Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club — INTERVIEW: Miles Minnick On Christian Slaps, Linking With Lecrae, New Album + More

Released: August 29, 2025
Host(s): DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, Lauren LaRosa
Guest: Miles Minnick

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, The Breakfast Club welcomes buzzing Christian hip-hop artist Miles Minnick. The conversation explores his new album "Via Dolorosa," his journey from the streets to faith, misconceptions about Christian rap, his relationship with Lecrae, expanding boundaries for faith-driven music, and staying authentic in both the hip-hop scene and the church. Throughout, Miles emphasizes realness, faith, and musical excellence—delivering what he calls "spiritual slaps" aimed at both believers and skeptics alike.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Miles Minnick’s Journey: From the Block to the Pulpit

[02:16 - 06:16]

• Miles shares his upbringing in California, revealing that faith wasn’t central to his family life but that he "fell in love with Jesus" as a teen.
• The pivotal moment came at age 16, during a "smoking session" with his friend Dante, who unexpectedly invited him to church:
  • "I was 16 years old, in the middle of a smoking session... Dante was like, 'bro, we should go to church right now.'...I didn't want to be there...But the youth group was closed, so we went to the main service. I felt something I never felt before. The pastor did an altar call...I was the only one to go to the front, tears in my eyes." – Miles Minnick [04:21]
  • He describes a spiritual awakening: "I literally felt like God took away one high and gave me a new one." [04:54]
• The transition away from his old lifestyle was slow, but he felt his "appetite started to change" over time.

2. Authenticity and Breaking the Christian Rap Mold

[06:16 - 11:39]

• Miles discusses blending traditional Bay Area sound (influences: Mac Dre, E-40) with faith-centric lyrics, intentionally "mixing the medicine with the candy."
• He aims to reach not just churchgoers but those outside the faith:
  • "My main focus right now is reaching folks that don't necessarily believe what I believe...everything...is tailored towards reaching people who don't have the same experiences as me as far as God is concerned, but may have the same, like, street experiences as me." [07:48]
• Panel reflects on stereotypes of what Christian artists "should look or sound like." Miles insists on being unapologetically himself.
• Notable quote: "I grew up in a one parent household. I grew up doing drugs, selling drugs, my brother in jail right now…you get what you get." [08:38]

3. Misconceptions About Christian Rap

[11:39 - 12:16]

• The hosts and Miles break down industry and social stereotypes:
  • That Christian rap can’t match "mainstream" quality or success: "That we not as good as everybody else…that we don't have the same potential and ability to top the charts and sell out shows like everybody else." [11:43]
  • The "box" of being labeled a "Christian rapper": "I'm reluctant of the title because…do I want to put myself in a certain box? But I'm grateful that even though I'm labeled as that we are reaching certain heights. I mean, I'm on a Breakfast Club, bro!" [12:00]

4. Sound, Intent, and Mainstream Success

[13:39 - 15:18]

• Miles doesn’t shy away from sonically competitive music:
  • "If I'm allowed to do it or not, I'm gonna do it...I want it to be able to blend in with everything else...I wanted to feel like something you could play in the club...and I'm saying the name of Jesus on the record, but it's slap." [14:04]
• DJ Head, who broke Miles’ music to wider audiences, never even told others Miles was a Christian artist at first—just that he was "dope."
• Panel debates what makes someone a "Christian rapper"—is it the artist's intent, entire catalog, or something else?
  • Miles: "People can make faith-based songs, but if their catalog doesn't reflect that holistically, then I don't think we could put that label on them." [15:43]

5. Connections, Influence, and Collaborations

[16:41 - 21:43]

• Miles affirms that many iconic Black artists (Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé) come from church music roots.
• Dream collab? Kendrick Lamar:
  • "K Dot is low key like Batman...he makes slaps with substance...we can make something special." [21:12]
• On linking with mainstream artists, Miles feels embraced—even by secular crowds—sometimes more than by the church.

6. Reach, Impact, and Staying Grounded

[21:43 - 32:41]

• Miles’ approach isn't to "water down" the message:
  • "Never. You know, it's funny, in a lot of ways, I felt more embraced by the secular than I did by the church initially...I’ve kept it the same…I'm blessed that it could resonate with the church audience and the general market." [21:49]
• His viral "devil wanna run up on me, it's bad / God on my side, God is my dad" [22:29] moment at a Bay Area "gangster rap" event gave him his break.
• On measuring impact: "When people...pop out at the shows...but then hearing the stories...like, man, your music helped me get off of meth...your music helped me get off the bottle...those kind of things really really put it into perspective." [25:29]
• Influences: Lecrae, for pioneering the crossover of Christian rap.

