“When I think about Jesus, what he’s done for me, when I think about Jesus, how we set me free, I just turn up, I can’t help it … all this stuff I done dealt with … I can’t help it.”
So goes the words to Canton Jones’ song and his personal story. “I Can’t Help It” brought the house to its feet earlier this week as singer, songwriter, producer and most recently, youth pastor, Canton Jones held a joint listening party for his latest project, God City USA and Kierra Sheard’s project, Graceland. Friends for years, Jones says Sheard called him and suggested the event just one week prior and their efforts of promoting it using social media and a few radio mentions netted a packed house at New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia. It also landed Jones atop the iTunes chart. The day the project was released it reached the No. 1 spot.
The event was hosted by Isaac Carree and featured performances of tracks from God City USA and a few snippets of others as Jones gave commentary and testimony about the album and all it took to get it done. Teaching the audience the chorus for “Glory to God” so they could join in and getting them to encourage one another with “God Looks Good on You,” Jones also performed the popular song, “I Can’t Help It.” He prefaced it with the fact that God had brought him through so much that he can’t help but give him praise. Joined by other rappers, friends, his family (wife Ramona — also a singer and featured on the song “Jesus” — and children, Love, Dominion and Canaan), the whole place bounced, jumped and gave God radical, unashamed praise.
Jones also performed his current single, “More of You” with Atlanta radio host and artist Darlene McCoy; and the song “Like You” with Isaac Carree. Jones later joined Sheard (of the popular BET reality show “The Sheards”) and her brother J Drew, drummer, for a performance of their song on her album titled “Reppin.”
When Sheard hit the stage, not only did she showcase hits from her new CD, Graceland, she also sang popular hits from throughout her stellar career. Sheard is from Detroit and her gospel music roots are strong as she is part of The Clark Sisters family legacy.
With 15 tracks, God City USA never disappoints and Jones’ knack for creative storytelling is on display.
“I’m already an out-of-the-box dude so I think this is out of my box … this record is way different for me. I put a lot of time into it. I tried to follow God as much as I could for the inspiration for every lyric, everything. I am really happy with the project and hopefully, people will get what I got out of it. I enjoyed making it and went through hell in the process but we’re here. It’s out.
“I want people to have an experience with God and feel bold and confident about their walk with God. Wherever your walk is, be bold and confident in that. It’s for those that have been in a relationship with God for only a few hours to those that have been in one with him for 60 years. [There are] too many of us to be getting beat up in the world and it’s time for people to stand up and rep for God. That’s why it’s called God City USA,” said Jones about the album.
When asked about Atlanta being God’s city, Jones explains, “We already know what is going on in Atlanta and others know what the vices are in their particular cities, but the enemy tries to establish himself through getting things into the atmosphere and that comes through our mouth.”
Jones described how too often, people seem to unintentionally brag about what their city is negatively known for by repeating the statistics. Instead, Jones declares, “The power of life and death is in our tongue. I don’t care what I see, I live in God City.”
The album can be purchased at iTunes and your local Walmart. For more information about Canton Jones and CAJO Music, visit CantonJones.net.
–sherylmerritt @SherylScribes
