It is true what they say that you say alot keeping quiet than when you are talking. Last year, Provabs released his new single “Heaven Knows which featured a secular rapper – M.I Abaga. Many people [including myself] raise an eyebrow about the collaboration but all through the saga, Provabs kept mum and did not say a word about the issue.
Few months down the line, M.I Abaga calls Gospel artiste, Frank Edwards into his studio for a collaborative effort where M.I said, he wants to “give back to God.” It is obvious that the Provabs collaboration did its toll on M.I Abaga and he will never be the same again after it… even if he doesn’t convert to full time Gospel music.
This will make one wonder if we can actually place a standard for featuring secular artistes on Gospel song. I personally do not like the idea but remember Act 10:13 when God brought all kinds of unclean food before Peter and told him “Get up, kill and eat?” (Not to say M.I is unclean), but God told Peter not to call what He created unclean. At the end of the day, Peter was able to lead a whole family to Christ. In the same way, if Provabs’ track with M.I has spurred some kind of God consciousness in M.I (again, this is not to say M.I lacked the consciousness but our focus is on Provabs and the track “Heaven Knows”), then I’d say Provabs did a great job collaborating with M.I Abaga. [It should be noted that M.I Abaga has a very strong Christian background and this too could have played a part in his awakened God-consciousness].
Moreover, Provabs also raised alot of eyebrows in the Gospel community due to the fact that his lyrics on the track “Heaven Knows” shows vulnerability as he blares out words such as “I fear for my life… I fear for the lady I’m gonna make my wife.” These according to critics are faithless declaration but Provabs’ justification for such statement lies withing the song.
Provabs said in the second verse:
“I want to pour my soul on a track but I fear that the fact would infact, make you feel me different.”
Let me say here that faith does not deny the existence of a thing but it removes its existence. This is what Provabs expressed in this song. According to Provabs, M.I had said to him to unveil himself on the track and how can a lyricist do that except he goes into that part that he will not necessarily expose before the naked eyes? The fact is that these things exist in Provabs’ mind but his faith has given him the courage to talk about it and then move past it. He confirmed this when he said towards the end of the 2nd verse:
“I therefore stand on the promises of God more…”
Someone once told me until you can identify your fears, you might as well be fighting shadows. This is no paid article or a campaign for Provabs but on a scale of 1-10 – as controversial as “Heaven Knows” is – Provabs went where Gospel artistes and rappers would not go with “Heaven Knows” and I think it was courageous to bare his mind on a track the way he did but my question is, has he trashed these fears and moved on?
Listen to Heaven Know below:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXS0yuDMV1I?feature=player_detailpage&w=640&h=360]– Written by Alex Amos
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