From L-R: Flame, Trip Lee, Tedashii, Eric Highland, Ben Washer, Lecrae

So this last Monday I was blessed to meet with the folks from Reach Records. First things first, I want to tell you that these guys are the REAL DEAL.

I was going to bore you with all that I did with them from a business perspective.. but I’d rather tell you about what I witnessed.

I met backstage with them in their green room before their concert in Albuquerque at Legacy Church. They are right in the middle of a huge tour called the DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE TOUR (DWYL). You could tell they were exhausted from touring but were drawing their strength from their individual personal relationships with Christ.

Backstage hanging out with Lecrae, Sho Baraka, Ben Washer, Trip Lee, Tedashii and special guest Flame was something to behold.

As tired as the guys were from touring, they were not sleeping in the green room.. instead when no other eyes were watching.. they were having a discussion on the Old Testament Scriptures. Lecrae was right in the heat of it along with BJ from Reach Life Ministries the ministerial extension of Reach Records.

Even though these guys are at the top of the Christian Hip-Hop scene, they are not cocky nor vain; nor do they display a “better than” vibe and they definitely do not convey that attitude. Instead, hanging out backstage with them was like hanging out with old friends.

Tedashii even made it a point to tell me that they are all old friends from back in the day, and so touring with them was not like touring with a bunch of artists as much as it was a road trip with friends.

A little about each of the artists from my perspective:

Lecrae – A man of passion and integrity. He was very cordial and approachable. He truly loves the Lord and his heart is completely in the right place… this was evidenced by the amount of time he involved himself in all of the theological discussions that were taking place backstage. I really liked him and can see why he has climbed to the top. He gives all credit to God and I believe he truly means it.

Ben Washer – They call him the brains behind REACH RECORDS, and I think he is.. although I think Sho Baraka might have a little input in there too. More on Sho in a moment. But from my short time with Ben, he strikes me as a fun loving visionary. He comes across as a very casual yet astute businessman with definite goals. His eyes managed to capture everything that was going on around him and I could almost see the hamsters running around inside his head. I’d like to get to know him more from a personal level, but both of our schedules are so ridiculously busy, I doubt we could make that happen. Anyhow.. Ben is the real deal.. and poised to continue taking the industry by storm through God’s appointment. I even got him on video saying he was coming after Cloud Ten next. Said he was gonna call his film company Cloud 11. Owned.. go on wit ya self Ben.

Sho Baraka – The intellectual of the bunch. A filmmaker and storyteller by heart and background. He has definite convictions about the Christian Media industry and a varied background. Out of all of the guys, I enjoyed speaking with him the most as he really took the time to speak his heart to me about his thoughts regarding the industry. Sho is one of those guys who just has depth.. you can see it in his eyes when you speak with him.

Trip Lee – He is something else. What energy, what stage presence! My goodness.. he loves to have fun and yet is completely sold out to Christ. He electrified the audience and the stage during the show. Recently married, Trip is a funny guy with excellent skill. He was just a joy to be around and an incredibly talented young man. When Trip Lee took the stage you knew something special was taking place.. his command of the stage and audience was clearly evident.

Flame – Prior to this last Monday, I was not too familiar with Flame.. but I am now! My understanding, is that he is on tour with Reach Records as a special guest. He was part of the Cross Movement crew. Again, another incredibly gifted addition to the Reach Records tour. Out of all of the tour members, he seemed to get the audience most involved in his performance. His rhymes were on point and crisp, and the message solid. Keep your eyes on this rapper.. and may the Lord continue to do a mighty work both in and through him.

Tedashii – I saved Tedashii for last.. I really really liked him. Very personable and real. His skills on the mic were amazing. His lyrics and the speed and clarity with which they were delivered were unparalleled on the stage that night. Backstage he was very subdued and he came across as an old friend from the moment I met him. Onstage he came out in support of the other rappers as they were doing their sets and just added so much flavor to the mix. I befriended him on Facebook and I hope to continue to get to know him.

All in all I have to say, that Reach Records put on an amazing show with the Don’t Waste Your Life Tour. When you combine that many talented people who are all truly (and not just for the fans) sold out to Christ… you have something so incredible and so special that as long as they stay the course, there is no telling where God will take them.

Cloud Ten’s Interest: Well, nothing formal is set by any means.. but Reach Records told me that they were interested in getting into the film industry. So I took them a copy of our latest production SAVING GOD (Ving Rhames, Dean McDermott) and showed them several clips from the film. They were impressed and showed genuine interest. So I gave them a copy of the film and my business card, and told them that if they wanted to get to know our CEO Andre van Heerden, that I would be happy to put them in touch and see where the Lord leads. We closed in prayer and the time was truly enjoyed. We’ll see.. I’d personally love to see these guys in a film… I’m sure their fans would too.

I know this is an incredibly long post.. but I wanted to do them justice. God’s hand is upon them.

Last thing.. if you haven’t heard Reach Records “13 LETTERS” you MUST get this album. In addition, Reach Life has built a curriculum around this album which breaks down all 13 of the Apostle Paul’s letters in rap form. It is incredible and the CD usually sits in my own personal cd changer in my car.

Anyway.. much love to the folks at REACH RECORDS. I was thoroughly impressed with your skill, your style and most importantly your hearts for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you to Tera Carter (Reach Records) and Pat Nelson (PS21 Media) for setting this meeting up!

In His Majesty’s service,

Eric