Issue Date: 10/26/09
DJ FOG raps to a higher power
By Yvonne Lanot
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Anthony Perez, who goes by the stage name of FOG (Follower of God), is a 26-year-old Palomar student who tries to spread the Gospel through rap while promoting God, instead of himself.
When asked about what influenced him to make his raps, FOG said, "I really appreciate 'true' hip-hop, the artists that hip-hop, the artists that are real lyrical and have some real content. I started listening to this music back in 1991 or 1992; I was like in the third grade, living in L.A., and just fell in love with the music and culture."
While many kids and students watch MTV and listen to hip-hop, FOG tried a different approach to rapping.
"I feel the need to write about God, because that's what's in my heart. That's the problem with most hip-hop today, it's write about God, because that's what's in my heart. That's the problem with most hip-hop today, it's that people are writing about what they think will sell, or coming up with some A-B-C Sesame Street rhymes to make another lame dance song, but it's all gimmicks," FOG said through an e-mail. "Real hip-hop is whatever is in your heart, like poetry, but most don't really know the true essence of this culture."
In 2004, after many obstacles to get his music career started, he recorded his first LP album called "Spiritual Alliance."
According to his Web site fog40and40.com, "FOG's main goal with his music is to bless, those who are believers, with something positive and God-centered to listen to, and also for those who don't know the Lord, something to take in through tight rhymes and beats."
In his song "What U Want," instead of rapping about violence like many of the rapping artists do, FOG raps about controversial issues like firearms and their negative impact.
"It's the music that promotes sin and evil that is dangerous. Many of the kids listening to this stuff, start thinking it's cool to gang-bang, sling rocks, or carry a gun and it ain't, that life just leads to pain, destruction and, in the end, emptiness," FOG said.
In his album, he spreads the Gospel through rap. In each song, he starts with catchy, uplifting beats that pull people in to listen to his music.
"I would say that regardless of what you do or don't believe in, you should check this out, because it's real and from the heart. I worked hard to make sure all the beats and songs were different from the next. There is too much music out there, where the songs all start to sound the same and it gets boring - this CD ain't like that."
Ultimately, FOG, who records with many other artists, said, "The reason that I write about God and Jesus is because God is the one who gave me the gift of music and flowing, so I feel it's only right to glorify him and give credit to the one who gave me the talent."
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