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.
L.L.R.P.
The Cross Movement Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life, Liberty, Righteousness, and the puruist thereof
It's tight, might just get, too rough to travel this road
But it's good to know, that for my soul, Christ is in control
Life, Liberty, Righteousness, and the puruist thereof
It's tight, might just get, too tough to travel this road
But it's good to know, that for my soul, Christ is in control
(T.R.U-L.I.F.E.)
Since the beginning of my life wit Christ its been shady
Im not crazy, my light hasn't been bright but hazy
Dimmed my desires within and fulfilment of my flesh
And best, let's just call it sin
It is what it is, so Ima deal wit this thing
Put my biz in the street but be real for the king
Even if it kills me, cause I've got a strange feelin
Some will draw close, and others wont cause quite revealin
Dont worry Im not mentionin names or situations
Just makin in plain wit some internal observations
Keepin it straight wit all the points that Im statin
So you dont get tossed, fooled or twisted by Satan
Now take it
(Chorus)
(2x)
(T.R.U-L.I.F.E.)
The wild things is, Ive been actin my childish
But Im a king's kid, so there's no hints of foulness
But such a loudness, that its clearly unmistakable
My Lord and Savior subjected Himself to a breakable
Shell that would be impaled, nailed but would rip the vale
And provide a detour for those on their way to hell
Not to tell, well that would not do Him any justice
Like me for eternity, many have entrusted
Themselves to His plan, His hand is fool proof
All God and all man, stands together as pure truth
I fall face in hand, His cures from the root
Cleans from the heart, makes a man new
I've seen what He can do
(Chorus)
(2x)
(T.R.U-L.I.F.E.)
I've had a sob story for a long time
But this aint bout a kid, who trippedup, fell down or lagged behind
But a story of one whose overcome, wit and by the Son
Spit fire wit the tongue, lift Messiah til Im done
The war's be done, but the battle jus begun
Victory has I run persevere' cause Christ hung
Breath left His lung, death poked fun
And the King ressurected and guess what?
Death got thumped! No longer wit the power to slump
A man if he believes, he cant be plucked
From the hand of the son
Who to trust, and why do you trust this One?
And when your physicals don? Have they told you what comes?
Life is more then just money, sex, drugs and guns
I know it dont sound fun but Ive got the right One
And when I do die, my life has just begun
How could I ever forget the dust is where Im from?
To the face of opposition I laught It's been engrafted
My righteousness is part of this total package
And so is my eternal secruity
That's why in all things I do now you can see me chasin purity
Goodness, gratefulness, lovein-kindness
To live a live of liberty and righteousness for his Highness
I see Lord, thanks for removin all the blindness
And pressin this coal into an H-Class diamond
(Chorus)
(2x)
The Cross Movement's song L.L.R.P. talks about the importance of Life, Liberty, Righteousness, and the purest form of it. The chorus of the song emphasizes that although the journey toward these ideals might be rough, it's essential to remember that Christ is in control. In the rap verses, T.R.U-L.I.F.E. talks about his struggles to lead a righteous life with Christ, which has been challenging because of his sinful desires. However, he acknowledges that he needs to deal with these sins and put them aside for the king. He urges his listeners not to get fooled or twisted by Satan, and he encourages them to stay on the right path.
T.R.U-L.I.F.E. also discusses his transformation as a Christian, from a childish behavior to a king's kid who follows the right path. However, he doesn't shy away from discussing his struggles and sob story but emphasizes that one can overcome them with the help of the son - Jesus. He talks about the victory of Christ over death and how his belief has made him secure in the hands of the son. Throughout the song, T.R.U-L.I.F.E. encourages his listeners to follow Christ, no matter how challenging the journey may be.
Line by Line Meaning
(Chorus)
The song discusses the importance of Life, Liberty, Righteousness, and their purest form. Although the journey may be difficult, the singer finds comfort in knowing that Christ is in control of their soul.
Since the beginning of my life wit Christ its been shady
The singer admits that their journey with Christ has not always been easy.
Im not crazy, my light hasn't been bright but hazy
Despite the challenges, the singer believes they are not losing their mind but that their vision has been blurred.
Dimmed my desires within and fulfillment of my flesh
The singer has struggled with their own desires and the temptation to fulfill them.
And best, let's just call it sin
The singer acknowledges that their desires may have been sinful.
It is what it is, so Ima deal wit this thing
The singer is determined to face their struggle head-on.
Put my biz in the street but be real for the king
The singer is transparent about their struggles but remains true to their Christian faith.
Even if it kills me, cause I've got a strange feelin
The singer is willing to face the consequences of their honesty and openness, even if it means sacrificing their life.
Some will draw close, and others wont cause quite revealin
The singer believes that their honesty will bring some people closer but also push others away.
