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Popular rapper and producer Kanye West is stirring up controversy with a Rolling Stone magazine cover in which he poses as Jesus Christ, crown of thorns and all. Though the headline reads, "The Passion of Kanye West," the article is essentially a fluff piece profiling the outspoken hip-hop star, who has earned eight Grammy nominations for his latest effort, Late Registration. West is best known for his spiritually charged radio hit "Jesus Walks," a song that made headlines in 2004 when the album it came from, The College Dropout, was included in the ballots for the Stellar Awards in the Rap/Hip Hop CD of the Year; the nomination was later withdrawn due to complaints.

Citing "emotional hardships," gospel entertainer Tonéx has announced his indefinite retirement at his MySpace blog. He complains that his record company (Zomba) "just doesn't get me as an artist," adding, "I don't fit totally into Gospel because I don't sing JESUS JESUS JESUS all day, and I don't fit into mainstream because I don't sing SEX SEX SEX all day either." He then launches into a tirade against the church, saying it has "completely stripped and cut and scarred [my] heart to the point [I feel] there's no repair. And yes I blame CHURCH FOLKS. You have caused so much hurt and pain to so many people. . . . I'm done with Church. . . . And in my pursuit of the real Jesus, I leave your vindictive country club and cancel my membership to the industry and denounce it. I don't fit in and I don't want to."

Gotee Records will commemorate the tenth anniversary of dcTalk's historic Jesus Freak album with a multi-artist tribute project, the label's website reports. Set for a June release, the track listing isn't finalized, but among the participants paying their respects to the long-absent trio—comprised of tobyMac, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max—are Relient K ("Between You and Me"), 4th Avenue Jones ("Jesus Freak"), Family Force 5 ("Like It, Love It, Need It"), Sarah Kelly ("What If I Stumble?"), House of Heroes ("Day by Day"), plus many more.

Sister trio BarlowGirl beat out up-and-comers Limbeck, The Willowz, and Morningwood to win Yahoo! Music's "Who's Next" new artist competition. The band received 38 percent of the votes, which earned them a chance to record an exclusive performance and interview with the popular online music portal.

February 7 marks the release of the DVD Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan, a music documentary that sheds light on Bob Dylan's gospel phase and his influence on a plethora of modern gospel artists. The DVD comes bundled with live footage and interviews with legendary gospel luminaries—Shirley Caesar, Aaron Neville, and Mighty Clouds of Joy—who discuss the impact of Dylan in their own music.

Airdates for the 21st Stellar Awards, celebrated January 21 in Nashville, have been posted at the event's official website.

© Andree Farias, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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