Psalmist Cypher Podcast

Cory Binks Journey: Poker, Hip-Hop, and Ministry

• Prophecy • Episode 7

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Cory Binks, a Christian hip hop artist from Las Vegas, shares a personal journey that's nothing short of transformative. Trading in a life of professional poker for music, Cory embraces a calling that leads him across the country. Through faith and obedience, he unlocks a wellspring of creative potential, crafting music inspired by everyday experiences. Cory shines a light on the God-given gifts and callings each person holds, encouraging listeners to trust in divine guidance and find fulfillment beyond mere worldly success.

We explore the profound difference between temporary happiness and the lasting joy that comes from a relationship with the Lord. Cory and I discuss how sharing personal testimonies can inspire others on their spiritual journeys, emphasizing that complete knowledge isn’t a prerequisite to sharing the hope found in Jesus. From competitive poker victories to faith-driven creativity, Cory's story is a testament to the power of service and the transformative impact of a life aligned with divine purpose.

The episode also celebrates unexpected opportunities and divine connections in Cory’s life, highlighted by a serendipitous Music collaboration with Cory Wise and a burgeoning acting career sparked by a Christian talent show audition. With new music projects on the horizon, Cory stresses the importance of spiritual growth and aligning with God's desires. Listen in as we uncover the powerful role of mentorship and the joy of embracing one’s unique path, choosing the spirit over the flesh, and living a life of faithful obedience.

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Speaker 1:

How's it going, family? Welcome to another episode with Osamu Seifer. I have a guest of honor today. His name is Corey Beans, coming to us from Las Vegas. Let's show him some love. What's up, corey? How's it going, brother? What's up? I'm good, bro. I'm good, happy to be here. So what you got going on these days, in the Lord's name.

Speaker 2:

Oh, I mean, that's a loaded question, bro, if you just ask that question and then for the next hour I can tell you about all the stuff before I do it. So you maybe want to refine that question just a little bit. Well, let's go down this path.

Speaker 1:

Then I I met you on facebook right and, uh, I was reaching out to a couple of facebook groups to try to get some people to join me on the podcast and you have reached out. Thank you for doing that. So I seen on there that you're very active in the Christian hip hop community. Now here on Psalm and Cypher, this was all made first of all to bring glory to God, but because, you know, I found a good connection with Christian hip hop and I wanted to make a platform to where we can speak to a lot of Christian hip hop, and I wanted to make a platform to where we can speak to a lot of Christian hip hop artists, and you were one of the first ones to reach out. So, first and foremost, I'd like for you to touch base on. You know what you got going on as far as your Christian hip hop and your ministry.

Speaker 2:

All right. Well, I've been making music for about a year and a half Well, I guess close to the two years. But I released my first song last February and now I have 28 songs. I think out, so many others in the works or that are almost done, and that's all a testament to the Lord. And, like the Bible says, his ways are not our ways. Like heaven is higher than the earth, his thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

Speaker 2:

So when I think about like, I never even wrote a poem my whole life, a poem, a song, nothing. I was never musical right and it seemed like all of a sudden I started getting ideas for songs. And you know, I could share more of my testimony later, if you want. But it was long story short on the other side of my obedience and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do, when God called me to move to Las Vegas. I was raised in Charleston, south Carolina, and God called me to move to Las Vegas, which is crazy because I used to be a pro poker player, spent a lot of time in Vegas, a lot of time in the world, and about two years after I surrendered my life to him, he's calling me to move to Vegas and I'm like I don't want to go to Nineveh. Like literally I would say I don't want to go to Nineveh. You know, I felt like Vegas is the modern day Nineveh.

Speaker 2:

I love the beach, I love the East Coast, like I mean. I'm not married or have any kids, but my mom, my brother, I have step family over there, all my friends, all the kids that I'm so close with you know from working at the youth ministry at the country, 3000 miles away, by myself, and I didn't even play poker anymore. So why are you calling me? To make it Like? It made no sense at the time. But Proverbs 3, 5 through 6 says lean not on your own understanding, but trust in God and everything that you do, and he will make your path straight.

Speaker 2:

So, although it was hard to do, I obeyed, and you know it took some time. It wasn't like an immediate yes. Like I said, I was arguing with God I don't want to go, I don't want to go, and he just kept pouring it on me, confirmation after confirmation. And anyway, on the other side of my obedience is when, all of a sudden, it was like the floodgates were opened and I started getting ideas for songs. Everywhere that I went, things would make me think of a melody or a verse or a hook or a hook, like literally, I could be at the gym. And this happened and I remember a guy was lifting weights and one of the weights like fell off, like the bench press thing, and it started rolling around on the ground, and the way that the weight was rolling around on the ground made me think of a melody, which then turned into a whole song. It could be random stuff like that, and it just happens all the time.

Speaker 2:

So what I realized, though and I know I went on a little tangent here, I tend to do that, I get excited talking about the Lord. But, man, this music stuff like for a while up until probably a couple of months ago actually I felt like it seemingly just came out of nowhere, like God just like shot this gift into me. But that's not the case, because the Bible says that the gifts and the callings that he gives to each person are irrevocable, right, so every single human being has a gift and a calling on their life. Every single human being has the same purpose to know God and to make him known, and the calling that God puts on each person is how we go about doing that, how do you use the gift and be a good steward of the gift to fulfill your calling. So we all have that Like we read that I believe it's in the book of Hebrews.

Speaker 2:

I didn't realize, though, that. So this was already in me, it was already inside of me. I was just not dying to myself enough, or or I was essentially getting in the way. So once I obeyed, and then God could trust me, seemingly, and then he gave me something else to obey, and then I passed that test. So it was like, through these tests, the biggest one, the hardest one, was moving to vegas, on the other side of my obedience. It was like, wow, now he uncovered this gift that was already in me, and it was just, yes, non-stop, every single day, thinking about music and song.

