Rapper Flame’s new CD adds serious street credit to holy rap genre
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American
When Flame’s rich and heavy vocals lace a track, any listener – saved or not – will be forced to nod their head. It’s obvious that he’s far beyond the ordinary among hip-hop musicians – and in another stratosphere with regards to gospel MC’s.
The unfortunate truth is that for years the Christian Hip-Hop genre has been scoffed at not only by secular music listeners, but even those inside the Christian music element have admitted that spiritual rap is the weakest link on the food chain.
But with the release of his fourth CD Our World Redeemed on Tuesday (March 4th), internationally renowned artist and St. Louis native Flame, born Marcus T. Williams – Gray illustrates his capacity to change the game with regards to the reputation of holy hip-hop. Audiences will have an opportunity to bear witness to Flame’s gift and ministry as he celebrates the release of Our World Redeemed Saturday night (March 8th) with a concert at the Missouri History Museum.
A native of St. Louis, Flame is a household name among Christian based hip-hop circles and it has been that way since he signed to Cross Movement Records more than five years ago. After being signed to the major label Cross Movement Records in 2002, Flame went on to release his self-titled debut in 2004. He followed the release with Rewind in 2005 and Our World Fallen in 2007.
Flame was the first gospel rapper from the Midwest to gain nationwide respect for his music and after listening to Our World Redeemed it will become apparent that his success and acclaim is well deserved.
His latest release is a sequel to 2007’s Our World Fallen and it covers every range of emotion with regard to a young person’s spiritual walk and struggles in staying true to the faith. He offers words of encouragement in songs like “Who can Pluck Us” and “Hold On” and gives a special opportunity for listeners to relate to the struggle to maintain on the straight and narrow road while on their Christian Walk through his “Confession” and “Drama of Redemption” interludes.
His message breaks down the Word and makes Scriptures plain through catchy hooks and “real-talk”.
“You want that pot of gold, but answer me what about your soul,” Flame says in “It’s All Gon Pass” preaches against the trivial pursuits of materialism. He manages to translate the Word to the youth in their language. Flame refers to the same rims, clothes and women that the average mainstream hip-hop artist seems to worship by way of their music to illustrate the insignificance of the superficial aspects of life.
The message is the only thing that differentiates Flame from any of the hottest hip-hop artists in contemporary music.
Flame’s vocal charisma and unique cadences in his flow would make the most revered MC in the mainstream hip-hop automatically give him props.
His more than 10 years of experience as an MC and honed talent are more than apparent through Our World Redeemed. He manages to pull together an album that leaves the biggest skeptics and cynics with no option except but to give him credit for an album that can serve as a model for MC’s looking to represent the spiritual element of hip-hop.
Our World redeemed is an entertaining and diverse mix of music that will engage, inform and entertain as he presents his life experiences as a rapper and young person living for something bigger than the bling.
Fellowship Friday presents Flame Our World Redeemed CD Redeemed Concert will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday March 8th at the Missouri History Museum (Lindell and DeBaliviere). The concert begins at 7 p.m. with a $5 general admission cost. For more information visit www.myspace.com/flame314 or www.flame314.com.