NomiS Helps Us to Connect Social Justice with Jesus Through His Music

Christian Hip Hop artist NomiS has just released his new album "Socially Just."  We've seen more and more glimpses of Nomis' passion for Social Justice as he's been very outspoken on current issues such as Human Trafficking and Law Enforcement. Being a Hip-Hop & Spoken Word artist who openly takes a stand for Social Justice is something he has now embraced with open arms. 

Hallels:  Thanks for doing this interview with us.  Let's start with yourself.  How did you first become involved in music?

Of course, I'm glad to do it!

I basically grew up with music all around me. My father played bass for the Temptations, Natalie Cole and Ben Vereen for a good decade. My mother sang and always had a Musical on around the house growing up. I never really discovered music, it was a normal part of life for me from my inception. Like eating, sleeping and using the bathroom. My involvement of music varied over the years experimenting with different instruments as a kid, but it wasn't until mid/late High School when I began writing consistently and took on the moniker of "Nomis". A close friend of mine was already Rapping and had just recently got serious with his relationship with the Lord. He showed me some of his new "Christian Raps" (apposed to his former "Gangster Raps"), and I in my young arrogance was like, "Psssshhh. I can do that". I too had recently re-dedicated my life to God. I was already heavily engulfed in HipHop culture so it felt like a natural thing to start doing. I haven't stopped writing since that day.

Hallels:  How would you describe your style of music?

I would describe my style of music as "Socially Conscious HipHop", or "Change the World Music". In general I prefer to categorize my style based off of the content, and not the genre. The genre might be easier to market, but the content is what really stays with people in my experience. 

Hallels:  Social justice is obviously a very important topic for you.  How did you first become conscious of the importance of social justice?

Yes indeed. I've always cared about Social Justice to some extent, but it wasn't until I connected the dots between Justice and Jesus that it really became a burden I had to put in the forefront of my art. When I realized contextually how profound the Good Samaritan's actions were. When Matthew Chapter 25 jumped off of the pages for me reading how harsh Jesus' words were for people who weren't feeding the hungry, welcoming the foreigner, and taking care of the sick. When I realized that "do good, seek justice and defend the oppressed" wasn't just for the people in Isaiah. 

Hallels:  Why is social justice important?

Social Justice is important because God says it is. In my experience Social Justice in the church is often viewed as an additional "good thing" that Christians can do. I believe it is a foundational piece to the life of anyone who follows the teachings of Jesus. We view Social Justice like helping an old lady across the street. Its good, but if you decide not to help the old lady its okay because she isn't your responsibility to begin with. At the end of the day, all issues of Social Justice ultimately boil down to loving your neighbor as yourself (in my opinion). Not only is that the sign of a follower of Christ, but its also the greatest command next to loving God. The Psalms, the Proverbs, the Prophets and the Gospels all speak to Social Justice.  

Hallels:  If you have to pick two songs from your new album that address this issue of social justice most clearly, which would they be?  And why?

For any faith based listeners, the "Love God, Love People" poem definitely connects those dots between being a believer and what your responsibility looks like. Its a good way to break it all down. But as an example of an issue we need to be better at addressing now, "Traffic" (featuring John Givez) is a great place to start as well. That song isn't explaining an issue, but exposing one. Sex Trafficking to be exact. Sex Trafficking is getting more and more attention which is great, but still many of us associate it with South East Asia and don't realize that this is happening in the domestic United States. In our own backyards. 

Hallels:  You have recently made a mockumentary on your song "Make Your Voice Heard."  For our readers who may not have seen it, tell us more about this.

The Mockumentary was mainly a video I made to break up the constant seriousness and bad news I post on social media. I often post articles about Human Trafficking, Child Labor and other Justice issues. When dealing with these issues, its imperative that we don't loose our ability to smile and experience joy. I wanted to put something out that made people laugh for a change. My video guy and I decided we would poke fun at some of the consistencies we've seen with a lot of YouTube tutorial videos and documentaries we see from musicians and producers. We had so much fun shooting this! Our goal was to come up with the most ridiculous explanations for how I built this song. I'm pretty much in love with how it came out. 

Hallels:  For our readers who would like to know more about you or your music, where can they go?

For more info about me and my music, visit TheSociallyJust.com, NomisHipHop.com or keep up with me on social media. All of my social media tags are @NomisHipHop. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.  

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