What If Your Talent Is A Responsibility

Music can be a hobby, a coping tool, or a whole identity. For us, it gets deeper when we ask one uncomfortable question: if God gave you the gift, what are you doing with it? That’s the heart of this Amsalu Podcast conversation, starting with the meaning of “Amsalu” (“in His image”) and moving straight into the real-life mess and beauty of building a faith-led creative life.

We talk through a self-taught guitar journey from the first nylon-string instrument to YouTube lessons, finger pain, and the moment it finally starts to click. Along the way we get practical about voice, chords, and how musicians learn to shape a sound that fits them. We also get personal about why music hits so hard emotionally, how different genres carry different feelings, and why a day can feel incomplete without that steady soundtrack that keeps your mind level.

Then we go where most “clean” conversations won’t: money, motive, and integrity. We unpack why money can’t be the cornerstone, how church can be a foundation for growth, and what it looks like to want Christian hip hop, R&B, and trap that still honors God. You’ll hear honest tension about being a consistent believer, plus a serious decision to leave alcohol behind for the sake of a future family, long-distance love, and a clearer purpose. We close with 1 Timothy 4:11–12 and a call to stay humble and stay grounded.

Listen, share this with a friend who’s building something, and then subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Transcript

Welcome And Why Umsalu

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Oh wait, D, what's up? Not much, eh? Not much. Doug. Welcome to Umsalu Podcast. Thanks. Happy to hear Via Yesy. Um, yeah, so for a lot of people, they always wonder what Umsalu means. Umsalu means in his image. And so everything I venture into, whether it be podcasting, whether it be music, video, I hope all of it can reflect God. So that's the that's the whole reason behind it, the whole reason behind naming it that. And um within the podcast space, it's engaging people. Um engaging people who are passionate about God and using their gifts and talents in such a way. And so this one sparked, sparked in the office hallways. Um I mean, even this past week, past two weeks, we've been brewing around music, and I've always known you to be a music person, but more than me saying it. Um yeah, let's start with your earliest music memory.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Yes, I think my earliest music memory was I was very young. So I think the first time was probably holding my first guitar. Um yeah, I think so. What happened is we moved to Gha Teng. No, so I mean me and my brother we moved to Gha Ting. And then obviously I always had a passion in music, listening to music, but I never had an instrument. Always be like, listen, if it's if we just have an instrument, I'll be able to learn it to play it. And then my uncle, um Yuan, he he blessed me with a with the first nylon guitar, box guitar. So I was able to, I bro, for the first three months, I was like looking at things like losing hope, losing purpose. Like, is it gonna become a white elephant in my room? Like telling everyone that I can play guitar, but I don't want to play guitar now. Like my fingers are sort of. I can just play a chord or two. Yeah, like and the chord will be like uh just one finger. Um no, but then I actually just invested in it. It's like listen, I need to I need to start something, and I started listening to music more often, maybe trying a year with, but maybe I guess I saw I saw Charlie Pooth, he's got this um pitch perfect. Uh, and I was like, maybe, maybe I should get it. And it's it's not just something you snap instantly, it's something you have to work on, train day by day, year by year. And then obviously I started learning guitar. I started my my first proper song was playing, and my hardware got on from 70 on, but only one stream. And then I'll tell my father, put on YouTube, just put on, let's play together. And he'll say, No, stop, rewind, rewind, put it out softer, just to get that right um volume. Um, and then I just started. So I was I basically self-taught. My uncle, I mean, he showed me a couple of chords, like the basic, up from A minor, from A up until A B C D A F G, yeah, until G's. So then I from there I just started learning myself on YouTube, first four chords, first this, first that, and then I started getting good, started getting better, and then I just knew when I started playing guitar, like getting easier. I was like, okay, now it's something. Now I'm able to do something. And a lot of something that was very cool for me in the first, because I always thought music, every song had their own chord, had their own congregation. Now I told my uncle, now I really want to try playing this song Passenger from uh no from Let It Go from Passenger.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

Only no, you love women, let it go.

