In the late 2010s, a young man going by the monicker of “Boonk Gang” amassed fame and fortune for posting viral videos of him stealing, sowing chaos, and being an overt nuisance to the general public. However, this reckless lifestyle would not define Boonk Gang, whose real name is John Gabbana. Speaking to CBN, Gabanna recounted his powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit that would forever change his life.
Gabbana said, “I gained worldwide fame at 20 years old, but I have so much trauma and brokenness on the inside that the world didn’t know about that outward is just a reflection on what’s inside.” Explaining his rough upbringing, he continued, “My mother and my stepfather raised me. My stepfather passed when I was 14, but my stepfather was the only man, father figure that I was familiar with after he passed away, it was just my mother. She was working and she was really isolated. I was left navigating my teenage years primarily on my own.”
“I was inspired from a social media content creator. I seen him reckless on the internet, flashing a lot of money. I’m like, dang. And that’s all you have to do, is just be a fool to get money. Took that, put my spin on it just blew up,” he said, illustrating how he started his infamous social media stunts.
However, Gabbana’s lifestyle would eventually catch up to him, landing him in jail. “It was a hit or run, three gun charges and the possession of narcotics that I was facing, and I was in Los Angeles, it started out as a three-year prison sentence, and I end up in a sentence five months county time,” he said.
While in prison, Gabbana’s cellmate asked him a very simple, but powerful question. “Do you believe in Jesus?” he was asked. Recalling the experience, Gabbana said, “I’ve had the gospel tried to be preached to me before, but I was never receptive to him.”
He continued, “So I say, Yes, sir, I do believe in Jesus. May you tell me more about him. And I just remember this man teaching me the Bible, and more than teaching me, showed me the love of God, and my heart began to transform, because I’ve done so much wrong in my life. I’ve caused so much hurt and pain to people. And hearing the gospel, how Jesus Christ come came down to this world to die for people like me. I’m looking at my life through the lenses of the love of God.”
Gabbana was overcome by the Holy Spirit after this. “And I begin to worship and sing, and I lay down on my bunk, and I just felt sad, and I started crying, and immediately the presence of God came over me and stripped my sadness away and filled me with joy. I jump off my bunk. I woke myself made up. I say, Josh, wake up. Man. I was singing to Jesus. I was worshiping. I started crying, Josh, look at the tears on my face. I’m trying to prove to him my my experience. But something came over me and took away my sadness. Something came over me and filled me with joy,” he said.
Now known as “Holy Gabbana,” the rapper uses his platform to spread the good news of the Gospel. Completely transformed by the Holy Spirit, Gabbana rejected his past life and turned toward God, demonstrating that you’re past does not define you and one can be renewed by grace of Christ.
Watch Gabbana’s interview below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.