Hope Dealer: Hip-Hop Artist Mr. Del Is on a Mission to Lead Youth to Christ, Detox From Toxic Relationships

Del Lawrence has an infectious air of confidence. Many who hear him speak, or have the chance to talk to him, are left with a tremendous sensation of hope and purpose.

Lawrence, also known in the hip-hop community as Mr. Del, credits the city of Memphis, Tennessee, for helping shape these characteristics. The 43-year-old hails from White Haven (just five minutes from Graceland) in an area surrounded by civil rights museums, Beale Street and a wealth of African-American culture.

“Memphis has had an ongoing impact on my life,” Mr. Del told the Pulse. “Memphis feeds me my inspiration and my creativity. It’s wonderfully complex.”

When Lawrence was seven years old, an older cousin visited from the East Coast bringing with him a Doug E. Fresh tape.

“I heard that and I was open from that moment on. I wanted everything that sounded like that. I played it over and over and fell in love with it,” says Del. He had always enjoyed poetry, and realized hip-hop was a new way to put poetry over beats. From then on you could find Del freestyling and practicing writing raps with his friends at school.

When he was 13, Del and his friends would sneak out late at night and go downtown to surround themselves in the local Memphis music scene. It was at this point Mr. Del handed a demo to rap legend Juicy J.

“For whatever reason he saw something in me. He became my mentor and I became a part of [Juicy J’s rap group] the Three 6 Mafia.” Lawrence would stay in the group for six years. “I studied under them in the studio. It’s where I paid my dues and learned the business of hip-hop.”

In 2000, Del had just gotten off tour and went to church to visit some family.

“My mother was religious so I went to church, but I never had a relationship with God. I was always around but never tapped into it,” says Lawrence. It was sitting in the back of that church service that God spoke to Del and showed him a vision of everything he was supposed to do, the artist said. He knew he needed to take what he knew about hip-hop and use it to spread the word of Christ. Lawrence left Three 6 Mafia and started his own thing.

Over the next 20 years, Mr. Del’s solo music has spread Christianity and also brought him Grammy and Dove Award nominations. As the so-called godfather of Christian rap, the “hope dealer” has founded a record label, Dedicated Music Group, and has been working with and mentoring other Christian rappers.

He also hosts a speaking seminar called Soul Ties, based on two accompanying books he has authored to help repair relationships and heal people through Christ. Lawrence wants to use these seminars as a way to eventually get to the kids.

Del believes building a healthy home life is the best way to give children a good foundation and ensure that kids stay off the streets.

“My main goal is to introduce the young generation to Christ so they can have a relationship with him and not with drugs. I’m going to do whatever I gotta do, whether it be sports or music or whatever,” says Del. “I saw a documentary on [deceased rapper] Lil Peep, and he was still dealing with old family issues even though he was so talented and successful, which led him to overdose. And the young kids get connected because they can relate to his music, but where are you gonna take them? If you’re dying then that’s where they’re headed. They can’t go farther than the leader.”

Mr. Del has focused his life on guidance—guiding kids and parents alike to healing through Christ, and guiding young musicians through the industry. That’s why he aims to open a new youth center called The Refuge in Murfreesboro.

“I think it was God that brought me to Murfreesboro. I didn’t know anything about the place until I came to do some Soul Ties seminars, and more and more people would come to see me,” he said. Lawrence prayed about it, and decided he wanted to focus on the area.

In 2022 he intends to lead a seminar in the ’Boro once a month for adults and also perform an all-ages concert every quarter. The idea is to bring the community together and introduce them to the mission to generate interest in the planned youth center.

There are no concrete plans as to when the youth center might open, as Del still needs to see more interest and wants to find the right people to help run it. The Refuge would host concerts, games and ministry activities, and be a positive place where teens can hang out through the week.

The next Soul Ties Movement Soul Session in Murfreesboro will be at Ridenour Rehearsal Studios at 7 p.m. on Jan. 22. Reserve tickets at thesoultiesmovement.com. Ridenour is located at 1203 Park Ave., Murfreesboro.