Chords That Fit Your Voice

SPEAKER_02 4:00

And he's like, No, you can play it in any chord. I'm like, what do you mean? He's like, you can play any chord, any song, any chord, and like you're joking. It's like no, go try at home, bro. I play every song. It's just like damn, okay. Now I'm able to. I think the one the one chord progression I'm stuck on to is uh F, F, G, C, A, minor, it just suits my voice. And with the cap on the fourth chord, for fourth red.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Uh-huh. So you're so so your voice is in there as well.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

Singing, singing music is a part of it. Yeah, it was always because obviously the only instrument I had back then was my voice. Not that it was very good, like I was starting mad, damn, I was the best singer. But when I started recording myself, I was like, you know, maybe, maybe, maybe not that much. Maybe let's just put that one side, just you know, and then a lot of people would say, Jen, why don't you just whenever I start playing guitar not properly, they were like, Why don't you just stick by guitar? I'm like, no. In my head, I was like, no, but it was them, I was like, okay, much, maybe try. And then I'll just be like training every day. And my voice is still not perfect, but you know, from where I were, from where I was, until now it's it's it's it's improved a lot.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

And and what you appreciate about music and what you like about music, I pick up a lot of um positive message within your music, as well as using that passion to better humanity, yeah, to better the the everyday human experience. Yeah. Um, I guess, I guess that's that's where you you tap into music a lot more. Yeah. Um and then it brings us into into what you personally like doing with music and and in terms of making music. How would you say, I mean, look at where we are now, we're in a corporate business, um, corporate world, and little room for that kind of creativity. Yeah. So how do you balance your passion versus uh career, survival, uh, money?

Music As Emotion And Routine

SPEAKER_02 6:08

First of all, I think like I I've said now earlier in my in my life, is that you shouldn't you shouldn't allow money to be your cornerstone. Be allowed you shouldn't allow the money drives you, like you know, being only focused on money, like how much I can make, how much do you have, how much do I have? You know, don't focus on money. The money will come. Just put it one side. That's something you don't yeah, obviously, financial business like paying your rent. I I get that, but don't let it, don't let it replace God. Don't pray, because a lot of people they forget they don't pray for for money, they're very pray too money. They say, Yeah, I want this and I want this and I want this and I want this money and want this money. Yeah, you're you know, you're not asking God, you're paying too money. So, and um how do I how do I balance it? Uh with Korea, dude, to be honest, right now at the moment, I just do it. I can I can't explain how do I do it. It's just I always have time for music. Yeah, doesn't it matter when, doesn't it even matter when I'm at the help desk, I always have time to put on some music just to calm myself down because that's that's one of the things I just when I have a heater day, when I have I had an argument, when I had this, you know, just music is like the like the top thing in my my life.

SPEAKER_03 7:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:34

Whether it is gospel music, I love any genre when it comes to heavy metal rock. It's just music as its own touch in in emotion if I can say so. And sometimes I'll put on uh piano and just just playing piano music, or sometimes I'll put on heavy rock music or hip hop, it just depends on how how I feel.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

So everything like so just to re just to um uh just to some summer summarize everything up is that music is like emotions to me. Every every song has a different feeling, a different time.

SPEAKER_00 8:18

Bro, like I get you in that. For me, a day isn't a day if I haven't spent at least an hour tops, even though it's spread out through the day of just music in between. Um walking to the bathroom, music, walking to the shops, music. Uh I'm about to do something big or a project. Editing this episode, music first. Like, it's such a it's such a nice foundation for my mind, for my emotions. It just has uh a different kind of stability, yes, you know, and I think also music speaks in in vibes, if if that's even a a kind of compartment to put it in. But like there's there's a genre or certain music will always be the baseline of whatever I'm experiencing, and I'll find if I'm sad, I'll bump into the sad music. If I'm happy, I'll bump into the into the happy music. Yeah, and and being aware of that, I've been able to explore all the genres, you know. Um so yeah, Doug, music, music, music is life.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

I think I think the best. I I told the other guy once when we were busy uh recording the song, I said, I think we should I should have a um have a studio in my bathroom, in my shower. That's when I when I have the most ideas, bro. And and the steam, bro, the steam like loosens up the vocal cords. I can uh bro in in reality, I can't hit a high pitch when when I get in a shower, I'm like oh bro, I am I am Michael Jackson mixed with all the best singers you can think of.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

Like in the shower, my goodness. I actually have I have a video, um, I think it's on my TikTok or something, where I'm doing some shower, some shower performance. Bro, dude, um last question, second to last question. What's been the biggest way your faith has shaped your music or kept um your love for music alive?

Passion Versus Money And Career

SPEAKER_02 10:44

Very good to repeat that for me, and maybe you just put in more Jade than you want to.

SPEAKER_00 10:49

How does faith play a role in music for you for you personally and as well as listening wise?

