In 2006, we have "Gospel Dancehall" artists singing how Jesus is going to make them rich and Christian researchers believing how "Rastafarianism" is some kind of Satanic cult.

Lion of Zion, Christafari's self established "Gospel Reggae Label", is experiencing an exodus. True Christian artists leave the Christian Industrial Complex with a feeling of disgust, while their names are continually abused to promote "Gospel Reggae" labels to an ignorant public.

A report.

Oh yes, friend and foe agree: "Gospel Reggae" definitely "plugs a gap in the Christian Industry". But is it truly "God", Who is running this industry? We will find that out in this article.

But not before we send out a special thanks to well-known Christian Reggae Artist Stitchie and to our several very anonymous sources, without whom this article could never have been written. 

And not before we mention that the information given in this article is researched and (can be) verified.

Having said that, let's take a closer look into the bizarre world of the Gospel Reggae Industry in 2006. Are you ready?

EASY BUSINESS

It's an easy business: your customers will buy your products as part of their religious excercise. And the whole infrastructure is allready there, too. You just have to sing about "Jesus" in order to get your place in the Christian Bookstores all over the world.

Christians stay disinformed about the true nature of let's say the Movement of Rastafari, too. They keep thinking how they shouldn't buy any other Reggae then "Christian". With phrases like, "edify and build up the local and universal body of Christ providing a biblically sound musical alternative", an impression is given that there is something really bad going on "out there". 

The whole "Gospel Reggae Industry" is based on this meditation. The meditation that it's wrong for a Christian to produce or buy Reggae Music when it doesn't have some kind of "Christian" vibe. Both artists and listeners strongly believe in this deception.

As one "Gospel Reggae" artist once said: "They would boycott us if we would stop using the Name of Jesus".

And so, audience and producers keep each other and themselves right where the are: in an industry that has the very Christian faith as it's product. 

This all started in the mid 1990's, when Christafari proclaimed to be the "founder" of "Christian Reggae". Not Christian in the sense of the true meaning of the word, though. This is easily seen when the mere fact is taken into consideration, that Christafari even claimed how "Reggae started in the Christian church and evolved into Rastafarianism." And so they made a differentiation between Christian Reggae and Reggae played by Christians. 

"Christian Reggae" or "Gospel Reggae" is a genre rather then a referance to the Good Lord and His message. It's a genre, but not a Reggae genre either. It's a genre in a bigger complex, that is the Industry we know as CCM or Contemporary Christian Music. 

"Gospel Reggae" isn't a Reggae Genre, it's a "Gospel Genre"!

We have focused a lot on Christafari. We analyzed their message and philosophy, fruits and roots. We had to, as Christafari is the founder of that "genre" in the CCM industry. An industry which is currently dividing Reggae Culture by stealing artists from the regular Reggae Industry into what is then called a "Christian Industry". 

But now in january 2006, we have to face the reality that it's no longer only Christafari trying to "plug gaps", or to put it more economically: create monopolies. Christafari indeed started this thing called "Gospel Reggae", but well over a decade later there is a second generation which goes even further in the commercialization of Christianity. 

And so this article will also be a sort of "goodbye" to the "founder of Gospel Reggae". It would be good to remind ourselves to Jesus' words, that when the fruits are not good, the tree can't be good either. 

We will mention a couple of documented things, but wish to say as well that we don't have anything personal again Christafari or any CCM artist or supporter. When we mention things, it is without anger but only to show the truth. 

However, since things are spoken in public, they should be adressed in public. And that is why this article is written. It's about a very serious subject.

Later on, we will even see a "Gospel Dancehall" Artist showing his dollar bills on the video screens telling the people how "Gospel Dancehall" can make you rich. 

Fortunately, there are many Christians who know the CCM Industry to be everything but true Christian. There are plenty of Christian websites exposing the unchristian nature of this industry. 

Just recently, Christian Reggae artist Audrey Gordon signaled over the Internet that she strongly felt that Jah did not want this commercialization in what is known throughout the world as the Christian Church.

Jah Mark Ragsdale from Star Recordings who is known to release a number of Christian Reggae artists is also known to be unwilling to contribute to the Christian Industry.

But the "Gospel Reggae Industry" doesn't only make a mockery out of the very Christian faith, it equally disinforms the Christians about Rastafari. And it has to do so, too. For the very existance of the "Gospel Reggae Industry" is based on lies and deception about Rastafari too.

Browse the Christian websites exposing the Christian Music Industry, and be shocked how they claim all kinds of things about Rastafari. 

A website av1611.org, for example. 

