Maina Mwaura chats with Rapper, Author, and Pastor Trip Lee:

I’ve only been a writer/ interviewer for a few months but one of the things that I love about interviewing people is doing the research beforehand.

So when I received the phone call while already on assignment that the artist, Trip Lee, had time to be interviewed, I felt very unprepared. I dislike not being prepared when going into an interview with someone who is willing to give me their valuable time to speak with them. I only had one night to prepare, which is very unusual,I felt like a student who had just been told that a surprise exam was coming, so I started to prepare as much as I could. 

As I researched, I remember looking through his many accomplishments and his calling to move to Atlanta to help start a church in an economically challenged area. However, I must admit, that as I got on the phone to speak with him, I still did not feel up to the part, but I knew after asking him the first question that I was more than ready. And I was surprised by what he offered during the interview.

His latest project—The Waiting Room—is more than just a neat title. It’s a project that even he would admit that he struggles with waiting . He admitted that he wanted added more songs to the project. But, in my opinion, he brings something that few artist bring to the genre of Christian music, which is the understanding that we all need the  spiritual discipline of patience.  

I was reminded time and again during the interview, if I am to live out the life that God has for me, being patient (i.e. waiting on God), is a necessity to live a spirit-filled life. I may not have been prepared for the interview as I wanted to be but I walked away being very prepared that God was calling me to the spiritual discipline of patience. 

Trip Lee is an acclaimed hip-hop recording artist, author, pastor and founder of BRAG. His latest release, The Waiting Room,  is the first taste of new music from Trip Lee since his fifth LP Rise (2014) which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Rap chart and #16 on the Billboard 200. Throughout the 10 songs of the mixtape, Trip wrestles with joy and pain, life and death, and the realities of our current social and political climate.  Though its title speaks to things like patience and contentment the urgency is also deeply felt.  “This earth is a place where all of our longings just won’t come true,”  Trip explains. “We’re always waiting for things to be made right.”

Pick up The Waiting Room on iTunes today!

MAINA MWAURA loves to guide student leaders. He is the husband of Tiffiney and has a two-year-old daughter name Zyan. Maina, lives in the Atlanta area and is the mobilization pastor at West Ridge Church. Check out more info at MAINASPEAKS.COM