Multi-genre recording artist Eddy Puyol’s next performance will be during Family Night at the South Florida Fair on January 28. The event, sponsored by Pulse Evangelism, will see him take the stage alongside ministers like Nick Hall and singer Ben Fuller.

All of which got Puyol thinking about his earlier “providential” meeting with Christian music legend Chris Tomlin that helped set off his own, ground-breaking Hip Hop Worship career nearly two decades ago.

The year: 2006

The location: The Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee

Back then, the GMA’s (or Dove Awards) were dominated by Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) and didn’t really embrace rap the way they do today. As a result, members of the hip hop community who were in town and still wanted to network established their own showcases to help expose their art to industry executives and gatekeepers who could bring it to new audiences.

Puyol, then known by the moniker Rawsrvnt, was on one of those showcases and nearing the end of a high-energy set of “crunk” rap records when he cut his song “Get ‘Em Up” short and told the crowd he wanted to switch things up and do something different.

As the showcase DJ followed along, Puyol transitioned into his take on the CCM hit “Holiness.”

 
Infinity Music Group President Brad Mathias was in the audience to scout new talent and told Flavor Fest founder/pastor Tommy “Urban D” Kyllonen that he heard enough hip-hop for the night and started leaving, but the minute Puyol played “Holiness” he turned around to listen. Mathias then tapped Tommy on the shoulder and said, “Who’s that guy?”

Kyllonen smiled and introduced the two as soon as the set was over. It was there that Mathias offered to distribute the In Rare Form album that Puyol’s “Holiness” cover song was on – an album that began to break open more opportunities within the genre for artists to perform this type of “hip hop / worship” hybrid for believers and non-believers alike.

The next day Puyol was at the airport waiting to fly home when he spotted Chris Tomlin sitting alone eating breakfast. He’d just won a bunch of Dove Awards and Puyol went to congratulate him.

Eddy was invited to take a seat and began telling Tomlin his vision of bridging the gap between the church and the streets and using hip hop to do it.

Tomlin told Puyol he just might be the right guy for the job.

Fast-forward to 2013 when DJ Promote was a featured part of Tomlin’s “Burning City Lights” tour and opened up every night with Puyol’s “Take It All” mashup with the Black Eyed Peas hit “I Gotta Feeling.”

When the tour came to West Palm Beach, Florida Puyol went to hang with Promote and ran into Chris Tomlin again backstage where he reminded the artist of the airport conversation they had in 2006.

Tomlin told Puyol he remembered that day and what they discussed as it seemed to be coming to fruition with the inclusion of a hip hop DJ on his team and using songs like Puyol’s to get the evening started.

“It’s crazy how God works things out,” Puyol now recalls. “I opened up for Chris Tomlin without even being on stage. Talk about the power of music and God’s faithfulness.”

 
Catch Eddy Puyol at the South Florida Fair on January 28 where he’ll perform a family-friendly mix with DJ Reflex, a longtime friend and well-known local deejay. Listen to a playlist of their set in advance so you can sing along and have a “good time.” Now available on Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora and YouTube.