Caleb McKinion - Madkol Interviews CalebMac116: 2017 lyrics

On April 22, 2017, I interviewed CalebMac116, someone I've known on Genius for quite some time, and someone I had the privilege of helping become an editor. Throughout our conversation, he discussed his love for God, his love for Genius, and his love for annotating. CalebMac116 shows frequent presence in the community forums, and his dedication to annotating Christian music shows fervency in wanting to spread a message of hope. Just look at his page; he ranks among the top scholars of several different Christian artists, such as NF, Derek Minor, Trip Lee, Lecrae, Andy Mineo, and many others. So without further ado, I present to you: Genius's 2017 interview with CalebMac116. Madkol: So what first got you interested in joining Genius? And what made you want to annotate? CalebMac116: I was looking up pages of lyrics to find out what I was listening to. It really just started from there. I was always fascinated on how they got the lyrics so fast, so one time I tried it. The first one I annotated was Tedashii's "Jumped Out The Whip." I created the page when it first premiered at the Dove Awards and people actually viewed it. I was like, "This is awesome," and it started from there. My first annotation was a terrible one; I mixed up whip (the dance) with whip (a car). It was down voted like 5 times. That page has 30k views now. Madkol: Who are some of your favorite artists? CalebMac116: NF is my favorite. He speaks about his past and puts so much into the music. Lecrae is a close second. Lecrae is such a different artist than NF, so it's hard to pick. I like Andy Mineo, KB, Social Club Misfits and Trip Lee. There are many others but those are the main ones. Madkol: Nice! NF is amazing. I know that you primarily annotate Christian artists. Their music is obviously different from that of secular, in terms of subject matter. Do you find this refreshing? What is it that draws you to Christian music, rather than secular? CalebMac116: Christianity isn't a religion, it's a lifestyle. I think the message is a lot better than secular music talking about s**, d**, and money. It leads toward the right way. I do listen to some secular music. The new Kendrick was pretty good. But "garbage in garbage out" is a bug phrase. If I listen to these things all the time, it will show in my life. Madkol: What is the best part of being an editor on Genius? CalebMac116: To kinda control a page and remove the terrible annotations. On one page—now that I'm an editor—I have 750 IQ. The highest I ever got before was 250. Also, the Genius Editorial Board is really cool. The community is great. Madkol: What was the most fun vacation you ever went on? CalebMac116: Probably to the beach in Florida. I went with my cousins and I had a blast. Madkol: What are some of your favorite albums? CalebMac116: This is a tough question. Lecrae's Anomaly, NF's Therapy Session, Derek Minor's Reflection, Andy Mineo's Uncomfortable, and many others. I like some MC Hammer also. Madkol: Would you consider yourself to be someone who focuses on the future, or enjoys the present? CalebMac116: Focusing on the future, definitely. Think positively on what's a head. Madkol: Who's the first person that comes to mind when you hear the term, "Overrated artist?" CalebMac116: Drake. I listened to More Life and I wasn't blown away. The beat and stuff is good, but it doesn't flow the greatest to me. I know some will hate, though. Madkol: Right, right. I feel like Drake fell off after Views. What's one of the most embarra**ing things that has happened to you? CalebMac116: I don't know. Maybe getting pantsed at a party. I know, nothing special. Madkol: What is your favorite part about Genius? If one new feature could be added, what would you want? CalebMac116: The annotating. I love tying things together. I would add better album pages. They would look like song pages with the question section as well. Madkol: That's interesting. A What have the artists said about this album section would be dope! What is your dream job? CalebMac116: Either a graphic designer at Reach Records or a staff member at Genius. Madkol: Any last words you'd like to say to the people of Genius? CalebMac116: Thanks for everyone who has helped me throughout my journey at Genius. Also, thanks for the interview!