SIR THE BAPTIST Press Clips 2017 December 14, 2016

Sir The Baptist Reflects On Past Career As A Lyft Driver On “Driver Appreciation Day”

The company’s ode to their dedicated drivers includes Lyft-sponsored events in Los Angeles and Chicago and a screening of June, directed by John Kahrs (Monsters Inc., Toy Story 2). Lyft also promises to match tips towards drivers for 24 hours.

Providing the track “Movin” for June, Sir was inspired by his two years taking on the role as a Lyft driver and the many encounters he had in the process. Speaking to VIBE, his former position ended up shaping up the people in his current team. “I was also using Lyft as a tool, not just to get money, but to build relationships with my community in Chicago,” he said. “I would take the stories from my Lyft rides and use them in my songwriting and inspiration.”

Sir also shares with us his thoughts on sharing rides, his favorite moments of the year and more. Check out the interview below. VIBE: If you had to describe “Movin” in three words, what would they be? Sir The Baptist: Driving, uplifting and fun. The song “Movin’” which was used in the short film was created while I was driving for Lyft. I remember creating this song and pulling inspiration from my own story and those of my passengers. Sometimes the toughest times help you realize what life’s all about — human connection. The song is about moving forward and keeping a positive attitude, no matter what setbacks life throws you.

What inspired you to work as a Lyft driver? How was it balancing that and working on your music? I was working at Leo Burnett in Chicago for a few years but decided that I really needed to step away and apply my marketing to my music. I was an upcoming artist and would drive 12 hours each day. I had a mobile recording studio under my seat and would put all of the money back into studio time, advertising and advancing my career. I was also using Lyft as a tool, not just to get money, but to build relationships with my community in Chicago. I would take the stories from my Lyft rides and use them in my songwriting and inspiration. I would estimate that nearly 50-60 percent of my team is comprised of people I met while driving and using Lyft.

What’s one of your most memorable Lyft experiences? I’ve seen everything, from happy grandmothers to post-breakups, to harrowing stories of people trying to make ends meet and everything in between. I actually met my girlfriend who I’ve been dating for two years while driving.

How do you feel about the concept of sharing rides? In the film, June builds a rapport with her customers, but sometimes in real life customers aren’t too engaging; even with fellow riders. I always felt a real sense of community when I was driving with Lyft. There is such a strong connection between passenger and driver. I met new people all the time and was inspired by sharing experiences with all different walks of life. My music tells the stories of the people I’ve met, reflecting their unique perspectives and what I learned from these shared experience and the community I built with others.

Your music has a great balance of political, religion and social topics. What inspired you to walk that path in your sound? It’s true to who I am. My father was a preacher in Chicago when I was growing up. When he passed away when I was 11 years old, I was able to get a little further away from the church and find hip-hop, Jay Z and a new scene. At the same time, my mother and brothers are missionaries. So I was always taught to have a strong sense of giving back, political action and community organizing. My music truly reflects this path of growing up in-between the church and secular worlds.

What were some of your favorite moments from 2016? Any you would like to forget? 2016 has been such an incredible year. I was able to truly take my passion and love of music and make it my career. But meeting one of my idols, Jay Z, at “Made in America” festival was truly special. Having him come up and tell me that he is following my story and is a fan of my music is something that I will never forget. Then performing later in the year in front of 22,000 people at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn on his TidalX concert was another amazing experience.

What themes does your new album PK: Preacher’s Kid touch? My upcoming album, PK: Preacher’s Kid, is truly a reflection of life in 2016. You will hear a little bit of everything that everyday people are talking about on the album, from politics to social issues to party songs and everything in-between. My goal is to heal hip-hop. As a genre, its is in a very bad spot musically, but more importantly the messaging in the music, how we treat our women and so many other areas. I hope to be one piece to the puzzle to usher in a new sound and one that will empower the listeners to usher in change. December 31, 2016

Lyft co-founder John Zimmer drove on NYE, and the experience was documented by a Buzzfeed reporter via Facebook Live. John was playing Sir's music along the ride.

Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/BuzzFeedTech/videos/1178473585606949/ December 18, 2016

Kapos: Jesse, Sandi Jackson lawyers used to high-profile splits

Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is being represented by the same legal firm that helped Citadel CEO Ken Griffin win his high-profile divorce case last year.

Jackson is citing irreconcilable differences in his divorce from former Ald. Sandi Jackson.

He’s asking that the couple’s two teen children reside in Chicago. Sandi Jackson wants to keep them in Washington, D.C., where they also have a home.

That’s what makes Jesse Jackson’s decision to hire Barry Schatz interesting.

Schatz is a founding partner of Berger Schatz — a matrimonial law firm that counts high-profile names as clients, including billionaire businessman Griffin.

The crux of the Griffin divorce, which wrapped up in 2015, had to do with where the couple’s three young children would reside.

Griffin wanted them in Chicago. His now ex-wife Anne Dias asked the court to be allowed to move to New York with the children.

Griffin won, and their children have stayed in Chicago, sharing time with both parents.

By hiring Schatz as his divorce attorney, Jesse Jackson’s sending a message to his estranged wife that he’s prepared to fight to keep their children in Chicago as well.

Interesting too is who Sandi Jackson has teamed with for legal counsel: Schiller DuCanto & Fleck, according to a court filing from July. That’s notable because Schiller — also a divorce firm for big names — has a collaborative law division that seeks alternatives to litigating divorce. Hello, mediation.

In praise of free admission

Jeffery Perry‘s personal story is integral to his support of Chicago Children’s Museum’s push for free admission for people who couldn’t otherwise afford to attend.

The museum just wrapped up nearly 100,000 free visits–again.

“We’ve pledged that a third of our visitors will be either free or significantly reduced admissions,” says Perry, the museum’s board chairman and a partner at EY, a global professional services firm. It’s all about attracting “people who wouldn’t otherwise come” while finding other ways to boost revenues.

In fiscal 2016, which ended June 30, the museum had 403,658 total visits — 84,768 were free and 44,806 entered the door at reduced rates. In fiscal 2015, 412,973 people visited the museum, with 86,724 free and 49,556 entering at a lower rate (teachers and veterans among them).

The Museums for All program, which allows food stamp recipients to use their Link card to enter the museum, has been credited in part with the boost in free attendance.

The program is drawing praise from the American Alliance of Museums in Washington, D.C. “These are members of the community who might not otherwise come to the museum, so providing a way to bring in that audience doesn’t jeopardize ticket revenue,” says chief program officer Robert Stein.

When he was a teen, Perry benefited from the Inroads nonprofit that mentors minorities for a future in business. The son of a Baptist minister earned a scholarship at Babson College, a premier business school in Massachusetts, and later received an MBA from Harvard Business School.

He’s remained connected to Inroads and served as national board chair.

Perry’s move to be board chair came earlier this year and dovetails with museum plans to update its facade, all part of ongoing construction at Navy Pier, where it’s located.

Before hip-hop, there was Leo Burnett and Lyft

Hip-hop star Sir the Baptist, who headlines Chi-Town Rising on New Year’s Eve, once worked for a big- name Chicago ad firm and then as a Lyft driver.

The Chicago native talked about his background during a visit back in his hometown to promote Lyft. The ride-sharing company unveiled a short film about a woman who becomes a driver. Sir provides the music track, called “Movin.'”

Sir’s gritty music is inspired by those work experiences, he told me after the event.

“Most of the lyrics you hear come from the opportunities that I’ve had meeting people while driving. It’s about learning from them and sharing their stories. The music reflects that,” he says.

Sir grew up in Bronzeville as William James Stokes, the son of a preacher. He graduated from Leo Catholic High School and attended Columbia College before working as a digital marketing director at Leo Burnett. McDonald’s was among his clients.

The full-time gig cut into time he wanted to spend on music, so after four years of corporate life, Sir became a Lyft driver.

He met a symphony of passengers, including Scott Englert, a Chicago representative for a group affiliated with the Grammys. With some help from Englert, Sir’s career launched and he’s signed with Atlantic Records.

A month after her death, Ann Gerber’s husband dies.

Just weeks after the Nov. 15 death of society columnist Ann Gerber, comes news that her husband, Bernard J. Kaplan, has also died.

The two were married 50 years. He celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year.

The two met at the Edgewater Beach pool. “I was in a black fringe bikini and hooker heels,” Gerber said in Skyline News, where she was published for years. “He didn’t have a chance.”

September 27, 2016 SIR THE BAPTIST ON CLINTON & TRUMP’S FIRST DEBATE: ‘I WON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE UNTIL WE KNOW WHO’S PRESIDENT’

Despite being in a bar in his native Chicago for the first presidential debate between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump, rapper-singer Sir The Baptist stayed sober. "I wasn't [playing a drinking game], but I should have," he jokes over the phone while in Los Angeles.

Last month, the preacher's son put on a skit featuring Nightly Show's Donald Trump impersonator Bob DiBuono during his high-octane set at Afropunk Festival in Brooklyn. As the faux-business tycoon tried to make his pitch for black votes, Baptist shuts him down.

The gospel-meets-jazz-meets-hip-hop artist is no newbie when it comes to standing up for what he believes in (see tracks like "Raise Hell" and "Wake Up"), which is why he's staying woke for the 2016 election. Below, the Chicago native evaluates Clinton and Trump's performances during the debate and discusses why he thinks Trump is not the answer.

What was your initial reaction to the debate? I think I can go with the whole world in saying that [Trump] wasn't prepared. We're dreading, disgusted, panicking and having anxiety, watching that and knowing that someone out there is going to vote for someone that's totally not prepared to run the country. I didn't expect to wake up and see people saying that he won. You have to be blinded to see something [like the debate] and still say that he won.

You incorporated a Donald skit into your recent Afropunk Festival performance, but what have been your overall feelings about Trump's campaign? When did you start paying attention? I started paying attention when [his campaign] affected communities nationwide. It felt like we were trying to heal some of the scars of classism and racism then suddenly, it started to take a turn. I have family members that aren't African-American that were like, "Hey, if black people would just do what the police say..." and it started so much tension merely because someone [like Trump] was sort of putting the propaganda back in our heads, saying all the things he said, stirring up the culture, empowering the wrong people to speak their mind and pushing the nation to where we're at now.

Both candidates touched on a variety of topics. Was there any statement from either side that particularly blew your mind? A lot, because, one, you can't bring up contributions to African-Americans and bring up Ronald Reagan. Two, you can't say that bringing up the birth certificate for the president was a good job and that it got you where you are. It was amazing that [Trump] admitted to a lot of the propaganda he's putting out here.

