The Story Behind the Music: Christian Hip-Hop with Julius Broady
When I started Kingdom Chaos, one of my goals was to create a place where people could share honest stories about how God has transformed their lives. I also wanted to support Christian brothers and sisters who are using their gifts to spread the gospel in creative ways. That is why I was excited to sit down with Christian hip-hop artist Julius Broady. Julius is not simply making music—he is using his lyrics, testimony, and love for Scripture to encourage people to keep going, remain rooted in God’s Word, and live boldly for Jesus.
Julius’s journey into Christian hip-hop began around the age of twenty, when he surrendered his life to Christ. At the time, he was working at Family Dollar and trying to determine what he was supposed to do with his life. God was not at the center of his plans. He loved hip-hop, especially the thought and craftsmanship behind the lyrics, but he had no interest in Christianity or Christian music. Meanwhile, several of his cousins had begun following Jesus, and their passion for God was impossible to ignore.
Because Julius also worked weekends helping set up for Woodlands Church, he frequently stayed with those cousins. Looking back, he can see how God used that environment to begin softening his heart. The people around him mattered. Their faith, conversations, and example gradually helped him become more open to the possibility that God had something different for his life.
There was a moment during that season when Julius asked for prayer concerning his desire to pursue music, make money, and take care of his family. The person praying with him told him that the way he intended to pursue music was not the direction God wanted for him. Julius did not want to accept that at first. In his mind, the type of music he wanted to make was where the money and opportunity seemed to be. Nevertheless, something began to change in him after that prayer.
Julius also remembered a moment at Family Dollar when someone made a disrespectful joke about the Bible. When he was asked whether he believed it, he denied having anything to do with God or Scripture. Looking back, he described it as his own Peter moment. Yet the same place where he once denied his faith became the place where he eventually surrendered his life to God. In the back of that Family Dollar, Julius essentially prayed, “All right, God, what do You want me to do?”
As Julius grew in his relationship with Christ, God began changing his desires—including the kind of music he wanted to hear and create. Christian hip-hop had not appealed to him before, but artists such as Lecrae helped him realize that music could be artistically excellent while still glorifying Jesus. He eventually reached a point where he was ready to let go of everything else and say, “It is Jesus or nothing.”
One of the most powerful parts of Julius’s story is how he learned that following Jesus did not require him to become someone else. He grew up around expressions of Christianity that sometimes felt performative or disconnected from who he was. For a while, he believed that being saved meant dressing, speaking, or worshiping in one particular way. But as he began reading Scripture and getting to know God for himself, he discovered that he could genuinely follow Christ while still being the person God created him to be.
That lesson became foundational to his music. Julius wanted to make Christian hip-hop, but wise counsel reminded him to become rooted in God’s Word before trying to proclaim it through his lyrics. That advice stayed with him and eventually inspired his song “Rooted.” Before we attempt to teach biblical truth, we need to know it. Talent can draw attention, but without a strong spiritual foundation, that attention can easily become more about the artist than Jesus.
As Julius surrendered his music to God, doors began opening in ways that were difficult to dismiss as coincidence. He and his cousin once stood in an AutoZone talking about their desire to make music but not knowing how they would do it. Suddenly, someone his cousin knew walked by, heard what they were discussing, and connected them with a youth pastor who had the equipment and studio space they needed. That connection helped them record their first project as part of a group called Smash Movement—an acronym for “Save Multitudes, Assisting the Savior’s Hand.”
Stories like that remind me of what Amy and I have experienced through Kingdom Chaos. There have been moments when we stepped into something God placed on our hearts without knowing exactly how it would work. Then a relationship, opportunity, or word of encouragement arrived at just the right time. What looks like coincidence often becomes much clearer when we recognize the sovereignty of God.
Julius was also honest about the lessons he learned the hard way. If he could speak to his younger self, he would tell him to understand the business side of music, take more risks, and stop depending on other people’s approval. The desire for approval caused him to hesitate and miss opportunities. Perfectionism also led to procrastination. He might record the same song several times because he feared that someone would find something wrong with it.
I understood that struggle because I have faced it with this podcast. God placed the idea of podcasting on my heart years before Kingdom Chaos became what it is today, but I allowed concerns about equipment, sound quality, lighting, resources, and my own ability to delay my obedience. Excellence matters, especially when we are representing Christ, but perfectionism can become an excuse for never releasing what God has called us to create.
Julius’s music is deeply personal because his lyrics come from Scripture, culture, and his own life. He does not want to simply repeat Bible verses over a beat. He wants to communicate biblical truth creatively, using references and ideas that cause listeners to think more deeply and perhaps search Scripture for themselves. Sometimes a lyric may only plant a seed, but that seed can remain in someone’s mind until God uses another person or experience to water it.
Many of Julius’s songs also carry a message of perseverance because he is often writing the encouragement he needs to hear himself. His songs “Rooted,” “Never Too Late,” and “Motion” reflect his determination to keep following Jesus even when he feels discouraged. He has been told that he should stop making music. He has even encountered Christians who condemned him simply because he raps. But those voices have not been able to silence the calling God placed on his life.
“Motion” is built around the idea of locking in, focusing on Jesus, and refusing to allow the enemy to stop what God is doing. Julius connected that message with Hebrews 12:1–2 and the call to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Perseverance does not mean that we never struggle or fall. It means that, by God’s grace, we continue getting back up.
Julius openly admitted that he still wrestles with doubt. He sometimes asks God whether music is truly his calling or simply a personal dream. He works in a difficult environment where he is trying to be a light while also serving others as a workplace leader and union representative. He is a husband, musician, merch creator, and employee trying to balance several responsibilities. There are days when he does not feel like the best representation of Christ, yet God continues showing up and reminding him that He has not forgotten him.
His wife also plays an important role in his ministry. She helps edit videos, improve the visual quality of his content, evaluate his music, and encourage him to continue—even when a particular song is not her favorite. Like any couple working together, they sometimes disagree or get frustrated. Still, they recognize that they are a team. Their partnership reminded me of the role Amy plays in Kingdom Chaos. She often sees details I miss and pushes me toward a higher standard. That feedback may be difficult to hear in the moment, but it comes from someone who cares about me, believes in the mission, and wants us to represent God with excellence.
Another important part of our conversation was the need to support Christian artists and creators in practical ways. Streaming a song, buying merchandise, attending a show, sharing a video, leaving a comment, or simply clicking the like button may seem insignificant, but those actions can make a real difference. Independent artists invest money, time, and energy into production, equipment, videos, beats, and promotion. If we believe in the message they are sharing, we should not underestimate the value of helping that message reach someone else.
What stood out most to me about Julius was his desire to remain authentic. He does not want to imitate the world to earn attention, and he does not want to perform a religious version of himself to gain approval from Christians. He wants to be the man God created him to be, use the gifts God gave him, and create music that is both biblically grounded and artistically strong.
Julius’s story is ultimately about more than Christian hip-hop. It is about surrender, identity, perseverance, and obedience. It is about allowing God to take something we already love and redirect it for His glory. It is a reminder that ministry does not only happen behind a pulpit. It happens through music, podcasts, workplaces, marriages, businesses, and ordinary conversations.
Success in ministry is not measured only by streams, followers, or views. Every number represents a person, and every person has an eternal soul. If God uses one song, one lyric, or one testimony to reach someone who desperately needs hope, then that work matters. My prayer for Julius is that God will continue filling him with truth, creativity, courage, and perseverance as he uses Christian hip-hop to point people toward Jesus.
Listen to: The Story Behind the Music Christian Hip-Hop with Julius Broady
