Ep. 17: Knowdaverbs Chats with Chunjay: A conversation on hip-hop, belief in God, and perfecting your art.

Brews, Beards, & Shipwrecks

Brews, Beards, Shipwrecks Podcast. //This is a first! Two new episodes in one day! Enjoy this Monday two-fer.//

Michael Boyer, aka Knowdaverbs, sits down with Chunjay to compare notes.

How we met. How he got the idea to leave Phoenix and move to Nashville.

Clips from “The Latte, Latte Show” from Royal Ruckus’s Self-Titled album.

Rooming with Coffee and Bonafide of GRITS. DJ Form. 1996-2004, roommates, label mates, and tour mates.

Soup the Chemist album listening party—“The James Brown of Christian Hip-Hop.” The article by Chunjay: https://web.archive.org/web/20030427172424/http://www.razormouth.com:80/archives/00000012.htm

Chunjay test-drove Verbs’s Range Rover.

“Moment of Zen” by Royal Ruckus from The Summer of the Cicadas.

How did you decide to become a rapper?

On a life-changing conversion.

“Prepaid” by Knowdaverbs (featuring GRITS and Nirva Dorsaint) from the Verbs: Unlocked album.

On becoming a Christian rapper. Started writing raps at 12. Went to an SFC show and met Soup and DJ Dove.

Following the Christian rap scene.

On getting signed to Gotee Records.

On spending too much time with your friends.

“Call of the Dung Beetle” by Knowdaverbs (featuring Pigeon John and GRITS) from The Syllabus LP.

On reuniting with the crew.

On his various records released. Chunjay once made a display for him in a store.

What caused Knowdaverbs to go out on his own. Does he have more music in front of him?

Knowdaverbs on his faith and how he desires to express it.

On being a dad and a husband and growing in faith.

On seasons in life.

On creating art and sharing it with others.

“What Do You Think of That?” by Knowdaverbs from The Action Figure.

On battling to create your best art vs. industry pressures.

“There are things God allows us to go through to burn things into us or burn things out of us.”

Knowdaverbs on how he views success in artists, and glorying God.

On relying on God.

SHIPWRECKS!

Knowdaverbs had his confidence shaken in God about 8 years ago. He began to study to explore his faith deeper.

Wizard of Oz’s man behind the curtain.

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

Knowdaverb’s faith now.

Chunjay on his own faith in Christ and why.

Chunjay on St. Ignatius the martyr, and early Christian history.

On willingness to die as a martyr.

“Transmissional” by Royal Ruckus (featuring Spoken Nerd and Bobby Exodus) from Rumors of Our Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated.

On beard care. On beard oils. RR beard oil available here: http://royalruckus.bandcamp.com/merch

Knowdaverbs loves sandalwood.

Knowdaverbs loves Baja fish tacos.

Hip-hop pet peeves?

“Screen Door” by GRITS (featuring Knowdaverbs) from Mental Releases.

Chunjay on A Tribe Called Quest, and how they recorded their last record. Everyone had to be in the studio to work together!

“Think of how the listener benefits from the level of art that gets created for that situation. We used to do that all that all the time, man. Somebody would go in and just kill it, and you’d be like, ‘Hold up, give me about 20 more minutes while I rewrite my verse.’”

Podcast recommendation: Tim Keller from Redeemer Church in New York.

Reader recommendation: Russell Moore.

Social: @iknowverbs

Chunjay's Socials: @royalruckus and @royalruckusofficial

Shoutouts: Grits, DC Talk, Out of Eden, Steve Curtis Chapman, Reese Witherspoon, Donna Summers, Tower Records, Travis Tritt, Soup the Chemist and his book “Through My Windows,” Cross Movement, Steven Wiley’s Bible Break, T-Bone, Dynamic Twins, Idol King, Kroger deli, J-King, Pigeon John, Aaron Porter, Zeitgeist movie, Baja Burrito, Blue Coast Burritos, Das Efx, Leaders of the New School, Souls of Mischief.

Background music by Gangstarr, Royal Ruckus.