Simon Cox Blog: The DJ Making the Angels Rap

Thursday 18 August 2016

The DJ Making the Angels Rap

Christian hip-hop remembers the legacy of the late DJ Official.

If you heard a Christian rap song over the past 15 years and thought, “That sounds like a hit,” there’s a good chance DJ Official was involved.

Since 2001, the hip-hop artist acted as a pioneering DJ and producer for two of the genre’s best-known labels, Cross Movement Records and Reach Records. He collected Stellar, Dove, and Grammy Awards by crafting songs for artists like Lecrae, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., Flame, Shai Linne, Tedashii, Ambassador, and Urban D.

DJ Official, whose real name was Nelson Chu, left this world Sunday, dying at age 39 due to complications from a recent double lung transplant. After being diagnosed with multiple myeloma six years ago, Chu cycled between serious health issues and crowdfunded treatments. The collaborators, fellow artists, and fans who rallied around his music also became his biggest supporters throughout his illness.

Weeks after posting prayers for Chu’s July 30 surgery, the heartbroken Christian hip-hop community shared their condolences for the beloved DJ, who leaves behind a wife and two daughters.

“Many don’t realize DJ Official was one of my biggest advocates when I first started. He made sure my music was heard,” Lecrae said in Reach’s post on his passing. On Instagram, Lecrae wrote, “I wouldn’t be here without @DJOfficialDJ #restinparadise we miss you.”

DJ Official, nicknamed “Fish,” helped shape the Christian hip-hop sound and raise the quality of production to what it’s become today. He leaves behind a massive legacy: a music ministry career that bridged generations, credits on nearly 160 hip-hop songs that exalted Jesus, and a spirit that embodied a Job-like faith in God’s will.

Fish began ...