Connect with us

News

Christian Hip Hop Pioneer, Nelson Chu (“DJ Official”) Passes Away at 39: Watch Video Tribute

Published

on

Spread the love

Yesterday, news was released that Nelson Chu (a.k.a. DJ Official) passed away due to complications related to a recent lung-transplant surgery.  The surgery happened at the climax of Official’s struggles with a rare form of cancer.  In 2010, he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone marrow cancer and struggled with emphysema, which caused the need for the double lung transplant. He is survived by his wife Teresa and their two children.

 


(Video Tribute by Anesha Collins of Unashamed Imaging)
 

DJ Official was a Grammy Award-winning producer and a pioneer in the Christian hip hop community.  He served as Lecrae’s tour deejay and produced for Reach Records as well as the legendary Hip Hop group, Cross Movement.  He also released a solo project in 2009 titled, “Enter Mission” which featured Lecrae, This’l, R-Swift, Tedashii, Sho Baraka and Trip Lee.  He retired from the music scene in 2014 because of health complications.  Prior to that time, DJ Official gave his all to some of the best in Christian Hip Hop.  His impact was felt in and outside of the CHH community.

Lecrae shared the following about his friend …

Many don’t realize DJ official was one of my biggest advocates when I first started. He made sure My music was heard. He took my live show to new heights and was the relational glue for many of us. For years his sound crafted the movement of believers doing hip hop. He’s a pioneer.”

HipHopdx.com posted this statement …

“…His impact extended beyond the Christian Hip Hop Community as Statik Selektah and others paid tribute to him on social media.  Street Symphony, who has worked with 2 Chainz and on Lecrae’s Grammy-winning Gravity album, also honored the producer.”

 

dj-official

 

Social Media posts about DJ Official’s impact have been flooding the timelines and media platforms of those who supported him. It’s clear that many were not just impacted by his music alone, but also by how he loved and supported his friends and family who were with him from the beginning.

 

 

“Along with his character and deep friendship, we remember what he meant musically to the movement.”

– Reach Records

 

 

 

 

 


Screen Shot 2016-08-15 at 8.11.15 PM
 

 


Screen Shot 2016-08-16 at 7.28.36 AM

 

In a previous 116 Life interview, when asked how the body of believers can pray for him, Official (affectionately known as “Fish” by his friends) had the following to say:

“Strength for my family. It’s so easy to forget the people behind the scenes who are with you every step of the way. My wife has been unbelievable. A truly GOD send and I ask for people to pray for her strength during this. Purpose. I want this all to be for a reason. I want GOD to get his glory from this. I want my life, my story to make a difference in other people’s lives. I want it to help strengthen people’s relationship with Christ and be more unashamed of the gospel than ever before.”  – DJ Official  

 

These words continue to be a prayer that the ArtSoul Radio team will pray
along with all of his fans on behalf of DJ Official’s closest family and loved onesdjofficial_blogbanner.

 

– Rest in heaven Nelson Chu (a.k.a. DJ Official). – 

 

 

HOW TO SUPPORT DJ OFFICIAL’S FAMILY:

 

  • Donate directly to DJ Official’s family financially by visiting their YouCaring page.

 

 

 

ArtSoul Radio is a 24/7, online Christian Radio Station and Entertainment news site promoting new and diverse sounds in Christian music! We highlight both indie and mainstream artists in Contemporary Gospel, Pop, Soul, Hip-Hop, Alternative, and Spoken Word Poetry.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Culture

Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore Announce Their Exits from Maverick City Music: The End of an Era and the Beginning of Something New

Published

on

Spread the love

Naomi Raine and Chandler Moore have officially announced their exits from Maverick City Music, marking a major shift for one of the most influential worship collectives of the past decade.

The news arrives without scandal or spectacle, but it still carries weight. Maverick City Music didn’t just produce songs — it helped reframe what worship could sound like, look like, and feel like for a generation raised on genre-blending playlists, vulnerability, and authenticity. Naomi and Chandler were central to that identity.

In many ways, the transition had already begun.

Just weeks before the announcement, Naomi Raine released her solo project, Jesus Over Everything, on September 14. The album feels stripped-back and intentional, less focused on communal anthems and more on personal conviction. Songs like “Lost in Hallelujah” lean into restraint rather than climax — worship that doesn’t rush resolution or try to sound bigger than it is.

Addressing the shift directly, Naomi framed the moment as growth rather than departure.

“This isn’t really an ending. It’s a new beginning. A new chapter,” she wrote. “I learned so much about God, about people, and about myself. Every song was written from a pure place — just wanting to please God.”

Her statement reflects a throughline that’s been present throughout her work: faith as something lived and evolving, not fixed or performative.

Chandler Moore followed with his own message, emphasizing clarity and forward momentum rather than nostalgia.

“These last few years have been locked in on what really matters in my life and my career,” he shared. “It’s been scary at times, but full of fresh vision and real excitement about the future.”

That recalibration has increasingly shaped Chandler’s solo direction, which he says is focused less on production and more on connection.

“I’m stepping into the next phase, ready to make music that helps people feel a little more human, a little more understood, and a little less alone.”

That approach mirrors what drew so many listeners to Maverick City Music in the first place. The collective disrupted traditional worship norms by embracing cultural nuance, emotional honesty, and musical hybridity — pulling from gospel, CCM, soul, and contemporary Black music without forcing clean lines between them.

Naomi and Chandler weren’t just contributors to that sound — they helped define it.

Their exits don’t signal an abandonment of that vision so much as an expansion of it. Naomi’s Jesus Over Everything and Chandler’s forthcoming solo work suggest both artists are exploring what faith-centered music looks like when it’s untethered from a single collective framework.

