Music artists GT x Johnnyphlo x J. Han x Jae Jin got together on a very personal song. Started back in 2009, the track “Speaking Up” is a snapshot exploration of each artist’s individual faith and their interaction with God. The song uses the instrumental from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s “I Tried”. The single was finally finished in the beginning of 2011 and is being publicly released for the first time. This is the first single off the upcoming mixtape GT & Friends, due later this year.

You can download the single below:

Speaking Up by GT x Johnnyphlo x J. Han x Jae Jin

Lyrics to Speaking Up by GT x Johnnyphlo x J. Han x Jae Jin

GT:
Yo I’m here to talk alone ’cause I want an honest moment
‘Cause I’m tryna skip the acts.. like goin from John to Romans
God, I know I lost my focus, and I’ve broken promises
Forgot all the motives had as a hopeful college kid
A few bad experiences backed me off the church route
Used to be on fire for You but I gradually just burnt out
Became luke warm, like the disciple with a fever
Started talkin to Ya less, livin life like I didnt need Ya
‘Cause I knew if I followed You, I would have to discern
Between what Ya want me to do and what I thought I deserved
So I’ll give Ya more in tithe but I’m holding back my heart
Though I need You in my life, I don’t know where to start
After growing worlds apart I’ve learned a lot, thats for sure
Like life without You may be easier, not happier
All these years that I’ve wasted, God I wish I could take it back
Since You are the truth its time I look & face the facts

Johnnyphlo:
수많은 거짓들과 잘못된 버릇을 다
버리지 못해 어느새 당신과 멀어진 나
그 모든 것이 쓸모없다는걸 아는데
평소엔 이성적이고 똑똑한 나인데
맘으론 알면서도 보이진 못해
머리론 알면서도 느끼진 못해
1분 1초도 내겐 너무 바빠
잘못을 알아도 고칠 틈이 없네
난 나를 알아,
고칠점을 알면서 그냥 살아
독인줄 알면서 먹는 열매가 내게는 너무나 달아
나도 내가 왜 이러는지는 모르겠어
지금을 살기 위해 내 믿음이 목을 맸어
멀리 보는 눈이 멀어, 바로 앞만 보고 걸어
이 더러운 세상을 걸어가며 내 혼은 발을 저러
이 무거운 짐들을 들고 어디까지 갈까
짐에 가려진 내가 등 진 그곳은 너무도 밝다

J. Han:
Dear Lord, First of all I gotta thank You,
cause You are Sovereign, Righteous, and always Faithful.
Anytime I let the flesh win, the guilt sets in.
But I know those feelings are from satan, not from heaven.
Even through the conviction and the correction
You stood next to me, – whispering the plans of Your direction.
No matter how much I try to guard my heart-
You still see the beauty in me like the Taj Mahal.
I know I am a sinner, You take me as I am.
I’m in need of Grace like Kelly, I’m a wretched man.
You gave me victory over all things that hinder me.
Shaping and refining me – to become – who I’m supposed to be.
I speak Hebrews 12 verses 7 to 11
-to all the brothers who endeavor to be set free.
I plead the blood of freedom over all of us
Because Jesus took the cross so we could live victorious.

Jae Jin(Hook/Chorus):
Though I often turn away, Your mercy brings me back to You
You hold my sin and take my shame and I just wanna say…
Though I often turn away, Your mercy brings me back to You
Got nothing else to offer You but still I want to say…

Rapper Mondega released the track “Lost in a Masquerade”. The song blends R&B and hip hop as Mondega reflects on fame and how it changes people’s perception of him. While we’ve seen many Asian American rappers produce great music, they’re not getting rich off of it. The message is similar to Just Like You by J. Reyez x Jin.

Here’s more song from Mondega: All I Got is Myself, Superman, and Music For the People,

Lost in a Masquerade by Mondega (contains profanity)

Lyrics to Lost in a Masquerade by Mondega

pardon if i sound hypocritical, but there’s more to this
game than being lyrical brains without a clue on how to live
forgive me if i tickle the wrong thoughts
i know you’re the shit and all,
but i can’t do a song wit ‘cha
i’mma tell you bam told me,
we’ll network someday, keep on doing ya thing
and three years later, i stepped up to the plate
lac saw the vision and flew me to LA
amazed by the palm trees, smoking in my room
made a few friends, then i was back like boom
the girls at my day was looking like ugh
and the girl i was dating started feeling insecure
going back and forth over business and pleasure
while my friend write me letters staring at a prison
i find the motivation cause he tell me do better
but the curse about fame is everybody think you changed

between all the speculations that’s parked on my lane
they treat me like a local just to profit off my name
i’m trying to make a living cause life is full of dead ends
everybody wanna smoke, but nobody wanna put in
but i’m not a dummy, the dress don’t fit me
if you ain’t breaking bread, get the fuck out my kitchen
i could care less if the A and Rs are listening
the college still pay me like i was a professor
this is my profession, you ready for your lessons
offering me deals when i’m better independent
everybody want to rap, and it’s really quite sad
when you could do more if you focus on the math
stay in class, graduate, man i’m trying to do the same
cause what you gone when the industry changes
still broke as f*ck, but you still ain’t get the picture
man you need to quit and start doing something different