Ally Minju: Jesus has rizzen and worship can be alive
- GolDee
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
You only need to speak to Ally Minju once to recognise that her deep love and passion for music may only be overshadowed by her love and passion for people and our Lord Jesus Christ. A unique takeaway from our conversation with Ally is, do not underestimate the power of friendship and community. Embedded throughout this discussion are themes of partnership, respect, the willingness to be challenged, the excitement to grow, the importance of walking daily with the Holy Spirit and the beauty of the safety that can be found in our Christian communities, the body of Christ.
We will not be surprised if you find yourself reading this conversation twice! It is a great honour to share with you our Artist of the Month for April: Ally Minju.
We want to know, how did this journey begin? Was baby Ally Minju a rapper or was the desire to create music the result of a divine encounter?
Ally: Baby Ally Minju always loved music. Growing up in Los Angeles as a daughter of Korean immigrants, family gatherings usually ended with Korean BBQ and karaoke, and while other kids were shy, I couldn’t wait to grab the mic. I danced at local Koreatown festivals, took ballet, played piano from age five, and drums in high school. I cried listening to Baek Ji-Young’s ballads, felt the peace of the Lord in Catholic Mass, and rapped with friends at recess to Nicki Minaj. But when my family worried about the instability of a music career, I put music aside and poured myself into school, determined to get into MIT.
At the lowest point at MIT, when I finally came to Christ, my love for music returned – this time as breathing, living, therapy, and worship, revived by the Holy Spirit. It felt divine that the Lord placed it back in my heart for the right reasons and the right people. My best friend Petrina DeLacey and her husband JBThaPreacher heard in prayer that I would be their trap producer, and I started cooking up beats in their Inglewood studio. They taught me to rap, and later, when I returned to school. I was taken under Lupe Fiasco’s wings – and the rest is history :)
Has your exposure to different cultures had an impact on your music? How so?
Ally: Most definitely! I experienced a mix of cultures that shaped who I am. In the Asian circles I grew up in, there was often a survival mindset around performance – spaces were competitive, and I didn’t always feel the freedom to express myself fully. At the same time, I found so much love and affirmation in the Black community, where I learned what it meant to be supported, celebrated, and accepted for who I am. I shared Korean BBQ and karaoke nights with my best friend Petrina DeLacey, and she introduced me to her family gatherings, tamale-making, and functions with friends from South and East LA. I also learned from Quinceañeras, Filipino debuts, Vietnamese New Year celebrations – seeing the beauty in all the ways communities express themselves and love for one another.
One of the most unforgettable experiences was joining a Senegalese drum circle at MIT. Even as a new Christian, I was struck by how naturally they expressed their faith and joy through music – how wherever they went, people danced, worshipped, and celebrated alongside them. That kind of free, communal expression inspired me to see that worship could be alive, joyful, and deeply personal. The lessons I learned from these communities – the contrast of challenge and freedom, the love, and the openness – continue to shape my music and ministry, creating space for vulnerability, authenticity, and unfiltered praise wherever I go.
(Young Ally Minju stands in the middle with her hand on her hip)
Do you produce all of your own music? Walk us through the development process of a project.
Ally: Not all of it – but most of my music is self-produced, including about 80% of my debut album, “Mythological Infancy of Ally”. Many ideas come from everyday moments – washing dishes, rushing to the subway, brushing my teeth, taking a shower. It’s hilarious, I scramble to grab my phone and record a voice memo before the idea fades into oblivion – I’m at 2,621 voice memos (Lord, help my iPhone storage).
Sometimes I don’t produce myself to capture a moment quickly. I typically have all these emotions that need expression – it’d take too long to try to create my own canvas, so I surf the web. “Hold My Hand” came from an existing discoplug x pluggnb beat called “hold my hand” by prod. ophxnim (now @/prod.zuriel_), who I had connected with as a fellow artist for the Lord! At 5 a.m., wrestling with insomnia and overflowing thoughts, I recorded it – the title inspired the flow, and the song practically wrote itself. Here’s the link to the raw voice memo I sent him in March 2024.
We love so many of your songs here at For The Glory, if you had to pick one for a new listener to start with, which one would you pick ?
Ally: I’d start with “Hold My Hand” – it’s my classic intro! But if you really want to get to know me, dive into my debut album, “Mythological Infancy of Ally.” Every track is a piece of my story, showing how the Lord has moved in my life and shaped who I am today.
If you love rap, I’d also suggest my EP Lost Now Found or my debut single “figure it out!” – both show another side of my artistry and storytelling. New album “STOP PLAYING WITH MY GOD” coming soon though!
Your recent release APPEARANCE (FACADE) is beautifully vulnerable, how important is staying truthful when songwriting to you ?