What were your thoughts on his remarks about being smart and not releasing his tax returns? Again, propaganda. He may have never given to charities. He may never show his taxes. These things are things that would disqualify him to some other conservative people that he's kind of holding on to. To say that you're not gonna release [the tax returns] because your tax attorney says you shouldn't was silly.

What did you think of Clinton's performance? Was there any initiative in particular that made you want to vote for her? I'm gonna vote for her because I'm gonna exercise my vote. I do see a lot of the things that she's saying and I know she's trying to say. In this election, you have to look at intent because when these people get into office, they still have to fight with a lot of people to get things going. You have to look at intent, the personality, the person and the experience, and she's put some time in.

For Trump, this would be his first time trying to organize a community and understand what organizing a community is like the Obamas and Hillary Clinton. He's got growing to do as far as being effective. These things aren't stepping stones for community development. My dad has done a lot in municipality development so to know some of the background, I just look at this guy and I know he's not ready. I feel like she's more ready and she has experience, which is one of the things that she said.

Going into the debate, there was some criticism about Clinton's email controversy and people predicted Trump would paint her as a liar. How do you think she handled it? I think she did very well. If she's had a personal email, which she says she did, and she had some confidential stuff in that email, I don't want her to release that to the public. There are certain things for our country that aren't supposed to be released to the public so to release that stuff could put us in jeopardy, but on the other end, she made that mistake [of deleting those emails]. I think that was a learning curve more than an intention.

Did you feel any sense of disbelief during the debate? I think the thinkers are just sitting here wondering when Trump is gonna come out and say this is a joke. "I can't believe you guys let me do this." I think we're all still shocked.

Was there a topic you wish they would have addressed? It seems to me that economics lie. Obviously, talking about taxes is economics but they could get deeper into some of the economics problems that we have, specifically my community. I don't know if it would have done us any good but every time there was a topic brought up, Trump was so completely off-topic and I wanted to know his thoughts on specifically having a company and business in Chicago, where I'm from and people are dying and can't get jobs.

How did you feel about both parties weighing in on the "stop and frisk" policies? On both ends, they could have gone a little deeper because there's more behind it but that's not something I think politics wouldn't address on TV 'cause some of it gets iffy. It goes into things that's not necessarily comfortable for people watching TV for a match between Trump and Hillary. It's something that's a little deeper that I think they'd have to dig through.

Do you feel more optimistic about the country's future after watching the debate? I won't feel optimistic until the votes come in. You feel like, okay, we got this. There's no way this guy can [do this] and you wake up the next morning and all the reporters are flooding the Internet with their own propaganda. I won't feel comfortable until we know exactly who's president -- and hopefully, it's not Trump.

November 1, 2016

Sir The Baptist Is 'Raising Hell' As Atlantic Records' Latest Soul Sensation

Meet one of music's latest soulful inspirations.

Sir the Baptist is a Chicago native with soul on the brain – soul music, soul saving and soul-searching. He's a preacher's kid with a love for music that derived from life in the church choir (thanks to his father) and the location of his family's “jazz heaven home” in the Chi's Bronzeville neighborhood. But that love didn't truly develop as early as some would like to think.

Like many preacher's kids, Sir, formally known as William James Stokes, was often torn between the secular and spiritual worlds. Instead of immediately securing a position in the church and hitting the studio the first chance he got, Stokes went to college for a day – literally – then landed a job in advertising with the successful Chicago ad firm Leo Burnett. There, Sir maximized his marketing and branding potential, giving billion-dollar companies grandiose ideas to leverage their name and product. But during that time, a then charismatic 26-year-old realized, "I’m giving them free stuff and they can sort of take all the trademarks that come with it."

In other words, Sir wanted the rights to the work he was producing, and he wasn't going to get that in advertising. So, on a hope and a prayer, William James Stokes left Leo Burnett and endured a six-month stint of homelessness, crashing on friends' couches, showering at LA Fitness (because he could afford just enough for the membership) and driving a Lyft to make ends meet. But none of that mattered because he had soul on the brain.

Influenced by the greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Smokey Robinson and Whitney Houston, Sir turned his focus to music, creating sonic stories for those who pine for a good song with substance. Now, two years later, Sir the Baptist is signed to Atlantic Records and is awaiting the release of his debut album, PK: Preacher's Kid.

He sat down with ESSENCE in Atlanta, Georgia, the night before he attended his first BET Hip Hop Awards. “I feel honored,” Sir tells ESSENCE about his excitement to join the list of various hip-hop artists who have thrived from Chicago over the past decade. When asked what made him decide to leave a fun, steady paying job in marketing, the soul singer says, “Because you can do [marketing and advertising] in music.” He continues, “When we go and do marketing and advertising, we look for an artist. It’s easier to become a spokesperson when you’re an artist. The types of things I wanted to lead and put into the culture…music would pass the listening stage and give a deeper connection.”

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But let’s face it. It’s 2016. And leaving a stable career for a unguaranteed gig that has thousands feining for the number one spot isn’t the path most followed. Sir remembers the moment that put him at his tipping point.

“There was this thing for McDonald’s called Jukebox, and it broke a few artists. I was like, ‘If I’m doing this for them, then I might as well do it for myself.’ So, I took all of those pieces [branding, marketing and advertising] and put it in my career.”

Unable to find an artist to produce or manage, William James Stokes took on the task of becoming the artist himself and transformed into a singer that spreads the gospel to a generation of musically lost sheep.

“I had no other choice,” he says. Sir, who has no problem preaching while he’s singing, is not your usual gospel artist. In fact, he doesn’t classify himself as such at all. While allowing his music to be “that connecting piece between our spirituality and our day-to-day world,” and “constantly making [it] blend between our spiritual world and our reality,” Chicago’s next rising artist thinks he’s much more vulgar than other artists in the gospel genre.

“I’m constantly trying to blend the spiritual world with our reality. I think those walls have been separated, and we don’t know which side to choose from. [You can be] in a relationship and want to have sex, [but] you don’t know which way to go,” Sir tells ESSENCE. “I like to play the storyteller." Ready to depict Chicago’s history through moral-driven music, Sir the Baptist explains his need to tell a story with substance.

“Right down the street from my dad’s church is Louis Armstrong’s house, and then Nat King Cole’s house and Ella Fitzgerald performed at places [nearby]. The historical inheritance has not been spoken of, and I get a chance to talk about it. Like Kanye samples everything, but you don’t really know what he sampling unless you dig deep to go look it up. It’s that sort of thing where I’m really glad to be coming from Chicago because I get to connect those to our inheritance musically and historically.” August 29, 2016

Chicago rapper Sir the Baptist gets political: Donald Trump 'is the problem'

Rapper and Chicago native Sir the Baptist told CNN Sunday that Donald Trump is "way out of touch" with the African American community after Trump linked the death of NBA star Dwyane Wade's cousin Nykea Aldridge to the black vote.

Ahead of his performance at the Afro Punk festival in Brooklyn on Sunday, Sir performed a skit opposite "Nightly Show" Donald Trump impersonator Bob DiBuono, where he interrupted the fake Trump as he made his pitch to black voters and confronted him for exploiting the African American community.

The skit ends with Sir grabbing the mic from Trump and beginning a soulful performance of "Creflo (Almighty Dollar)." "No one politician can relieve centuries of systemic racism and bigotry due to enslavement. It's time for us to ask the tough questions of Trump; to hold him accountable," Sir told CNN. "He has no problem teasing us with promises of jobs and wealth on one hand while exploiting the community in the other, thinking it will deliver him our vote. He is the problem."

Aldridge was a mother of four and was not the intended target. Her mother, Diann, broke down during an an interview with CNN and shared that she also lost her her eldest daughter ten years ago to gun violence.

"Dwyane Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!" Trump tweeted, pledging later to fix inner city problems. An hour later Trump offered his condolences.

Chicago rapper Rhymefest echoed Sir's concerns in an interview with CNN Monday and invited Trump to Chicago to witness the situation firsthand.

Sir, who's legal name is James Stokes, was born in the Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville, and prior to news of the Aldrige shooting, he shared a similar story with CNN about a friend who recently witnessed a drive-by shooting while walking with her baby.

Trump is set to make a direct appeal to black voters in a speech in Detroit, Michigan this weekend. Sir told CNN that the billionaire mogul's proposed solution of putting more cops on the streets to restore "law and order" ignores the fact that the system is plagued by institutionalized racism and "there's no sense of trust" between black communities and the police.

"My dad was a preacher, my mom a missionary and I was very wholesome," Sir said, "But I'm telling you 'til this day, if I drive by to this lot that I'm in right now I'm going to be afraid that if I get pulled over, I might not make it home."

Sir grew up in the church and while he remains deeply spiritual, he finds it difficult to reconcile his experiences with his religion because just like politics, "religion can leave some people behind."

"My brother is gay and growing up I know firsthand when those sermons come across the pulpit that rebukes him, he almost feel like the person don't love him that made him," Sir said, adding that "Jesus didn't come to condemn the world." His upcoming album, "Preacher's Kid," chronicles Sir's own journey of finding a balance between religion and life.

"Mama say she gonna lose me/ She pray the angles out on duty/ Preacher can't even rebuke me/ Born a sinner and I'm bout to sin again tonight," Sir raps in the single "Raise Hell." "You gonna have to forgive me/ Imma raise hell until I reach Heaven's door."

The album cover is a portrait of Sir with a halo over his head and a piece of black tape covering his mouth.

"As a preachers' kid, growing up you're just told to be an angel — Be a good boy, be a good girl, do the right things," Sir said. "But you see and experience so many different things ... If you let that preacher's kid talk you might want to put the tape over his mouth."

November 2, 2016

Jump And Shout

His music has a refreshing sound yet has a deeper meaning within those lyrics that gives you chills; Sir The Baptist is just a simple artist with a simple message. This is Sir the Baptist, the man behind the life-changing music. BLEU: How does your upbringing as a preacher’s kid from Chicago inspires your music now?

SIR THE BAPTIST: I was born in Bronzeville. Bronzeville was the home place for the Great Migration, and my dad, born in 1924, migrated during that time as well. And of those who migrated around that time was Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and a bunch of other artists. Bronzeville, at that time, was sort of the birthplace of African-American art, music, poetry, and everything else. So, I’m very influenced by the people that were around back then and even now.

B: How did you go from being William James Stokes to Sir the Baptist?

STB: You don’t wake up one day and just say, “You’re Sir the Baptist,” you know? You’re born who you are and when you find true purpose, you find out who you are all along. You have to grow to understand what you were born to do. Everything in my life has led me to finally see that Sir the Baptist is my reason and my purpose for being here. I have a line on my album that says, “I was the Baptist before my water broke.”

