S.T.C

As today’s Top 40 radio is saturated with rampant drug use, explicit sexual overtones and raunchy rap lyrics, it seems that long gone are the days of responsible, socially conscious music- until now. For the past two years, Houston-based Still Trill Christians have been rocking radio waves and saving souls from street corners to church pews to cyberspace with their newest single “No Sex.”
After pushing their words of praise throughout Houston and surrounding areas with their three-song EP and receiving regular spins on local gospel station Praise 92.1, STC is now prepping for the release of their independent debut album Trill As It Gets in Spring 2010.
“We make it cool to not want to have sex,” explains founding member JT. “We’re all good-looking cats. We can get a woman. But you’ve never seen four dudes with swag talking about not having sex.”
Made up of JT (Joshua Dillard, 23), ACE (Antawan Moore, 24), Prince AJ (Albert McQueen, 20) and Erupt (Elwyn Dillard, 24), the group was formed in Humble, Texas at local church In Christ Ministries. Each member initially started their career making secular music. Subsequently, they were all headed on their own separate paths to self destruction.
They know what it’s like to go to jail, rob, gang bang, indulge in premarital sex and use drugs. They have been through it all and use their past lives as testimony. JT and Prince AJ were former street cats and gang members and constantly found themselves in the middle of street brawls. ACE had a weakness for women; his one-time promiscuous nature earned him a case of Chlamydia. And Erupt was an untamed college kid sowing his wild oats on the campus of Texas Southern University. But all of that changed after God called them to the light, and their purpose changed drastically.
“I’ve done a lot of things in my life. I used to be a member of the Bloods gang. I got shot up when I was 15. I should be dead right now,” says AJ. “When that happened to me, God was calling. He was pulling on me but I didn’t want to come. It took for me being an inch away from paralyzed for me to give my life to God… All I did was make the switch but the choice was already made.”



JT adds, “Each one of us had our different situations. Two of us caught STDs and one of us got shot. We knew about hell but we didn’t know in detail that God doesn’t play when it comes to sin. Life situations and hearing the real words made us want to pursue a different lifestyle.”
The pursuit of a different life led them to the steps of In Christ Ministries, where they decided to clean up the lyrics and commit their lives to Christ. Since then, they have been tearing up stage shows with the unbridled energies of praise that keep audiences on their feet. But just because their foundation is in the church, their music and message have spread onto the streets.
In their music, they relate to many of the problems endured by today's generation, situations that men or women may go through and the solution to the problem. Through uplifting lyrics and pulsating production, they encourage Christians to stay strong and to stay on the right path.
“The church is in us but we’re taking it beyond the church. Jesus wasn’t in the church; He was in the streets spreading the ministry,” says JT. “I’d rather go to the dope dealer on the street who’d rather listen to our lyrics. Some people are not going to step foot in a church.”
With talent, perseverance and the Lord on their side, these young men have what it takes to bring Holy Hip Hop to the next level. Fueled by the catchy, up-tempo single “No Sex,” Still Trill Christians is sure to bring souls to Christ through their musical ministries with the Spring 2010 release of their independent debut album Trill As It Gets.
“We don’t call it Christian music. It’s real music. It’s truth,” says AJ. “If we were real in the streets when we were out there, we’re gone be real now. There’s no faking, no shaking.”