Troy and Todd Collins, formerly of Gotee Records fame, have chosen to show the world that Evangelical Christian youth pastor rap isn't dead (you know, just in case the world was worried). In fact, it will soon be flooding the market.

             Producer Todd Collins (dc Talk, Audio Adrenaline) has picked up several acts for his new label, Beatmart Recordings (an imprint of Evangelical Christian media company, BHT Entertainment), that he says "really deserve a shot in the market," including southern rapper Pettidee (formerly of Three the God Way) and Maryland first-timers Fresh Digress. Beatmart has announced four albums for release in the next few weeks, and Sony's Provident Music Group has picked them up for distribution, making sure that the records will be available in Wal-Marts, Borders, and your local record store.

             Meanwhile Beatmart's Pettidee is currently on location in Louisiana for his acting debut in a feature film starring Kane and Abel of Master P/No Limit Records, scheduled for release later this year.

Beatmart releases to watch for(?):

Fresh Digress - Fresh Digress - 7 Mar 06
Japhia Life - Fountain of Life - 21 Mar 06
Pettidee - Thug Love - 4 Apr 06
Rob Hodge - Born King - 18 Apr 06

P.S. "Jesus, please come soon. This afternoon." —Jason Martin

             P.P.S. We have also gotten word that the Christian Rock band MuteMath has gotten caught trying to sneak from Evangelical Christian World into the real world. The smuggling attempt was apparently thwarted when the band—led by keyboardist and former Earthsuit of Sparrow Records fame member, Paul Meany—found out that the hyper-Evangelical record label Word Records was still sticking their logo on the band's releases because of a "Christian Market deal" Warner Bros. did with EMI. The band is suing for damages to their image (I'm not making this shit up, it was in Billboard), saying that they did not want to be known as a Christian band. They just wanted to make money playing lucrative Evangelical Christian events, festivals, etc., as well as getting their break into the record industry via the Evangelical Christian marketplace—but being known as a band that plays lucrative Evangelical Christian events, festivals, etc., and that gets a recording contract because of its close Evangelical Christian marketplace ties—frick that, mother-jerks!