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00:00hey hey what's up y'all you are at the essence festival of culture and this session powered by
00:12netflix is the intersection of faith and creativity with none other than pharrell
00:17williams and his uncle bishop ezekiel williams my brother pharrell how you doing today i'm good
00:25man grateful and thanks for having us man listen it's a blessing to be alive i'm glad you're
00:29here what's up williams hey i'm blessed i'm blessed and thank you thank you so much for
00:35having me today of course of course it's an honor for us to be able to talk about uh the connection
00:40between faith and creativity but before we jump in real quick bishop most people don't know that
00:46you are pharrell's uncle so just in in one word what was pharrell like growing up well you know
00:53pharrell growing up was a very very you said one word that's but i know i know a bishop can't stick
01:00to one word so go ahead he's he was very unique very unique um creative um genius um i have so
01:12many words that i could use you just haven't met a young man like pharrell williams nice nice amen
01:19right on well i'm glad that uh you know it's amazing back then that you had the perspective
01:24and look at what he's done in the world so pharrell man listen there's so much going on right now
01:28uh and you are on the front lines of activism you're on the front lines of artistry and you know we
01:34have a history of seeing artists especially in the creative community use their art to bring about
01:40change uh so my big question for you is one how do you define the creative community and two
01:46what role do you feel that artists in the creative community should play in a time like this
01:52i mean the creative the creative community is i would say is pretty much like uh you know
02:04i don't know a community that that's creative but i think
02:10i can answer the second question a bit better which is that um your creativity is a gift
02:19and because it's a gift it's meant to be shared um and we make you know it's up it's up to you as to
02:29whether you want to participate but there's just so much going on in the world right now that we
02:35again it's up to you but i just feel like there's a compulsion in anyone who's creative
02:43to uh to to be inspired by these moments and at the very least do something or create something
02:55that is a reflection of of what you're feeling um it could be a reflection of the problems it could
03:02be a reflection of the solution it could be a reflection of your pontification like when
03:09you're thinking about what's going on um but i leave that up to the creators you know god gave
03:16us free will and he didn't try to tell us what to do with it right so he's not going to tell you
03:20what to do with your gift either but i don't know if you don't feel like you have any kind of
03:27contribution to this moment even if it is just within your own household and you're creative
03:35i just don't know i question that creativity um god like you've got like this is a moment
03:42this is very different this is not you know this is not uh when the civil rights were being
03:51you know when civil rights bills were being passed you know we didn't we didn't have lebron james
03:58at that moment you know we had our heroes but not to the tune of the amazing uh uh business
04:08accomplishments and and and uh the kind of path that lebron has and the kind of trajectory that
04:19oprah has and the and the and the yellow brick road that jay-z has uh created and you know there's
04:27just so many people who are in a very different position um than where we were during those times
04:34did i lose you guys no we're here we listen all right um sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry
04:43that's all right we're right here can you see us i can't see you but i mean i'm here
04:54all right we can see you you sound great this is just a different time and so how could you not want
05:00to be you know a thread in this amazing american fabric that's being woven right now how could you
05:06not want to be especially if you're creative because if you're creative then you've been gifted
05:11right and that gift was given to you by you know the greatest of all time in space god
05:18so how could you not um but you know what that's a rhetorical question it's not a real question if you
05:24if you're creative and you don't feel compelled it was a rhetorical question
05:28uh for real what what compels you because you you use your creativity and your artistry and you've
05:35always uh done it in a way that is speaking out for those that don't speak for themselves so what what
05:41is the thing that compels you to continuously consistently use your your art to make change
05:46the force from the beginning the beginning of all things god that's where it all comes from
05:55like how could i again how could i not how could i not how could i not how could i not give back to
06:01that which has given me everything and for me when i think of god you know um you know no disrespect
06:09to any of the renaissance painters and their images of what they felt like god looked like but for me
06:14you know when i think of when i think of uh the universe embodied in a man i think of of jesus when
06:20i think of jesus uh the inside of jesus um and what he was made of i think of the universe
06:27and the universe has given me everything i'm born in it i'm gonna die in it we were all born in it
06:37we're all gonna die in it it was here before us it's gonna be here after us how could i not
06:42be in lockstep as much as i can because i ain't perfect none of us are to my to to my level of
06:51cognition to my to my consciousness my understanding my metacognition that there's something greater
07:01that's giving me everything that i have how could i not contribute in time and do my and do my job
07:08like i said i ain't perfect i am sparkly perfect right but i know who i work for amen amen as the
07:15word says let he without sin cast the first stone so none of us are are fit right so let's bring you
07:22right well let's bring you into the conversation you know we're talking about faith um and this is
07:29a really powerful moment you know this intersection between faith and creativity and a lot of people
07:34are talking about you know what role the church should play so you know from your vantage point