Speaker 2:

When I first started, bro, I didn't even know what an ad lib was, I didn't know about reverb, I didn't literally so many basic things in music I had no idea about, but I was just being a good steward every night. So, like, this is the second place that I lived in, vegas, the first place I had, like this bigger, like kind of walk-in closet at the apartment that you know that I was at, and every night it'd be me and the holy spirit in the closet till like four in the morning just working on songs, trying to figure things out, practicing writing. It was so much fun and it's still much fun. It's just a different setup. You know that I have now um, so that's what it was like, and now that was. And I I told you like that was my first got to vegas september of 2022. I was working on songs, different ideas. Then I recorded my first song in december, um, and then february I released it and that that song is called most my life um. So yeah, I mean, and then ever since then it's just been nonstop and then continually, as I've been stewarding this gift, I feel like my songs are getting better, my writing is getting better. I'm more confident in my voice.

Speaker 2:

I remember when I did my first ever live outreach event I've done a lot of them now it was last March, I believe, or April. I didn't even know how to hold a microphone and I didn't even know how to hold a microphone and, like someone has a picture of me I'm literally holding like a kitchen spoon. I'm like, do I hold it like this? Do I hold it from the bottom? I didn't even know how to hold a microphone, you know.

Speaker 2:

And then last weekend I had the opportunity to speak and perform at the biggest revival event ever to happen in Vegas. It's called Roar Fest. There was like 2,500 people there. Yes, it was incredible and like that was an official big stage, like the kind of stage you would see like at a big name concert or whatever, and I had the opportunity to do that. It was so much fun. But it's not about me, it's about the Lord, and he is continually giving me a platform, another platform, another platform. But it's in God's timing Because, let's say, all of a sudden I had that opportunity when I first started, or all of a sudden I was getting millions of streams right away. Would I have been able to handle that? Probably not. So God, in his perfect timing, takes you along the way.

Speaker 1:

His timing is always perfect. Yes, exactly Amen.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I mean I forget what your original question was, but that's kind of the short version story of how I got started in the music and now I'm so grateful. Like the Bible says, god will give you the desires of your heart. I didn't know that this was in me, I didn't know that I had this desire, but as our hearts are aligned with his heart, then he will give you those desires. So I have a desire to make music to bring him glory through music and several other things like seeming things, like it's wild but this desire that got in me and it's amazing, it really is.

Speaker 1:

Well, I also. You know you were stating that you was a poker player. Right, and you was pretty good at it. Right, you won some championships and stuff like that, right, but was that ever fulfilling for you? Was it was, did you?

Speaker 1:

I guess what I'm asking is, did you feel like something was missing? Because of? Because what I think is that we can always go with our fleshly desires. It might take us down a path and some people will be like, oh, look at this guy, he's a poker player, you know, a world champion and making all types of money, but they don't know that. You know, on the other end of that, we might not feel fulfilled. And right now you're living your purpose. It seems like you're very excited about everything you're saying, and I admire that. You really know your word. You're always throwing your verses in there and stuff like that. And I'm working on that, on myself, because you know I want to memorize more scripture. You know that's. You know, I admire that because I want to memorize more scripture. I admire that. But now that you're living your purpose, it seems like you're really with God's joy, am I right?

Speaker 2:

Amen, yes, so real quick, before I get into that, I just feel like to encourage you or anybody else listening. When I first surrendered my life to the Lord and someone had invited me to go out and evangelize read evangelism the enemy was sending all these lies to me. Like you can't go evangelize, you don't even know what the bible says, you can't even memorize verses or whatever right. Like basically telling me that I know enough, so just keep your mouth shut. Is essentially how I felt and I and I believed that for a little bit and I was like scared. But I had a brother in Christ who literally like well, not literally, but was like no, come on, come on, you know enough. Like you'll just get out there, let the Holy Spirit use you. And anyway, it was a little scary my first time. But then, shortly after, I heard a sermon and it was about uh, first Peter 3, 15, right or like.

Speaker 2:

In the sermon he mentioned that and basically, to summarize, it says that you just got to be ready to give a reason for the hope that you have. The Bible doesn't say you have to know every single verse. You got to memorize it like the back of your hand. Just be ready to give a reason for the hope that you have, and that hope we all know is Jesus. So just share Jesus with others. Share who you used to be, who you are, who you're becoming.

Speaker 2:

The Bible says that we overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony. So do not ever let the enemy lie to you and tell you you don't know enough to start a podcast or to evangelize or to post a video on Facebook or whatever. You know Jesus and you have a testimony. That is your story that no one can argue with you about. So you know. So that's just so, just in general. Just realize it's okay if you don't know enough right now. You're going to be continually learning and growing and it just takes time, right, of course.

Speaker 2:

It's a journey, it's a journey Exactly To answer your question when I was playing poker like I used to play basketball growing up, loved it, I was obsessed with it, even though it was a little bit before my time. Michael Jordan was always my favorite and he won six NBA championships six rings. So when I found out that you can so, then I got in a bad car wreck, messed up my knee. I didn't play basketball anymore, at least like competitively, for school or for college or anything. So, fast forward a few years. I was trying a whole bunch of different things to try to find something to satisfy that competitive desire and I found poker. And after a really bad relationship another long story short I was at rock bottom and when you're in a low place you need a goal to get you out, something to work towards. So I found out that you can win a ring whenever you win a World Series of Poker tournament right, a championship. So my goal now was to win six rings in my craft, just like Michael Jordan did in his. That was my goal. So I put my head down and just worked, worked, worked nonstop. I just talked about poker, watched poker, played poker, studied poker. It was literally like an idol to me at that time, everything was around poker, poker and partying, not always in that order. Sometimes it was partying before poker. That's part of my testimony. But over the next four years I was the fastest person to not only win six World Series of Poker Championships, but I won seven.