B: Did the passing of your father dictate where you wanted your music to go?

STB: Yes, of course, you grow up looking up to your dad. Not everyone in the hood got to look up to their dad, specifically my generation. My dad was my superhero. I don’t remember watching Superman, Batman, or anyone else. I always remember what my dad did and what we did together. He died when I was 11. The name of my album is “Preacher’s Kid.” Even my mother is a missionary. It just shows how my parents influenced my life.

B: You had an advertising job before you decided to pursue music, what made you realize that music is all you wanted to do?

STB: You get to do your own purpose and mission in music. You get to do your own thing. I just wanted my music to mean a lot more.

B: Who are your inspirations in music? STB: I listen to a lot of commercial music. I listen to T.V. show intros like Cheers and Amen. When T.V. shows come on, that catchy vibe, I try to keep that in my music. You only have sixty seconds to catch your listeners’ attention. If they don’t feel comfortable, they’ll just shut it off. So, I use the “sixty seconds” motto for inspiration.

B: What is your greatest achievement with your music?

STB: To be able to take spirituality and the most popular music and to be able to put it in a festival or put in front of people who don’t really hear other spiritual singers or rappers.

B: It also seems that your style is incorporated with your religious background and your musical style—long robes and long necklaces, sharp suits—how did you figure your clothing style as an artist out?

STB: I’ve always liked suits. Because of my dad, you had to wear a suit coat jacket. If you’re not wearing a suit coat jacket, you’re not prepared for the day, according to my dad. I had to wear a suit coat jacket when I even played basketball. I also remembered when the Jordans attended my dad’s church, and we would get free Jordans, but we still had to wear a suit. That’s where the suit came from. I also had to wear a robe on certain Sundays. It’s not necessarily connected to religion, but it’s more connected to my dad and where I grew up.

B: Who are your inspirations when it comes to your personal style of clothing?

STB: When I dress myself, I try to image if “I took a picture, would I look timeless?” I look at a lot of old photos and see these artists, I aspire to that. I look at my dad and Louis Armstrong, and they still look timeless. B: What are you trying to show to the world with your music and with what type of artist you are?

STB: That no matter who you are and what your do and where you come from, that you have a lot of influence. Don’t believe in something you feel like that has already excluded you. I don’t think that God is like that. Everybody should feel comfortable and loved because [exclusion is] not what we’re here for.

August 27, 2016 Sir The Baptist: A Preacher's Kid Finds His Own Sanctuary In Music

William James Stokes is the son of a church man, and on his first album he comes right out with it. The Preacher's Kid is the singer and rapper's debut as Sir the Baptist, a name he felt suited his origins in the Bronzeville district of South Side Chicago. "I grew up in a Chicago area where they called it 'Chi-raq' — and I felt like if I was gonna be the voice crying out in the wilderness, I would want to be John the Baptist," he says.

Stokes spoke with NPR's Scott Simon about playing Lollapalooza (where he began his performance by stepping out of a casket), writing about abuse in his extended family and pursuing a more progressive version of the religious education he was born into. Hear their conversation at the audio link.

August 31, 2016

Sir the Baptist: How a Preacher’s Son Stood Up For Queer, Black Lives

Chicago native Sir the Baptist is a hip-hop artist whose star is rising rapidly; he’s been called “one of the chosen ones” by Universal Music, and he recently signed to Atlantic Records.

Wear Your Voice chatted with him during this year’s Afropunk Festival in New York. During our conversation, Sir the Baptist provided some very insightful commentary about music, Black lives, spirituality, the queer community, and what it means to follow your dreams.

Heather Jones: Your music intertwines spirituality and activism. How did that begin?

Sir the Baptist: I always talk about my dad being a preacher and me being a preacher’s kid, but my mom was a community builder with my dad. Their partnership helped me understand the importance of activism. More than anything, you become passionate about the community you belong to when you find out there’s problems you can maybe fix and relieve the mental burden of the community.

HJ: How do you think music can inform activism?

STB: Spirituality is that of the intangible and activism is that of which is tangible. I think that in order to be even spiritual, if you don’t take care of what is tangible then you’re removed from your spiritual mission. If you’re a spiritual person but you’re not active in your community then there’s a problem there. Look at the greats: Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X, they were spiritual leaders, but also activists. In order to give spirituality, you have to be connected to some kind of human-to-human interaction. I think that anyone who is doing any spiritual enrichment without knowing who they’re enriching is terrible.

HJ: That’s amazing, I love the fact that you don’t see spirituality as an ivory tower. STB: Oh no, because that causes a dualistic personality where you’re a certain way on Sunday, but you’re fighting yourself all other days of the week. I think that in order to create some kind of healing, you have to balance all parts living in us.

HJ: What do you think the state of Black lives is in 2016?

STB: Enlightened and empowered, but self-enlightened and self-empowered. I was just talking about some of Donald Trump’s speeches. He keeps saying he wants to give us jobs, but most black people these days — all of my homies — don’t want to be given a job; they want to create jobs in the community. We’re really self-empowered and self-educated. I went to my old high school and saw that the books still had my name in it. It’s horrible — so we have to educate ourselves and push our own lives.

HJ: What do you think about the tensions between the Christian church and the LGBTQ community? Many people feel disenchanted by Christianity due to the ostracizing and isolation. How can healing occur?

STB: My brother is gay, and I stand by him 100 percent. I’ve done Pride parades with him to show support. I’m currently one of the only hip-hop artists in Chicago that’s involved with LGTBQ events. The church has taken the stance of judging people when that’s not what we’re supposed to do. They’re also still teaching the Old Testament and I think we only should teach the Old Testament for historical reasons. Historically for people of color, the Bible before Jesus shames everyone. I think we we need to pull back from judgement because sin has no scale, you are who you are, and life has no scale. You don’t know what sin is.

HJ: Who are you inspired by from the past and the present?

STB: I like Kendrick Lamar and Sam Smith, but my old catalog is where I pride myself as a listener so I listen to Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Sam Cook, Ella Fitzgerald, etc. I’m inspired by the way they’ve used their music and lyrics to push us forward.

HJ: What advice would you give to an artist who’s trying to make it in the music industry?

Sir the Baptist: Write your eulogy, because your eulogy tells you what you want at the end — and maybe it’s a music career, or maybe it’s not. Find out what you really want to be passionate about, because all of our days are numbered. Write your eulogy and move back from there to take the necessary steps, and don’t skip a beat.

September 1, 2016

A Conversation With Sir The Baptist On Continuing Chicago’s Musical Tradition & Being A Descendant Of 2Pac’s Ghetto Gospel

This weekend concert goers at the Made In America festival will be taken to church. Of course, not in the literal sense. But rising vocalist Sir The Baptist is on a mission to turn the Tidal Stage into a pulpit and the festival grounds into pews.

With audio sermons such as “(Creflo) Almighty Dollar,” “Wake Up,” and “Raise Hell” as part of his repertoire, the preacher’s kid born William James Stokes is instituting another form of a holy sacrament for followers of all beliefs and faiths.

Is he a Hip Hop artist? Or is he a Gospel singer? The sounds that emanate from the mind of Sir is a union of both the secular and the sacred, forming a genre-mixing expression that taps into emotions felt in the sanctuary as well as the nightclub.

Last month, I spoke with Sir The Baptist by phone to talk about being raised in Chicago by a pastor. Part one of the conversation also consists of us discussing his current single, his appreciation for Tupac Shakur, and his upcoming set at Made In America.

Why did you decide on Sir The Baptist as your stage name?

There are a few things. My dad was a pastor of a Baptist church that ultimately became a Pentecostal church. So I wanted to reference where I came from. Names come from places, time, and people’s lives. Also, John The Baptist was the forerunner for Jesus Christ. Everybody knows Jesus Christ, but not many people know about John The Baptist. The one thing about John The Baptist is that he’s this voice crying out in the wilderness. Being an artist out of Chiraq, I feel like it’s the wilderness. I wanted to be that voice of reason in a place that’s a little disturbed.

Being a preacher’s kid comes with the stereotype of being a rebellious child. Was that your experience as a kid?

Yeah, you definitely get the expectation of: “You should be doing this because your dad’s a pastor.” Growing up being a preacher’s kid, we also hear the best and the worst about everybody in the church because they go to our parents for prayer. I was exposed to a lot of stuff being raised a preacher’s kid.

Going back to you being raised in Chicago. Some of the artists out of Chicago have decided they no longer want to live there in order to escape the violence. Do you still live in Chicago?

Yeah, I still stay in Bronzeville.

What keeps you there?

The rich culture. I was born in Bronzeville, right there at Mercy Hospital. They call it the “Gateway to Jazz Heaven” because Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke, and a bunch of people migrated there during the Great Migration.

When they couldn’t go downtown, they created their own economic engine and bought from each other. That was Bronzeville. Bill Clinton said that Bronzeville was the sister of Harlem. Economy wise, it was like the Black Wall Street.

The reason I’m trying to stay as much as possible is to do justice to the inheritance I’ve been given. Sometimes when I perform I jump into an impression of Louis Armstrong. I take the people that did great things for my community seriously.

You’ve described yourself as an “urban hymnist.” I also noticed on your social media accounts, your bio reads “Descendant of 2Pac’s Ghetto Gospel.” Can you explain that description?

2Pac came from the same spiritual background, mine was more religious. I listened to 2Pac after my dad died when I was 11. I listened to more rap than Gospel.

[Gospel singers] would say stuff like, “Jesus is gonna work things out.” But they wouldn’t say exactly what was the problem, so I couldn’t relate. But Pac and everybody else was saying “Yo, I ran into the police today” or “My homie just got killed.” I could relate to those things.

Pac made a song called “Ghetto Gospel” that tipped this whole thing on its head. These are the rebels that Pac was. These are the rebels that Jesus was. The kind of guy that the last time he was in a church, he turned over a table.

You have the “Raise Hell” single. It seems like it’s gaining significant exposure. What do you think it is about that particular record that has caused so many people to connect with it?

Some people feel the beat is contagious. But you and I know what that is. It’s the shout music that would be in a Baptist church. It’s very contagious, but it also carries a message where I’m trying to get passed the reasoning stage of people that listen to it.

Enjoy the music, then find out it is very important things being said in there. Now that we’re about to use it for the Birth Of A Nation movie, you really get to hear it and feel it from the different perspective of Nat Turner. [editor’s note: this interview was conducted before the recent controversy involving Birth Of A Nation director Nate Parker]

What I found interesting about the video is that you juxtaposed these images of being in church with the shout music and news clips of protests. What was the message that you were trying to convey through that imagery?