Dont worry Im not mentionin names or situations
The singer promises not to call out any individuals or specific situations in their confession.
Just makin in plain wit some internal observations
The singer is simply sharing their personal observations and experiences.
Keepin it straight wit all the points that Im statin
The singer is being straightforward and honest in their message.
So you dont get tossed, fooled or twisted by Satan
The singer hopes that their message will help listeners stay grounded in their faith and not be deceived by Satan.
The wild things is, Ive been actin my childish
The singer recognizes that their past actions may have been immature.
But Im a king's kid, so there's no hints of foulness
Despite their past mistakes, the singer feels confident in their identity as a child of God.
But such a loudness, that its clearly unmistakable
The singer's confidence in their faith is obvious and cannot be ignored.
My Lord and Savior subjected Himself to a breakable
The singer acknowledges the sacrifice Jesus made by making Himself vulnerable.
Shell that would be impaled, nailed but would rip the vale
The singer is referring to Jesus' crucifixion and how it made a way for people to avoid going to hell.
Not to tell, well that would not do Him any justice
It would be unfair to keep Jesus' sacrifice a secret and not share the good news with others.
Like me for eternity, many have entrusted
Many people have put their faith in Jesus for eternal salvation, just like the singer has.
Themselves to His plan, His hand is fool proof
The singer believes that God's plan is perfect and without flaw.
All God and all man, stands together as pure truth
Jesus embodies both divinity and humanity and represents the ultimate truth.
I fall face in hand, His cures from the root
The singer relies on Jesus to heal them from the root of their problems.
Cleans from the heart, makes a man new
Jesus has the power to cleanse a person's heart and make them new.
Ive seen what He can do
The singer has witnessed firsthand the transformational power of Jesus.
I've had a sob story for a long time
The singer has had a sad story or history for an extended period of time.
But this aint bout a kid, who trippedup, fell down or lagged behind
The singer's story is not about a minor mistake or setback.
But a story of one whose overcome, wit and by the Son
The singer's story is one of triumph, with Jesus playing a significant role.
Spit fire wit the tongue, lift Messiah til Im done
The singer is boldly proclaiming their faith and plans to continue doing so until the end of their life.
The war's be done, but the battle jus begun
The singer believes that the war is already won, but there is still a continuing battle that must be fought.
Victory has I run persevere' cause Christ hung
The singer finds strength in persevering because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
Breath left His lung, death poked fun
Jesus died a physical death, which death thought was a victory.
And the King ressurected and guess what?
However, Jesus defeated death through His resurrection.
Death got thumped! No longer wit the power to slump
Jesus' victory over death means that death no longer holds power over believers.
A man if he believes, he cant be plucked
Anyone who believes in Jesus and His sacrifice cannot lose their salvation.
From the hand of the son
Jesus holds on to believers and will not let them go.
Who to trust, and why do you trust this One?
The singer challenges listeners to think about who they trust and why they trust them, especially in terms of their faith.
And when your physicals don? Have they told you what comes?
The singer asks listeners to consider what happens after death and what happens to their spirit.
Life is more then just money, sex, drugs and guns
The singer believes that life has a deeper meaning than just material possessions and worldly pleasures.
I know it dont sound fun but Ive got the right One
The singer believes that following Jesus is the right choice, even if it is not always easy or fun.
And when I do die, my life has just begun
The singer believes in eternal life after death through Jesus.
How could I ever forget the dust is where Im from?
The singer remembers their humble beginnings and is thankful for how far they have come through their faith.
To the face of opposition I laught It's been engrafted
The singer finds joy in facing opposition because it strengthens their faith and identity in Jesus.
My righteousness is part of this total package
The singer identifies their righteousness, or right standing with God, as part of their overall faith journey.
And so is my eternal secruity
The singer believes that their salvation is secure and they will spend eternity with God.
That's why in all things I do now you can see me chasin purity
The singer's pursuit of purity in all aspects of life is evidence of their faith and desire to please God.
Goodness, gratefulness, lovein-kindness
The singer values traits such as goodness, gratefulness, and love towards others, which are reflective of God's character.
To live a live of liberty and righteousness for his Highness
The singer desires to live a life of freedom and right standing with God for the glory of God.
I see Lord, thanks for removin all the blindness
The singer is grateful to God for removing their spiritual blindness and allowing them to see the truth.
And pressin this coal into an H-Class diamond
The singer sees their faith journey as a process of growth and transformation, turning something rough into something valuable and beautiful.
(Chorus)
The song ends with a repetition of the chorus's message about the importance of Life, Liberty, Righteousness, and the comfort of having Christ in control of one's soul.
Contributed by Layla W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Shawn Mayhall Sr.
on Name Up
Who is the first artist on this track ????