Teens Receive Rap Music Video Honoring Pope's Courageous Life
Only a few weeks before Pope John Paul II's health was threatened, hundreds of thousands of teens around the world received a music video giving tribute to the late pontiff's life. Titled "Giovanni Paolo" - John Paul in Italian - the rap music video is both a biography and a tribute to the Catholic leader.
Close to one thousand youth ministers in nearly every state in the U.S. and 18 other countries received the rap music video.
Rap lyrics tell the story of the pain of John Paul II childhood, confronting the Nazi occupation, the fall of Communism, and the pontificate.
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"Every day he would watch his daddy pray; the biggest lesson he would learn to keep him walkin’ on the way. The death of his mother, soon to be followed by his brother, tore a hole in his soul to be mended by another," sang Tom Booth and Dr. Stan Fortuna.
Reminiscent of the rap genre, the video opens with the two singers stepping out of a taxi cab into a dark alley. Booth and Fortuna's attention is caught by a round object, and peering inside, are figures testifying about the difference that John Paul II made to this world.
A new scene opens up to the two artists backed by a tight group of youth chanting "Giovanni Paulo" and punching fists in the air to show dedication to the John Paul II. This imagery is paired with panorama stills showcasing the Pope's life, beginning with his youth and ending in his last year. The stills coalesce with the rap lyrics to pay tribute to the late pope.
Shot in downtown Phoenix the weekend of January 9, 2005, the music video was produced by Life Studios.
Click here to view the video.
