Christian hip-hop artists J. Crum and DJ Mykael have joined forces to address recent tragedy.
September experienced a wave of natural disasters historic in nature through various regions of the United States and Mexico. Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, and Irma displaced millions of Florida residents. Hurricane Maria ravished Puerto Rico, making landfall on September 20, and two earthquakes (8.1 and 7.1 in magnitude) left Mexico crumbled in the span of two weeks (September 8 and 19). Infrastructures were destroyed and hundreds of people died.
CHH's own DJ Mykael V had a personal connection to the destruction in Puerto Rico. When the hurricane (Maria) hit, he explains the situation his direct family experienced: "My parents and entire family were out there. They were trapped in a stairwell for eight plus hours with no form of communication nor the means for others to reach them. I was super scared and worried, I prayed without ceasing for that entire night asking God to protect my family and friends out there. I had absolute zero communication with any of my family for three straight days. Then, I heard from them and I was beyond relieved! Once they told me everything that happened and the destruction that occurred, I felt hurt, helpless to an island that helped shape me into who I am and the things that mold me culturally. So much of my identity and my family heritage (and lineage) are wrapped up in that island."
As DJ Mykael V processed his thoughts, he wanted to help, and the only way he felt he could help was through the creative mind God had gifted him with. On September 27, he tweeted out a series of messages discussing the state of Puerto Rico and the idea he had for raising relief funds through a shirt design. At this point, J. Crum met the call out in social media and contacted him as someone who has performed graphic design work before. The two artists collaborated not on a track, but on ideas for a beautiful cause to help out victims of two regions hit hard by hurricanes and earthquakes.
After an all-night brainstorming session, the end product is the t-shirt and hat design which you can see below:
The "Together As One" slogan embodies the idea of the Body coming together as one church, one Body, one mission helping not only the victims of Puerto Rico and Mexico, but the entire world. To be the change and live a gospel-centered life showcasing Christ in our lives to help the needy and disenfranchised, making the world a much better place to reside.
To order either a shirt, hat, or a package of both, check out DJ Mykael V's personal site for details
here. With each package or individual item purchased, the funds will go directly to
SomosUna Voz and Direct Impact Fund, helping specifically with ground relief in devastated Puerto Rico and Mexico. To date, they've received over 30 orders, and they're nearly at $1,000 in financial aid.
You can keep up with DJ Mykael V's efforts on his Twitter account found
here.
