Friday, February 7, 2014

Andy Mineo Makes Presence Felt on Billboard

The final results are in and Andy Mineo is truly making noise. The NYC native is a force once again in sales categories, scoring the #2 Rap album and #13 overall album this week on the Billboard 200 charts with his new EP "Neverland".

We briefly caught up with the Reach Records emcee for a few minutes to get his thoughts on the exciting chart placement. When asked if this strong sales number was expected due to his recent momentum, Mineo was transparent. "If I'm being honest, I really didn't know what to expect" he revealed. "I do know that our fans always come out and support us, but naturally I was also uncertain because we didn't have the marketing campaign and push that would typically come with an album. But as always, I was very hopeful that our fans would support it."

Considering the dearth of positive voices on the mainstream charts (especially in the genre of hip hop), "Neverland"'s presence is a refreshing shift from the norm in both content and sound. With a flurry of record sales success, it's easy to believe that Mineo's aim is all about the numbers, a notion he quickly corrects. "The record sales just means more opportunities for people to hear the music and ultimately for lives to be transformed. Big numbers of CD's sold is never the ultimate goal, but it just allows for the message to get into more hands."

On the flip side though, he doesn't shy away from saying he strongly believes it's important for Christian music to continue to place high on the charts. "When you chart, that tells a story to the world that more people are exposed to and get to hear. That's an important thing for Christians to consider." Though the true impact of the movement will never be truly represented by sales, Gospel-centered art in the ears of a mass audience is always positive fruit of hard labor.

In the end, it's clear that this artist just wants new listeners to appreciate his artistry. "For people who are listening for the first time I say, 'enjoy the art!' I think its good music that forces you to think about life and my worldview." May Andy Mineo and many like him continue to make their presence felt on the Billboard charts.

Tedashii Announces New Album 'Below Paradise'

Reach Records have announced Tedashii's upcoming 4th album, 'Below Paradise'. The album is slated to release this spring.

Christon Gray's Upcoming Album Entitled 'School of Roses'


From the looks of things, it appears that Christian worldview and the culture are headed for another collision. Collision records double-threat Christon Gray is turning heads with an announcement of his upcoming album entitled 'School of Roses'.

The Ohio crooner, who is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the best voices and writers in Christian music, has garnered critical acclaim for his smooth singing and vicious wordplay. His artistic offerings have also spawned a massive fan following, best displayed by his Rapzilla "Song of the Year" award for the WLAK single "Long Way Down."

With his versatility and consistency, there is no doubt that "School of Roses" will be one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2014. As a special treat, Christon will preview the album on March 1st at "The Vault" in Orange, California sponsored by Soundvision Entertainment.