This Rapper Met Jesus in Prison. Now He Makes Music for Christ.
By Movieguide® Contributor
Jesus radically changed Christian rapper Holy Gabbana’s life while he was serving time in prison.
Before becoming a Christian, Gabbana went by the name Boonk Gang.
“When I turned myself in, the whole jail was like, ‘Oh snap, we locked up with Boonk Gang.’ The COs were like, ‘Who is that?'” Gabbana explained. “They put me up in solitary confinement for a week. They asked me, ‘Am I in fear of my life?’ I told them, ‘No.’ So, they put me in the general population.”
Then, a conversation with his cellmate changed his life.
“My cellmate was on the cell bars, and he was like mean-mugging me,” the rapper recalled. “He was like, ‘Where are you from?’ I said, ‘I’m from Florida.’ He said, ‘Okay, you on the top bunk. Sorry for mean-mugging you like that. I was trying to figure out where you’re from. Do you believe in Jesus?’ I said, ‘Yeah.'”
“Then, ever since then, we just Bible talk,” he continued. “As he talked to me about Jesus, I began to be intrigued and just asked questions, and he was just showing me the love of God and just talking. And then, one night, I began singing to Jesus. ‘Jesus loves you, for He died on the cross for our sins. He is always with you from beginning until the end.'”
“And then I started crying. I feel a presence come over me, fill me with joy, and I just embrace the moment. I jumped off my bed; I woke my cellmate up. I said, ‘Josh, wake up, wake up. I was singing, and I started crying. Something came over me, Josh, and took my sadness away and made me happy.’ He was like, ‘That was the Holy Spirit.’ Ever since then, my eyes were opened to the reality of Jesus.”
READ MORE: THIS RAPPER EMBRACED SOBRIETY AND BROKE A ‘GENERATIONAL CURSE’
After Gabbana was released from prison, he began to rebuild his platform and use it to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His YouTube channel features songs like “Holy Flow” and “Jesus Saves.”
“If people can see me and then see how God is able to restore and flip things around. I’m not ashamed to share my failures with people because sharing my failures with somebody could really encourage them. It’s never too late to make a turnaround,” Gabbana said.
In September, he went back to prison, but this time as a free man boldly proclaiming his faith to the inmates of San Quentin.
God Behind Bars shared that Gabbana’s “testimony touched the heart of this prison. Incarcerated men were holding onto every word he said. Because of this 450+ inmates heard the gospel and were told they were loved by Jesus! Revival in San Quentin is happening! Pray for these men. Pray for protection over these men.”
Over 35 inmates accepted Christ as their Savior.
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