Speaker 2:

Now, along that journey I had a blast. I was living in the world, I was having fun. You know, there were times that I guess you could say I felt empty or felt lost, because I was sitting here playing a game and I felt like I could be doing more. But when I was in the poker world I spread a lot of positivity. Right now I started a brand, all about spreading positivity, called ThinkBank. That's a whole other story in and of itself, but that's where I got the name Corey Bink from was from that brand that I started. So I helped a lot of people. So I thought but what was I really helping them with? Whenever I would just give them a positive quote or give them a wristband or a t-shirt or whatever, and I was helping them be happy in that moment.

Speaker 2:

But happiness is different than joy, because happiness depends on what happens to you, your circumstances. Joy sustains, joy remains. We count it all as joy. Right, joy only comes from the Lord. It's a fruit of the Holy Spirit Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. That's a fruit of the Spirit that only comes from the Lord. True joy, yes, amen.

Speaker 2:

And so when I was playing poker, I was having fun and I was super happy, absolutely. And in that moment, if you would have asked me that, then I would have been like, yeah, life is great, I'm playing a game for a living, loving it. But then it got to a point six championship and everything was tunnel visioned on this goal. I woke up the next day after I won my six championship and, yeah, like when it happened, I was happy. I called my dad, I was crying, I was like you know, woke up the next day and I'm like now what I? Literally I was like I didn't think about what I was going to do after because everything was focused on this goal. And that's when I started to feel this emptiness because I'm like, wait, am I just going to keep playing poker? Like I mean, I just accomplished my goal and it didn't seem like it was something that was even accomplishable at the time. I don't know if that's the right word I think I just made up a word, Anyway. So I didn't know what else to do. I felt like it was going to be in a song coming soon. So then I started playing more poker. That's all that I knew how to do.

Speaker 2:

A month later I won my seventh championship and it was the same feeling, but even more, Because now I'm like am I just going to keep playing poker tournaments? I feel like there's so much more and I feel empty, I feel lost, and it was like, if you think of your life as yourself, as a big puzzle. It felt like, even though I had all these rings and I had success and I was even like famous in the poker, I couldn't walk 10 feet without someone wanting to take a picture with me or an autograph or whatever. But that's just in the small microcosm of poker. I wasn't like famous in the world, but in that small little area I was. I had fame, I had fortune, I had success. I had literally everything that the world had to offer, everything that you think would make you happy, so many people. If I only had a million in the bank, I'd be happy. If I only had this, if I only had. And then you get that and you realize well, no, because now you want 10 million, now you want a billion, like it's never going to make you happy, because you literally have, like this vacuum inside of you and

Speaker 2:

you're trying to suck it up, like with all this stuff in the world, but it's a vacuum. Just keep sucking it up, right, and it doesn't ever fulfill it. Um, and it's a god-shaped vacuum. The only thing that can fulfill this emptiness is the lord. You need the holy spirit and we're all born like. All of us have a body and a soul. We're not born with the spirit. So you're walking around essentially as two-thirds of a person your entire life. Until you become fulfilled with the Holy Spirit, you become born again. Now you are complete. Now you are who God created you to be is to know Him and to make Him known. But you don't really know Him unless you have the Holy Spirit. You can know about Him, you can understand who Jesus is and you see billboards, maybe you've been to church or whatever, but until you have the Holy Spirit, you're not fully fulfilled.

Speaker 2:

So, to answer your question in a long-winded way, it was like I had happiness in the world, didn't have true joy, I had success, but I still felt empty. I still felt like I had no purpose in this world. Then, when I surrendered my life to the Lord, gave it all to him and the day that I got baptized, which you know. Baptism isn't what saves you, of course, but that was the day that I felt like the old Corey was washing down the river and I was a new creation in Christ. And I came out of that water ugly, crying, and I remember, on the way home I prayed.

Speaker 2:

I said, man, I did it my way my whole life. I do whatever you or I do, whatever I wanted to do. Now I just want to do what you want me to do. Please guide my steps and use my tongue how you want it to be used and please help me make up for all those lost years, all those years that I was in the world not fulfilling my true calling. And that's my daily prayer, every day. And I didn't realize how prophetic that prayer was then when I asked him to use my tongue, because now, making music, I'm literally using my tongue. And then, and you know, also the gift of evangelism, like I love telling people about the Lord, sharing my testimony Also the Lord's opening up doors to get into acting. This is a very new thing and I'm like I didn't see this coming, like whoa. So look at all these ways the Lord is helping me use my tongue for his glory.

Speaker 2:

You know it man brother, yeah, so yes, sir yeah, so I think that answered your question. I know I went off a little tangent there, but I do that a lot, I guess.

Speaker 1:

So much, yeah. So yeah, the god is definitely showing you favor, man. Uh, you, you gave yourself to him and he showed up abundantly for you, right? So so now you got this gift that you at the time didn't know what you had. Right, you're going down music, and I feel where you're coming from with that, because I write poetry myself, but that only came upon me. Reading the Bible all the time, you know what I mean. It was a way for me to connect with God, and my pastor at my church has been pushing me a little bit to share my poems and preach a little bit at our church and stuff like that, and he's open to opening our church as like sharing Christian hip hop and reaching the youth, having the youth come in and stuff like that. And I know you're very active with the youth. What do you got going on with that?

Speaker 2:

Oh man. Well, anytime your church needs anybody, bro, I'm there. Like you, let me know I'll be there.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

I have a huge part.

Speaker 1:

We're working on that, brother. We're working on that. I already brought that up to my pastor man so I'm gonna be giving you a call soon amen.

Speaker 2:

Uh, as far as the youth, yes, sir chart for the youth.