I feel like the energy we put in to escape the problems, we need to use to fight the problem. When my mom’s going through something, she goes to church. As soon as the preacher says “God,” she’s going to shout her ass off. Because she’s going through something and she needs to know there’s something for her on the other end.

For our culture, that’s been the thing for a very long time. If you come to Chicago with me and a few colleges and high schools I’m taking to go see Birth Of A Nation, you get the story of why people try to escape the problems through spirituality.

I just wanted to pair those two visually. The same energy you use to shout, you could use to step outside the church and protest about something that’s going on. Don’t just go to the Lord. Sometimes the Lord puts it in your hand and says, “What they hell are you going to do with it?”

You’re performing at Made In America. What can people expect when you hit that stage?

I’m trying to bring church to the streets in a way that’s not as corny as that sounds. Every time I perform, we’re going to go to church. Most of the people that go to festivals will tell us all the time, “I hadn’t been to church in a year, three years, since I was little, or I only go to church on Easter.” [laughs]

People at a festival are usually high on drugs and even more in tune with their spirituality. Which is really weird. So we’re just going to try to build on that and create a great experience for everybody to enjoy themselves – feel some church.

Sir The Baptist will be performing on the Tidal Stage at the Made In America festival in Philadelphia during Labor Day weekend.

September 19, 2016

A Conversation With Sir The Baptist On Working With Chance The Rapper, Questioning Kanye West’s Gospel Motives & Meeting Jay Z

Three months after Ye dropped TLOP, Chance The Rapper returned with his Coloring Book mixtape which included elements of Gospel music as well. Before either Kanye or Chance’s latest efforts hit the internet, another Chicago native was effectively combining Gospel and Hip Hop with tracks such as “Raise Hell,” “(Creflo) Almighty Dollar,” and “Wake Up.”

William “Sir The Baptist” Stokes, the son of a pastor, has fully embraced his lifework of further bringing those two styles together.

In part 2 of my conversation with the self-described Urban Hymnist, Sir discusses contributing to Chance The Rapper and The Social Experiment’s “Familiar” song as well as Kanye West’s turned toward faith- based music. He also explained his decision to ink a deal with Atlantic Records and his productive relationship with Jay Z’s Tidal streaming platform.

I didn’t realize you were on The Social Experiment album [Surf]. Chance, Donnie [Trumpet], and Peter Cottentale – those guys are super-great artists. I respect their artistry and thank them for giving me a chance to sing a little bit more on the chorus and give me credit. They also gave me the opportunity to connect with a lot of different people. We’re not the closest friends. I don’t hang with them every day. But what they did for me is an inspiration. It was dope as f-ck.

What did you think about the fact that both Chance and Kanye incorporated Gospel elements into their latest projects? Chance, I appreciate the record. Kanye, I’m still trying to understand where he’s coming from. Mainly just because… message. It’s a difference between Gospel and moral standard. I think any Gospel should question moral standard. Chance, I rock with the album. I get how he was inspired. Kanye… Didn’t he say, “Me and Ray J would be cool if we didn’t f-ck the same b-tch”?

Yeah, that was on “Highlights.” That’s a different type of Gospel. Basically, there’s a difference between being inspired and prostituting the sound of Gospel. It has a sound that gets under your soul and in your spirit, and it moves you. It don’t matter where you’re from, you’re going to get those chills. It’s in our chord progression. It’s in our vibrato. It’s in the choir. It’s in all the voices coming together. I would love to sit down with Kanye and find out how he wanted to contribute to the Gospel industry and the religious world with this album. If he didn’t have that in mind, then I would just say to him – even a culture that’s our own – try not to prostitute it.

Why did you decide to sign with a major label rather than stay indie? Everybody’s goals are different. Like most people would say, “I was listening to Chance and Kanye. They have the Gospel sound too.” My goals are different. I wouldn’t compare my goals to theirs. I want to be the first NFL and NBA Hip Hop chaplain. I want to be the first Hip Hop bishop of the White House. I want to be compared to Rev. Run rather than your favorite rapper. I have cultural goals. So building a relationship with Atlantic, they understand what those goals were. Music is just the beginning. I hope to take the dogma out of religion and blend the worlds of Hip Hop and religion in a way that surpasses our generation. I felt the label understood that, and they could come on as a team. Ray Charles tried to do the same thing that I’m doing. Aretha Franklin, with her dad being a pastor, tried to do the same thing. We’re just trying to see if we can push it forward, and I think [Atlantic] gets the concept of what this is.

Is the theory of building a team in that way behind your decision to work so closely with Tidal? Yeah. Tidal came out at a time when people were really confused on what Gospel/Hip Hop sounds like. Then they gave me a feature for the song “Wake Up.” From there, people started going, “Oh, okay. You know what? If Jay Z and Tidal could give it a nod, then it’s got to be decent.” From there, it constantly became family, and [the relationship] passed me on to other places where I could do Made In America [festival]. Then doing Tidal Discovery put it on a different level. I feel like home there. A team? Absolutely. I’m good friends with Jason over there. He took me to meet Jay and a little bit of everybody. I appreciate the whole team at Tidal. They told me, “If you need a video shot, let us know. You need this opportunity? Let us know.” They believe in me as well.

What was that conversation with Jay like? I was a big fan of Emory [Jones] because of the stories. We were walking by, and they were like, “Get him a hat.” I almost got in trouble for that hat too, because people thought I signed to Roc Nation. “No, Jay just gave me this hat, and I’m not taking it off.” It was a crazy experience. Have you ever met Jay before?

I haven’t. It’s like [seeing] a unicorn. My manager is not an awkward guy. But when Jay got off the elevator, nobody wanted to walk in in front of him. Everybody was just like, “Damn, that’s Jay… uh, hold the door.” [laughs] Then you get in and talk to Emory, and Jay comes by like, “Yo, Emory. Wassup? Get him a hat.”

They brought the CEO of Tidal downstairs. He sat with me for a while. He said, “What can I do for you? How can I help you? What’s next? How can we make this bigger than life?” They’re legit family. Any artist should look at them as a great partner. They’re like on the ground. I guess they watched what Jay went through with his building stage, and they built their blueprint off of his. It really feels like that. If an artist went into Tidal and they approve your swag, it feels like you got the Roc- A-Fella team on your side.

September 15, 2016

EXCLUSIVE: WHY SIR THE BAPTIST WANTS TO MAKE HIP-HOP MUSIC THAT HEALS PEOPLE

Sir The Baptist is an up and coming hip-hop artist. Hailing from Chicago, he’s the son of a preacher. These gospel roots and his urban upbringing are two big parts of the music that he makes. As a new artist, Sir The Baptist is underground. His Soundcloud page show only four songs that’s put out. Yet the hip-hop community wants to catch on early. His sound is fresh, musical and harmonic. For example, ‘What We Got’ is Sir The Baptist’s latest single. The song connects with audiences for being inherently personal. Even commercial rappers like Chance The Rapper and even Jay Z are introducing audiences to Sir The Baptist. Sir The Baptist did a verse on Donnie Trumpet, Social Experiment and Chance Rapper’s ‘Surf’ album. ‘Familiar’ is a song off ‘Surf’ featuring Sir The Baptist. Besides that, he has played Pitchfork festival with Chance The Rapper too. Both artists are doing Jay Z’s Made in America 2016. Granted, they perform on different stages.

Sir The Baptist shuts down the Tidal stage. He performs Sunday afternoon. A gospel choir joins him. The group known as ‘The Collective’ want to bring a church service to Philadelphia. The Chicago rapper facilitates energy, joyful music and positive vibes. He is the group’s leader. You could feel all their music because Sir The Baptist delivers spirited concerts. Once the concert ended, there was a surprise guest waiting for Sir The Baptist. It’s Made in America’s festival promoter and Grammy winning rapper, Jay Z. Jay Z saw Sir The Baptist’s performance. Furthermore, Jay Z is following Sir The Baptist’s story and wants to give congratulations. The moment makes sense. Sir The Baptist is making music that heals people. His songs are meant to inspire and uplift others.

Upon meeting Sir The Baptist, there is a sense of genuine personality. In person Sir The Baptist speaks in a smooth voice and humble Midwestern accent. Confident and gracious, you could have a conversation with Sir The Baptist about anything. Sir The Baptist may acknowledge that he has a limited musical catalogue. Although because works hard on each single, he’s cool with what he’s got.

Check out GoodMusicAllDay’s exclusive interview with Sir The Baptist.

What was your last festival before Made in America? “Last festival was Afro-punk in New York. Last night I was in Bronzeville and then we drove here.”

You’re from Chicago. What do you think about everything that’s going on in the city of Chicago in terms of the violence? “I think it’s something that we’ve got to fix. I was talking to a guy yesterday. And I like to talk economics. I like to talk hard facts. He said, “What Chicago might be missing, the youth is missing a purpose to live beyond the next day.” If you give somebody purpose they have reason to not kill. I talk to my homies [and] they all say, “I’m just living bro.” They’re taking it day by day. It’s always immediate. But, if you can give them 20 years down the line they will make choices based on what they want. When I was 13/14 I wrote my eulogy and I knew then that upon death I knew what was most important to me.”

What was that? “Purpose. Mission. People. Loving on the world. Loving on the world because we all need it. We’re so busy being hardcore, cool and all of that. We forget that we’re somebody’s child.”

What inspires the music that you make? “Every day. Day to day. Church. Life. I sing about stuff that I’m somebody crying to God. I could be smoking a blunt and talking to God like, “Yo, God.” I’m one of those. We all are. When you talk to him you’re like, “What am I gonna do?” It’s moments like that and the other moments it’s extreme joy.”

Talk about how you started to where you are now. How did you start getting into music? What influenced your decision to push into music? “My whole life music was a big thing in my family because in church you’ve got to learn how to play drums, you had to sing in the choir [and] all of this other stuff. At some point I had to grow into being in the big choir. Then after the big choir I decided to do my own music.”

How important was your upbringing with music in a church – having everyone around you – into creating your own show with a group of talent around you too? “You get 2 or 3 on one accord. They can be magic. If you get 5 to 10 thousand you might change the world. I’m always looking for people to jump on stage with me to be a part of what could be a church service. It’s urban church.”

Where do you find the energy for your live performances? Is it to put on a great show for your fans or if there was one person there you would still be the same energetic person that you were today? “I’m always this energetic when it comes to the music. It gets to me because it’s meaningful to me and it’s honest. I get happy. I’ll start crying on stage.”

