Everyday Man
Artist: Bobby Bishop
Site: www.bobbybishop.com
Label: Chosen Records
Tracks: 13 Tracks / 45:25 min
 
I am going to let someone else do some of the talking for me. Below is an excerpt from an interview by Kim Jones, from About.com.
 
"The everyday man is all of us ... men, women and children. He isn't gender specific and he's not limited to one socio-economic class, job title or neighborhood... He is you and he is me."

"The everyday man tries to live his life right - loving God and treating people well..."
 
"The everyday man struggles with issues and temptations just like everyone else. He is not above it all... He is you and he is me."
 
I am an ordinary bloke living in the burbs of Brisbane, a mostly Anglo city in Oz. I like hip-hop--a lot. I have a lot of it on my iPod. I have a lot of CDs. I like the beats a good DJ produces, and the storytelling/poetry skills of an accomplished MC. But I have always had one issue with it. Most hip-hop tunes don't relate to me, a married white male with three children living in Australia. I used to be a youth pastor and worked with a lot of runaways and street kids. I understood them. But I have never lived in a ghetto or had to battle rap. I can't beatbox or breakdance. No one has ever tried to shoot at me. The most dangerous thing in my "hood" is swooping Magpies and green ants (they bite HARD!).

Why would I want to leave my nice, middle class house in the 'burbs to live the life I hear on a lot of hip-hop CDs? Bobby Bishop did. He left the comfort of his mother's home in a quiet Boston suburb and bought in gritty Lynn, Massachusetts in 1996, so he could serve the teenagers in the area as a youth minister/social worker.
 
That's commitment to a cause! That commitment lead Mr. Bishop to help start the East Coast International Church in Lynn, where he now serves as a youth pastor and continues his social work. He now uses his hip-hop skills to reach out and mentor the youth of his neighborhood.
 
Bishop began learning the skills of an MC as a teenager back in his mother's home in Boston. In fact, he has been at this game for about 16 years, if you include homemade demo tapes made in his Moms basement. Bobby has been the mainstay in the holy hip-hop scene for some time now, putting out his first release, The Hip-Hop Alternative (Community's Call), in 2002.
 
He returns this year with his new disc, Everyday Man. This is a step up from his last release, Community Music. It is classic Bishop who wears his experiences and heart in his lyrics. They are lyrics that everyone, the everyday man, could relate to whether in the hood or the burbs. Even "One Shot," which tells us that, "He grabbed his nine outta the draw, said I needed to mark my territory," is not a song about poppin' a cap in brotha. Nope, it is a song about not missing the opportunity before you, but take a shot at it (especially to receive Jesus as Saviour).
 
Lyrically, Bobby encourages us in Christ by telling of everyday struggles. His sincerity and honesty connects, which is refreshing. Musically I like this a lot. The variety in Bobby's beats, from east coast "spit to it" type beats to more mellow mid=tempo "urban" beats. His production and samples are top rate to, especially some of the live piano stabs and Timberland style synths. He also mixes it up with a variety in his rapping cadence, also.
 
With production by The Abolitionists, DJ Shok, DJ Bombay, JbRye, Battleaxe, and more, his CD is a blend of hard hitting boom-bap, modern hip-hop, live instrumentation, and mature lyricism. The result being a well-rounded album that keeps you interested all the way through. You will find his tunes listenable and easy to relate to. Bishop reminds me of Mr. J. Medeiros in his honesty and the way he connects with me.
 
Bobby Bishop speaks Spanish fluently, has a twin brother who has earned his M.D. and Ph.D., and a sister who is a project manager for a high end remodeling company. Bobby has followed a different path and become a different everyday man, to influence and encourage lots of the everyday types, like me. Bishop calls the title song, "Everyday Man," his most vulnerable to date saying he, "S decided to spill my guts on this one." He says that, "the song is a reminder that God is in control of our lives, and He lays down the path before us. It's our job to obey and walk, and trust He'll handle the rest. . . ."
 
Good thing to remember when the magpies are swooping.
 
Rob Boynton