"Pick It Up" is a collab with New Jersey-born artist Mike Pennino and newcomer Xay Hill. It's more than a head-nodding hip-hop anthem. The track is a call to action rooted in faith and self-preservation.
The song's riff, which listeners may recognize from the chorus of "Pick it up," started as a toss-off between Mike and his brother, he said. Banter quickly morphed into inspiration. As Mike began to write, the words turned into a deeper reflection, an invitation to take up what God has set in front of us, hope, grace, peace, and transcend complacency. His lyrics draw a gritty image of battle, including a personal witness to finding strength in the Lord's help to refocus and keep going. After recording the hook and his verse, Mike brought Xay Hill in to provide his own piece and mold the final balance. The result is a slick, profound single that packs together storytelling, belief, and energy into a song that doesn't just play through your headphones, it takes you up.
For Mike, this release marks another milestone in a winding journey that began when he discovered Christian hip-hop after high school. That push prompted him to pick up the New Testament for the first time, driving him to try to understand the reason behind Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection. Now that revelation pours into his music today in a way that encourages and challenges listeners to live intentionally.