Being from Chicago have you met Chance The Rapper? “Yeah. I did a song with ‘Surf’ and I got a chance to rock with Chance in the studio. Also, we did a festival together and I think it was Pitchfork. I sang backup for him. It’s a great moment. I appreciate Chance and what he did for me. He let me do something with him and then from there I took it and I used what I had. I tell everybody this on my team. Take what we do together and go produce more. Be good stewards of what we got.”

How would you best describe your sound? “It’s life music. I’m talking about God, but in a way we would talk about God if we were smoking or drinking like, “God is good today.” It’s life music. I walk you through your life whether you’re dealing with something at home or you lose your friends. Anything. You’re happy. You want to turn up. Or you popped a bottle, it’s your birthday and it feels like heaven. You want to be positive. Everything. It’s all these things together. It’s got to be life.”

Is that what your songs are usually about? Life? “Yeah. Life.”

What three songs of yours are you most proud of? “I’m proud of ‘What We Got’ because it talks about economics. It talks about community [and] development. It tells the listener be faithful over a few things: If you ain’t got nothing, or you can’t get in VIP or nobody wants to work with you. Be faithful over the few things. Work harder and the lord will give you much. “Momma I want a millie.” She says, “Well, maybe you should save up your pennies.” I say, “Nah racks and Bentleys. Riding in something pretty.” She says, “Maybe you should name your whoopdie Bentley.” This is a moment where it’s like be proud with whatever you got because that’s all you got. Be happy. Then the next song is ‘Heaven.’ ‘Heaven.’ Michael Jackson went moon walking and never came back. Prince met the King. Aaliyah sent four pages back. You get a chance to put these people in heaven because so many people have demonize our stars. And then the last one would be ‘Delivery.’ That’s a song about my sister. She used to get beat by her husband who was the Deacon in the church. Everybody knew and they wouldn’t say anything, but she made it through.”

How do you intend to continue innovating your sound and your style? “It’s easy to switch it up because we go through so much. We experience so much. If we use honesty, there will always be something different. At some point I hope to do only live albums where the crowd sings ‘Heaven.’”

Where can fans find more of your music for Sir The Baptist? “It’s on TIDAL. A lot of stuff is everywhere else. You can get it everywhere else. I’m taking my time because if you something, if you get a tool and it doesn’t come with instructions, or class or anything you don’t know what to do with it. I want them to take this and make use of it in a way that’s beyond us.”

I know that you met Jay Z today. Do you have any dream collaborations? “Jay. Hov. If he comes to church again I’m going to put him on stage. We need to get on stage together. Me and Jay. We need to do a song if he’s following my story because that’s what he said. He said, “I’m following your story. Great story. Congratulations.” Can you just name the people that are in your band? “Theory the Veteran. I always perform with a Veteran. It’s my way to give back to the country that gives to us. It’s my way to look out for the people. You wouldn’t believe it, [but] there’s millions of veterans – young and our age – that’s trying to figure their life out after the military. To keep them from going to the street and asking or begging for money type of veteran they have to have opportunities. I’m always going to be looking for veterans whether it’s him or a bunch of other veterans to perform with me. Then Lady Chris. She’s my Aretha Franklin. She sings with me. Hopefully we’re going to have a song with Aretha and her. That’s the goal to bridge the gap and make this really great. Lady Chris, Theory the Veteran, Tuba. You’ve got a bunch of people. It’s so many. Collectively they’re church people. It’s all church people.”

What do you want people to remember you for? What can they expect when they come see Sir The Baptist at a show? “Expect to experience a spiritual connection. It’s weird. That sounds artsy and weird until you sit with it and it heals you. I want music that heals people. We’re giving out care packages. These pins – my organization – we pin good deeds all over the world. We passed out care packages with Vitamin C and water to feed the people. It’s much deeper than music and much deeper than pretending like I sound like Gospel. You have a mission to do. Before I die I want everybody to know me for the mission.”

September 25, 2016 SIR THE BAPTIST — RAISING HELL

Alisha Jones (AJ): Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today. I was thinking about your name Sir the Baptist, entering into a context with these new works coming out that reference a messiah figure such as D’angelo’s Black Messiah album. It is interesting that you would choose a name like Sir the Baptist as a way of identifying yourself in the industry. As I listen to your music, I wonder if you are presenting yourself as someone who empowers people like John the Baptist. How might we understand the significance of your name.

Sir the Baptist (STB): You know what I think that I should just let you talk and then I just say, “yes.” (AJ laughs) You are absolutely right. I have no intentions on being Hova or Jehovah. I have no intentions on being Yeezus, Jesus or the trap Jesus. I only hope to speak to something greater that is behind me. What you said is perfect. I am not trying to prostitute the sound or the words or the beauty of religion. I am actually hear to tear some shit up.

AJ: I noticed that you use the word “prostitute” a lot to distance yourself from manipulating people using the musical tools and hooks that you know will reel them in. You are aware of the tricks of the trade, especially being a fellow PK (preacher’s kid) and a musician, you kind of know the musical elements and the rhetorical elements that get people excited. What has happened that has made you so conscious of not prostituting these elements and skills? STB: Because at the end of the day they mean so much to us… If I just take this style and put music to it, add the growl in my voice and don’t give you something to hold on to, then I haven’t done it justice. And I won’t make it into history books and know that I will be around after this is over with… So what do we do when it is no longer have a religious scaffolding or a building to go to? You give them the music of Sir the Baptist and they might have something to hold on to. I am always trying to give them pieces of something to hold on to.

AJ: This is an interesting year for Black music in general, and especially for the musicians emerging from the Chicago music scene. I am puzzled that people are surprised that there are so many musicians blending the sacred and the secular. What are the connections that you see between preaching and rapping?

STB: I was looking at a documentary the other day that explored the ways that rapping got its cadence from preaching. The documentary is not really far off. The only difference for me is that I say things that preachers and musicians would say when they go home.

AJ: Right. EXACTLY!

STB: It is exactly the way we talk as PKs when we go home. It is not really blurring the lines. It is just being open with it because they are not usually open.

AJ: Well, you know I am from DC. The religious scene and the music scene are different from the scenes in Chicago. So, I want to focus in on this Chicago moment. I am aware of that religious culture on the Southside Rev. Dr. Wright, Father Pfleger, Rev. Clay Evans, The Honorable Minister Farrakhan, Gil Scott Heron, Common, you have all of these brilliant minds who are excellent at oration and delivering sermons… So, I’m wondering what is it about Chicago culture that the music industry is taking notice of in the rapping style today?

STB: Listen, we don’t have any common sense (AJ laughs) in Chicago… And so we don’t know when to cut off, when to be politically correct. We just know how to be ourselves. So, we are gonna say whatever.

I was listening to Sick Master the other day and he was really trying to drill some thing through. Chance’s music is very cultural, not very political, and I appreciate that… It is a lot of artists coming out of Chicago… Chicago has always been producing that sound, that intelligence. I mean, look at Common. I was just talking to the executive director of Donda’s House (Kanye West’s foundation) Donnie Smith who encouraged me to turn my album into a curriculum. Its like we have always been intellectual, but so “out of order.” You look at these preachers and all the Black Panthers that came out of Chicago and the transitions and strides that we had — Harold Washington and even the first Black president were from Chicago. [President Obama] spent most of his time community organizing in Chicago. We’ve got a lot.

AJ: Some of the people that you have mentioned I would refer to as provocateurs. In many ways, provocateurs are necessary for religious and cultural vitality. So, I am curious… because you seem like you still got a little churchiness in you.

STB: Ah, Hell yeah! (AJ laughs) Aye yo, at Lollapalooza we hit the bump and I was like shouting, yo. Like I don’t care. I was in the club the other day and just hit a shout. Yes, I got a lot of church in me. And I look up to a lot of intellectuals too! I read a lot of T.S. Lewis and I pay attention to TD Jakes. Yes, I am still churchy.

AJ: When I think about the move that you made a Lollapalooza with the coffin during your performance, I wonder if you have had any push back from religious folk about your performance style and methods? Have you found a social distancing?

STB: Yes, I was performing for Northalsted Market Days. Market days in up north (in Chicago) on Halstead. I was performing on Halstead and a lot of people were like none of the rappers would do it. None of the gospel people would do it, just because it was so many gay people there, but I was like come on let’s do it. My brother was gay. I don’t care. We ended up doing the performance of “Raise Hell”. A chaplain [from a local university] came and said I don’t know if you know this but your performance had religious breakthroughs. One woman started to speak in tongues on the front row… He said, “We would love to have you talk about ‘Raise Hell.’” I didn’t believe that it happened until multiple people told that story…I have never told that story. You are the first to hear it.

AJ: Awww, I feel special. This is great!

STB: I do these interviews and they ask me the same questions, over and over again. And I don’t know how to give them new answers. You are asking the right questions.

AJ: Thank you, thank you so much. Just a couple more questions… I wonder why people associate your music so strongly with gospel music. Musically, you don’t do the traditional forms that we expect from gospel music, but you do use sounds that we recognize from church settings. How intentional are you about breaking up the monotony that we are finding in gospel music? STB: You know what? I think that is my whole mission. I am tapping into something that people like. [For gospel artists that I know], I think there is some depression because they are stuck and are too busy trying to stay within the politics of religion. You know the song, (sings) “Is my living in vain?”

AJ: Yes, of course, from The Clark Sisters.

STB: Well, if they had said something transparent like, “I’m sick of coming home and you are sitting on that damn couch. I am wondering. I am praying, but is my praying in vain because you ain’t getting no damn better.”

AJ: (laughs) Well, Twinkie did get close to saying it now. She sang about playing all over the town for the churches.

STB: I’m just stating that all of that transparency consistently on the record would’ve helped my sister and my brother. We are freed through our testimonies. You know this. We have to be extremely blunt…Tell me what you mean, fam! They be lying.

AJ: I’ll switch gears just a little bit. People have been talking about shows like Greenleaf and the Preachers reality television shows and the transparency among preachers that they are trying to model in this moment. In terms of your campaign to do away with condemnation and to provide a space for people to see a reflection of themselves, how important is it for the royalty of the church, the preachers and the PKs to be transparent or is it still important?

STB: I think it is important because then you get a chance to look over your life and see whether you are reflecting what you preach. Because preachers are able to live their life in the dark, they are able to do whatever they want to. And then they take a selfie, holding their penis, and you know… But if they had these ways of being more open then they wouldn’t have to hide.

AJ: Who would your dream collaborators be? What’s next?

