What would it sound like if your preacher could rap? What would it sound like if a rapper could preach? Take a listen to Hood Proud, and you will know.
Bradley Tramel and Orlando Boyd form the nucleus of the Hood Proud, a sermonizing, rap group from the Washington D.C. area. Tramel, is a Program Analyst for the United States Department of Energy, while Boyd works as a professional landscaper. Their jobs don’t stand in the way of what they know to be a Spirit-led ministry. They believe the Holy Spirit led them to each other and continues to inspire and move in them.
“Truth is our group is composed of men and women that the Holy Spirit chose based on His unique knowledge of everyone’s heart and mindset towards doing ministry,” Tramel told Message.
Hear how they flow here:
Grace and Mercy
Understatement
Tramel also believes in the Spirit-led, hand-picked collaboration with the rest of the group, including members Lamar Parker, Nathaniel Douglas, Nicole Jacques, and Damon Hill. And, they all credit the divine influence on their friend Frank Dent who, in 2014, shared the idea God gave him. “God gave him [the vision] of the organization doing both outreach and ministry for the youth and impoverished communities worldwide.
What is It?
“Sermonic Flow” encompasses rap, spoken word, and poetry, said Tramel. “We’ll hear the beat and the Spirit will move as to which form of communication will be used. We flow with the Spirit, hence Sermonic Flow.”
Tramel hunts beats on Soundcloud, and can sense its fit for specific members of the group, including himself.
“I’ll send them the track and the Holy Spirit gives them what to say just as He does with me,” Tramel said.
Until recently, they were working with “a very generic form” of software and equipment. Tramel engineers the track and lyrics by the insights the Holy Spirit gives him. Recently, they recorded in a studio and Hood Proud is working on a release.
“By Yah’s grace that will continue.”
Hood Proud has enjoyed a positive reception, and have started to receive requests for CDs and live performances. Neither Tramel and Boyd had performance ambitions before this, and they still feel a little sheepish at the prospect, but, in the spirit of ministry, if someone receives a blessing through the Sermonic Flow, they are happy to be used.
New releases of the groups tracks can be found online for free, because members believe the ministry should be free for all. While they know they will encounter costs, realistically, “[W]e leave that in Yah’s hands as He will provide all of our needs.”
You can find Hood Proud on Soundcloud.