Speaker 2:

Um, and like we were talking about earlier, with god's perfect timing. So it started out like growing up I was always like the fun cousin, you know, like I was always with the kids and hanging out, running around with the kids. So like I see that this is all again. It's always been in me, but God just uncovers more of it as you grow in Him. And then, when I surrendered my life to the Lord, I started working with the youth. I started teaching them, like at the, you know, at the youth ministry, pouring into them, encouraging them and then coming out to Vegas and then now music started to come into play. So now I'm able to use this gift to do different youth events or outreaches. Or a church brought me out for this big event that they had for the kids there called Ruckus, and then just all sorts of stuff, like with the youth. Every Tuesday and Thursday I teach the kids at church. So I'm there, like whenever the parents are in the men and women's Bible study. I'm in there teaching them on Tuesdays and then Thursdays, like our midweek service, and I'm there giving a lesson or doing whatever the Lord leads, like last week I got to lead like the little prayer circle. So after we do our lesson we have different stations that they go around, they can play games or they can, you know, do a craft and then we have a prayer section. I love that Like just seeing these kids and teaching them how to pray, and that it's OK if there's not a perfect prayer, because a lot of kids they just don't know how to pray and they do it a certain way. So I just love working with the youth. So now, whether it's family then or also teaching them at the church. But I also work a lot with foster kids as a foster ministry on behalf of the church, to be on behalf of the church, and I'm there at all of the different events where, basically, people who are interested in doing or who are interested in adopting then they will put together these events where the kids who are in the system essentially will come out and they can meet these parents and see if there's a connection or whatnot. So that's part of what I do.

Speaker 2:

And also a kids camp that my church in Charleston hosts every year called Royal Family Kids Camp, and it's a. It's a. It's a camp for orphans and it's called Royal Family Kids Camp because we treat them like royalty the whole week. That's one of my favorite weeks of the year, if not my favorite week of the year. I love it. Every year I get to do that.

Speaker 2:

And now there's things in the works where I'm guess I'm not technically in it yet, but I'm about to start working with kids who have been trafficked. There's some things in the works. I won't get into all that now, but I just say that because you see the progression where it's like I wasn't probably ready to deal with kids that have been in the worst of the worst situation two years ago, but after I worked with this group of kids and then this group of kids and this group of kids, now it's okay. Now you're ready to start working with these kids who you know. Every kid is important, every kid is a gift from the Lord, but the ones who have been through something like trafficking, something that evil, it's just another layer, it's just. You know, it takes a special or I don't want to say special it takes a certain type of person to be able to work with those kind of kids and the things that you're going to hear and things that you're going to see, and I know that the Lord prepared me for that.

Speaker 2:

So, and I remember when I first started making music and I did my first event or actually it was a few events in and I see a bunch of kids around me singing my songs with me.

Speaker 2:

Or I was just in the Philippines for five weeks this summer, I did a mission trip there and all the kids that were singing my songs with me I was like you know, lord, I am fully content.

Speaker 2:

If this is why you gave me this gift, to be able to pour into the youth who have such short attention spans these days, and if you could give a message that you song to, the message to help their attention and give them something good to listen to instead of this worldly crap that's out there. Right, if that's what you gave this gift to me for, let your will be done. Like you know, I'm good with that and it seems like the Lord wants to use it for more than that. But it was like with what I was already doing and what you know I love to do. Again, god gives you the desires of your heart and I love working with kids, I love helping kids, I love music. Now, to put those two together to be able to influence the next generation. Praise God. So yeah, I mean it's amazing, it really is amazing.

Speaker 1:

That's great man. That's great man. Amazing, it really is amazing. That's great man. That's great man. I've seen I've seen you again on your facebook uh, uh, singing and rapping to the kids and they was all having a great time, man. Very happy for you and for them, man, because you're a good role model man. So I have this song here. It's called glorious day by cory binks. We're gonna go ahead and share that with everybody, man, and let them see what you, uh, what you got going on over here this is my uh latest song and on the second verse is is my brother in christ, cory wise?

Speaker 2:

I don't know if you want to play the whole thing or just the first verse, but but this song just real quick before you play it.

Speaker 1:

We gonna play the whole thing, brother. We gonna play the whole thing yeah.

Speaker 2:

So I wrote this song over a year ago and before I met cory wise, because he actually saw one of my tiktok videos and reached out saying thank you for posting that. I needed to hear it. That led to us hopping on a call for three hours, and whenever we're on the call, I was like bro are, are you the cory wise who makes music? Because I already was listening to him. He's been making music for a long time. He used to tour with andy Mineo and stuff right, and I'm like bro, is that you? He's like yeah, that's me. I'm like oh, it was you.

Speaker 2:

So we connected and before that conversation, though, I had written this song and I wrote my verse and, in parentheses, in the little note that I had made in my phone, I said someone else on the second verse and I put corey wise question mark. Right, fast forward almost a year. And this is him and I send him the song and he's like bro, I would love to be a part of this. And that's how it happened. It was like it was so the lord did that.

Speaker 1:

Oh god, work in his hand, brother he really did, he really did god work in his hand. That's what's up. Let's play it for the people. Corey, All right.

Speaker 4:

Yes, yes, it's the day that was made not a day from you.

Speaker 4:

It's a glorious day, not a day with you. It's the day that was made, not a day from you. It doesn't matter what comes my way, I'll stand up tall and proclaim his name. This is a glorious day that the Lord has made, so I will rejoice and be glad today. Hope of this morning, feeling blessed. I know I'm free. The sun has saved my life. Oh, what a day this would be.

Speaker 4:

In his word I find a verse that really I feel him blessed. I got the spirit within me, so I keep moving on Every time, every day, every way, every place. Ain't going nowhere my own. I ain't glad, I ain't mad. I got joy and enjoy these glorious days for you. Every chance I get to lift up my hands, I will worship, cause you are so good, you are so good, you are so good, you are perfect. Doesn't matter what comes my way, I will stand up tall and proclaim his name. This is a glorious day that the Lord has made, so I will rejoice and be glad. Today, it's a glorious day, another day for you. It's a glorious day, another day for you. It's a glorious day, another day for you.

Speaker 3:

It's a glorious day. It's another day for you. It's a glory day. It's another day for you. Broken, battered and shattered, ain't think that nothing mattered. Babylon in my mind, all of my thoughts were scattered, fell from grace, trying to climb for salvation, but I couldn't find a ladder. Still my cup, my hope, shattered, face-tombed on the ground. I was done, sent at me, crippled with some pain so I couldn't even run, felt the weight of all my, my losses, my mistakes, felt like a ton, fell asleep in my despair and I woke to see the sun. He reached and pulled me out of raging seas, cracked a stone around my heart, turned to flesh and I believed I was there. No, I'm alive, suffocated. Now I'm brave. I'm forgiving nothing. Missing, jesus, everything I need.