7. Lecrae Relationship & Full Circle Moments

[27:04 - 28:29]

• Miles shares how he met Lecrae:
  • As a teen, he waited at Lecrae’s tour bus (no meet-and-greet money) and prophesied they’d work together:
    • "Lecrae, you don't know who I am, but one day I'm gonna work with you...I'm gonna make the same amount of impact on the world as you, but take it to higher heights." [27:07]
  • Seven years later, Lecrae reached out for music—without knowing their past meeting.

8. Christianity, Street Culture, and Judgement

[29:00 - 34:34]

• Miles doesn’t consider himself a "pastor with a beat," but a "man of God with slapping beats." [29:11]
• Discusses the tension between church and "mainstream" language—he avoids calling hip-hop "secular music" unless with a Christian audience, preferring "mainstream" or "general market" to avoid othering artists.
  • "Secular means without God, and a lot of these artists aren't without God. They just have a different art form, expression." [30:22]
• About reaching the "streets": "My music takes the church to the block with the intention of bringing the block to the church...it's reaching them, but with the intention for them to get closer to God." [33:41]
• On being non-judgmental: "Jesus said, love God and love people. He didn't say, love God and judge people...I'm not pointing fingers at people...I let them live while I'm planting my own seeds." [24:44]

9. Industry Milestones and Moving Forward

[32:41 - 35:40]

• First Christian act officially booked at Rolling Loud (Los Angeles, March): "That thing went crazy." [32:44]
• Discusses the title and meaning of "Via Dolorosa" ("the sorrowful road; the pathway Jesus walked carrying his cross"). [34:49, 34:57]
• Ethnic identity: Miles clarifies he’s "half Black, half White; not Mexican" despite the album’s title. [35:08]

Memorable Quotes

• "I literally felt like God took away one high and gave me a new one." – Miles Minnick [04:54]
• "Mix the medicine in with the candy...People don’t know it’s Christian until like the third or fourth listen." – Miles [06:28]
• "That we not as good as everybody else…that we don't have the same potential and ability to top the charts and sell out shows like everybody else." – Miles [11:43]
• "If I'm allowed to do it or not, I'm gonna do it...I want it to be able to blend in with everything else. I wanted to feel like something you could play in the club..." – Miles [14:04]
• "People can make faith-based songs, but if their catalog doesn’t reflect that holistically, then I don’t think we could put that label on them." – Miles [15:43]
• "I felt more embraced by the secular than I did by the church initially…" – Miles [21:49]
• "Jesus said, love God and love people. He didn't say, love God and judge people." – Miles [24:44]
• "My music takes the church to the block with the intention of bringing the block to the church." – Miles [33:41]

Important Timestamps

• [02:16] – Interview begins, Miles introduced
• [03:17] – The moment Miles was introduced to faith in church after a smoking session
• [06:16] – On balancing bold faith and making music that "slaps"
• [11:39] – Misconceptions and limitations about Christian rap
• [14:04] – Blending faith and club-ready music
• [21:12] – Dream collaboration with Kendrick Lamar
• [22:29] – Going viral at a Bay Area rap event with overtly Christian lyrics
• [24:44] – Christian voice in the mainstream and message of love over judgment
• [25:29] – How Miles measures his impact
• [27:07] – First meeting and manifestation with Lecrae
• [29:11] – “Pastor with a beat” vs. “artist who just happens to preach”
• [32:44] – First Christian act with a full set at Rolling Loud
• [33:41] – Purpose: bringing church to the block, and block to the church
• [34:49, 34:57] – Album title meaning and ethnic background

Tone and Takeaway

Miles delivers his message in a relaxed, down-to-earth, West Coast style. He’s honest about his background and challenges stereotypes about faith-driven hip-hop, insisting on musical and lyrical excellence without compromise. The interview highlights the possibility—and reality—of reaching broader audiences with authenticity and spirituality, while refusing to limit faith-based artists to a box, both musically and culturally.

For listeners looking to sample Miles’s work, the episode closes with the track “Method Man” featuring E-40 and Lecrae from the album Via Dolorosa, out now.