Hoods Up

Hoods Up

I keep my hood where my God is

Up in the air you can find my eye lids

Up in the air praying for a miracle

times like this I gotta be spiritual

In a time where justice is no longer poetic

No malice but these men are pitiful, poor, blind, naked so wretched

Can’t walk the streets cuz I’m being judged off the sight of my appearance

Trying to understand but the logic seems so incoherent

So I must change who I am because of your insecurity

I’m labeled as a threat for your misconception of what you think of me

However if the shoe was on the other foot and I walked onto your side of the grass

I would then be too powerful so you would wire tap my

Asinine is the thought that I could be a well standing citizen

So you enslave me into a box forgetting that it was you who made me an illegal immigrant

The laws that are in place to protect me have a double standard

They work when that are in your benefit but kill me slowly like cancer

Still I don’t quit for you said all men are created equal

But we know that’s a lie according to your actions we’re not even deemed to be people

You treat my life like a urinal cuz everyday you keep pissing

I cry for help and no one cares to listen

So I keep my hood where my God is

Up in the air you can find my eye lids

Up in the air praying for a miracle

times like this I gotta be spiritual

Ain’t even gonna lie this stuff hurts me in my soul

When the color of my skin gives you the permission to be bold

To disrespect, belittle, and to off me in the cold

To trade my legacy in like it’s cash 4 gold

I look suspicious cuz my hood covers my face

But if you looked me in my eyes you would still label me disgrace

I could have a suit, Italian cut, double Windsor and a pocket square

And you’d still find a reason for lethal injection or electric chair

Dang has the devil got you so engulfed into his sphere

That the one who is your peer has you trembling in fear

So you take the opportunity when it presents itself to be near

So you pull a Cain when you’re Able just to get a cheer

Salvation and repentance are foreign concepts in your head

For the way you were raised has your vision seeing red

Systematic bigotry, racism and oppression keep my people dead

Maybe one day it’ll be your hand instead of this grave that I will wed

But until then I’ll keep my hood where my God is

Up in the air you can find my eye lids

Up in the air praying for a miracle

times like this I gotta be spiritual

RIP Trayvon Martin and all the others fallen because of other people’s fear

ABOUT

Hip Hop: The powerful cocktail of rhyme, beat and soul. It has indefinitely gripped the souls of countless people, birthing a culture and global influence.  One such soul is that of Xavier Stephen Brandon. He was born on January 22, 1988 in Brooklyn, New York: the city that was the impetus for Hip Hop.  He moved to Charlotte NC when he was four years old, but was indelibly marked by the music that would soon consume his life. Xavier started rhyming at the age of 12 and wrote his first song entitled “My Life” when he was in sixth grade.  He was unrelenting in honing his craft and by his sophomore year in high school he was rapping at church and by his senior year he was circuiting night clubs and recording in the studio. He quickly adopted the stage name X that was given to him by his best friend Maiba. X became consumed by Hip Hop, he ate it, drank it, inhaled and exhaled it and could not stop thinking about it.

However, a chance encounter with God changed the course of his life forever. Before entering college, church leaders sincerely advised that he stop his consumption of secular music because it was keeping Him from a closer union with God. But it was not something that he could easily give up. Then as a freshmen at Morehouse College he had the opportunity to perform on a show produced by Lil‘Wayne. However, God provided a way of escape through the cautionary words of his friends. That very day he deleted all of his secular music and his life was transformed. His actions, words and thoughts were now infiltrated and dictated by the truth that although he loved Hip Hop, he loved God so much more. So with that he submitted his love for Hip Hop and his artistic gift to this newfound love.

X has been featured on numerous mixtapes including: Welcome to My Playlist Mixtape produced by DJ Trrouble (2011). Season 1: Equivalent Exchange EP by Gracin Glory (2011) and the upcoming Spiritual Warfare Volume 1 Mixtape which is scheduled to be released in 2011. He currently ministers through Hip Hop and Spoken Word in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area while pursuing his Masters of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.

He seeks to produce kingdom influenced music. He believes that God should be glorified not only in the content of his songs but in the quality of their production. He desires that people crank them in their cars, in their homes, at work and not be ashamed to blast it because it’s good music. If it’s not hot, or if it cannot rival the secular music on the radio, then he doesn’t want to create it. He believes that he must offer his gift to God in nothing short of excellence.

X strives to reconcile the Hip Hop culture with God, demonstrating that it is okay to have a love for the music and be in love with Jesus Christ. He is equipped for this task because his honesty and his humility enable him to relate to anyone. His infectious love for God and relevant teaching style sets a spark for God and quells doubt in the hearts of many people that he encounters.  He is anointed to spread the Gospel to the Hip Hop generation both in the corridors of his everyday life and on stage. His words, his actions and his heart illustrate that God reigns preeminent in his life and he believes in turn God will draw all men and women unto Him (John 12:32).

MUSIC

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Download “Spiritual Warfare Mixtape Vol. 1″ now!

*To book X for an event, contact him at X@xavierbrandon.com.

XFACTOR

Zek’s Youth Center

Zek’s Youth Center is a recreation facility devoted to identifying, cultivating, and manifesting the dreams of youth across the world. We accomplish this by enrolling students ranging from middle to high school into an intense mentoring program. This program aids dreamers to excel academically as well as achieving their dreams. Dreamers pair up with mentors who are operating in the dream they wish to achieve to ensure a pipeline for success. In the process, dreamers learn Christian principles that cultivate the dream to advance the Kingdom of God. There is a 100% dream guarantee which ensures that every dreamer will achieve their dream. We live by the Dreamer Creed:

I AM A DREAMER!

NO DREAM IS TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL!

 MY DREAM IS FROM GOD AND WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!

 I WILL ACHIEVE MY DREAM!

I WILL HELP OTHERS ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS!

MY DREAM IS NOT FOR MYSELF BUT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND THE WORLD!

CAN MY DREAM LIVE? YES!

WILL MY DREAM LIVE? YES!

AM I A DREAMER? YES!

DREAM ON YOUNG BROTHER AND SISTER DREAM ON!!!

XPERIENCE

Public Speaking

NEWS

3/29/12 – Teach Me How To Love – CAU Thomas Cole at 7:30 PM

3/30/12 – Fitted 4 Fridayz – New Birth Metro at 7:00 PM

4/21/12 – Se7en Young Adult Ministry Presents The Experience: Arrested Development – New Birth Missionary Baptist Church – 6:30 PM

More News updates Coming Soon

DONATIONS

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If you would like to support Xavier Brandon you can make a donation by clicking the button below. Thank you for your support!!!

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