Speaker 4:

Fire, bro, fire. Thank you, bro.

Speaker 2:

You guys don't know that, so that song it was inspired by Psalms 118.24 that says this is the day that the Lord has made. We should be glad and rejoice in it. That's what inspired that whole song and another part of that testimony. But Corey already shared with you how it kind of happened. But when I said it to him it was the perfect timing because he was just coming out of out of a season of depression and he had fallen back into sin and really and just all sorts of stuff was happening in his life and he was now back. He had been getting discipled and and and like I quote, he says I feel like back then I was like running with the lord and I was trying to skip some step. He's like, but now I'm walking with the lord, I'm taking one step at a time.

Speaker 2:

You know is how he said it, which, like that song, ended up itself right there. But when I sent this song it couldn't have been better timing because this is truly how he felt now, where before he didn't feel like this, but now he truly feels like every day is a day that the Lord has made and we should be rejoicing and be glad in that. And it was just like it was, so powerful the Lord brought us together, brought the song together, and at that perfect time it really was you guys was a blessing to each other at that time and at that perfect time yes, Really was.

Speaker 1:

You guys was a blessing to each other at that time. You know what I mean? Like he was blessing you coming on your track right Because he's a known Christian hip-hop artist and stuff like that, but you was coming to him at a season where he needed that from you also. So you guys pretty much helped each other out. Man, that's how God works, man.

Speaker 2:

And bro, he's been like a mentor to me. If I have questions and stuff or like, I'll send him some tracks to get some feedback Cause, like you know, especially when you do like music or poetry, whatever you do a lot of people primarily your family, right, your close circle you got a lot of yes people like, yeah, bro, that's awesome and they're not going to tell you if it's just going to try, going to try to encourage you, they don't want to, you know, tell you the truth. So you need people who can actually give you truth and constructive criticism to help you grow, not to put you down, but to help you. Iron sharpens, iron, right. So I have a lot of yes people around me like, like you know, my mom, I could put anything out, my mom would tell me it's amazing and she's proud of me.

Speaker 2:

I don't need like thanks, ma, but I but I have one of those too, bro, I got one of those so so, yeah, so I have something like I got a group of people that I can send it to and I'm like, hey, give it to me, bro. Is it terrible? Should I start over? And and has been that for me like with music since I started, since before he did this song, um. So, yeah, you're right, though, like we've nice been able to help each other, and I mean it's been awesome it really is.

Speaker 1:

That's good man, that's a blessing. And let me ask you who? Who inspires you musically as far as Christian hip hop?

Speaker 2:

All right. So before I realized Christian hip hop was a thing or, excuse me like I didn't realize Christian hip hop was a thing, I'll just say it like that. Then I heard Brian Trejo yes, brian T and that's the first Christian hip-hop artist I ever heard and I went like two weeks after I got baptized, I was telling you, I found out that there was this revival event in somewhere I think it was like Orlando, florida. It was somewhere in Florida. I went, and this was like a lot of places were still locked down. This was July, like the end of July 2020. So we're still in the midst of all this COVID stuff and everything, and so, anyway, I went down there, though, and there was this revival event, and I saw Brian and a lot of other guys from Kingdom Music and a couple other opening acts, which two of them Azika, that's my brother in Christ, who makes amazing music, and also my brother in Christ, miguel he goes by MCKO. They were both opening acts there. I met them both at that event, the first event I ever went to, and we are still brothers in Christ. I talk to them every so often. Actually, miguel just messaged me today, because October 7th, three years ago is when I got baptized in the Holy Spirit. So he said happy Holy Spirit birthday. You know is what he told me today. So, anyway, those are brothers in Christ that I met through that.

Speaker 2:

But Brian Trejo he was the first person I ever heard that did Christian hip hop and I was like, man, this, you can make music like this for Jesus. This is awesome. And I just fell in love with hip hop Primarily. Him is who I listen to. I remember the next year on my Spotify it tells you like your yearly recap, and I was like in the top one percentile of who listened to privacy because I listened to all this stuff. So if I had to say who has influenced me, it has to be him.

Speaker 2:

But, with all that said, I've never consciously tried to sound like anybody else. Like when I started making music, yeah, I was like, oh, I want to make a song that sounds like this guy or this guy. I never consciously went into it like that. And when people tell me, like you sound unique and I haven't heard anybody like you, I'm like, praise God, because I don't want to sound like someone. Unfortunately, in music in general but let's just talk about Christian hip-hop you hear people that, for example, they're like are you trying to be like the Christian, drake? Are you trying to be like the Christian you know? Whatever? Like I'm not going to throw stones or anything like that, but it's like you hear it and it's so obvious that you're trying to sound like someone else. Why not be me? You are a one of one. God made you fearfully and wonderfully like you.

Speaker 2:

Don't try to be like anybody else, but hey but, that's them. I can't be their Holy Spirit, but that's never been me and that will never be me. I don't ever intentionally try to sound like anybody, so yeah, but if I had to pick one, it would be Brian T, for sure. He is such a man of God and also I never really thought about this fairly recently.

Speaker 2:

The way that I love to preach and then tie in my songs to the message. That's exactly what Brian Trejo does. When you go to one of his events, sometimes he'll be preaching more than he'll be doing music. Actually, every time he preaches more than he does music and that's primarily like what you know what he wants to do and he ties songs into his message to keep people's attention, and that's what I do also he's definitely anointed.