07:40uh you know being a bishop and and you know pastoring you know in norfolk virginia you know what is your
07:46point of view right now about the role that the church should be playing in this moment well i think
07:51my role my my point of view remains the same i um i've said it from the beginning i'll continue to say
08:00that jesus is the answer for the world today at the end of the day i don't care how difficult life
08:08becomes i don't care what we have to face in life if we can look to christ if we can look to jesus
08:14then we can make it through he said he'd be the friend that sticks closer than any brother he empowers
08:21us he equips us he gives us fortitude longevity and the ability um to stick to it and to press through
08:30you know there's a scripture that talks about i press toward the mark for the prize well we must press
08:37we must continue to press and when when you all were talking about uh the creativity um in this time
08:45in this difficult time i i think that um every good and perfect gift comes from above from the
08:52father of lights and at the end of the day it's during the difficult times that those who are
08:58create creative are able to produce some of the most ingenious things that we will ever witness those
09:06who write songs those who make movies to get their point across this is your time this is the time
09:13where you will shine you think about um the olive and the oil that is uh produced from derived from the
09:22olive well the olive has to go through a crushing process there has to be pressure there has to be
09:28uh difficulty if you will in order to produce the oil from the olive life is the same way the lord has
09:37given us these wonderful gifts of creativity that we have but during this pandemic when when the world
09:44really doesn't have the answer and they don't know what else to do i think this is the time when we turn
09:50on those gifts uh where we turn on our faith and we trust god as we've always done um some of the lean times
09:59or the the lighter times we trust god but this is the time where we put what we've been practicing
10:06into action and i guarantee you we're gonna make it through this we're gonna be okay we're gonna
10:12we're gonna see yo uh so we can go ahead and just pass the offering plate right now like
10:18that was the word the oil and the oil you know being pressed lord have mercy i'm about to run
10:24around here man better watch out bishop you started something over here you started something
10:29my goodness yes i i love what you're saying and i think it's so apropos it's interesting you know
10:36when you go back to the beginning go back to genesis uh you know the one of the first statements is let
10:41there be light uh that is a creative statement so there's always been from the beginning a really
10:47strong connection between faith and creativity and so i want to throw this question open to both of
10:53you you know what really um is the way that the creative community and artists can work together
10:59right now you know with the faith community to achieve progress in this moment you know how do we link
11:05the church uh with artists right now in order to produce the change that we really need right now
11:10all right all right all right i would say that the church the faith community has always been
11:20a catalyst of hope and uh i think at this time it's our utmost responsibility our number one
11:27responsibility to to communicate that hope to a people who are looking for answers who for people who
11:35are are wondering what is the next step that i should take i think this is the time that we bring
11:40what it is that we have that has caused us to be successful all the way uh and present that to the world
11:47now there are many believers in the world there are many individuals who believe in god believe in christ
11:53and their faith may be secure but even if you are a christian during days and times like this
12:00your faith can become shaky and you have to go back to the word of god and and uh and i um i've been
12:08involved in music for over 30 years and i'll tell you right now outside of preaching i think that music
12:16is the greatest method of communication that there is and so i would even say to those who create music
12:24this is our time this is our time to put that message of hope that that that that message of salvation
12:32that message message of light into lyrics into music so that people can believe it's something about it
12:42that that even when you can't articulate it it's a feeling that comes over you that you you you hear
12:50you hear it being sung you hear it being played you walk away from the at the end of the day and you
12:56feel like you know what i'm gonna be okay everything's gonna be all right and i think that's part of our
13:02responsibility we got to communicate hope we got to communicate our faith there are many people who
13:09don't believe in god who who are not involved in christianity but i also believe that at a time like
13:17this people are open to try new things and this is where we have to be dead on the money if you will
13:24and we have to be there giving that message proclaiming the gospel so that people can look
13:32and live as they say amen amen amen uh you know pharrell on on that on that point which i thought you
13:40know what the bishop is saying is is fascinating especially about the musical point you know when in this
13:45time uh does this motivate you to create when you're when you're thinking about what's happening
13:51in the world and you're thinking about uh the change that you want to you know continue to be a part of
13:55how does that factor into your creative process uh when you're writing songs and when you're producing
14:01music right now i think i'm just you know in a moment like this again you know you're just inspired by
14:09what you feel um and you're inspired by what you feel and you're inspired by what the universe gives
14:17to you um i speak in terms of the universe a lot because not everybody believes in god um but i know
14:26what they cannot argue with is the fact that there is a universe and it is the you know the alpha and the
14:33omega that's god and so you know when we're when we're thinking about being creative you got to
14:42remember the ultimate creator is the universe that's where it all began so we're co-creators if
