Interview: Tye Tribbett - Gospel Singer and Songwriter - Page 3

You have developed a reputation for having an Energizer Bunny kind of energy during your live performances. With God's assistance, of course, how do you sustain such high levels of energy?

Skittles, man [laughing]. I keep a healthy diet. I don't really worry about the exercise part because we get that when we're on the stage.

While on tour, there are certain songs that you wind up singing a countless number of times. Is there a particular one that, when you sing, your energy level shoots through the roof?

Oh, my goodness. All of them! [laughing] "So Amazing," man. I love that and the whole choir.

One of my favorite songs is one of your earliest. It's called "You Can Change." What life events inspired the song's conception? And what does the song mean to you today?

My cousin Shawn is who I was thinking about when I wrote that song. We both grew up in church, but it was so difficult for him to come back to the Lord. I was trying to convince him, "Look man, you have a choice. God ain't mad at you. God don't hate you." This is for anybody who's not where they should be in God - including myself. God is never so mad that He won't receive you. If you want, you can change. I was saying that to Shawn, and it was so powerful that the song came from that conversation.

Another one of my favorite songs is "Good in the Hood." You have gone on record, however, to state that you didn't really intend it for the church. What challenges do you face when you want to market your music to mainstream audiences?

This is the first I ever, ever, ever directed my music to certain black people. I just write and work with God and whoever listens to it, praise God. Whoever don't, praise God. This is for the street. I was locked up for a little while and a song came from that. The guys were like, "Aren't you the guy from BET?" It was so funny. But I had some serious conversations. And I said, "Man, there are some good guys in here, but they made some bad decisions and got caught in those bad decisions." There is some good out there. I'm a product of the hood - I'm from Camden, myself. It's just putting it to a place where the light don't shine. There are diamonds in the rough there. I encourage people who may not get that shine and say, "Now, I see you. I see the good in you." So, it's not really for the church and for the people that get the shine. These are for those that never get seen, but they're working at the airports, UPS and all that stuff – it's for them. Some of them are in church, as well.

Article Author: Clayton Perry

Clayton Perry's mission parallels that of John Hope Franklin, Marcus Garvey and Carter G. Woodson. As the founder of the NUBIANO Project, Perry facilitates the design of projects that give voice to the Black diaspora, empower the Black community, …

Visit Clayton Perry's author page — Clayton Perry's Blog