the year 2003, and I'm enjoying it
The blood covanent is still coverin my brothers and me
The covenant You made with us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ still covers and protects us
Though we all love urban livin
Even though we enjoy living in the city
For us its not about "herbs" and "women"
For us, it's not about drugs or women
It's bout spiertin the words of heaven
It's about sharing Your message from heaven
Lord something's still wrong wit the picture
Lord, there's still something not right in my current situation
I'm workin for you daily but barely I'm gettin witcha
I'm serving You every day, but it feels like I'm not making any progress
Something keepin me from gettin wit You
Something is hindering me from getting closer to You
Diggin in your Scripture for food where there's infinite truth
Searching Your Word for spiritual nourishment where there's infinite truth
You get pushed to the side like when I'm cockin a brim
I push You aside like when I adjust the brim of my hat
It's like we're on the couch but we're on opposite ends
It's like we're sitting on the couch, but we're far apart from each other
Lord, come and put a stop to this friend, I'm lockin us in
Lord, intervene in our relationship and bring us closer together
Tonight it's me and You back in the pocket again
Tonight, it's just me and You, alone and close like we used to be
Goodness gracious Lord
Lord, You are full of goodness and grace
Anybody in the hood every taste this before
Has anyone in my community ever experienced Your goodness before?
Ever been chased by the Lord?
Have You ever pursued someone like You are pursuing me right now?
Embraced by the warmth of the Son
Enveloped by the love and comfort of Jesus Christ
Then end up wit their face on the floor
Then ending up humbly on their face in worship
I love what you cooked up, to make me look up
I appreciate what You've done to draw my attention towards You
Said I could pick your brain if I picked your book up
You told me that I could gain more knowledge of You if I read Your Word
And ever since the day you and I hooked up
And ever since the day I started following You
Life has been Super Fly like Jimmy Snuka
My life has been amazing like the professional wrestler Jimmy Snuka
But I know you want more then Sundays, more then cliches
But I know You desire a deeper relationship with me, beyond just attending church services and using familiar phrases
What you want is for me to obey
What You want from me is true obedience
And if I cant give jack
And even if I have nothing tangible to offer
You dont want my hands if my heart aint attached
You aren't interested in my actions if my heart isn't connected to Yours
Wit out my heart to match, my lip service is dead like artifacts
If my heart doesn't reflect my words, my expressions of faith are meaningless like ancient relics
Though I call it worship
Even though I label it as worship
And wit no ring on my hands and as a single young man
Even though I'm not married and don't wear a wedding ring as a young man
There's more to give and I can hear you sayin to me
There's more I can offer You and I can sense You urging me to do so
Dad, I love you and you know it's true
Father, I love You and You know it's a sincere feeling
But I dont show it all the time when I'm goin through
But I don't always express it when I'm facing difficulties
Its hard to stay in front of you
It can be challenging to remain obedient and keep following You
Focus aint easy, cats are greasy
Staying focused isn't easy, and many people are deceitful and untrustworthy
The world's systems is set up to decieve me or leave me
The ways of the world are designed to confuse or abandon me
I know where your love comes in
I understand that Your love is where I can find strength and hope
And I know for sure you gon judge sin
And I'm certain that You will ultimately judge all sin
So as I work through life and watch my doctrine closely
So as I live my life and pay close attention to my beliefs
I stay close to you so you can get the most of me
I strive to stay close to You, so You can use me to my fullest potential
Now if things feel different I'm the one trippin
If things don't seem right, it's likely my own fault
If we seem distant I'm the one slippin
If we feel far apart, it's probably because I'm not doing my part to remain close to You
You're the same as You have always been and will be
You are unchanging, and will always be the same God
Representin you is what fulfils me
Serving You is what brings me a sense of purpose and meaning in my life
God, I say you're the greatest light of my life
God, You are the most significant source of guidance and direction in my life
Your corss, the greatest sight of my life
The sight of the cross, where Jesus died for my sins, is the most powerful image in my life
When I believed, the greatest night of my life
The night I first believed in Jesus Christ was the most significant moment of my life
Since then, its the greatest fight of my life, to get at You
Ever since then, it's been the greatest challenge to maintain a close relationship with You
That's why I'm so glad you dont do it like ... I
That's why I'm grateful that You don't love and relate to me like I relate to You
Patience and love, you dont do it like ... I
You show me more patience and love than I show to others
Forgiveness and stuff, you dont do it like ... I
You offer more forgiveness than I'm capable of offering to others
Cause I'm a model of the man
Because I'm striving to be a model of the ideal Christian
Who be followin the plan
Who is following Your plan for my life
But like the hood be sayin
But as people in my neighborhood would say
"Yo holla at your man", You say "Holla at your God"
"Talk to your friends", but You say "Talk to Me"
And read the love letter I inspired
And read the Bible, the document of love and guidance that I inspired
You're never satisfied until you're wit me
You desire to be close to me, and You won't be fully content until we are together
And it gets me: I study wit zeal and energy
And this motivates me: I study Your Word with passion and dedication
Ona mission to affect the industry
I'm determined to impact the industry, in a way that reflects Your values
Mature in the faith, and I'm active in the ministry
I'm growing in my spiritual maturity and involved in serving others through ministry
Contributed by Wyatt Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Shawn Mayhall Sr.
on Name Up
Who is the first artist on this track ????