Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Friday, January 18, 2008

YELLOWKNIFE - Emmanuel Deobieta has a nice house, a pretty wife and a baby on the way.

But some years ago, his life was far from as comfortable as it is today. His experiences are beyond what many of us will ever have to deal with, ranging from time spent as a gangbanger, to time spent in jail, to time spent in a mental hospital with cocaine psychosis.

Marya Gilev, Emmanuel Deobieta, Dustin Batuik, Elizabeth Deobieta and Michelle Penner came to Yellowknife this weekend with OGM hip-hop group. - Laura Power/NNSL photo

But one day, everything changed for him. He said he wanted to move on from the nightmares.

"This heavy feeling just came into my heart," he said.

Step by step, Deobieta turned his life around and into something positive. He has been clean for seven years now.

"With that, I really just kind of looked at my life and thought, you know, I'm called to do something."

About five years ago, the Edmonton-based rapper founded Original Gospel Messengers (OGM), a hip-hop group that reaches out to youth who are facing tough choices like he once did.

"The choice you make today will determine your future," he said.

When OGM came to Yellowknife last weekend, Garry Hubert of the SideDoor youth centre felt it was something many kids in town could understand.

"I know for a fact that there was a good many of them there," he said. "The NWT has the highest risk youth in all of Canada, and these are the youth that we're dealing with on a daily basis."

About 75 kids were counted at the hip-hop concert on Friday at the youth venue, but Hubert estimates there were about 100 people present, soaking up the atmosphere.

"Their message and the excitement that the kids got from them was just vibrant," he said.

After the concert, the group stuck around to hang out with the kids. Deobieta said spending time with the kids is crucial.

"One of the biggest things that we seek is attention," he said. "If you don't know your identity, you can actually seek the wrong kind of attention."

Deobieta realizes there is no way to force a kid to make the right decisions, but showing them their options and encouraging them can help.

"As a child I remember ex-druggies that would come to the schools and say no this, no that... if you're doing it, you're doing it. It's that simple. But I'll tell you your consequences," he said.

On Saturday night, the group performed again at the Calvary Community Church, where another 100 or so kids came out to be counselled - and entertained.

Hubert said religious and inspirational groups such as OGM have been very successful here in the past, and that providing youth with that kind of event on a more regular basis is now in the books.

"This had given us enough excitement and momentum with the youth that we are planning a once a month meeting, concert," he said. "A month from now we're going to use some local talent, some local worship bands."

One act that Hubert is planning to bring to Yellowknife soon is Mike Love, a Christian group from Edmonton.

Meanwhile, Deobieta said the group would be glad to come back to Yellowknife in the future.