At 17 years of age, Rubadub left home to pursue his life. He felt the rules at home were just too strict and too confining. His mother tried her best to teach Rubadub the Scriptures, and to raise him in a Godly way, but he rebelled.

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He grew up in the heart of the Hip-Hop generation, right outside of Los Angeles. He first learned how to scratch and mix when he was 13, and by the time he was 14, he had it down! Run D.M.C., Roxanne, Fat Boys, Cool J, Egyptian Lover, World Class Wreckin' Crew (before Dre became a gangsta), U.T.F.O., and on and on were in. It was a time when rap was a less competitive, less demanding art form. At the age of 15 Rubadub was writing his own rhymes, and bustin 'em everywhere.

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"Me and my homies would come home after school," said Rubadub, "put down the books, and pick up a mic! Those days were the bomb."

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As he grew older, life inevitably grew more complex. He took on jobs (some times three at a time during the summer months) and he began buying the things he saw his homies had-the clothes, the shoes, the gold chains and all.

"The root of all evil seemed to quickly overtake me," said Rubadub. "Money became my sole ambition-my reason for living. Finally, I realized that the $3 .35 I was making at Taco Bell wasn't gonna get it. "

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He and his friends began robbing houses twice a week, and were eventually doing it every day. The money I made off of stolen gold chains and VCR's still was not enough to satisfy his hunger for material possessions. Soon he began selling marijuana, and eventually crack cocaine. One arrest led to another, and by the time he was 18 years old, he wanted a change.

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"My life was going nowhere fast," said Rubadub. "and I could hear the very faint voice of the Holy Spirit calling me to come back home. Still I felt I wasn't ready to give my life to the Lord. "

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One day in the projects selling dope, the police rolled up in about 6 cars. Each car was about 5 officers deep. He got away, but his partner was apprehended and beaten down. It was then that Rubadub decided he would take a safer road to riches as a gangsta rapper.

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Rubadub got his big break when BMI invited him to Hollywood for an audition. They became very interested in Rubadub's talent but he lacked motivation and direction and never followed through with the deal.

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He kept writing songs - songs laced with profanity and violence, telling of the only life he knew.

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"You see, I thought that money would buy me happiness, " said Rubadub, "but I had money, and I was more miserable than without it. I thought I needed the love that came from my O.G. gangsta homies, or from my girlfriends, but they too had failed to fill the growing void within my heart. In fact, it was a rare day when I didn't have at least fifteen homies to kick it with, but they were just like me-searching for meaning in life, but not knowing exactly where to find it."

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Desperately he decided to turn to the Bible for answers. He said he had many questions, and the Lord answered every one. Thus, he was led to Christ by Christ himself! From that point on he decided that he would live for Jesus Christ! He was no longer going to rap because after all, rap was "the music of Satan." That is what he was told.

"You see, when I finally said," said Rubadub, "God I give up my music, and He said 'And I give it right back to you, go and use it for My glory.' What?! I thought...No way! Anyway, who ever heard of Christian Rap???" (This was back in '88.)

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He decided to maintain his decision to give up rap completely, yet lyrics kept coming to him. Gradually, he again began writing them down and reciting them. They were Christian!!

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The Lord gave him a good friend named D-Boy Rodriguez. He recalls a show spending the night over at D-Boy's crib watching an M.C. Hammer video, "Man I'm never gonna sell out. I'm gonna keep on doin' it for Jesus until I die. And that's exactly what I intend to do. When I leave earth, or whenever Jesus returns to take me home. I will have done all that I could do to live a holy, consecrated life before God, and to serve my fellow man."

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taken from grapetreerecords.com

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