Solomonstarr
Born and Raised in New York City, Solomon Starr is a gifted Gospel Hip-Hop Minister. Solomon began rapping at age nine during the height of a Crack Epidemic. The intensity of crime in his neighborhood presented Solomon with threatening obstacles that challenged his development into mature adulthood. Witnessing robberies and murders in the hallways of his apartment building forced him to transform his confusion and anxiety into lyrics. Although writing helped ease the agony of adolescence, much of the comfort he received came from the spiritual direction he gained through active involvement in church. Solomon diligently sought to have a relationship with God at a young age and came to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior following a powerful conversion experience at the age of fifteen. This experience increased his desire to share the message of Christ with his peers. However, as leader of his church’s Youth Group, Solomon realized the difficulty of sharing the Gospel with teens who faced the hardships of an urban environment. Confronted with this bitter reality, Solomon abandoned the Church after graduating High School in order to seek understanding in other places. His journey snatched him from the chaotic streets of Washington Heights and introduced him to the peaceful neighborhoods of Pella, Iowa. Although his surroundings were quite calm, the inner turmoil of a broken relationship with God raged within him. This, coupled with the experience of intense racism at Central College, forced Solomon to turn towards a lifestyle full of drugs and alcohol. Although he pursued a B.A. Religion, a life of Holiness was far from his mind. Heavy drinking, drug abuse and minor drug trafficking would be the pattern for most of his college life. Although he sought to numb the pain through such destructive behavior, Solomon could not erase his need for reconciliation with God. Thankfully, reconciliation came for Solomon in March 2003 during a night so distressful he thrust himself to his knees and cried out to God in repentance. This event began the rapid transformation that landed Solomon in Crossroads Tabernacle where he now participates as a member of the StoryTellas, a gospel music ministry that evangelizes in prisons, churches and streets throughout the tri-state area. In addition, Solomon Starr is currently pursuing a Masters in Divinity at New Brunswick Theological Seminary and is serving as Director of Youth at Fort Washington Collegiate Church. Although he once basked in the prestige of sharing stages with secular Hip-Hop acts such as The Roots, Das Efx, and Wu-Tang Clan, Solomon Starr finds no greater satisfaction than following Christ as he helps transform people through the powerful gifts given to him by God.
Solomonstarr by Franny Glass January 11, 2009
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