STB: I would love to work with Kendrick Lamar… I would want him to go real church though…I would love to work with people like Carmen and then Aretha and Patti Labelle. Those great people who should be in the history books. You know Aretha is a PK too!

AJ: Yes! She is. Well, I am looking forward to your concert on September 25 in Chicago!!

STB: Yeah, I am doing AAHH Fest with Common and The Roots. I am going to bring out a gospel choir with robes.

AJ: Stop it.

STB: I am not lying. You know I am going to start a digital church, where folks just check in. They can hit me up and be like, “I am doing good, fam.” Or “Pray for me, fam.” Yeah, I want to create a space where they can feel comfortable too.

November 15, 2016

7 of the Most Religious Rappers on the Hip-Hop Scene Right Now

Today’s hip-hop scene entails much more of a religious aspect than most realize. While some of the Christian rappers are gaining more notoriety in the genre, some of the MCs owning the charts are also infusing their music with praise and worship. It’s an interesting time for rap fans overall but especially for those who are strong in their faith.

Lecrae, who many refer to as the present leader of Christian rap movement—further highlighted the desire for more religion driven music to be incorporated into the culture when his 2014 LP, Anomaly, scored the number one spot on The Billboard 200. Additionally—over the last few years, hip-hop has seen more and more rappers of faith who can’t exactly be declared as Christian rappers—profess their faith on popular projects that have gone platinum and sat at the top of Billboard’s charts for weeks.

Kanye West described his latest album The Life of Pablo as a “Gospel Album“—although many may have their own opinions—the project’s title does refer to Paul the Apostle (or San Pablo in Spanish) and “Ultralight Beam” is undoubtably a gospel song. Not to mention the countless bible references and the inclusion of gospel legend Kirk Franklin on the album—Kanye was definitely making a point.

Chance the Rapper‘s recent widespread success can also partly be attributed to incorporating religion in his music. Coloring Book, which broke records for the Chi-town rapper and ushered him into a new phase in his career, has several gospel tracks—”Blessings,” “Angels” and “How Great”—and also includes a feature from Kirk Franklin.

Recently, there’s also been a host of rappers who are strong in their faith noticeably become more prominent on the rap scene— Sir The Baptist, Andy Mineo and Dee-1. While some are more faith driven than others, they all share a common interest in being spiritual in their music.

XXL compiled a list of guys who are buzzing right now and doing things a little different on the religion side. Check it out. August 1, 2016 Watch: Sir the Baptist tells us why he brought a coffin to Lollapalooza

Chicago native Sir the Baptist made a lasting impression on the crowd during his set at Lollapalooza when he entered the stage in a casket. The hip-hop artist told Tribune music editor Kevin Williams backstage at the fest why he chose to stage his own funeral.

This is what Tribune critic Greg Kot had to say about Sir the Baptist's Sunday set:

"It's Sunday, and chances are if you attended the festival, you didn't go to church this morning. Don't worry, Sir the Baptist (William James Stokes) has got your back. 'You ready to go to church! You ready to get baptized!' The artist isn't being ironic or metaphorical. He brings the church to the stage. He stages a funeral -- his own -- and sits and stands on a church pew, while a keyboardist churns through gospel chords. About that casket -- Stokes (who grew up in the Bronzeville neighborhood but now lives in Los Angeles) doesn't mince words or waste time in confronting the violence that has become everyday life in many city neighborhoods. 'Would you care if it was me?' he asks, peering from inside the casket, which has been carried on stage by his accomplices. 'We gotta wake up,' he demands, and turns the phrase into an extended vamp that includes white-suited gospel singer Donald Lawrence. The set closes with a fierce, hand-clapping take on 'Raise Hell,' which is part celebration, part protest song. Stokes plays the preacher as much as the entertainer, and in his overt testifying, unites the pop currency of hip- hop and R&B to the gospel music that underpinned the civil rights movement of the '60s.

August 5, 2016 NEXT: Sir the Baptist Is More Than Just A Preacher’s Kid

It’s 12:51 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. Music lovers are slowly beginning to crowd around one of Lollapalooza’s eight main stages, just shy of the festival’s west entrance into Chicago’s Grant Park. After a series of sporadic rain showers throughout the four-day music marathon, the sky is a vibrant crayon blue and not a single cloud is in sight. An occasional breeze gently kisses the perspiring foreheads of excited fans, offering a cool relief to those standing in nearly 80-degree heat looking to score the perfect view. As the scorching sun glistens above a growing audience, shining its ultralight beams on every swaying head, Atlantic Records’ Sir the Baptist emerges as the next act to serve a dose of uplifting tunes.

“You ready to go to church! You ready to get baptized!”

Following a pair of flag bearers and dancers decked in tribal-like attire, the Chicago native takes to the stage, ready to turn things all the way up. Decked in a black Chicago Blackhawks baseball cap, a perfectly-tailored, matching 3-piece suit, white button up and tiger-print high-top Converse Chuck Taylors, the son of a Baptist-turned-Pentecostal preacher begins working the audience effortlessly sans his usual pastoral robe-inspired garb. Nothing is stopping the jazz, hip-hop and gospel-influenced musician from pushing the energy to the limit, without missing a single beat.

The turn up is real during the performance of his Twista-assisted single, “Creflo Almighty Dollar,” a raw song addressing the idea, success and greed that often comes with the American currency. The crowd is definitely alive as a slim and nearly 6-foot-3 Sir reaches back into his pocket of church roots and brings out gospel recording artist Donald Lawrence to perform an inspiring new number called “Heaven,” perfect for those who missed a bit of that good ol’ Sunday morning service. The icing on the cake happens when onlookers are taken to a dark place as six pallbearers slowly carry a wooden casket onto the stage. Little did those unfamiliar (and familiar) with his music know, Baptist would pose the question, “Would you care if it was me?” as he surfaces from the casket for a performance of his socially conscious single, “Wake Up!” a reflective #BlackLivesMatter anthem of sorts, which addresses gun violence and police brutality while pointing at victims like Trayvon Martin, Hadiya Pendleton and Eric Garner.

As his nearly 40-minute set winds down, Sir takes the crowd home with a lit performance of his rebellious single, “Raise Hell,” an uptempo reminder of living your life unapologetically, even if you have to flip tables to get a message across. Aside from his recent collaboration with Chance the Rapper and Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, those not-so-acquainted with the honest artistry and soulful sounds of the “Urban Monk” are left intrigued about the story of the man behind the microphone. From the outside looking in, Sir (who got the nickname as a church-going kid) appears to be just another one of those rapping singers or singing rappers, but after really hearing the grittiness of his music and rawness of his lyrics, onlookers realize he’s simply a “keep it 100″ believer with an edge. If you were to walk up to him and ask who Sir the Baptist is, he’d keep it as honest and authentic as his music. “Sir the Baptist is a grown up shell, but inside of this shell is a little kid that’s maybe like 11, and he’s wondering what all this crazy stuff that’s going on in the church is,” replies the cooled-down and reflective singer. “Why does his sister have a black eye? Why is his brother bleeding or why is his mom crying in church? Why do people just give their money? Why are they rolling on the floor? It’s sort of this, you know, putting the pieces together.”

He pauses to gather more thoughts and continues.

“He’s that same kid who thinks, ‘I want my own junior church.’ So ‘Dad, can I have my own church in the basement?’ But then finds out that the basement is haunted by all of these times his brother has gotten molested down there by one of the preachers that was in the church. He’s that little kid in there that’s saying there’s so many little kids that have seen or experienced something, that ties to their spirituality. They’ve got a lot of questions and they’re just looking for answers.”

Hailing from the historic Southside district of Bronzeville (home to music icons like Sam Cooke, Muddy Waters and Nat “King” Cole) Sir, born William James Stokes, grew up as one of the 22 children of a Creole preacher (born in 1924). who migrated with millions of Southerners to the North. His father then built his own church, where Sir would spend a majority of his life. He loved and looked up to what his father did within the pews and on the streets of Chicago. (Those acts of community service would then motivate him to later start DeedPin, an organization encouraging people to be active within their community and pin their good deeds on a digital map.)

Although his father passed away when he was just 11 years old, the 28-year-old singer matured into a young man who now appreciates the rich history and culture passed down to him. So much that he implement the pastoral robe into his wardrobe and campaign #FollowTheRobe.

“I just wear the robe to symbolize my dad, and my experience as a kid. He would put us in robes, and I even put my two kids in robes now. It really connects me to spirituality, but also family. I want to share that with other people. I’m showing people to follow whatever’s inside of you. I want you to have a robe, where you just feel like, ‘This is tied to my spirituality. Today, I just needed to wear this because, I was just having a rough day last night or something like that.’ You know how everybody is wearing a dashiki right now? The robe is like a dashiki to me. It connects me to my roots.”

“Gospel is an island. Lollapalooza is like a world.”

After writing jingles, landing a Director of Digital Marketing position at the prestigious advertising agency, Leo Burnett, and spearheading their McDonalds campaign in partnership with Rodney Jerkins, Sir followed his musical calling and quit his 9 to 5. To stay financially afloat while pursuing the ears of reputable figures in the music industry, a young Sir decided to make a sacrifice: become a homeless Lyft driver. In between pick-ups and drop-offs, he would catch up on sleep, record music or make cold-calls. A little over a year later, he credits that struggle of an experience for raising his level of humbleness and being one of the many things that spark a bit of happiness. “When you’ve got nothing, you learn to value the small things,” says Sir with a smile. “Even my two- year-old son, Prince, and my two-year-old daughter. They make me happy every day. It’s the small things. I’ll start crying over the smallest things, and just be like, ‘I’m so happy, G.’ ” And he has many reasons to be. He’s managed to find a unique voice that allows him to mentally and spiritually contribute to not only his bullet-plagued home city of Chicago, but the world. Above all, he’s found a way to mix the soul-clapping, organ-laden church sounds of gospel with a bit of pop, a classy dash of old swing (jazz) and a fist full of hip-hop. But if you were to pigeon hole his music into one genre, he’d sincerely call it “world music.”

“Human beings. We’re all the same, no matter where we are.”

“I’ve just come to realize after traveling so much that spirituality, church and all types of religion, it’s all a worldly thing,” Sir explains. “I didn’t rock with gospel music that much as far as being a rapper. When a gospel rap artist gets on stage, it just doesn’t feel connected. They usually have the worst beats and they just won’t curse. I like to curse when I’m feel something. We all curse in church! I just can’t be a gospel artist.”

