Winter Jam, Christian music’s largest annual tour, comes to Family Arena on Sunday with Crowder, Hillsong Young & Free, Building 429, Zane Black and more, including Andy Mineo in the hip-hop slot.
Mineo says Winter Jam is doing a better job at making sure hip-hop is part of the proceedings. He’s been part of the tour before, which has featured TobyMac and Lecrae.
“The organizers recognize hip-hop is a dominating voice in culture, and they’re trying to integrate that,” Mineo says. “They run a business centered around worship leadership, but they want to bring kids to the event — modernize their approach to Christian music. There are other expressions outside of worship music. They’re making a little more space for us, and that’s cool.”
Mineo says he will deliver an “uppercut to the sternum,” a reference to the strength of his set.
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“I’m getting those subwoofers moving,” he says. “I get 20 minutes, and it’s 20 minutes of high energy. ... I like to have a lot of fun. I don’t take myself too seriously, and I’m able to laugh at myself. I’m creating fun music that makes you want to move. I’d say it’s one of the more exciting moments of the night.”
It’s also personal for Mineo. “I’m showing who I am and what I’m about in my songs. I take the time to show what’s going on in my life. There’s a lot of vulnerability in my music.”
He believes that vulnerability is something many artists shy away from, fearing rejection. But he has always wanted to be true to himself, such as on the song “Shame.”
“It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written,” he says. “Yeah, I’m a Christian, but I’m not going to fake the funk for anybody.”
Mineo performed at Winter Jam in 2017. The tour wasn’t something he sought out; his manager presented him with the opportunity. He prefers to do his own touring.
“It was great — a long, extensive tour,” he says. “That can be really daunting for an artist. I was scared to go on it, but it ended up being a breeze. It’s shorter sets.”
He says the tour is great for fans because “when people buy their $15 tickets, they’re getting a huge array of artists doing short sets — a little something different for everybody. There’s a lot of good people on there who go up and do their thing.”
And it’s great for Mineo, who doesn’t have to assume any financial risk on the tour. Also, he’s able to attract new fans who may be seeing him for the first time.
The Winter Jam opportunity in 2017 came at just the right time for Mineo. He was at the end of a tour and promotional cycle for his 2015 album, “Uncomfortable,” so it was a chance to be seen by new fans. It also bought him some time to work on new music.
Mineo lost his mother to leukemia in 2018 and figured he’d take 2019 off. But “in this music industry, it’s tough to take off when you’re trying to grow something,” he reasoned.
He ended up releasing “Work in Progress,” a mix of unreleased tracks and alternate versions of his songs, accompanied by excerpts from podcast episodes that put the music in perspective.
Putting out “Work in Progress” was a way “to give something to the fans so I’m not leaving them with nothing,” Mineo says. “I’m showing them these songs and taking them behind the scenes.”
He included excerpts from the “Work in Progress” podcast, featuring Mineo and Delgis Mustafa. They recorded 12 episodes, and the juicier clips were used on the album.
“Podcasting is a huge genre, and I like hearing people talk — telling their story,” he says. “And I’ve always been the type of guy who loved VH1 ‘Behind the Music,’ (which) shows you the process, taking people behind the curtain.”
Mineo is currently working on “Never Land 2,” the sequel to his 2014 EP “Never Land.” He’s eyeing a summer release. “The fans always loved that project from me,” he says. “I’ve been teasing it out.”
Mineo refers to himself as a hip-hop artist who is Christian and has found ways to integrate his faith with hip-hop. But he doesn’t use terms such as Christian rapper, gospel rapper or Christian hip-hop artist.
“It does a disservice to the art — marginalizes the art,” he says. “It insinuates it’s for Christians. My mission is to be a light for the world, not just for Christians.”
He’s seeing more and more hip-hop artists who are Christians and make music authentic to their faith. Kanye West, for instance, recently topped charts with his “Jesus Is King” album.
“There’s an interesting sticky element to it,” he says. “When you’re an entertainer and Christian and public about it, it can be easy to be criticized and judged. I hope (West) doesn’t get ... chewed up and hurt by others on the same team. I hope he continues to grow to be a healthy man and healthy Christian and won’t become cynical or jaded by criticism or hurt his relationship with Jesus.”
What Winter Jam with Crowder, Hillsong Young & Free, Andy Mineo, Building 429, Zane Black, Riley Clemmons, Billy Ballenger, Zauntee • When 6 p.m. Sunday • Where Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, St. Charles • How much $15 • More info familyarena.com