The Sound Releases Collaborations of Worship and Hip-Hop

Essential Sound has released four unique singles this summer that combine the musical components of worship and hip-hop music creating the collaboration called The Sound. The first four songs selected for The Sound are: "Spirit of the Living God (Canon Mix)," "Great Are You Lord (Howland Mix)," "Faithfulness (Howland Mix)," and "Only King Forever (Joaquin Bynum Mix)." Artists featured on these songs include Elevation Worship, Vertical Worship, Matt Maher, one sonic society, Derek Minor, Canon, J.Monty, Joey Vantes, D-Will, Angie Rose and Chris Howland.

As hip-hop has exploded and taken over pop culture the same is true for hip-hop and worship within the Church. The Sound is what emerged when taking these two musical components and building collaborations to reimagine some of the largest worship songs as well as a few other up-and-coming songs.

Here's what the artists have to say about The Sound collaboration: 

"Authenticity is key to both the worship and hip-hop movements. Within both styles, music and lyrics combine to stir up a powerful experience. What if these styles of music came together? This project is that idea coming to life. The industry's leading hip-hop producers and artists have taken some of your favorite worship songs and captured them in a new light, breaking musical, cultural, and societal barriers to bring you a new sound. This is The Sound."  - Jason Ingram (one sonic society)

"The Sound alone is the bridging of multiple worlds by creating a new body of respected differences. It is the differences of the perspectives, history, culture, languages that creates The Sound - the link of grand chains of differences to create a world united." - Canon 

"There is something beautiful about the collaboration on a project like this because it gives birth to unity. There is no limit to the creativity of God and the creativity of God is reflected in the diversity around us. This project is just that - going after unity by crossing over the genre barriers creating beautiful offerings."  - Tara Cruz (Vertical Worship)