We’re all human and Sir makes his music for all walks of life, regardless of religion. In truth, the same people he hopes to reach with his message also serve as a source of inspiration. “I’ll just look at somebody that’s going to work, or somebody on the plane who’s sitting next to me. Or I’m talking to a journalist and they’re like, ‘Yo, sorry I look like I’ve had too many drinks, I had a breakup last night.’ Everybody in some sort of way inspires me.”

That inspiration will finally be heard on his debut album, PK: Preacher’s Kid, which is expected to arrive later this month. Various real-life topics will be addressed on the album, from the social injustices of today, relationships, spirituality and more. The 14-track compilation will also feature his hand-selected vocal group, ChuchPeople, a collective movement of artists that use their creativity to make a positive impact on society. The interesting part about these members is that a lot of them crossed paths with Sir during his Lyft-driving days.

“I usually try to keep it as church as possible, so whoever’s around that I think is dealing with something and needs the song I’m working on or performing to inspire them, I’ll call on them. My niece usually sings “Deliver Me,” a song about my sister getting beat by her husband who was also a deacon in the church. But I had another friend sing it, because she had experienced domestic abuse as well. When she sang it, she just sang with so much story behind it. There were moments when she’d be in the booth and it’s just silent, because she doesn’t know how to hold back the tears. So I try to pick singers based off of their personal experiences. I let who’s available come and record or perform. Some people sing somebody else’s solo. That’s just how church is.”

And although his project is near completion and guest features are done and out of the way, he admits that he would like to one day collaborate with prominent artists in both the gospel and secular realm. “I would love to work with Kendrick Lamar and Jay Z. On the gospel side, I would love to work with…I mean I’m working with Donald Lawrence, but also, Rance Allen. Yes, I would like to work with them. Oh, and Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan. I want that real stuff that connect with our grandma’s and moms, but we still get to enjoy, like me and you.”

His first major Lollapalooza show is drawing to a close and Sir the Baptist decides to end his set with a bang. He channels his inner preacher and yells to the audience one last important thing – “You will be great before you die!” before climbing over the front barricade for on last round of jump arounds.

“[Sir the Baptist stands for] Freedom with spirituality. Spirituality usually comes with religion, and religion usually comes with chains. We just have to find a way to sort of free that.”

“I feel like during everybody’s moment, you will see your moment before you die. I don’t feel like anyone can have their moment taken away from them. Somehow before you die, your existence will produce purpose throughout the world. Even if you don’t know it.” As jarring as that reality may feel, it’s a deep-seeded realization that many (including myself) needed to have uprooted and heard at that very moment.

June 1, 2016 Sir the Baptist Has A Different Gospel to Preach

Dressed in white, he bolts across the stage like a televangelist under the grip of God. A graphic of zombie Jesus adorns the back of his long robe.

“Imma raise hell until I reach heaven’s door!” he shouts. A church choir dressed in all black echoes the message deep into Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park.

It’s Sunday afternoon and the final day of Shaky Beats Music Festival. Church has already let out, but Sir the Baptist is just getting started. The gospel-rapper from Chicago performs first today and will be followed by a swath of DJs and EDM hitmakers.

Sir isn’t here to drop the bass, though. He won’t tell anyone to “put their fucking hands up” either.

He has a different gospel to preach.

“What I have a desire to do is put the spirit back in hip-hop, because we lost it,” the 28-year-old tells me after the set. “We only talk about craziness, we don’t really talk about our spirit and our soul and who we are.”

Sir explained that the first time we met a little over a year ago in Chicago. That’s when William Stokes’ name flashed across my phone and he picked me up in his Lyft. A struggling artist, he drove 12-hours each day and slept in his car at night.

Riding shotgun in his silver minivan, we discussed music and mixtapes and Stokes’ own aspirations as a recording artist. We talked about Sir the Baptist, the gospel spin he wanted to put on hip-hop and how Chance the Rapper just invited him into the studio for a session.

My experience wasn’t unique either. Stokes told dozens of riders about his pursuit. Riders like Scott Englert, a creative consultant working for the Grammys in Chicago. Englert met Sir after getting picked up from a work meeting one afternoon.

“He had his laptop like in the front seat,” Englert said. “He played [his music] and right away I was like ‘YO. This is hot, I’m feeling this.’” The two stayed in touch and in just a few months Stokes was back on his feet and making music a full- time career.

Spirit and soul were all William Stokes knew growing up in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. The son of a pastor, he was raised in a church where religion and spirituality and music consumed him. By age six he was playing piano.

“If somebody doesn’t show up, your Dad’s church isn’t going to happen,” Sir said. “You gotta learn when you’re young so that by the time you’re 10 or 11 you know how to play the piano and drums.”

That upbringing inspired “Raise Hell,” Sir’s breakout single that has already garnered over one million streams on Spotify.

Sir’s impassioned songs about domestic violence, hedonsim and religious hypocrisy would eventually catch the eye of Michael Kyser. President of Urban Music at Atlantic Records, Kyser had faith in the “hip- hop preacher” and signed him to a record deal earlier this year.

Following the deal, Sir the Baptist and his ChuchPeople band made their national television debut on Late Night With Seth Myers and are gearing up for several months of festival dates that will take them from Sasquatch to Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Afropunk.

It’s a ride he may not be on without Lyft.

“Lyft did this,” Sir said. “I would say I was using Lyft as a tool, not just to get money, but to build friendship and family and community.”

Today, he estimates that nearly 75% of his team is comprised of people he met while driving and using the app.

That silver minivan still sits in a lot behind the festival too. Parked next to it is a shiny new sprinter large enough to carry Sir and his 30 disciples as they take audiences to church all summer long.

August 5, 2016

Sir the Baptist baptizing the world with music

Twenty-seven-year-old Sir the Baptist is trying to bring relief to the world through his music. Chicago- bred and based in L.A., he talked to rolling out about his music and his mission. Look for his debut album, Preacher’s Kid in August. Read on to find out more about the vocalist’s worldview.

What is the inspiration behind the name Sir the Baptist? My father was originally a baptist preacher under Reverend Louis Boddie, a great leader who lived from 1878-1965. I believe growing up in “Chiraq” was similar to John the Baptist’s wilderness experience and I felt it best that if I got a chance to use my voice I should use it to be the voice of reason for my people. Lastly, similar to John the Baptist, I feel like I’m a spokesman for the ones that will come after me. A generation that will be the difference we hoped for.

When did you decide you wanted to get into music? My first music team was called Israel Prophecy. I was just 9 but it meant the most to me. My Auntie Ruth made me business cards with a picture I took in the mall. Great times!

Talk about your journey. How did you become who you are today? Church every day of the week for 18 years straight, seeing the worst and the best of poverty and spending as much time away from the “cool” as possible to create my own cool. The journey consisted of servicing others so I learned to understand what opportunity is. It only took me being a service to Chance the Rapper for a session and a performance for me to master it. Most artists wake up and want to be the best rapper alive. Carry your a– somewhere and learn to be hired help. Then there are artists that don’t want to make the necessary personal sacrifices to be great. Quit your over working job! Drive [for] Lyft or get a job that will give you a flexible schedule. I got rid of all my expenses — including house — I slept out of the car, I drove [for] Lyft People have house loans, car loans and random perks but wanna be great. Really? Good luck! You’re gonna have to focus on them bills, kid. Meanwhile, someone making sacrifices will beat you at being great every hour and with every extra dollar. You wanna get here? Pay the price. Talent is overrated! Goal-driven visionaries are the ones who win!

What were some of the obstacles or challenges you faced in becoming an artist? Getting past doubt. Believe it or not most of the most creative and confident people still subconsciously don’t believe they will actually make it. So they sabotage opportunity with the lack of concern for the things they don’t naturally have, aka business chores.

How would you describe your music? World relief.

Why use the church theme? I’m from the church. You want me to be a thug? My brothers and sisters were in gangs so they made me go with mom to church. I’m a church boy! That’s all! Can’t fake it. However I’m here to be honest, church boys are nice and ready to meet your parents but also rebel enough to fulfill your urge.

Have you faced any obstacles dealing with your music? People trying to steal my lame a– style; I guess it’s not that lame …

What have been some of your accomplishments? DeedPin. [Deedpin is a social media outlet where people post good deeds.] The music is making strides but I can’t explain to you how much joy it brings me to service fans with care packages at these festivals. We have serviced thousands of fans with vitamin C, condoms for safe sex, water, nutrient bars, hand wipes [at] every festival. Fans come to festivals and leave their health outside. Alison, co-founder and Northwestern nurse; Yashua London, HIV activist; and countless other volunteers help fans stay hydrated and healthy at every festival with our own money.

Who are some of the artists you have worked with so far? Donald Lawrence, Macy Gray, Estelle, Elle Varner, Chance the Rapper, Musiq Souchild, Twista and an a– load of artists. Who are some artists you want to work with in the future? Aretha Franklin, Jay Z — although I have met him and maybe I should’ve asked then — Rance Allen, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Kim Burrell, Shirley Caesar and many more …

What are some of your future goals? Taking DeedPin beyond my tour and affecting the mission field in a big way.

What are some things you like to do beyond music? Becoming the first hip-hop chaplin for the White House, NFL, NBA, Olympics and many other cultural outlets.

Do you plan to continue to live in Chicago? As long as my mother stays in Chicago and my dad’s street and church reside in Chicago, I [will] live there.

Any last remarks for your fans? Wherever I am next, find me and bring yo a– to church!

August 1, 2016 Sir the Baptist Turns the Tables on Church Music

The unmistakable sound of the Black church double clap is the part that will draw you in to the music of emerging artist, Sir the Baptist. You know, that quick slap plus foot tap rhythm so intrinsically connected to our houses of worship that it seems no one but us can do it or even knows what it’s all about.

Sir, the son of a Pentecostal preacher, uses this beat to great effect in his song “Raise Hell.” But you might be remiss if you put him into the category of a traditional gospel artist. Traditional he ain’t. He’s pushing far too many spiritual buttons for that.

“I think I’m the [new] Nat Turner,” says the 28-year-old Chicago-born vocalist, whose album releases later this year. “People remember the MLK dream speech but won’t talk about the ‘I’ve seen the mountain top’ speech. I’m a minister with a gun in my hand and a knife in my mind saying ‘we’re coming back to take back our community.’ Pardon me if I don’t sound as politically religious as the other people.

He goes on.

“If I had to put a category there, it would be two parts: ghetto gospel. I’m the side that people normally don’t speak about. You got Jesus that turned the tables over in the church. At this point, he’s raising hell. That’s why the [album] artwork is a Jesus mugshot. It’s just a different vibe.”

