Feature ECLI Graduate

Meet Darian Parks, an outstanding leader from the most recent graduating class of STAND’s Leadership Institute. He is a full-time student at Pulaski Technical College and currently a youth mentor with the City of Little Rock. For years now, Darian has expressed his faith in an innovative way, through Christian hip-hop. He saw his talent as something that could truly impact others; so, he and his friend, Hermano Lee, created SALT Music.

Christian hip-hop is a relatively new phenomenon that encompasses two types of music that have dominated the younger generation’s musical preference. Hip-hop is generally a type of music that highlights how rough the world we live in can be, but it is not so much uplifting as it is observational. By taking a type of music that often points out the bad and meshing it with a Christian spirit, SALT Music is able to encourage upcoming youth in a style they have grown accustomed to and enjoy. Darian is taking what could be construed as a negative movement and creating from it something positive.

Darian defines SALT Music as “a convicting message of hope, repentance, and forgiveness through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.” His vision is “impact the city of Little Rock, the United States and the nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ through Holy Spirit-filled recording, street evangelism, ministry performance, and outreach events.” He is reaching others in a style that they are comfortable with, in order to guide them toward a faith with which they might have lost touch.

Since creating SALT Music, Darian and his co-founder Lee have performed in a variety of places, to a variety of people, reaching crowds of over 3,000. When the duo preformed at Little Rock’s 2013 Music Fest, they were the youngest Christian hip-hop artists. They have also distributed CDs and Bibles to those in the Little Rock community in need.

If you would like to hear SALT Music please check out their YouTube channel. If you or anyone you know would be interested in finding out more about SALT Music or their availability, contact Darian Parks at 501-291-6853 or Hermano Lee at 501-681-5669 or e-mail Darian at: daparks4673@gmail.com.