Canton Jones continues to find ways to connect the hip-hop generation to the powers of spirituality through his music. The Grammy nominated artists has become an important voice in gospel since releasing his debut album, 20 Years, 3 Months & 12 Days in 2002. Jones recently spoke about his new album Dominionaire and the importance of having a close relationship with God. –amir shaw
Why did you decide to name your album Dominionaire?
A dude that has millions is a millionaire, so a guy that has a lot of dominion is a dominionaire. There is nothing wrong with having things as long as the focus is on God for getting you what you have. I live by the Bible, so as long as I know it’s God that’s doing it, there’s nothing wrong with looking good. But if those things go away, you’re still going to have a spiritual connection to somebody that can bring you back to [where] you once were.
You have been criticized for your song ‘IN Da Club.’ Can you explain why you wrote that song?
Co Co Brother once rented out Club 112 and did an event called Exodus. He took mainstream gospel to the club and there were a lot of people who got saved that night. Church isn’t just a building, it’s a body of believers. There are people who start churches in their living room. At the Club 112, the DJ was a Christian, the bodyguard was a man of God, and the club owner was a man of God. Sometimes you have to go outside the box. In order to catch different types of fish, you have to use different bait and that’s definitely a different type of song.
What do you want listeners to get from your new album?
I want them to have a good time.You might go on an emotional roller coaster and feel like you’re in the club because the 808 bass drums are rocking. But you may want to call your mom, sister, or girl and sit down and pray. It’s going to hit home for a lot of brothers and sisters and I just want everybody to have a good experience when they listen to the record.
