Agape

According to Agape (Dave Scherer): "I'm the best white bilingual Christian rapper on my block." That may not even be an exaggeration. Although Agape has flown under the radar of the music industry, he has built a pretty impressive resume for a rapper. He has toured full-time for the last six years in the US and Europe, sold over 20,000 records, and worked with acclaimed hip hop producer Ant on his last CD "Many Rooms". His primary focus, however, remains reaching young people with his message. The meaning of Agape is summed up in the acronym he made up for his own name. The word "Agape" means the unconditional love of God. The "A" stands for African, Asian, and other marginalized ethnic groups in our society. The "E" stands for Europeans. The "GAP" represents the expansive space between the two groups. The only way to really bridge the gap is through God's boundless love. Agape continues to have a desire to connect those who are marginalized from the church and from society. In 2000, this passion helped Agape to create a hip hop worship experience called JUMP (Joint Urban Ministries in Praise). The service attracts 200-300 urban youth from around the city who feel alienated by the church. JUMP provides a safe place where worship can be expressed through hip hop. He will eventually go to seminary and maybe turn JUMP into a full-time church, but for now he will continue in his message of bringing Agape to the world. He was recently asked to travel to Bosnia to bring reconciliation and hope to a region ravaged by war and ethnic tension. "Hip Hop has always transcended race and culture." says the Minneapolis-bred rapper, "I can't think of a better way to bring people together than getting them to dance with each other and share their own stories. That's what hip hop is all about: sharing your story."Stay tuned as Agape's story continues......