Rapper JRo Shares Spiritual Journey to Orthodoxy

Photo: Buck Johnson / Facebook

TUCSON, AZ — James Robinson, better known as JRo of the West Coast rap group Tha Alkoholiks, recently shared his journey to Orthodox Christianity on the Counterflow podcast with host Buck Johnson.

Raised in Pacoima, California, in a deeply religious family, Robinson was active in church as a child but drifted away around age 18. He began rapping at 13 and formed Tha Alkoholiks, releasing five albums and touring globally, sharing stages with Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, and the Beastie Boys. In 2003, he moved to Sweden for 15 years, teaching hip-hop and performing across Europe.

After returning to California in 2017, he met his future wife, a Russian journalist, and was introduced to Orthodox Christianity at St. Anthony’s Monastery. Struck by the chanting, incense, and iconography, he began studying and practicing the faith. The couple moved to Tucson, were married in 2021, baptized, and now have three children.

Robinson still performs with Tha Alkoholiks, gradually adapting his music to reflect his Orthodox faith.

Previously, the UOJ reported that a Catholic priest in the U.S. converted to Orthodoxy.

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