SPEAKER_02 11:05

Uh uh that's actually a hard question. I don't know why, but it is it just is I I don't uh out of faith. First of all, let's let's let's just get back to um go back to church, you know. Let's say good back. Foundation about you know where I want my music to be grown is church music. Yeah, the other stuff that that I normally write and sing, that's that's out of that's out of the bound. But like normally I would like to I don't know if you heard about um what's that guy's name? Uh Forrest Frank. Yes. So I want my music to be like, you know, hip-hop, RB, trap, but Christian, no gospel, no. And I think it's everything starts at church, you know, you being able to sing your your heart and soul out. If you whether you can't sing or you can't sing, or you can't even sing properly, it's just you you're there singing. That's yeah, it's like I don't know, I don't know how to answer the question. It's just my faith is based in God, and I believe He has given me a talent. Well, I hope so, it's a talent, but uh He has given me a talent and I feel it's it needs to be used for the right things and not for the wrong. Yeah. And uh I'm like I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm guilty I'm guilty as charge, dude. Like obviously when you get home, the songs I rap, the songs I sing, the songs I listen to, some some some of those songs aren't even holy, bro. Like just listening, I mean, just I mean, Drake, great, great of course, great hip hop, great rapper, but you know, you can't just listen to his song, all his songs, man, if you want to be like a 24 hour 24-7 hour Christian. I mean, and that's obviously that's what I want to become, and you know, because I mean I mean, like we see in the world right now, the crazy stuff that's happening, and people need to realize you can't be like you can't be a month, you can't be a Sunday Christian and Monday to Friday and Saturday, you being you being a different person, you can't be halfway in. I want to be full in, but you know it's gonna take some time, and there isn't time actually. You need to be because tomorrow isn't promise, but that's why you need to live in the presence.

Faith Shaping Sound And Honesty

SPEAKER_00 13:32

And I love what you said that, bro, and and how you said it actually is is you know where the goal is and what Jesus kind of calls us to and leads us in, but you're very aware that it's it's part of the process. Yeah, like I don't want to act like I've had 50 guests or anything like that, but more times than not, someone sitting in your position answering that question will say, Yeah, you know, you can't be a a Sunday Christian, you have to be an everyday Christian as if they are those, that person, they are that everyday Christian. Um, and then mics and and and camera turns off, then it's like, oh bro, have you heard the new Ghana? You know, and it's like it's like I'm not so judgy on hey, we were just talking about seven-day Christian, what's this? It's more I appreciate that you can be honest, and I think we need a lot more of that within the Christian community, as well as in terms of reaching out, in that hey, I'm not trying to be this perfect guy or speak the perfect Christianese. Oh yeah, but I'm figuring it out.

Quitting Alcohol And Future Family

SPEAKER_02 14:56

I mean, like I'll I'll also play rugby right now. I think the biggest thing I always say before rugby game is just God forgive me. Forgive me for my words. Because things you get heated, yeah? And yeah, like, but just like I said, in in like I said, it's like I'm willing to own up to things I do, to things I've done. I mean, I've done things that are explainable, you know. I mean, that's why I said I want to be a 24 hour 24-7-hour Christian, but there are things like I do during the week, like I listen to this music and I swear, and you know, it's it's it's it's it's it's not it's not gonna suit you, eh? But it's something something I've I've done now and I've put it past me, and I'm I will I'm very proud of myself. And I know it's gonna take a long time for me to be able to say no immediately. Well, I already do it now, but it's it's alcohol. So I met this girl, um, and I promised because I I think it's what's got going through my head, it's just I want to be a father, one day I want to be a father, and I want to be a father. Like I don't want my wife or my girlfriend to ever want worry and call where hey, where are you? Hey, listen, I'm at maybe at the bar, or maybe I'm saying I'm at the I'm at a groceries and I get home half drunk and can't even well barely. So I don't want to be a father that comes home and sit and be drunk to kids or my kids, my wife, and be unable to speak and you know, barely have time with them because all I want to do is sleep and go out and sleep and go out and repeat, repeat. So that's why I put alcohol behind me and said, listen, I gotta focus on things that that's not important. Alcohol's not in not in the books for me right now. And yes, I've I've drank I've drunk alcohol before, and that's why I stopped because I know the thing is when I do drink alcohol, as it it takes you to the labels. And I've I've experienced it, and you get up the next morning, you're thinking sick, and you're feeling bad, and you're like, why? Like, why do you want to do this yourself? Like, you you feel fine, it's like you actually putting that's what you you you're granting a flu or sickness over you because you want alcohol to take over you, and the next morning you think you're sick, you can't walk, you know, vomit. Dude, you but you brought it up yourself, you did it yourself. It's not list of regrets in the morning. There was no sickness, there was no buggers, no nothing. It was you, you did it yourself, and you had a choice in life. You had a choice to say no to that alcohol, rather take water or coke. Bro, coke's nice, but just as it's just as lacquer, um, it's brandy. And you can drink coke, drink spray, drink anything except that's what I want to get off of. And you know, me going to Cape Town as well now this Saturday, um, being a big mission because big big thing because me and my girlfriend have been doing long distance. Yeah, and I and I've really, really feel a lot for her. And I want to prove myself and I want to show everyone that it is possible to have love even if it's far away. And by doing that, alcohol is not coming with me. It's staying in Durban. But that alcohol mindset is here, and I'm taking everything that's good with me to Cape Town. I'm leaving everything that's behind. That's why that's why they say Cape Town's always a new start. It's paradise in paradise wherever you go. Um, but you know, you just need to you need to start focusing. Like what what what did Justin Bieber say? You gotta clock in, man.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

