19th Mar, 2012
7up w/ Flame
The Gospel Guru caught up with Grammy nominated and Billboard topper, Flame. The Clear Sight Music Artist recently released his sixth album, simply titled “The 6th.”
With a new No. 1 Album under his belt the four-time Dove Award and two-time Stellar Award nominee continues to prove he’s one of the industry’s premier artists as he experiments with innovative new beats and catchy rhymes. Now sit back, relax, and get a bit of 7up with Marcus Gray, best known as Flame.
- Describe Flame in three words. Christian, husband, artist.
- What was your inspiration for your new release “The 6th?” Basically, I did a lot of traveling in Barbados, India, London, and Paris…etc so I was in a position to meet a lot of different cultures and backgrounds. So with all of those experiences I really wanted to discuss whom God created us to be. So “The 6th” is really a study of anthropology, the study of male and female from a Christian standpoint.
- What was your most memorable experience in the making of “The 6th?” I’d have to say one of the most impactful ones was being in India. It was my first time being in the continent of Asia, and I had never been around any group of people that were so concentrated with their religiosity. I mean it’s interwoven in everything, so you could just see the thickness of the religious background there. Just to see that expression of religiosity was impactful.
- What has the response been like regarding your new release “The 6th?” The response has been incredible. Most of my core fans are saying they can tell that I stretched myself (in a good way). The production is just…people are really enjoying it, it’s a big sound; a lot of live instrumentation but still true to the hip hop element. People love the writing, so overall it’s been a phenomenal response.
- What’s the meaning behind your name, Flame? The name really came from just being in the bible and studying Jeremiah. He had the responsibility of saying hard things to people that didn’t want to hear it, and it got him into a lot of trouble. He was frustrated and said God I don’t want to make mention of your name anymore, but then he says your word is like fire shut up in my bones. I thought that kinda described my personality as an artist. Just that passion, fire, and energy to say things that need to be said, but with passion love and respect.
- Do you feel that Christian Hip Hop is more accepted now than in earlier years? I do think it has progressed in a lot of ways. A lot of Christian rap artists are now nominated for Stellar Awards, so that shows that they are acknowledging the Christian rap genre as a valid ministry and legitimate art form. We’re also seeing the local churches really embrace what we do. So it’s definitely grown a lot and we appreciate that!
- What advice would you give to an aspiring Christian Hip Hop artist? Continue to cultivate a deeper and genuine relationship with Christ, that’s the first priority. Cultivate your craft and become more skilled at what you do. Also, learn the music industry, get some good books and study and learn what you’re getting yourself into. Lastly, just be content with whatever measure of exposure you get; milk it, be a good steward over it and maximize it!
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