Speaker 1:

He's one of my favorite. When I started digging down this rabbit hole of christian hip-hop because I was a big hip-hop head, I mean, I listened to it all day and I like all types of music, but hip-hop was definitely number one in my book Um, after I was saved and I started my journey, uh, little by little, I didn't care for that message. No more, man, I'm like I don't want to hear this like this. You know, I a lot of songs that were my classics and I still consider my classics because of the beat and the delivery. Just a message I just can't listen to it. No more, I don't enjoy it the way I did.

Speaker 1:

So I can't really tell you how I came across Christian hip-hop, but Brian Trejo was definitely one of the first ones and I'm like, man, this guy's delivery is crazy and what he's speaking is right up. You know, yeah, I'm feeling this or yeah, I'm experiencing that and yeah, I just read this and we were talking about this at church. So I started digging through that and then, uh, you know these algorithms, they start, uh, sending you more music that's related to it. So then I find this person, I find that person and I started digging down this hole and I was like, wow, man, there is so much talent in Christian hip-hop. It's just a beautiful thing.

Speaker 1:

And you're one of them, man. I mean, I love your music. You have a great message. As a matter of fact, let me put on this link right here. This is a link to his YouTube channel. You guys go ahead and follow my dude right here, show him some love. But, yeah, your message is right up there, man, and you definitely have a unique sound. Man, you keep up that. Good work, the good word, the gospel, all of that, everything you got going on. God is definitely showing you favor, and I've also seen you with some mechanical wings. What's that about?

Speaker 2:

bro, oh man, uh. So I think I mentioned earlier how, like the lord's opening up doors for acting. I think I've said this four times already on this episode. But long story short. Um, I was on a tv show. Well, I'm I guess I'm technically still on it. It'll be on Paramount Plus later this fall and if I had to compare it to anything, it's kind of like America's Got Talent, but for Christian creatives.

Speaker 2:

So I was submitting auditions and stuff earlier this year. Didn't really know what it was, someone just sent me the opportunity and I was just being in obedience with the Lord laid on my heart to do so. I submitted auditions and submitted them for singing and songwriting, because there wasn't a category for Christian rap. So I was like, let me just try to get in through the side door, basically. So I submitted these auditions and every time I was going to submit auditions the Lord kept laying it on my heart Submit one for acting, submit one for acting. And I already had learned how to discern the voice of the Lord from calling me to Vegas and several other things. So I was like I wasn't going to wrestle with him. I'm like, okay, I'll do. It Didn't practice, never had a desire for acting, didn't know I was good at it. I submitted auditions, made it to the next round, submitted more auditions, made it to the next round.

Speaker 2:

So then, after I had booked my flight to the Philippines for my mission trip this summer and I submitted all my auditions, the very next day I get an email and it says congratulations, you've been cordially invited to be on the showcase, which is the name of the show. And I'm like wait, wow, this is awesome. And they're explaining what it is. I'm like this is incredible. This is like an answered prayer. I was like wait, but when does it start? And it started the day after I got back from the Philippines, literally, and I didn't know about this before I booked my flight. I booked my flight, so I get back on the 28th. The 29th, the show starts.

Speaker 2:

So 12 hours later I'm in Texas starting this show. I'm all jet lagged. I just been in the Philippines for five weeks. A little bit of a culture shock, like I'm. Still. I haven't even processed everything that the Lord did over there and here I am doing this show, and throughout this show there was a. I didn't realize that, again, the gift of acting was in me and I'm like this is what they were saying. Like you're a natural, you were born for this. We need more big guys like you in Hollywood. They can't all be named. Chris Hemsworth is what they said to me one time, and I'm like this is what You're talking about, thor.

Speaker 2:

I'm not like Thor, like you know but so that started right and before I went on my mission trip I met this woman. She's an award-winning filmmaker from New Zealand and she just recently moved to Vegas. She contacted someone from the church asking if they know anybody who does Christian content or music, because she wants to start making content for the kingdom. So the worship leader says you got to meet Corey. He introduced us and went over to her and her husband's house and spoke for like four hours, shared my whole testimony, shared some songs with them and she wants to start helping me make like not just like performance type of music videos, but impactful, powerful music videos with the message that you know can reach believers, you know, because they may not go to church or read the Bible, but they'll listen or watch a three minute video right, especially with entertaining. Yes, that's kind of where this all started was meeting her and then going on the show. And then, after I got back because I've been out of town for four months and I was on the Philippines and then a whole bunch of other stuff I just got back to Vegas. Raquel is her name. Raquel told me about this conference in Texas. It's called Content Conference and it's at Capernaum Studios where they film the Chosen or the first three seasons they filmed. So she said, you know, because she submitted some videos and stuff and she got nominated for some awards. So she invited me to go and I'm like, wow, this is awesome. And I didn't really know exactly what it was. I just knew it was a conference for filmmakers, for actors, for producers. I figured I could meet a lot of people. It would be cool to go to Capernaum Studios and see where they film the Chosen, like all this.

Speaker 2:

So I'm like man, but I don't have. So I'm a missionary and ever since I quit playing poker, I don't have any income coming in. So, like every month, bro, matthew 6, 33, seek God first, and his righteousness and everything that you need will be added unto you. Every month I don't know how I'm paying rent. Yeah, I don't know how I'm paying for my bills, but God always provides as I seek him first, and it happens in the most amazing and random of ways. So I didn't have the money to pay for a plane flight, for a hotel or for the $300 cost of the conference. I emailed the guy from the conference, just told him my situation and then he says brother, he's like we're going to gift you a scholarship to come. Got okay, whoa, wow, lord.

Speaker 2:

Then somebody else that I know long story short, another one, because this is amazing how it happened. She said that the Lord laid it on her heart to send me there because she knew that there was going to be just amazing things that happened. Basically Right, and that's the short way of saying that. She insisted on paying for my plane flight and my hotel room. So here I am with this opportunity to go. Didn't know how I was going to pay for it. The Lord clearly opened up every door and I went. And whenever I was there the first day that I was there, I remember I went out to use the bathroom. I walked back in and all I heard them say was we need someone who's 6'5 to 6'11. So I, you know, I raised my hand. I was like, well, that's me, you know, I'm 6'6. And I didn't know what they were asking.