You gotta clack it, homie. You gotta clack it. I'm standing on business. What's this thing, ladies? Do clack it, clack it. You know again, I'm standing on business. I'm standing on business.

SPEAKER_02 18:45

Yeah, so I was always just locking, dude. Just focus now. Yeah, yeah.

Scripture, Humility, Prayer, Closing

SPEAKER_00 18:50

Can I share a verse with you, bro? Yeah, sure. Um, if there's questions I don't cover, remind me on the comments. Or message Jade and I'll put all his details house number, you know, everything. Just don't just don't irritate me. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. Uh it is the book of First Timothy. So this is Timothy talking to his son, his spiritual son, Timothy. Uh so 1 Timothy 4, verse 11 to 12. Keep commanding and teaching these things. Let no one look down on your youth, but be an example and set a pattern for the believers in speech and conduct and love and faith and in purity. Um, yeah, bro. Knowing, knowing, knowing uh the the journey ahead for you, knowing, knowing you're a young homie, you know. Um keep that in your journey. No, you know, let no one look down on you because you are young, but because of what Jesus has done in your life, set an example for believers, um, in faith, love, purity, um, conduct, uh, yeah, and speech. Yeah, you know, uh, I really do believe in us as young people that um now is our time. It's it's it's a continuous presence sentence. Um, now is our time. Now is our time to stand up, now is our time to change the narrative. And uh some of the conversations you and I have had, some of the music you guys need to look out for, actually. Um experimental stuff, but having so much fun and creating it. Um is that, bro. Don't let them look down on your faith. Don't don't let anyone let you make you doubt your faith. Don't let anyone let you veer off your faith because they're advertising something that's that has identity but the wrong kind. Yeah. Um, so yeah, man. Uh I like to end off the pods with with prayer. And I hope this isn't the this isn't the last one. No, it certainly won't be, bro.

SPEAKER_02 21:29

First of many. Yeah. So I also want to just say something to the future Jedi in five months. Yeah. So I also saw this thing, like, if you had a thing to say for Jaden in the next 10 years, and it's now what what will it be? So this is gonna look straight in the camera. So hey Jaden, um, this is me. We're currently 15, 14, which is 20 minutes before before four. Um we're at work, spot we to help this do. We started yeah after school. I'm 19 years old now. It's currently the 2nd of March on a Monday. Blue Monday. But uh just remember where you came from. Remember lock in. And remember, just always be humble. Just always be humble and you know, remember where you came from and remember who gave you all those abilities and talents and gifts and you know open the doors for you. It wasn't just magic, it was God. So remember, just go back to your foundation. And the reason I'm saying this this um this message is because I know you and I know what's gonna happen when you get too much too many glory in your life, when you get too many ego boosts. Your ego's gonna be up there, dude. Not not down here. So get back to get back to earth and remember where you came from. So the motto of this all long um what's the word? Monologue. Monologue is just be humble and get back to earth. You're not, you're not, you're not him. You're not home, bro. You're not him.

SPEAKER_00 23:06

You hear that fee, Jalen?

SPEAKER_01 23:08

But yeah. I bet I'll find you in 10 years, arrogant. I'm coming for you. Bro, it tends to see this podcast, you're gonna be like, Who's not you, man?

SPEAKER_00 23:18

I'm knocking on your door in 10 years' time with a checklist from this episode. Did you remain humble? Did you look to God at all times? And if any of those aren't in check, and say the kids.

SPEAKER_02 23:36

I'm just kidding. Yeah, man, say hey to the kids. Not yet, not yet, not yet.

SPEAKER_00 23:41

I'm Salu Podcast, we out. Thanks. That was solid, bro.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

That was actually.