"DIAL THE TRUTH, HEAR A LIE"

The folks at av1611.org (also called "Dial the Truth Ministries") have a number of articles about an American Band called P.O.D. or Payable on Death. In these articles, they spread the most idiotic things about the movement of Rastafari, taking P.O.D. as an example.  

The band was brought up by a Dubroom visitor with the request to write an exposee how that group abuses a "Rasta-ish" image in their "Christian" Industry. Another visitor pointed out to the av1611.org website where this band is being exposed from a biblical point of view... But yet another visitor of the Dubroom heartically "defended" the band, convincing the writer of this article to re-state certain things.

POD is a band, singing about "Jah" and some having dreadlocks. The band is highly controversial, with supporters and opponents within the movement of Rastafari as well as within Christianity.

They use certain symbols like the "Mobius" (picture) which one says represents the Trinity where others recognize the very same symbol in much new age literature.

When you visit their website, you will see a movie of one of their concerts where the audience is flashing the satan's sign. P.O.D. plays a wide variety of styles, and even some Reggae music. They've opened for Christafari on a number of occasions. 

Their albums are full of symbolism, some are blatantly wiccan and occult. The picture left was taken from a POD album and portrays a hand giving the sign of satan. POD later changed the cover art for that particular album though, according to a Dubroom visitor.

The website av1611.org has some great articles about the unchristian nature of the so-called Christian Music Industry as well as a number of other subjects. In their articles about POD, they bring a number of issues to the surface that deserve attention to say the least. Their usage of these symbols, for example.

But then, you read something frightening on their website. Because it doesn't really matter that much to Terry Watkins, the writer of the articles on POD, that the band is using all these symbols. He has something which bothers him much more. 

Under the title "P.O.D. AND RASTAFARIANISM", Watkins starts a rather lengthy article with the following statement:

Probably the most disturbing element of P.O.D. is the polluting of Christianity with Rastafarianism terms and values in their music.

The enormous amount of disinformation about Rastafari which then follows takes many pages to print. Between all the disinformation, P.O.D. is quoted as saying that Rastafari is almost all scripture and that Jah definitely is the One to worship. After all, JAH is the Name of the Creator, where "God" is a european word that has no biblical origin. But according to Mr. Watkins, you can disregard the Name of the Most High.

He even put a public challenge on his site:

I will challenge ANYONE to document ANY Christian today or in Church History that continually refers to God as Jah.

A challenge which will be taken up by refering to the word HalleluJAH, used by EVERY Christian today and in Church History and continually refering to God as Jah...

We have repeatedly attempted to get Mr. Watkins to answer a couple of questions for publication in this article. After all, we have a shared concern about the Christian Industry and noticed the fact he only uses unchristian sources for his factual statements on Rastafari.

We can read the age-old cliche's that Rastafari is racist, that all Rastas believe the Ethiopian Emperor to be Jah, and more of that. His sources even contradict themselves. On the same page you can read:

"(...) the Rastafarian movement has not changed significantly over the years." (Barret, Leonard E., The Rastafarians, p. 85)

And then, when you read on, you will read exactly the opposite:

"Despite the obvious progress, the movement still holds to its millenarian psychology by defining non-Rastafarians as 'Babylon'". (Barret, Leonard E., The Rastafarians, p.243)

And so we've sent him questions like: 

"Are you aware of the documented fact that the leader of the biggest Rastafarian Organization claims that the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie is not God, and that you have to become born again and saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, that also Haile Selassie had to be born again and saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, in other words quite the opposite of what you claim Rastafari to be, based on unchristian sources?"

Until today, Mr. Watkins refuses to answer these questions. At first he didn't answer at all, but then we confronted him with the fact that we were going to write about him. He finally responded and simply told us, "we are not interested". 

That is very unfortunate.

When he publicly challenges people to proof him wrong and when this is subsequently done, all he says is "we're not interested".

You might want to e-mail him to ask why he's not interested. After all, as the article shows, he is kind of disinformed. And he keeps spreading the same disinformation about Rastafari as used by the Gospel Reggae Industry to justify their very existance. He also seems to publicly challenge people but backs out when he's proven wrong...

The same kind of attitude can be found within the CCM Industry. Do Mr Watkins and the CCM Industry have more in common then they know?

The Gospel Reggae Industry is based on the idea that Christians can only play Reggae Music when it is done with some "Christianese" vibe around it. Let's remember that quote: "They would boycott us if we refuse to sing about Jesus". 