True that. Sir, who was born William James Stokes, grew up in a strict household and has 22 brothers and sisters. Twenty-two. (Says Sir: “I think my oldest brother is 60-something and I’m 28. And my dad was a preacher. Put that together.“) He’s from the Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago, an area known for its jazz, blues and gospel greats. In fact, gospel is said to have been born in Bronzeville. Sir, the child of “Christian Apologist Dr. James Benton and Mission Ambassador Patricia Ann,” draws from that legacy in his writing.

His music is not preachy. In fact, he questions authority and raises social action issues in his work. He’s got a cut, “(Creflo) Almighty Dollar,” with an assist from Twista that will make some churchgoers chuckle as he references Georgia’s mega church prosperity pastor who, for better or worse, literally has the word “money” in his name. (Here’s a smidge of that song: “He only out here for the dolla…”) And of the sound? It’s a bit difficult to describe unless you are familiar with old-school, knee-slapping, granddaddy quarter-singing, pre-Kirk Franklin gospel. You really need to hear it in order to understand how he infuses the old-school sounds with jazzy gospel, R&B and a strong hip-hop beat. On some levels, you might say his music references the sound of Chance the Rapper and other newer school, non-trap artists from the Windy City.

“I’m not doing the Gospel Fest in Chicago,” says Sir. “I’m not allowed to. My calling is sending me to Lollapalooza. There, I get to reach people that are just in the state of how I receive God. When I really received God myself I was smoking in a Honda. And suddenly I realized, ‘you know what? I need to stop this. I need to focus.’”

Clearly. That worked.

Sir is signed to Atlantic Records and touring the country with his own take on the gospel. He will play at Bonnaroo, the Afro-Punk Festival and Sasquatch, bringing his “Chuchpeople” choir with him at each stop. He squeezes in volunteer work between stops. That’s his giveback given that some of his music might make traditionalists twitch.

“You got lost into this monetization of spirituality,” says Sir, in a criticism of the churches that cash in on the message of God. “When the Pope came on a plane it wasn’t eight people. He brought this whole country. Mission work ain’t just about you and your pilot…. This album is almost like a sermon album for people to take with their life. There’s songs about sex before marriage, making a woman your first lady and songs about being sick. There are songs about a little bit of everything. This first album? I really have to use it as a mission call.”

June 29, 2016 TIDAL RISING: This Week’s 5 Artists to Watch

TIDAL Rising is a dedicated showcase for today’s emerging and independent artists. Curated by the TIDAL Editors, Rising highlights artists just beginning to make waves. We’re continuously updating the Rising section’s album and track lists, but each week we highlight five special picks you really shouldn’t miss out on.

Artist: Sir the Baptist Based In: Chicago Sounds Like: “Church Pub Rap”

Born Sir Williams James Stokes, Sir the Baptist is a Chicago-bred musician originally hailing from the South Side’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood. Heavily influenced by his father, a Baptist preacher and activist of note, Stokes’ music proves socially conscious without being overbearing or “preachy.” Musically, the young artist on the rise successfully manages to merge a multitude of genres not unlike fellow hometown hero Chance The Rapper, and thus his shifting, multifaceted sound often eludes categorization. But therein lies the appeal of Stokes’ work, work that’s simultaneously contemporary, classic and wholly worthwhile.

August 1, 2016 The 22 Best Moments of Lollapalooza 2016

CHICAGO — We made it! The first-ever four-day edition of Lollapalooza is over, but the memories (and the ringing in our ears) linger on. For its 25th birthday, Lollapalooza pulled out all the stops including multiple Chance the Rapper sightings, surprisingly good weather and some of the best festival fashion around. And we were lucky enough to be there for all of it.

Below, we present to you the greatest moments of this year’s Lollapalooza.

August 1, 2016 10 Artists We Saw at Lollapalooza That You Need to Know About

Sir the Baptist

Sir the Baptist—who’s the son of a preacher and borrows his moniker from John the Baptist—is one of the most interesting young hip-hop artists to emerge from Chicago’s hip-hop scene. His music is fused with gospel sounds, Christian references and pleas to end social injustice.

August 1, 2016 Vince Staples, Mothers, MØ & More Strike a Pose at Lollapalooza

2016 marks the 25th anniversary of Chicago's landmark music festival Lollapalooza. The festival spans over a mile in length, with eight stages and a variety of music the whole family can appreciate (even the family of the president, as Malia Obama was in attendance).

For this commemorative year, the festival stretched an extra day — giving attendees four full days of music instead of the typical four. Myspace’s own Mallory Turner was out in Grant Park snapping portraits of artists throughout the grounds ranging from Vince Staples to MØ to Mothers. Check out our favorite shots below.

Sir the Baptist

August 3, 2016 Sir The Baptist On Tupac’s Ghetto Gospel and ‘Raising Hell’ With Nate Parker

Name: Sir The Baptist

From: Chicago

Album: Preacher’s Kid

Label: Atlantic Records

Twitter: @SirTheBaptist

Why we care: If Kendrick Lamar is overseeing deathbed conversions by repentant gangsters and Chance The Rapper is sermonizing from outside the strip club, Sir The Baptist may be the one to lead this neophyte flock to the promised land. Here are 7 Things you need to know.

1. Origin of his Name:

My dad was a Baptist preacher that became Pentecostal. But one of the pieces that’s more important to me is that Chicago is this sort of “Chi-Raq” and I felt like I was the John The Baptist in the wilderness of Chicago sort of trying to speak some sort of truth to people to get them to wake up in some sort of way. So I went with Sir The Baptist.

2. How he describes his Sound:

My sound is a mixture of hip-hop, pop, soul, R&B and gospel. It’s very cultural, but it’s a piece of where I come from and what I got over the years.

3. His history:

I left Leo Burnett as Director of Digital marketing for a partnership between Rodney Jerkins and McDonald’s. They created this company called Artist and Brands. I left to do music and I said hey I’ll drive Lyft to make money. Then a lot of other stuff happened and I went homeless. So I’m sleeping out of the Lyft that I’m driving. I’d drive in the daytime, take breaks, record, make calls to try to get industry people to listen to my music, then just get back on the road. And then overnight just sleep in the back of the van. [I’d] Get back up, change clothes at a rest stop and get back to it. But Lyft really helped me during those times to give me some sort of stability and financial peace so I could chase all these labels.

I gotta Dodge Caravan because I started meeting people in Lyft and when I met people I’d start taking them with me to different cities so we could do promo. Even now, because I’m at the point now where I could fly everywhere. But instead of flying I bought a 15 passenger van. I try to replicate what my dad did in church when pulling people in. It builds a better church.

4. Being a Descendant of Tupac…

Tupac had a song called “Ghetto Gospel.” But I feel like Tupac was more a prophet than he was a rapper. My sound is a reflection of his principles without the thug part. If you take away the gangster Tupac you get the poetry, the dancing, all this stuff that’s very cultural. And that’s the piece that I carry with me every time that I perform or write a song. I wanted to incorporate that piece of being inspired by someone that could break the barriers of our mind and the stigma of Black people and music. I think Kendrick is an urban monk. There’s a lot of people that are so enlightened that the things they produce should be valued as gospel. Not as gospel music as what we pin it, but gospel as being important to our spirituality and our daily walk.

August 2, 2016 Lollapalooza 2016 Recap and Highlights

Lollapalooza celebrated its 25th Anniversary this weekend with four full days of live music that featured more than 170 acts on eight stages. The festival began back in 1991 as a farewell tour for legendary rock band Jane’s Addiction, and became synonymous with much of the alternative nation during the '90s, before being resurrected as a destination event in Chicago’s beautiful Grant Park back in 2005. Since then it’s exploded in size and scope, swelling to a capacity crowd of 100,000 every year — complete with the obligatory corporate sponsorships — while also developing an internationally-recognized reputation that reaches well beyond Chicago — or even the U.S. — with Lolla having spawned spinoffs in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Germany over the past decade. Naturally, the 25th Anniversary came home to Chicago this summer with an international flavor, and whole lot of hometown love. Merchandise available in the massive, air-conditioned mall-style LollaShop mirrored the city’s beloved sports teams, and the festival’s past artwork, while also accentuating the bright festival fashions more often found on the largely millennial crowd, made up of packs of festie besties excitedly experiencing it all for the very first time. That meeting of past and present has come to define what Lollapalooza has morphed into over its time in Chicago. Musically there was really something for everyone: from full-blown raging dance parties at the perpetually-pulsing Perry’s stage (which was again packed with bodies bouncing to the beats of some of EDM’s biggest names all weekend), to the huge mainstream rock acts like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Radiohead, pop starlets like Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding, established and emerging rappers like Future and Flatbush Zombies, dozens of buzzworthy indie bands, and more. Upon arrival into the city, though, it’s unmistakable that no one outside of Grant Park is all that thrilled by the throngs of thousands descending upon downtown. From television personalities, to restaurant and hotel staff, to even security at the event itself, Chicago’s broad shoulders begrudgingly barred the burden of bringing in something so amazingly massive. The sun-scorched, far-from-sober fans made for some tense moments outside the gates and elsewhere, but despite the dominance of what can only be called the Lolla demographic, the festival itself found every way to prove that it was so much more than its now somewhat notorious reputation as something to be endured more than enjoyed. The marathon experience of the anniversary’s expanded four-day lineup is likely to blame for any such increase in negative feelings this year, while back here in West Michigan it’s also likely the reason why slightly fewer Lolla acts made stops in our area before or after their festival gigs. Still, that didn’t stop underground bands like Pinegrove and Wild Child from playing Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids respectively this weekend, nor drone-rockers Nothing from following up their Lolla experience (including opening two sold-out Jane’s Addiction aftershows in Chicago) with a show at The Pyramid Scheme this week. In fact, Lollapalooza’s presence in the Midwest drives a lot more tour routing our way, with overseas acts like Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit and England’s The 1975 starting US tours at the fest, before working their way here. It also can’t go without mentioning that this year’s Lolla also featured two West Michigan natives taking on the festival’s biggest stages, with Grand Rapids’ born Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers absolutely commanding the festival’s largest crowd on Saturday, while Gull Lake High School graduate Curt Cameruci of Chicago trap duo Flosstradamus helped deliver one of the most-talked about sets on Thursday night. Here’s a quick list of some of our biggest takeaways from Lolla’s landmark year.

7. Sir The Baptist

The most poignant moment all weekend came on Sunday when Chicago artist Sir The Baptist took Lolla- goers to church. Performing from inside a coffin placed onstage, he also tackled the tough topic of the Black Lives Matter movement, by imploring the largely white crowd in attendance to take a second away from the fun and frivolity of their festival to think about their fellow man.