NYC Rapper Brimstone, Saved in Prison, Combines Passions for Rap and Evangelism Into a 'Train Ministry'
'Jesus Tells Me to Go Out and Sow His Seed, So That's What I Do,' Says Gospel Rapper Born Elsworth Hewitt
"You know, I was baptized in prison and I found the Lord in prison, and I changed from a worldly evil rapper to a Gospel rapper in prison. So prison basically birthed Brimstone," he said during a phone call later that day. He shared how it was "definitely the Bible" that helped set him on the course to becoming a follower of Jesus, "and the church in prison."
"That's where my conversion happened and that's where I really blossomed with my Gospel rap," Brimstone explained. "And the Lord used prison to turn me to Him and I feel, you know, Brimstone was birthed in prison and Jesus has saved me from everything, everything. He saved me from all types of evil, bad things that I used to do, because I used to be in the street doing anything and everything. He changed me."
"Through His Word and His Holy Spirit and His love, He changed my heart, that's all I can say. And He continues to do it on a daily basis. He puts good desires in me, where I don't desire to do the bad things I used to do anymore. He saved me from everything. He saved me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, in every way, shape and form. In the physical and in the spiritual," the rapper said.
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Christ's sacrifice you must accept
Or He'll decrease your life when you awake from the dead
And hold you accountable for those sins on you head, sinner!
You heard what I said? Now hear what I say
They gone put you in the dirt, in the earth to decay
All alone you're gonna rot in that spot where you lay
And Jesus the only one who can take you away
How will you pay for your sins when you're called to account?
The blood of Christ is God's only amount
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Brimstone said he does not listen to other similar artists, or to any kind of rap music nowadays.
"Honestly, to tell you the truth, no. No. Honestly, no. No," he said when asked if there were other Gospel rappers or Christian hip-hop artists that he listens to or admires.
"The Gospel rap that's out now, to tell you the truth, like, I just don't be feeling it. I just don't, to tell you the truth. I mean God bless them all, but I just don't feel 'em," he added.
The rapper told CP that he has been attending Friendly Baptist Church in the Bronx for the last three years, but had just moved days prior and was considering looking for a church closer to his new home in Harlem in Manhattan.
"I feel my calling is not to the church," he said. "Meaning, you know, you have pastors and pastors pastor the churches. But me, I feel my calling is to the lost sheep, to the people that are not in the church."
Brimstone never received any kind of special training to evangelize, but said his foundation for ministry is "straight [from] the Holy Spirit and the Word of God."
Asked if he had any final thoughts he wanted to share before hanging up, Brimstone responded: "Yes, that Jesus saves. And without Him, they're gonna perish. Their soul is gonna perish. They need Jesus, that's what I want them to know, that they need Him to live, to forgive them of their sins."
Brimstone is the truth (i.e., genuinely converted) and "one of a kind, a special young man," according to his former prison chaplain.
"There is the notion that once these guys make their [mistakes] and they wind up in jail, there's a notion by some that they can never change, they can never amount to anything positive or good. That's not true at all. I've seen some great lives come out of jail, changed lives," said Cato.
As for Brimstone, "He's one of the success stories," said Cato. "I've been a chaplain at [Rikers Island] for the past 30 years, and so when I say he's one of the success stories, he is, you know."
