This is Shai Linne. Some of you have known me for a while. For some of you, your first introduction to me was through some hard things I said on a couple of recent songs. If that’s you, I’m sorry that we had to meet under circumstances like this. However, I trust that the sovereign Lord will use even that for His purposes. 

Now, I know that some of you don’t identify as “CHH”. You don’t think “Christian” should ever be used as an adjective, but only as a noun. We can leave that debate for another time, but if that’s you and you embrace the noun for yourself, I’m talking to you as well.

In order to give you the full context of what I said and why I said it, there are a few things you need to know about me. First, I’ve been involved in CHH since before it was known as CHH. My first song dropped back in 2000.

(Yup, I’m an old head).

My first album came out in 2005. I know that there are many who came before me, but I’ve been around long enough to watch this culture/movement go through many ups and downs. And by the grace of God, I’ve been able to play a small part in it.

The fact of the matter is that I love Christian hip-hop. I know that rubs some people the wrong way, but I’m not ashamed to say it. I love CHH. I’ve loved it for a long time now. CHH brings together two of my greatest passions. Hip-hop, the culture I grew up saturated in. And Christ, whom I’ve loved since I met Him 18 years ago. Because I’m passionate about both of them, I love it when they come together. And I love to see how Christ is expressed differently through different vessels in hip-hop.

I love Beautiful Eulogy, and I love Bizzle. I love Stephen the Levite, and I love Eshon Burgundy. I love Lavoisier, and I love Jackie Hill Perry. I love Thi’sl, and I love Propaganda. I love Trip Lee, and I love Datin. I love Dre Murray, and I love Gemstones. I love Da’ T.R.U.T.H. and Sho Baraka, Hazakim and Disciple, Loso and Natalie Lauren, Street Hymns and KB, Th3 Saga and Flame. And yes, I love Lecrae, and I love Ruslan.

Many more could be named. But when I say I love them, it’s not primarily because I love their music equally, though they are all gifted in their own right. No. I love them because of the Jesus who I’ve seen in each of them. In different ways, they each point me to my Lord.

I don’t see myself as some lone ranger out there, detached from CHH. No, I’m a part of this movement, and I have a vested interest in its success (as God defines success). I also represent a good number of people who feel the same way I do, but do not have the platforms to express themselves in the same way. So please hear what I say in that light.

What I Said

A few weeks ago, I dropped two songs, one called “Random Thoughts 3” and another called “Ichabod”. In both songs, I addressed the current state of CHH. As far as I can tell, it seems that RT3 is what caused the blow-up, because of the following lines:

“Trip asked me if I was still motivated
I was quiet, but I wanted to say, ‘No, I hate it.’
‘Cause brothers in your camp causing lots of confusion
I love them as brothers in Christ, but not their conclusions
They want to reach the world? By all means, keep pursuing it
But tell me: Why they gotta diss the church while they’re doing it?”
That’s what I wanted to say, but I ain’t say it though
But no more laying low, I want them to play it slow
And I ain’t dissing them, my prayers are the proof
Like Boaz without Ruth is unity without truth


It’s been interesting to see the reactions to these lines, to say the least. I personally think social media has played a big role in shaping how people have responded. From what I’ve seen (admittedly, I haven’t seen a lot because my social media channels are pretty streamlined), many people are not engaging with whether or not what I said is true.

It seems that many of the people who were upset were bothered simply by the fact that I alluded to Reach Records on the song. So there are basically two issues: First, there is the fact that I said something at all. Second there is what I said.

First, I want to speak to why I said something at all. Some have said, “Why didn’t Shai just go directly to Reach?” And they cite Matthew 18:15:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

With all due respect, this is not a Matthew 18 situation. Matthew 18 is dealing with private, personal sin against a brother or sister. We know this is the case because of how Jesus emphasizes “between you and him alone”. In the best case scenario, the brother repents, is gained and no one else has to know about it.

That’s not what we’re dealing with here. First, I’m not charging Reach Records with sinning against me. I do believe there’s error involved, and I disagree with some of the positions the brothers hold to, but that’s a different category than personal sin against me.

Second, this is not a private situation. I’m addressing artists in the public eye who are making public statements and public decisions in public spaces that have public effects. Everything that I addressed on the song is public.

There needs to be a space for Christians to publicly disagree without it being viewed as unloving or divisive. Biblically, love rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). I believe that my brothers are in error. If true, that’s a problem. So how is it that the divisive one is not the one who creates the problem, but rather the one who points out the problem? That doesn’t make sense. Also, we have clear biblical precedent in this matter.

Galatians 2:11-14 records an incident between the Apostle Paul and Peter. The short version of it is that Peter was fellowshipping and eating with the Gentiles until certain Jews came around. At that point, Peter basically dissed the Gentiles by acting like He didn’t know them. Peter was in error. And it was so bad that other brothers like Barnabas were being discipled into Peter’s error.

For Paul, this was a big deal. Jesus died to break down the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:14). Peter was saying that he believed the gospel, but he was denying it with his actions towards his brothers. Here’s how Paul responded:

“But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’” (Galatians 2:14)

Paul addressed Peter in front of everybody. Why didn’t he pull Peter to the side and correct him privately? Because Peter’s error was public, and it was affecting “the rest of the Jews” and Barnabas (vs. 13). A whole community of Christians were being influenced by one man’s public actions. For Paul, this demanded a public response.

I’m not claiming to be the Apostle Paul, but there are some parallels here. For better or worse, Reach Records is the public face of CHH, both to the church and to the world. They are extremely influential. It’s not exaggerating to say that tens of thousands are affected by their decisions.

One of the problems is that publicly, as far as the artists are concerned, this has been largely a one-way conversation. It seems as though Reach Records is free to make what many godly Christians believe to be questionable decisions publicly, but anyone who disagrees must do so privately? This is a dangerous mindset, because when public error is met with continued public silence, it only serves to confirm and legitimize the error.

There have been over five years of private discussions. My song was meant to draw attention to a problem that has not improved over the years, but has gotten worse in certain ways.

Even as I stated my disagreement about their positions, I did not attack their character. I affirmed my love for them as brothers in Christ. There must be a place for this in the body of Christ. Texts like Galatians 2 indicate that there is.

So let’s get to the heart of it. Is what I said true? Also, what is this discussion really about? Let’s look at what I said. The substance of it is this:

  • Brothers from Reach Records are causing confusion.
  • I love them as brothers in Christ, but I disagree with their conclusions.

What This is Not About

I’m writing this to address some of the particular concerns that I and many others have. But first, I need to mention what this discussion is NOT about.

Shai vs. Lecrae

This is not about me vs. Lecrae, though some have painted it that way. It’s not my aim to pit believers against one another as though Lecrae/Reach is the enemy. I don’t believe that at all. The Bible is clear about who the enemy is:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Lecrae and I are not enemies. Rather, we both have a common enemy who desires to sift us (and the Christians who agree or disagree with us) like wheat (Luke 22:31). In this discussion, we are not wrestling against flesh and blood. One way the devil seeks to devour us is for believers who fall on one side of a disagreement or the other to “bite and devour one another” (Galatians 5:15). We shouldn’t be unaware of Satan’s schemes.
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Prince Malachi is the founder of The Oracle Network and the Streetwear brand Y.A.H. Apparel

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