[Videos] NCCU Ultimate Praise Gospel Concert Fea. John P. Kee Was Ultimate Praise Party

Durham, NC – North Carolina Central University (NCCU) 2019 Ultimate Praise Gospel Concert on Sunday, November 2nd, 2019 at the McDougald- McClendon Arena was the ultimate praise party. Gospel artists John P. Kee, Travis Greene, and The Walls Group headlined the concert. NCCU Worship and Praise Inspirational (WPI) Mass Choir and various other groups opened the show.

The talented Travis Greene had the audience on their feet when they heard the first few notes of his popular songs “You Waited” and “Made A Way.” He was joined by NCCU WPI Mass Choir on stage for his performance of his smash hit “Intentional.”  He performed “Broken Record,” the title song of his new album Broken Record. The Walls Group performed a number of their top hits like “Don’t Stop” and “Satisfied.”  

Highlights of Travis Greene & The Walls Group performances (Videographer: Marika Daniel):

The night ended with John P. Kee performing some of his classics like “Every Time” and some of his new hits like “I Made It Out.” Everyone from the floor to the upper level was singing and praising the entire evening.

Highlights of John P. Kee performance (Videographer: Marika Daniel)

John P. Kee, Pastor of New Life Fellowship Church in Charlotte, NC, was born and raised in Durham. He moved to California as a teenager and began to study the thing he loved dearly, music. After leaving North Carolina School of the Arts, he attended Yuba College in Marysville, California. During an interview, Pastor John stated that Stevie Wonder was a big influence in his life as he began to hone his craft of writing and singing. Even though he knew music was where his heart was, the streets and the fast life caught up with him and he found himself selling drugs, which is what led him to Charlotte.

Pastor Kee talked about the way God saved him during his interview, “God didn’t save me in a church, he saved me on a street corner, a couple of blocks from where I pastor. To pastor where I poisoned is huge, it’s bigger than you guys think. When I pull in the neighborhood, it blows my mind to know God could bring me out of that.”

Interview with John P. Kee (Videographer: Marika Daniel):

He has been leading the New Life Fellowship Church since 1995. Before the church was established they were a ‘street ministry’ where they handed out food and other necessities to the community. When asked how he balances being a full-time pastor, a father of nine and a full-time artist, he stated “knowing what my role is my plight, in getting to not just where I am now, but where I’m going.” As a pastor, he has never taken a salary because his passion is to give back and to reach people through his street ministry.

John P. Kee has been in the music industry for a long time and has created music with legends from many genres, including hip hop with Snoop Dogg on Snoop’s “Change The World” single. In the church, there has been controversy surrounding Kanye West coming out with a gospel album, and when asked about his stance Pastor John P. Kee stated “I want the church folk to leave Kanye alone. They’re screaming Jesus is Lord, then if you got an issue with that, we do the follow-up. What are you doing to witness to folk that may hear Jesus is Lord and don’t have a clue, and need some foundation? I believe that it’s a season, and as he is bringing these young people, these masses, to say and hear Jesus is Lord something is going to happen in him too.”

Pastor John P. Kee or the Prince of Gospel will always be a legend in the music industry and in Durham history.

NCCU Ultimate Praise Gospel Concert was a great way to start NCCU Ultimate 2019 Homecoming! 

CLICK HERE for the line-up of activities for the rest of the week of homecoming. 

NCCU Ultimate Praise Gospel Concert highlights (Photos: Marika Daniel):