And so, it's clear how mr. Watkins plays right into the hands of the ones he is trying to expose. After all, spreading disinformation about Rastafari is a pillar on which the Gospel Reggae Industry bases itself on. 

Another pillar is the very Name of the Saviour and the Christian life.

EXODUS

"Jesus Christ" is big business, and with the CCM Industry doing half a billion dollars a year in America, it's a bigger business then the Reggae industry. So when you're able to "plug the gap" in the Christian Industry when it comes to Reggae, you're in. 

Or so it seems...

Spearheaded by Christafari and their philosophy of Christafarianism which we have researched in-depth in several books, the "Christian Industry" divided Reggae Culture by seperating "Christafarian" Reggae artists from other Reggae Artists.

Christian Reggae Artists who have no wish to become part of this Reggae Gospel Industrial Complex, are being insulted and scorned just for not being available to that industry. 

Let's take an example. 

On the Lion of Zion website, Dub artist Solomon Jabby is presented as a "true Christian" alternative to Yabby You and Messian Dread (See quotations left). Christafari's 2001 articles on Yabby You and Messian Dread (quotations left) confirm and explain this further. 

Yabby You and Messian Dread are both known to be Christians, in the sense that they both believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. But they are also known to be active within the Reggae Industry rather than any self-proclaimed "Christian" Industry as they work together with so-called "secular" artists. 

In an "Open Letter to all Christian Reggae Artists", a clear warning was sent out. CCM is a parasite, stealing Christian Artists away from Reggae Culture in order to make money in the Name of Yesus.

At first, it looks very spiritual: "Gospel Reggae". That is, until the fruits are examined. 

We have documented before how "ordained pastors" "plant churches" that turn out to be nothing more then profane "talent contests". "Pastors" turn out to be "managers" and there are even reports how "Churches" themselves use their congregation halls as Concert places where they tape concerts to sell.

We have also documented how this all started in the mid-90's with Christafari and it's front man Mark Mohr. We have quoted Mohr as he compared himself with Moses and David and the Christian Reggae Industry he was about to build with the Kingdom of Israel. 

Christafari appears to be the "leader" in the "Christian Reggae Industry". However, it seems like the empire is slowly breaking down. We can only fear as to which abomination will replace it. As we will see later on in this article, the signs are kind of sinister.

Just a small news item on the website of well known online Dub artist Solomon Jabby, who was described by Lion of Zion as a "true Christian" alternative to music by Yabby You and Messian Dread: 

"LOZ Entertainment offered me a deal but I really felt lead to remain solo".

Then, here's some words from well known Jamaican dancehall artist Stitchie, formerly signed with LOZ Entertainment: 

"my comfort zone was disturbed by the deception and abuse by the enemy through those people, I finally got the unction and the urgency to move into what God had purposed for my life. This gave full birth to “DRUM & BASS MUSIC".

Two artists, still labeled on the website of Lion of Zion Entertainment as "LOZ Artists", openly declaring how they feel that the Most High is leading them out of Lion of Zion. 

Stitchie even says, how "the enemy" (that would be the devil) used "those people" (that would be LOZ or Christafari) to practise "abuse and deception". When that interview was discussed on the Lion of Zion website, it was proposed how Stitchie was refering to an unfortunate incident on Jamaica, where tapes for an upcoming album were stolen. So obviously, mixed signals were given.

We contacted the writer of the Stitchie article as well as someone known to be closely related to Stitchie. We contacted Stitchie as well, who was very frank and open about it all. 

He told us personally, that he was definitely refering to LOZ and not to what happenned to him on Jamaica. He reminded us that in fact he wasn't even with LOZ anymore when that happenned. He also gave us permission to make this known.

Stitchie displayed a Christian attitude as he told us too, how he allready had forgiven the people at LOZ and he urged everyone who have been traumitized by them to do the same. However, it's not very likely that there will be another Stitchie release on the Lion of Zion label anymore. But we should consider his words to forgive those that persecute us.

Forgiveness, however, doesn't mean that the truth cannot be told. And Stitchie had no reluctance in sharing the truth. Lion of Zion appearantly has, as the organization still lists him as an official "LOZ Artist". Stitchie had no problem in telling us to inform everyone that the truth is he is not a LOZ artist for many years now.

After leaving LOZ, Stitchie released two video clips. One is called "Gospel Reggae" and another one called "Fast and Pray". Stitchie appears in the video clips along with well known Jamaican artists who are considered "secular". In an interview, he said:

First of all, I need to make this very lucid that these artistes are all my friends and I’ve not lose contact with them because I’m now a born again Christian, if anything, I’m now enjoying even closer friendship with them. I freely received love from Jesus Christ so I’m giving it freely to everyone. This is the motive behind the concept of the video as it is of vital significance that as an Ambassador of Christ I demonstrate the love of Christ to all my fellow dancehall artistes and musicians.