14:50anything you know we're just contributing to the all that is all that ever was and all that ever will be
14:57so for people who subscribe to a more scientific point of view you call it the universe universe one
15:06song and then us you know who have a a personal relationship where we have dialogue you know
15:16we say god yes i think when you're when when you're not faith-based you have to know that like in these
15:26moments that we need to galvanize come together and you know working with the faith-based community
15:33and the community in the faith-based community working with the creative community it's only um
15:40it's only it can only be something good when we all come together and see power that that comes from
15:51numbers you know and you just have to remember that like like this universe is an awesome this is awesome
15:59a lot of it is heavy but man as heavy as all the stuff is going on in the earth for whatever reason
16:06it's still twisting around at a thousand miles per hour that's how fast it rotates all this weight all
16:13this heaviness we're dealing with and still the earth travels 55 000 miles per hour around the sun
16:20365 days a year never misses that's how good god is that's how powerful god is and that's just this
16:28solar system and remember you know if you you know you you you you you look at the darkest thing on this
16:36planet coal right well what science tell us what does science tell us tell us about god's process for
16:45what happens to coal you take a lot of pressure you take a lot of time and it makes a diamond god is
16:54one of the god is the greatest of all time in all space you're talking about creativity i mean
17:01you don't get any better than that and like i said you don't have to say jesus you don't have to say
17:08god you cannot argue with the universe and they call it universe for one reason it ain't it ain't a
17:14it ain't a double it ain't a triple ain't quadruple it is a universe one song and so when we come
17:21together the face the faith-based community and the creative community it can only be the same thing
17:26you know we're under a lot of pressure times are really dark but god knows how to turn those
17:32things into bright shining objects wow man listen i'm gonna pass the plate to you i didn't know we
17:38had two bishops on this on this conference right here yes we do man that's a powerful word my lord
17:46no but it's a good segue when you talk about that creativity you talk about two things you know
17:51coming together and and uh you know creating the diamond um you know pharrell i hear that you know
17:57you and and your uncle you know bishop williams have created a diamond uh that you all have partnered
18:03up to create this new show you know building a choir like i don't want to steal your thunder tell
18:09everybody you know what it is that you all have created and what they can expect uh coming out very
18:14so well um i think this show is a show of uh really interesting uh group of journeys
18:32you get to meet these people you get to see why they are special and you're special because see
18:42special is as special does so you're special because you were born into special circumstances
18:49that not everybody could have survived but the fact that you survived makes you special
18:56and so you're probably going to sing and sound that way too good or bad but special nonetheless
19:03and that's what the show is about this show you know i feel like it is a collection of unicorns
19:12people who have really unique stories but they are really unique in themselves and so that has
19:17produced them or that is produced their their lives has has the indentations and the impressions
19:24that these people have their spirits have gone through have had an effect on the way that they hold
19:30a note sometimes even the way that they actually sound their vocal chords and this show does a really
19:39brilliant seamless um job of telling you these stories and then it's led by my uncle who um as much as he's an amazing
19:51pastor and you know someone that i lean on and and in times of just like just needing to understand and
19:58just needing that like that um not religious with that faith scaffolding that we all need he is a gifted musician
20:10and was a child prodigy and it's amazing how still to this day you know he can be in the middle of
20:19preaching and decide he's gonna go and get behind that organ and make you feel something
20:25that you didn't know that you were gonna feel that day and it's amazing there's a bunch of magic that
20:31happens in a lot of uh african-american churches and african diaspora churches around the world
20:36things such as when the preacher is saying something the organist knows exactly when to modulate up to the
20:44half note progression they're not looking at each other they're not saying anything they're not reading
20:50sheet sheet sheet music they are literally just listening to the spirit to the ghost that's in
20:56that room and that ghost when it runs around that room you see a wave that comes over people's and
21:04people and it is their heads moving and their hands moving and you see a wave across these people
21:10just like you see the wind when it's blowing on the trees that is all being captured in the show
21:16voices of fire it literally is voices of fire that church sets on fire with that unique group of
21:25people who don't all look the same they're not all the same color they're not all the same gender
21:30some of them are not even the same sexual orientation because that's not what this is about these doors are
21:37open to human beings who want to get a better understanding of christ and i am so proud of what
21:46they sound like because of that again it's not anything but the grace of god that we got this show
21:55and again i'm not like my uncle i'm not perfect you might be doing and saying some things that might
22:02not agree but look i'm being used and i'm clear on that i know who i work for
22:07that's what that show does for me that's what i feel amen amen well you know speaking of feeling
22:18i we have a clip of voices of fire that's going to debut on netflix uh this year so why don't we go
22:25ahead and let the people see a little glimpse on what what you all been working on no tender voice
22:35voice like thine can peace
22:44voice of voice oh yeah
22:54yeah
22:56I, I need thee, oh, bless, bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.
