Gospel Hip hop's home during Urban Gospel Music Week

LOS ANGELES (Urban Gospel Alliance Website) - The Urban Gospel Alliance (UGA) has partnered with TRUTH entertainment, an L.A.-based production and promotions company, to bring The Underground ~ Gospel Hip Hop Sanctuary as part of UGA's Urban Gospel Music Week. This event will be held on Saturday, July 10th at 8pm on the campus of the University of Southern California.

The Underground is a live show that TRUTH launched to fulfill a need the company recognized in the Gospel Hip Hop community. "We started The Underground to provide a central location for artists, those that enjoy the music and those that are just curious, to congregate and have fun," states Nicole Smith who co-founded TRUTH with her friend Carla Yorke. "Our main goal is to bring more attention to this powerful music genre that has the ability to speak words of life through Jesus Christ to our Hip Hop generation." And, TRUTH is appealing to this generation's ear by incorporating some of the fundamental elements of Hip Hop into the event, including freestyling. "We think freestyling is an important part of Hip Hop. So, we give the MCs an opportunity to flex their skills during a 'spiritual freestyle session.' But, to truly represent, the MCs must also know the Word," Carla explains.

UGA shares the goal of broadening the reach of Gospel Hip Hop, as well as, other forms of urban contemporary gospel music. Therefore, it only seemed fitting that these two organizations would unite during Urban Gospel Music Week. "It was an easy decision to partner with TRUTH. We like what they are doing in Los Angeles for Gospel Hip Hop and their audience seems to trust them to bring positive, quality entertainment," says Curtis Jermany, the National Director for UGA.

The July 10th Underground event will feature live performances from Gospel Hip Hop artists including Eastwood, Izreal, Jah Word and Sevin, a DJ spinning urban gospel music and TRUTH's unique gospel freestyle session.