We applaud such a statement, and maximize our respect for Stitchie as we realize that he is preaching the true Gospel in Reggae Style here. But it could be too late allready. The name "Gospel Reggae" has been patented on the Internet by Lion of Zion and they have a totally different approach and seperate themselves from Reggae Artists in order to make "Gospel Reggae".

And there are more artists who are no longer with Lion of Zion Entertainment. Sherwin Gardner, for example, the Trinidad vocalist. In an interview he says that there is a big need to educate young artists before entering the "Gospel Reggae" arena. 

Now we can only speculate about the reason, of course. But we have some more information at our disposal, which we take into the context to make the picture a little bite clear.

COMPETITION

Earlier we have uncovered the fact that most Trinidad "Gospel Reggae" artists who made a deal with Lion of Zion Entertainment no longer want to work directly with them either. But none of this can be found on the Lion of Zion website, where the artists are all still listed as official "LOZ Artists".

What is "Lion of Zion Entertainment" exactly? It's a label run officially by Christafari's front man Mark Mohr. Lion of Zion also runs "the world's largest Gospel Reggae webstore", which can be found on the website GOSPELREGGAE.com. 

Mark Mohr, as said, claims that "God chose him to plug the reggae gap in the Christian Industry". But others jump on the bandwagon as well. And so you can not only go to Lion of Zion's GOSPELREGGAE.com and GOSPELDANCEHALL.com, you can equally pay a visit to their competition at... DANCEHALLGOSPEL.com 

The competition has a webstore, and they advertize on the GOSPELREGGAE.com fora as well as numerous other places on the Internet where the Gospel Reggae Industrial Complex is being formed on the Internet. Researching this all leads to reading the most bizarre discussions on message boards. 

In a 2005 interview with mainstream Christian magazine "Christianity Today", Mark Mohr admits that the competition is growing:

When we first started, we were the only CD you could find in stores, but now there aren't that many CDs in stores, but there's hundreds and hundreds [of reggae CDs] available on the Internet. We're not the only ones doing it anymore.

Did "God" chose several "Gap Pluggers", or is Lion of Zion experiencing a growing competition where they equally experience an exodus of artists? 

Now ofcourse, we're being sarcastic here. Because we know the answer. The competition is growing, and Lion of Zion appearantly experiences an exodus. And the Internet is strong. 

It show the parasitive nature of CCM too. The demonic nature, even. For it is obvious, how the Good Lord God Jah would never "elect" people to "plug gaps" in "industries" where His very people and message become products because of their faith. Visions in which supernatural beings tell people to "plug gaps in "Christian" industries" can therefore never be from the Most High. 

The Good Lord wiped the merchandizers away from the Temple Yard. The Good Lord warned His children against the false teachers:

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: (2 Peter 2:-3)

And it shows. After Mohr was tempted with feigned words about becoming a monopolist in an industry, to become the "founder of Gospel Reggae" with the "annointing" of "god" similar as that to King David and Moses, he is now faced with the evident lie he believed in.

Christian Reggae artists and listeners have now become merchandise in the "Gospel Reggae Industry"...

And that fact reaches way beyond any personal problem, any personal feeling. It is a thing which should be exposed. We pray for Mark Mohr, and we pray for those around him that know all of this and try to reach him too. 

We have actually warned and spoken out against the forming of a "Reggae" branch in the CCM Industry. Like the Divine Saviour didn't want the merchandizers to be on the Temple Yard, He equally doesn't want His message of salvation and the Livity one can receive by becoming born again through the works of Jesus Christ to become mere products in a so-called "Christian Industry".

Christafari's front man Mark Mohr, however, still has a completely different vision on that. He actually claims that God called and chose him to become the Monopolist in an industry which only carries the name "Christian" as a trademark. In publications, he compares the Christian Reggae Industry with the Kingdom of Israel and himself with "leaders like Moses and David". This very serious and blasphemic teaching stands at the cradle of Christafari and the "Gospel Reggae" business.

Business?

Oh yes!

Christafari, as said, is no longer the only one trying to get some place in the Christian Industry. We have a complete "army" of "christian soldiers" all screaming that "Gospel Dancehall" and "Gospel Reggae" is going to have "dominion" over the "secular" Dancehall and Reggae.