Speaker 3:

I just raised my hand.

Speaker 2:

They come over to me and uh, and like I didn't know who it was at, but her name's Brandy and she is the head lady who does all the special effects and makes all the costumes and she's the one who made those wings. And they're doing a documentary on her and her amazing testimony. And like what she does and how she makes all these items and does the makeup and all this stuff because she's extremely talented. And then at the end of her documentary episode they want to have this cinematic scene showing when the angel meets Mary and Martha after Jesus risen, or, excuse me, after Jesus rose from the dead. You know, it's a scene you read about in the Bible where the angel says the Messiah has risen, like don't worry, like you don't have to be sad. So it's that scene. Because she made the wings, took her weeks to make the wings and they're literally 17 foot mechanical wings.

Speaker 2:

So this scene that I was a part of, this whole outfit with the wings and everything, but it was the scene in front of the temple. So the temple that they have in the chosen. I'm the angel, I'm standing there. They have like smoke coming from behind me, like you know, like the women walk up and then I'm there and I put my hand out, and I put my hand out over here and the whole time I'm saying because if you didn't know the name of Yahweh English or like you know people who speak English, we're the ones who added the vowels in there. But biblically, yahweh is YHWH, right, and that is actually what we say when we breathe. Even when we breathe, we are saying the name of God, yo.

Speaker 1:

I said a poem at church about that church, about that, about that, because I've seen it on um online one time and I felt moved to write a poem about it. It's powerful. Uh, it's mimic breath, man. It's beautiful, beautiful, it's powerful.

Speaker 2:

So whenever we were doing it we were like, all right, what would an angel be saying? Because I didn't have any spoken lines. And then me and the director were talking about it. We came up with that idea. So the whole time I'm just saying, I'm like, and then I looked down at them, and then I put my hand over them just to like bless them, and then I looked back up, so like that's the scene that I was a part of and it'll be out probably in a couple months.

Speaker 1:

But it's not a movie.

Speaker 2:

technically it was really cool.

Speaker 1:

And then go for you, brother. Win's a win, brother we're going to take it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and actually right before this call that lady Brandy, she messaged me and she's meeting with the casting director of Capernaum Studios and they want me to be part of a movie that they're shooting there in November. I just don't know if I'll be able to do it, because the finals of the show that I was telling you about, uh, we have a zoom meeting today, so I'll know more, but the finals of the show is either going to be the end of november or the end of december. So if it's the end of december, I could be a part of the movie and that would be my official acting debut. Uh, so let the lords will be done bro, it's really cool.

Speaker 1:

Let the lords will be done. He's doing his thing with you, man. I'm very happy for you. So what new music projects are is cory binks work, you know I mean a lot there's.

Speaker 2:

So, uh, I was telling her before we did this, like, like right before you hit record, I just had a new idea. Like two days ago I woke up, literally I woke up and I had this idea. So I'm like, I haven't even brushed my teeth, haven't got my coffee, I'm like, and I just start recording because I just wanted to get it out of me. And this is what happens so often, not necessarily when I wake up, but I just always have ideas. But coming out, probably the end of this month or the very beginning of November, I'm going to release an EP. I haven't given a ton of thought to it, but the first thought came to me. It's going to be called my Rock, because Jesus is our rock, but also the songs that I'm putting out in the EP are in like a rock rap type of subgenre. So that's going to come out. It's going to be probably definitely four songs, maybe five songs, because the song that I just came up with I was telling you about that's like definitely in that rock rap category. And it's interesting, the very first song I put out was Most of my Life, and that's a rock rap type of song punk, rock, rap, whatever you want to call it.

Speaker 2:

And when people when I first started making music, people would tell me like you're gonna find your sound. Right, you gotta find your sound, because a lot of people, I guess they have a certain sound. And then you keep making that music. Every time I heard that all I kept hearing was you're gonna keep making the same kind of music. I'm like I don't want to do that. That's not fun. I want to make different music, right. But as time has went on I realized I really enjoy doing rock, rap type of songs. My voice has like this natural playing in it, I guess because I was raised in Charleston.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it does, yes, it does so to mix rock rap with a little bit of a country twist. There's not really any music out there like that, and I didn't. And that's yours, try to do this, but this is what seemingly is my lane Right and that's yours, try to do this, but this is what seemingly is my lane right. So I'm going to be doing a rock rap EP, probably titled my Rock, and then after that I have four songs that are already done that are kind of country rap. So they have like a very country-ish kind of vibe, but it's country rap.

Speaker 2:

So I'm going to do a rock rap EP and then a country rap EP and then probably a couple singles in between. So that's what I got in the works. The songs are basically done. They're like what I usually do is I finish the songs and then I let them sit for a couple weeks. Then I go back to them with a fresh year and then I kind of change some things or just try to make it like five or ten percent better. So the songs are basically done. I'm just in the process of fine-tuning them, uh, but first up is going to be the rock rap ep, coming probably in a month or so.

Speaker 1:

Well, corey man, you have music going on evangelism, helping out the kids, a movie career, a creative career. You got a lot going on. God is definitely showing you favor, man, I couldn't be happier for you, brother, and I'm going to hold you to this man. I want you to come back on the show and give us one of the exclusive songs. Man, try to see if we could put it on here first. Man, I saw Miss Cypher man, you with that.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, bro, and also I'm with coming to Cleveland too. Bring me out to Cleveland, bro. I would love to be a part of whatever you guys got going on.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to bring you out to Cleveland. We're going to make that happen. You hear that people, we're going to make that happen over here. Corey Bean's going to come to Cleveland, so all of you guys are going to come to Cleveland. Come check him out. Yes, sir, yes, sir, corey, thank you. Thank you so much for being on the show. I really do appreciate your time and one thing I want to do with this show is give our guests the opportunity to lead us out in prayer. So you don't mind, would you?

Speaker 2:

yeah, do us the honor real quick, though can I say something um so?

