MONROVIA — Should Mr. Church be considered the perfect gift delivered to the wrong doorstep? With the amount of hate tossed his way, does Liberia deserve him—or is this simply karma turning the hands of time against him?
It’s been exactly one year since Mr. Church caused a lyrical earthquake with Rest in Pieces. Many rappers and musicians who were casualties of his verses still carry unhealed wounds. His truths shook the very foundation of Liberia’s rap culture.
Now, Mr. Church has risen from the underground, standing out with flying colors as the best graduating student of his class and era. He won New Artist of the Year, causing even more heartache for those who once thought themselves geniuses of Liberia’s rap academy—only to be outshined by a newcomer who also clinched Hip-Hop Artist of the Year. With that, he silenced his elders and emerged as a supreme leader in the genre.
A river doesn’t fight to flow—and Church’s authenticity proves that power is a natural force. Is that why rap heavyweight Bucky Raw seems to be acting like a child stung by a bee—lamenting in public, crying over spilled honey?
Open mic battles are designed to showcase raw talent and uncover undiscovered artists. So why is Bucky Raw calling for a live battle with Mr. Church at SKD Stadium? Does he still see himself as undiscovered? Or is this just his way of matching the energy of his former rival, Christoph, who headlines the stadium in July?
There are less dramatic ways to fill a concert ground. Doesn’t Bucky have loyal fans who’d show up for him regardless? Or is this merely a publicity stunt to reintroduce himself to the industry after a string of failed releases?
A better reintroduction could have been a collaboration with Mr. Church. He should have taken the high road and acted like a big brother—especially since Mr. Church recently posted a heartfelt message about looking up to both Bucky and Christoph during his early years. He explained that his diss came not from hate, but from the disappointment of a fan who felt let down by his idols’ neglect of rap culture.
Now that Mr. Church is Liberia’s reigning rap king, Bucky’s path back to the top could begin with extending a friendly gesture. A “big brother-little brother” narrative built on growth and mutual respect could lead to a joint EP—perhaps the best hip-hop project in the history of Liberian music. A joint concert at SKD, followed by a nationwide tour, could cement their legacies.
But one thing Bucky Raw and his team seem to lack is proper branding and marketing. He’s too big for the kind of attention he’s seeking right now. It’s safe to say Bucky is grappling with an identity crisis.
Meanwhile, Mr. Church continues to redefine rap in Liberia. He refuses to be boxed in and has explored multiple shades of the genre better than anyone else in 2025. Critics claimed that because he doesn’t rap in Liberian English, he isn’t a “real” Liberian rapper. They accused him of sounding foreign and labeled him as someone suffering from an identity crisis.
So how did Mr. Church silence them?
He dropped a surprise collaboration with Liberian hip-hop legend JB D’General titled Talk Abuh Ay. The track is already a certified hit, fearlessly addressing social and political issues long ignored by artists too afraid to speak out. Mr. Church and JB’s bravery should be studied. Politicians were name-dropped, societal ills exposed—nothing was off limits.
Talk Abuh Ay marks the beginning of a cleansing order—a revolution, even.
Mr. Church is the voice of the voiceless, the eyes of the socially blind, and the heart of those too afraid to chase their destiny. To the ignorant, he may appear arrogant. But to the wise, he is already a legend in the making.
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