Ally: Thank you so much – I’m in love with these questions, I feel so seen and heard! Staying truthful in songwriting is extremely important to me. Even when a song tells a fictional story or uses metaphor, the emotions and message need to be genuine. I look to David’s psalms – his art came straight from his heart, raw and vulnerable – and that’s the kind of honesty I aim for in my music.
APPEARANCE (FACADE) came from time in the secret place, wrestling with the feeling that no matter how much I share on social media or in person, there’s often a gap between what I truly want to express and what others perceive. Only the Lord knows me completely, even better than I know myself. This song is both a moment of intimacy and a celebration of how close He is to me~ in celebration of Valentine’s Day!
If you feel comfortable sharing, can you tell us about your experience with Confirmation Ministries and how that vision has evolved over time?
Ally: Of course! Are y’all the Nardwuar of the Christian space? I’m touched by how much you know my story.
Petrina DeLacey, JBThaPreacher, and I had all dropped out of college at one point, led by the Lord, and we were working at the studio JB started in Inglewood, recording local rappers. I was the head producer, creating tracks for clients. But one day, the Lord convicted JB to turn it into a Christian studio space – even though it was still 2021 and there weren’t many Christian artists around. We didn’t make much money and kept our prices low to help artists grow and record their music. One time, ZestfulGrace saw me on TikTok and flew all the way from Florida because she felt led by the Spirit to work with us.
The vision has always been to be a supportive space for Christian artists. Trina and JB still keep the studio open for artists, and it’s evolved into a Christian nightclub-style space where the community can perform, fellowship, and worship – a “third space” outside of church and home – in a very Gen Z way. We’re also working on a startup where Christian artists can build community, connect with fans, and fund their music-based ministry more effectively.
What is the best advice you have received as a Christian artist ?
Ally: Because I kept putting music on the backburner and chasing all these side paths – corporate jobs, research, the things I “thought” I had to do out of survival – JB told me one day, “Ally, I can see you have two paths laid out in front of you. You can climb the corporate ladder and succeed, but you give up on music. Or you pursue music continually and live out your life as the artist God has called you to be.”
It sounds dramatic, but it really was a crossroads for me. Since graduating, I’ve been pursuing music full-time. It doesn’t always make sense, and every day I take leaps of faith, pushing myself to put my art out there and grow bolder in conquering fears – trusting that God has laid this path for me.
We love how your music is not genre specific and your versatility! What was the inspiration behind your latest release HIGHWAYS?
Ally: It had been a while since I did a songwriting drill, so I hit up my friend Kadence from CMS.S60 – Rap Theory & Practice taught by Lupe Fiasco – and said, “Yo, let’s write a song in five minutes and share it with each other!” I pulled up a random YouTube beat and got to writing. Because of the time limit, I didn’t even allow myself to write another verse x) – which is why the song just repeats.
I was feeling myself after my friends told me I have a lot of rizz and aura from the Lord, opening rare, cool doors of opportunity. Sometimes as Christians we shrink or reject compliments, but I chose to lean into it and be grateful. HIGHWAYS is definitely a song where we can feel ourselves as the light of the world – Jesus has rizzen (wink)
If you were to create a Christian music festival, who would have to make the line up?
Ally: It’d be so fun to do something by the girlies, for the girlies! Outside of classic CCM, the space can feel pretty saturated with male Christian rappers, so I’d love to see a festival centered around women. I’m talking my sisters Petrina DeLacey, Southside Joz, Hannah You Jin, Sarah Nathalié, Anike, Porsha Love, Madison Ryann Ward, FORTY (from Taiwan), Lexly Nirvana Music, Rez Lyrix, k.i.t.t.i.b and $ATSUKI repping South Korea.
What are you looking forward to seeing in the future of Christian music ?
Ally: I’m looking forward to Christian music becoming mainstream and setting the standard – just like Christian art did during the Renaissance with the big boys like Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael, Brunelleschi, and Dürer. I’m excited that the “Levites” of musicians and artists, or “Bezalels,” are coming back, supported by the church as the Body of Christ.
I can’t wait to see revivals where people encounter the Lord, with the Spirit moving through their hearts, expressed through the bridges that art and music can create. It’s bigger than music – it’s a mission to communicate Christ’s love, sacrifice, and testimony. As Revelation 12:11 (NIV) says,
“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
We can only do so by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit and working together as the Kingdom from a place of true love – keep us in prayer, saints!
If you could introduce your audience to one Christian artist or song that’s currently under the radar but blew you away, who or what would it be and why?
Ally: I’ve been loving the underground sound & wave with electropop/hyperpop (I am cooking some up with Scotty C at the moment). I think the quintessential release that reps this lane well is “wishuwell” by 5aith.
This Easter, we will be following the example set by Ally Minju and her Senegalese Drum Circle, expressing our faith and joy wherever we go, dancing and worshipping in celebration of our Lord’s resurrection. Will you join us?
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