Speaker 2:

uh, yes, sir after everything that you've just heard, right, the enemy's gonna come at you and be like man. God must really love cory more than me if he's allowing him to do all this stuff. Right, or you might have a heart to do music, but you feel like you're just comparing yourself to me or to Brian Trejo or to whoever. Look, this isn't biblical, but it sounds like it could be. Comparison is the thief of joy, okay, and in the day and age that we live in with social media, it's so easy to compare yourself to someone else and then that makes you feel less of yourself. That's not the vocabulary of God. That is not God saying these things to you. That's the enemy coming at you. So please do not look at me and say that I'm more special than you or anybody else, because the Bible says that God shows no partiality. He has no favorites. So, whether it's me or anybody else, do not ever let the enemy make you feel that you are less than somebody else.

Speaker 2:

The only difference might be is that maybe I've been a little more obedient than you, or maybe there's been more time or more spiritual growth. Right, but God has a plan and a purpose for your life. There's a calling for your life. That is just as important as everything that God has me doing. You just got to be obedient. Jesus says if you love me, you'll obey me in John 14, 15. So if you truly love Jesus, obey what he says. How are you going?

Speaker 2:

to know what he says if you don't read his word. So it's not about just reading the word, but let the word read you right, Look at it as a mirror and apply it to your life. Apply what the word says to your life, and the closer that you get to the Lord, the more that your heart is aligned with his heart. He will give you the desire of your heart. And lastly, the verse that changed my life is Matthew 16, 24.

Speaker 2:

Growing up, I went to church my whole life. I always considered myself to be a Christian, right, but I was going to these gummy bear gospel prosperity, you know, like Sesame Street sermons. I never heard the word repentance. I didn't know what it meant to deny yourself or take up your cross. I never heard that until someone shared a video with me with Matthew 16, 24.

Speaker 2:

And that's the verse that really just cut me. You know, the Bible's sharper than a double-edged sword, and it's because it cuts all those bad parts out of you. Jesus says if anyone desires to be my disciple which is what it means to be a Christian, to be a follower of Jesus then they must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. And then verse 25, he says if. And then verse 25, he says if you desire or if you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you lose it, you let it go. For my sake, you will find it. So, whatever it is in your life that you haven't let go of, die to it. Die to your flesh daily.

Speaker 2:

Luke 9, 23 says that we must die to our flesh daily. Every day, you have a choice Do I'm going to do what my flesh wants to do or do what the spirit wants me to do? Choose the spirit. When you walk in the spirit, you will not fulfill the desires of your flesh. Is what the Bible says. So please do not ever compare yourself. Do not ever let the enemy keep you in this low place. Die to yourself. Take up your cross daily, and what God will do with your life will truly blow your mind, just like he's doing with me right now.

Speaker 1:

Now, I appreciate all them words.

Speaker 4:

No problem.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes, yes. I agree with everything you just said, man. I was listening to a sermon the other day and the sermon went something like the guy said that we want God to show up. We're quick to say, well, god, show up for me, and why won't you show up and show up, and show up. But we don't give him enough patience or spend enough time with him for him to show us who we're not.

Speaker 2:

Amen.

Speaker 1:

So that cut me pretty good. And yes, definitely always stay in the word, Always God first. You know what I mean. Put him above everything and in front of everything, and you know he'll guide our paths and make and don't go back to your vomit.

Speaker 2:

If there's something that god has freed you from me for example, smoking weed all day, every day, watching porno, getting drunk all the time, all the sports betting I used to do right, that was my sin like that's what I was living in when god frees you from that, don't go back to it. God has set you free from that. Why would ever go back and like that's actually what the song was inspired by while I'm wearing the shirt? Proverbs 26, 11 says as a dog licks his own vomit, so a fool returns to his folly. That's what it's like from God's point of view when you go back to something that he's freed you from. It's literally like you're licking your own vomit. Don't do it. Stay in the word.

Speaker 2:

Yes, one of the fruits of the spirit is self-control. If you're feeling really tempted, the Bible says that God will never allow you to be tempted more than you can handle. He always provides a way out. So in that moment where you're about to fall, where you're about to go back to something, holy Spirit, please give me your self-control. I can't do this. I can't. Please give me your self-control, right, because we could do all things through christ, who strengthens us. Um. So yeah, I just wanted to mention that too. I was about to give a whole other little mini sermon, but we'll just leave it there with that ah, you're good, brother, that's you know.

Speaker 1:

We're spreading god's word.

Speaker 2:

That's what we're doing here heavenly father thank you so much for this time with my brother, lord, thank, thank you for this podcast, thank you for every person who is watching this, lord, and I just pray that something that, that that I said or that my brother said, lord, will just impact them, just plant a seed in their heart and, lord, if there's any bit of stone in their heart, of unforgiveness or anything, lord, I just pray that you give them a new heart, a heart of flesh, like you tell us about in the book of Ezekiel, a heart to know and to love others, lord.

Speaker 2:

And if there's anything that they haven't let go of yet, I just pray that you give them that self-control, that you give them that holy conviction to let go of whatever it is that they're still trying to hang on to, so that way, you can uncover what it is that you've already put inside of them, the good works that you've prepared for them to do since before the foundation of the world. Lord, we all have a calling on our life and I just pray everybody, underneath the sound of my voice right now, that you reveal that to them and that you give them that desire. That is your desire for them, but, as their hearts are aligning with yours, you will continually guide them and lead them into that Lord. Thank you for this day, thank you for what you did for us on the cross. It's never enough to just say thank you, so we want to show you what, the way that we live our lives and how we love others. So thank you, jesus, for everything. We love you. We pray this all in your precious, holy and mighty name, amen.

Speaker 1:

Amen Nice.

Speaker 2:

Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Corey Binks for showing up on the show, everybody who's listening. I hope you got something from this. All right, we pray for you. All right, if you're enjoying the content, please like, share, subscribe, follow, hit whatever button there is, because they you know content has like a million of them now and we'll catch you on the next one Later, guys.