A woman was hurrying out of the studio where Praiz’ was producing recently in Lemay. Introduced to an editor of the American, she brightened and said, “I always get blessings when I am around Praiz’!”
It’s not often people in St. Louis get to be around Praiz’ these days, since he moved to Tallahassee to develop a diverse music ministry. He was very clear about why he came home to do this studio work.
“Because these guys are the best,” Praiz’ said.
“These guys” are drummer James Holloway Jr., bassist Charles “Buddy Man” Quarells, pianist Dywanne Harris and keyboardist D.J. Neal, all young St. Louis gospel musicians.
Praiz’ was tracking them on two full-length albums: Higher Calling by the Tallahassee-based contemporary gospel artist Norris G. and a Mahalia Jackson tribute album by Gloria Hulsey, the kindly woman hurrying out of the studio as I was coming in.
“A lot of people said, ‘You all can’t do that old stuff,” Praiz’ said of the Mahalia Jackson material. “But, man, I’ve been doing it all my life in church.”
He pulled up a sample track on his laptop. It sounded like a hot moment in a black church service.
The recording space, on the other hand, was pure rock and roll. A chalkboard on one wall had a set list for a classic rock band. You could never have persuaded Mahalia Jackson to sing any of these songs.
Jimmy Gunn, owner of Schoolhouse Studios in Lemay, sees plenty of rock and roll, given his South County location. But he has been mastering Praiz’s records for nine years.
“Gospel is my favorite thing to work on,” Gunn said. “Respectful people? You hardly ever get that anymore in the music industry.”
People like Praiz’, who work strictly within gospel, see a wider ranger of attitude within the sacred music industry.
“She made this fun again for me,” Praiz’ said of Gloria Hulsey. “All she wanted to do was glorify God. Usually what I get is, ‘I need a hit record’ or people telling me how they want their 808s to sound.”
That’s a reference to the kick drum sample on a popular drum machine, the Roland 808. In gospel hip-hop, you might be aiming for God, but the way is through a drum machine.
Slugger Roo is down with that. He is a former Vice Lord gangbanger from the East Side who got saved. He met Praiz’ through a mutual friend during a previous visit home from Tallahassee. Though they have started collaborating on a track, long-distance, this is their first time together in a year.
Slugger Roo had just been having fun, recording a rap by Gloria Hulsey. A rap, by a sanctified gospel singer? It was written by her young son and recorded as a surprise for him. Slugger Roo played me the track. Little dude knows his Bible: Jonas and Lazarus get their own verses, complete with moral lessons.
The track Praiz’ and Slug are doing together is not completed, but I enjoyed a rare treat. Praiz’ pulled up the beat, and stuck a headphone onto one of my ears. Into the other ear, Slugger Roo poured his verse, live. The song is called “Cold Outside.” It tells the story of a man who got inside his Father’s house but then strayed again, back into the cold.
I asked Slug if he had made any bad decisions he needed to talk about.
“No, man, it’s a scenario,” he said. “I do know some dudes who got saved and get tempted, sometimes, to go back. That’s not me.”
Praiz’ was passing around an e.p. of material (P.R.I.D.E.) from his next recording. “It’s all about the streets, not just the church this time around,” Praiz’ said. “I’m not saying anything bad about churches, but the world is outside.”
Praiz’ will return to St. Louis July 14-20 for Youth Music Conference 2008, to be held at Calvary M.B. Church, 2822 MLK Dr. Call 997-3353 for more information or to register.