23:26Okay, wow, listen, I cannot wait to see this show. Bishop, talk to us. Wait a minute, what does this mean for you, who have been a pioneer in ministry and gospel music for decades now, being able to bring this show to Netflix and the world? What does it mean for you to be a part of this?
23:54Listen, what does the word say? Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that you can ask or think according to the power that worketh within you.
24:06Listen, ask or think, it's above anything that I would have ever imagined that we would have the opportunity to put a choir together that would literally touch the entire world.
24:20But I believe because the vocalists are from different ethnicities, nationalities, and you name it, I believe that what you will find out is that they really, through the power of the Holy Spirit, are able to make everyone come together as one.
24:41And at a time like this, with what the world is dealing with, and you know the story, you know what we're facing, at a time like this, we need something that can cause all races to come together and unite.
24:53And music is the way, and music is the way, and music is the tool that we're doing that with. These voices are absolutely amazing.
25:00And as much as singers come together, and they must learn one another, and as they say, they must jive, and they must vibe so that they can flow with one another and become one voice, the same thing will happen across the globe.
25:21And I really believe some of the most phenomenal individuals I've ever heard in my life, and I, honestly, I am honored to just be chosen, I suppose, by God, to just be a part of what's taking place.
25:36I don't feel like I really have a major role. Others may say different, but I really feel blessed and favored to have the opportunity to just be a part of this. It's awesome.
25:48And I'm very grateful to Pharrell, who supports the vision that we had, and Netflix, and all of the people on board. It's just, it's just powerful. You'll see, you'll see.
25:59Wow.
26:01Yeah. Say it again, Pharrell.
26:03757.
26:05Yeah.
26:05It's so strong, you know, you know, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton, you know, Suffolk, Chesapeake.
26:14It's like, and, and, and, and, and outside of our MSA as well, you know, the state of Virginia, we have people from Delaware, you know, D.C.
26:25Where, where else are we?
26:27Yeah.
26:29Texas, Boston, you name it.
26:31As a matter of fact, there are individuals who actually relocated from other states to be a part of this choir and are still here till this day.
26:41So, drove up, drove down, flew in.
26:45Crazy.
26:46It's amazing.
26:46It's beautiful.
26:48It's so beautiful.
26:49It's so, man, my uncle did a really good job, you know, and, and I'm, I may always call him, but the bishop did an amazing job.
26:58It's, it's, it's, it's been great.
27:02I'm, we're honored and the Netflix folks are super happy with it and it's awesome.
27:07And it's such a, it's such a beautiful look for, you know, where we come from.
27:12Amen.
27:13And Pharrell, Pharrell, let me just say this.
27:15Yes, you, you do call me uncle and I know I'm the bishop.
27:19I know I'm your pastor and, and that's great.
27:21But the greatest, greatest term of endearment that I could experience is when you call me uncle.
27:28I feel the love.
27:29I love you, man.
27:31And I thank you.
27:32Wow.
27:33I thank you both for doing this.
27:35I mean, I'm a huge gospel, you know, music fan was raised in the church and the music is just, you know, what keeps me going and I know it keeps millions around the world going, but gospel still has not reached the lengths that it can.
27:50And through this show, through Voices of Fire and you all partnering up to bring it to the world, I personally want to say thank you as a gospel music fan.
27:58Thank you for using your platforms and your creativity and your faith to put gospel on display in a dynamic way.
28:04This time has gone by so quickly.
28:07It's already, we're already done.
28:10So thank you, first of all, to you, Pharrell.
28:12Thanks for being here.
28:13Thank you to the bishop, otherwise known as Unc, man.
28:16So glad you're here.
28:18And thank you for everyone that is tuned in.
28:19Thank you to Essence Fest, Essence Festival for being here.
28:23And thank you to Netflix for not only sponsoring this panel and this conversation about faith and creativity, but also being the platform through which Voices of Fire will come out later.
28:34If you all like the clip, if you like the conversation, it's no comparison to the power of this show.
28:41So please make sure you stay tuned.
28:44And thank you all for coming in and spending a little bit of time with us.
28:47I'm John Franklin.
28:48I'm your moderator.
28:49God bless you.
28:50And we're praying for your success.
28:52Yes, sir.
28:53Thank you to Essence.
28:54Thank you to Netflix.
28:56And, of course, Faith World Ministries.
28:58And everybody, just as this man just said, please come check out our Voices of Fire.
29:06It's going to be great.
29:08It's going to be fire, y'all.
29:09It's going to be fire.
29:10That's right.
29:11It's going to be fire.
29:13All right.
29:13Blessings.
29:15Blessings.
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