For fans, the moment may feel like the closing of a chapter — but Maverick City Music was always designed as a community, not a container. Its influence was never meant to stop at the group itself.

As Chandler put it plainly:

“The dream hasn’t changed. The sound continues.”

What changes now is scale and direction, not intent.

Naomi Raine and Chandler Moore aren’t leaving behind what they helped build. They’re carrying it forward — on their own terms, in their own voices, and into whatever comes next.


About ArtSoul Radio

ArtSoul Radio is a faith-forward media and culture platform spotlighting the intersection of Christian R&B, Gospel, CHH, and creative expression. Through storytelling, sound, and community, we amplify the voices shaping the next era of faith-driven culture.

Continue Reading

Culture

NEW MUSIC: Jonathan McReynolds & Jamal Roberts Deliver a Soulful Moment with “Still”

Published

on

Spread the love

Chicago was the backdrop for a moment you couldn’t script any better: GRAMMY®, Dove, and Stellar Award-winning powerhouse Jonathan McReynolds linking arms with American Idol Season 23 winner Jamal Roberts to deliver a live ballad that hits straight to the soul. Their new single, “Still,” isn’t just another worship record—it’s a reminder that God’s love is the one thing that doesn’t shift when life does.

Recorded live in McReynolds’ hometown, the song is lifted from his forthcoming project Closer—an album already carrying heavy anticipation. What unfolds in “Still” is classic Jonathan: heartfelt storytelling, layered with rich theology, now elevated by Roberts’ fresh, unshaken voice.

👉 Watch the live performance here.

Legacy Meets New Fire 🔥

Jonathan McReynolds has carved out a lane few can touch—an artist who makes Gospel feel as real as your group chat confessions. His catalog has always balanced honesty and worship, bringing Sunday morning depth into everyday playlists.

Enter Jamal Roberts: the new voice America fell in love with on American Idol. His win wasn’t just about vocal ability—it was about heart, authenticity, and the kind of presence that feels rare. Pairing him with McReynolds doesn’t just make sense; it feels prophetic. It’s the kind of intergenerational link-up that keeps Gospel fresh while honoring its roots.

The Vibe

With “Still,” Jonathan McReynolds and Jamal Roberts don’t just give us another Gospel single—they give us a soundtrack for resilience. It’s raw, it’s soulful, and it’s proof that the future of faith-based music is in good hands. Expect this one to be on repeat long after the Stellars.

Continue Reading

Culture

ArtSoul Radio & Actor Empowerment Summit Host Sneak Peek of BET+ Series Churchy with KevOnStage at XL Film Fest

Published

on

Spread the love

Chicago, IL — August 17, 2025 – ArtSoul Radio is teaming up with the XL Film Festival, The Actor Empowerment Summit, and BET+ to bring fans an exclusive sneak peek of KevOnStage’s hit comedy series Churchy. This one-night event will feature a special panel conversation with KevOnStage and the full cast, moderated by Chicago’s own Christal Luster, along with an advance screening of highlights from Season 2.

A First Look at Churchy Season 2

Fans will get a behind-the-scenes look at Season 2 of Churchy ahead of its official August 21 premiere on BET+. Kevin “KevOnStage” Fredericks returns as Pastor Corey Carr Jr., navigating church leadership, unexpected debts, and laugh-out-loud moments with his eccentric team. The new season promises fresh surprises with appearances by Tabitha Brown, Kirk Franklin, Lecrae, Keith Lee, Tony Baker, and many more.

Chicago Exclusive – Then Available for ArtSoul Radio Community Members

Chicago, IL — August 17, 2025 – ArtSoul Radio is teaming up with the XL Film Festival, The Actor Empowerment Summit, and BET+ to bring fans an exclusive sneak peek of KevOnStage’s hit comedy series Churchy. This one-night event will feature a special panel conversation with KevOnStage and the full cast, moderated by Chicago’s own Christal Luster, along with an advance screening of highlights from Season 2.

A First Look at Churchy Season 2

Fans will get a behind-the-scenes look at Season 2 of Churchy ahead of its official August 21 premiere on BET+. Kevin “KevOnStage” Fredericks returns as Pastor Corey Carr Jr., navigating church leadership, unexpected debts, and laugh-out-loud moments with his eccentric team. The new season promises fresh surprises with appearances by Tabitha Brown, Kirk Franklin, Lecrae, Keith Lee, Tony Baker, and many more.

Chicago Exclusive – Then Available for ArtSoul Radio Community Members

For those in Chicago, the August 17th event offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to engage live with KevOnStage and his cast. Can’t make it in person? Join the ArtSoul Radio community to gain exclusive access to the full panel replay after the event.

Click here to sign up and stay connected. Community members will be the first to receive:

  • A private link to the full panel replay
  • Behind-the-scenes clips and highlights
  • Special giveaways tied to Churchy Season 2

Why This Event Matters

Partnering with XL Film Fest and The Actor Empowerment Summit to bring this BET+ collaboration to Chicago is more than entertainment—it’s a cultural moment for faith-based media. It reflects the growth of Christian creatives in film, comedy, and storytelling while highlighting Chicago as a hub for innovative cultural conversations.

About Churchy

After debuting as one of the most-watched scripted comedies on BET+, Churchy quickly built a loyal fan base. Season 2 expands the storylines, bringing new characters, guest stars, and bigger laughs—all while spotlighting themes of faith, community, and resilience. Produced by KevOnStage Studios alongside industry leaders and executive producers like LeBron James and Maverick Carter (SpringHill), the show continues to elevate digital-first creators onto global platforms.

ArtSoul Radio teams up with XL Film Fest, the Empowerment Actor Summit & BET+ for an exclusive Chicago screening and panel of KevOnStage’s “Churchy” Season 2.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 ArtSoul Radio