And so, well over a decade after Mohr started to believe that he was called by "God" to become the monopolist, he is now faced with the reality that he was fooled. He was only used by the powers behind the CCM Industry to start another money-making enterprise: "Gospel Reggae".

Our Lord and Saviour Yesus Kristos has said, that the pharisees go on world tour in order to make disciples worse than they themselves are:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15)

And so we see that the competition is not only growing, it's going further away from anything related to true Christianity than Christafari. 

THE GOSPEL AS A MONEY MAKER

Take for example this "Gospel Dancehall" artist. In a video-clip, he shows how Gospel Dancehall can bring just the same as "secular" Dancehall. 

Look at three stills from the video clip with his track "New Life" (DOWNLOAD), flashing his money around:

The video contains more elements, like driving in America in a big car and all of that. Is that why Jesus Christ went to the cross? In a track called "Doing Better", which follows the video clip of which we saw a few pictures, he says more or less that Jesus is going to make him rich, too...

Yes, in the Christian Industry the very Christian faith is the very product. Artists are literally sucked into it. It's still the lust of money and it's easy, too...

Instead of staying an artist in the Reggae Industry and help promote the music as a whole, a false appeal to the Christian faith is made and the artist is subsequently transformed into a marketable product: it's spiritual slavery in the Holy Name of Yesus Kristos the Divine Saviour! 

And that goes far. Very, very far. 

It has the most bizarre consequenses, too.

On the "Gospel Reggae" website, you can find people with the most bizarre ideas. Just look at this quote, taken from a discussion about "Reggaeton", a style deriving from Reggae with lyrics often in the Spanish language (emph. by author of this article):

It is yeilding the the spirit that inhabits the beat. And since it is a secular riddim then i am worried. Cuz if you buy it cuz you like the beat then and dont really understand all the lyrics then ammm........are you being ministered to? Or are you just ingesting a ketchy beat?

This would be ok to me if it were a gosple riddim ( cuz christians produced it and it has a godly spirit associated with it). But since it it is a secular riddim i am bothered. That is why i asked if these beats are prayed over and blessed by the christian artists that use them..........

The Holy Spirit inhabits the bodies of those who are born again through Yesus Kristos. He doesn't inhabit "the beat", the "product". That is truly a very false doctrine. And it brings people to creating industries with "Holy Ghost annointed" products. 

The point is: whether you are an artist or not, when you are a Christian then you are considered holy for who you are in Him. And who you are is given to you freely by the Good Lord God Jah Almighty through the works of His Son Yesus Kristos Who payed a terrible price for it. You shouldn't build an industry and market something which is given to you for free.

With a buying audience that considers the products to be holy, almost worshipping these products, an audience that doesn't even believe how you can use a riddim which is not directly created by workers in the Gospel Industry unless it's prayed over and blessed by the christian artists that use them, your income is guaranteed. But that income will not be eternally... 

Christafari started it all, based on some kind of supernatural vision that has no precedence in the Bible. They claim "credit" for it and want everyone to know. Where in fact, it's condemned by the very same Bible which they claim to adhere to. 

"By it's fruits ye shall recognize the tree", Jesus said. 

"Have no participation in the works of evil, but rather expose them", the prophet said.

"Step Out Of Her My People, So That Ye Shall Not Receive Of The Wrath", JAH said.

And so, in 2006, it seems like the Gospel Reggae Dancehall Industry is heading towards newer grounds, where even Christafari didn't trod before. Boldly proclaiming that they're gonna make some serious money in the Name of Yesus, the second generation of "Gospel Reggae" artists have become twice as bad. And that's "bad" as in "bad", not as in "good".

There have been reports about how the business is run. There's nothing "Christian" about it. The CRC has had private reports on bad business in the Gospel Reggae industry, too: from deception of customers to bad payments to artists.

We have, as said, focused a a lot on Christafari. But we must now come to recognize, that probably Christafari had it's longest time allready. Christafari served it's purpose, which wasn't as much to plug the gap in the christian Industry, but to create a gap between Christians and non-Christians working in the Reggae Industry.

There are those who see in the Gospel Reggae Industry a Babylonian attempt to destroy and divide Reggae Music. We believe this, too. Babylon did it before. In order to limit the strength of the Sounds of Freedom that is Reggae, we know that they've killed Bob Marley and injected cokane and violence into "Dancehall". 

Whatever the case, fact is that the parasite called CCM has now arrived in the Reggae Culture, only to steal and divide in the Name of Jesus. 

Where shall this all lead to? We'll keep you informed.

NOTE: the text of this page has been changed, after new information came to the surface.

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