Five months ago, Steven Furtick’s son released a couple of new songs under his stage name ‘dothedash!’ for the album Teen Machine. One of them proved particularly troubling, with the song ‘No Hook’ featuring a host of references to guns, shooting, and exhaustive references to his wealth and wearing designer clothes and diamonds. The criticism was swift, being described as elite megachurch culture. A rich kid from untouchable celebrity pastors pretending to be hard and gang-affiliated while rapping about his wealth, all the while being endorsed by their parents.
In the mumblecore style with heavy autotune, we see references to his wealth, designer brands, slang for a gun, and unending mentions of ‘drip’ or ‘dripping’, which is a reference to having a confident, expensive, and fashionably sexy look. (Richard Millie is a luxury watch brand, Bentley is a luxury car, Ricky and Fendi are both designer clothing brands, where shirts and jackets can cost over $10,000). He sings:
I got the drip Richard Millie
I’m only 16 but I might cop a Bentley
My pants are from Ricky
My bro keep a blickey (A gun)
I’m gettin’ in racks and I get ’em in plenty
We see more references to ‘wanting a baddie, his neck being frosty (because it’s full of ice, i.e. diamonds) and then attending a party where everyone is drinking Hennessy, a cognac.
Don’t know what I want I’m too picky
I keep me a baddie like Demi
My neck is frosty like it’s Wendy’s
Just walked in the party they sippin’ on Henny
That’s just a small sample. The rest of the song basically comprises of 15-16 more references to designer clothes, diamonds, dripping, and riches, with another gun reference, as he exclaims, “we lighting your block up like a cigarette.”
Another song called ‘Life is Great’ contained similar themes, declaring that his life is great because of his fortune, money, and wealth.
The week after it dropped, Furtick said nothing about it, having a habit of not responding to his haters. After the controversy died down, it appears he did a post about it, writing on Instagram that he was ‘inspired’ by his son for completing the project and especially inspired by the younger Furtick for “believing in his own voice and lyrics.” He concludes by saying he is “proud” of the project. He says in part:
Dear Elijah,
You already know how proud I am of you. But today on the release of TEEN MACHINE I want you to know that you inspire me.The day you showed me your first Garage Band Mark Ronson rip off beat, I saw the spark. Next came the obsession. You locked yourself away and taught yourself the intricacies of production and the basics of engineering.
…Then came the biggest challenge of all. Believing in your own voice, lyrics and melodies enough to hit record and make your own project. This is the part that inspired me the most.…You had the courage to conceptualize and execute an entire project – every 808, mix, & melody, you meticulously curated and created, selected and perfected.
…I’m proud of your project. I’m inspired by your process. I’m grateful for the person you are, and the potential of who you are becoming.
Run through the jungle TEEN MACHINE™️. The old lion is right behind you.
By way of context, Steven Furtick is the Lead Pastor of Elevation Church. As head of Southern Baptist-associated, 25,000-member multisite campus with 17 locations, he is known for having the term “narcegesis” (narcissistic exegesis) named after him based on his inability to exegete scripture in a way that doesn’t make every story revolve around him, as well as his penchant to wear outfits that cost more than most mortgages and buddying up to Trinity-Denier T.D Jakes.
Last year he replaced Kenneth Copeland at the always-heretical TBN, filling the role of the Innkeeper Monsieur Thénardier from the musical Les Miserables (TBN being the Inn), with these “Masters of the house” doing whatever is the theological equivalent of “Charge ’em for the lice/Extra for the mice/Two percent for looking in the mirror twice” in his efforts to promote his brand of prosperity preaching.
He also recently said that ‘God is a Molecular Structure’, laughed at the notion of ‘Twerking for the Lord?’, went on a Wild, Wild, Willllldd Rant about Betas and Blessings, went on another Rant About Angels that got Weird Quick and screamed ‘I Am God Almighty!’ in a sermon. All that while saying that God Doesn’t Make You into a New Creation. Oh yeah, he also had that Infamous Coloring Book about Himself.
