Gospel Highlights

At one time or another, some of us have had the unenviable task of bucking the system in order to attain a legacy or a satisfactory conclusion.  Canton Jones has seemingly made a career of traveling this road, and no one should expect to hear an apology from him in the near future.  The Atlanta, Georgia native is sold (and souled) out for the expressed purpose of spreading the message of Jesus Christ, even if his methods have been called into question in the past.

Methodology and technique aside, Canton Jones has managed to reach a generation that is thirsty for something more through trunk-rattling beats, crossover-friendly tones and lyrical content that matches perfectly with the bang of the drum snare.  At first listen, one would think he was just another run-of-the-mill rapper purporting wealth and fame.  But, the more you listen, Jones’s only ambition through his music is to see souls brought to the altar to be saved.

Recently, we caught up with him and touched on, among other things, a new album in the works and some of the adversities that have attempted to knock him off course along the way.  But, as you will read, nothing has stopped him to this point.  And nothing will.

 Gospel Highlights: Throughout our conversation, we would like to touch on your life, your career and how everything got started for you.  What is going on currently with your music career and other things?

Canton Jones: I am actually a month out from turning in my [new] record.  My other album, Kingdom Business, came out in February, 2008.  This fall, we are releasing a new album called The Interview.  So, you will actually be a part of this album’s process.  With this record, I just talk about some stuff that you would not usually hear on a gospel CD.  But, it is all Kingdom and all things that are relevant, as far as relationships and the young people of this generation standing up for Jesus Christ.  That is what I am working and focusing on, and it is turning out to be really hot.  I am excited about it; it is going to be crazy.  You will see a video soon and you will see a lot of stuff hitting the web and the airwaves with this new record.

Gospel Highlights: Obviously the core message of your music is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  But, is there is one particular message that will show itself more so than any other on the new album?

Canton Jones:  I have a song called “One Mic.”  The hook says “if I had one mic, one night, I can put about a thousand to flight, but yo, if I had you, bring about 10k to the crew.”  Also, there is going to be a track with one verse on it, and the rest of the song is going to be empty.  People are going to be able to rip the song off of my CD, write their own verse and send it back and perform it.  I want to set the Guinness Book of World Records for the song with the most features.  So, on this “One Mic” song, I am putting one verse on that song, and any rapper, poet, spoken word artist or singer is going to be able to play over this track.  It is going to be the last track on the CD, and you can take it and perform it in your church, youth group, hood or whatever, and everybody in the nation will be able to say that they have a song with Canton Jones.  A lot of struggling gospel artists and positive music artists do not have tracks or anything, and they need features to validate themselves in certain places.  So, I put a track on my album with one verse, which will let them feature with me and knock it out.  Now, we all have this song that we have all done together, and from city to city and state to state, there is just one song brings [everyone] on stage and we represent Jesus together.

Gospel Highlights: I do not think you understand how powerful that is and how many souls you can draw in just by simply allowing people who are not saved to participate in a song with you. 

Canton Jones: [People] that are not even interested in doing a gospel track can download the beat just to rap on it, and God will say something to them. 

Gospel Highlights: Will “One Mic” be the first track that is released from the new album?

Canton Jones: The beat is banging, so it will not be a gospel radio type of record.  But, I am going to release it underground, and you will feel the swell under the ground, for real.  I believe the mainstream is going to take it, too.  It is going to cross over, and some of your more popular rappers are going to be able to say what God is inspiring them to say over that song.  I think it is going to do something that has never been done before. 

Gospel Highlights: Outside of the breaking news of the forthcoming album, what are some of your current plans that you have in the works?

Canton Jones: CAJO (the record label) has a crew coming out.  Messenja, who is one of our artists, along with my wife, Ramona Jones, Erica Cumbo, Milliyon and I are doing a tour called “The G.O.D. Tour.”  We are going around, just ministering to folks.  We are going to high schools, alternative schools and other places.  Other than that, we are just finishing up this record right now.  I will be going out with The Billy Graham Association this summer, doing a tour called “Rock The River.”  That is going to be very hot and interesting.  [The tour] will be in Baton Rouge, St. Louis and Minneapolis, along with a bunch of other events as well.