Uncompromising Gospel Hip-Hop from the birthplace of Hip-Hop, the South Bronx!
Brother E’s Bio
Efrain Alicea, aka Brother E, grew up going to catholic school and was heavily involved in church activities. As a young man Efrain ran a youth retreat program under the auspices of the Catholic Youth Organization in New York City. Yet, there was no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Regardless, it is evident that God had a call on his life from early on.
On May 4, 1991, Efrain visited a small Spanish Pentecostal church in the South Bronx named
Iglesia Sion Pentecostal. It was here that he finally gave his life to Christ. Sooner than expected, Efrain became the English Sunday School Teacher and Youth Director. He began his youth efforts with a core group of only four young people and in less than six months it grew to over sixty youth per Tuesday evening.
In May of 1993, in the midst of prayer, God gave Efrain some words. As he wrote them down he realized that these words were a song. His first efforts at singing them were humorous. Two weeks later, after saving his lyrics in his nightstand, Efrain, again in the midst of prayer, heard a beat in his head. It was an infamous hip-hop beat called “Big Beat.” It was then that he took out his words and began to rap his new lyrics, realizing the Lord had given him a song to rap, not sing.
Beginning in June of 1993, Efrain, under the name Brother E, began rapping several songs that God had given him. Since 1993 he has seen thousands come to Christ through Gospel Hip-Hop.
He realizes the importance of reaching youth “speaking in their own language,” and considers himself an urban-evangelist.
Currently, Efrain is a member of Crossroads Tabernacle [http://www.crossroadstabernacle.com] in the Bronx under the ministry of
Rev. Joseph Henry Cortese. He is part of the Children’s Ministry running Children’s Church and doing puppet ministry. He is involved with the Youth Group, and the Worship Team on a part-time basis and teaches Sunday School to a vibrant Junior’s class. He also attends the School of Urban Evangelism at Crossroads, a gathering of evangelistic-minded brethren learning how to make a difference in this world. His major involvement is with the Storytellas ministry, which is a Gospel Hip-Hop/Rap ministry that encompasses music, rap, dance, drama, comedy and multi-media in evangelistic efforts. The ministry is evangelistic in nature, ministering in the streets during the summers and in various prisons in the Tri-State area.
In addition, Brother E serves as the Assistant Coordinator of Rap Fest [http://www.rapfest2000.com]. Rap Fest is a free, open-air, Gospel Hip-Hop event in the South Bronx that brings together Gospel Rap Ministers from all over the world. This is Rap Fest’s 11th year and last year over 5,000 people were in attendance throughout the day.
Efrain is presently an undergraduate student at Columbia University and also graduated top of his class in 1995 from the Spanish Eastern District (S.E.D.) of the Assemblies of God Bronx Bible Institute. He has worked with both the Bronx Section and the District Youth Ministries of the S.E.D. of the Assemblies of God as the Fine Arts Coordinator.
Efrain has been blessed in his marriage to Erika. They were joined on
August 16, 2003. Erika is a teacher with the public school system in New York City. She is also a Sunday School teacher at Crossroads and part of the Brother’s Keeper Ministry, a ministry dedicated to prayer, hospital visits, critical care, counseling and support groups. She has been an active member of Crossroads her entire life. Efrain is also a father to a seventeen year old son, Jason, who is graduating from high school and going to college this year.
Efrain has the full backing and blessing of his Pastors at Crossroads Tabernacle.