This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Bizzle | |
---|---|
Birth name | Mark Julian Felder |
Also known as | Lavyss |
Born | Los Angeles, California | July 21, 1983
Origin | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop, R&B, Christian hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper, singer, record producer, entrepreneur |
Years active | 2004–present |
Labels | God Over Money |
Website | www |
Mark Julian Felder [1] (born July 21, 1983), more commonly known as Bizzle, is an American Christian hip hop recording artist and entrepreneur.
In January 2010, Bizzle released "You Got Some Explaining to Do". The song criticizes rapper Jay-Z for negative references towards Jesus and Christianity in his music. Bizzle released his first mixtape, The Messenger, in March 2010. Shortly after the release, he founded God Over Money Records in Houston, Texas. Bizzle released his debut album, Tough Love & Parables , on June 21, 2011. It debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. The Good Fight was released on May 7, 2013 and debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Gospel Albums chart, No. 7 on Christian Albums, and No. 11 on Top Rap Albums. In 2013, Bizzle won Kingdom Choice Awards for Rap Single of The Year, Hip Hop Album of The Year, and Music Video of The Year.
Bizzle received media attention in 2014 when he released "Same Love (A Response)" in reaction to the pro-gay rights single "Same Love" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. The song was controversial because it expressed opposition to homosexuality.
Mark Felder was raised mostly by his mother in Los Angeles, California. His father stayed in Compton, California. His family was poor and lived in Section 8 housing. [2] Felder was approximately 13 years of age the first time he stepped in a music studio. Listening to Tupac, he began to establish a talent for writing rhymes. [2]
Felder put out five mixtapes and began circulating them in malls, clubs, radio stations and anywhere else he could. He opened for Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana during their I Can't Feel My Face tour. [2] [3] [4] He also opened for Lil Boosie. [5] [ better source needed ]
Felder has stated that his "financial situation got so bad he was sleeping on a friend's floor and his car was a closet for his clothes". [6] Felder began selling drugs and became a pimp to fund his music career. [7] [ better source needed ]
Between 2004 and 2008, Bizzle released L.A.V. Mixtapes Volumes 1–5 in Southern California. He then released Dirty West Mixtapes 1 and 2 with J. Sin and 360 Records in Houston, Texas, and returned to California to release Certified Mixtape. [5] [ better source needed ]
In 2005, he was offered a deal by 360 Records out of Houston and declined. [5] Two years later, Bizzle had been offered a deal by Barry Hankerson to sign with Blackground/Universal, but he also declined that offer. [5] [ better source needed ]
Bizzle spent three years preparing his debut album Grind Pays. [5] [ better source needed ]
The influence of Christianity prompted Bizzle's questioning of the imagery promoted through the music of rappers like Kanye West, Rick Ross, and Jay-Z. [8] On January 17, 2010 he released the track "You Got Some Explaining to Do". The song was directed towards Jay-Z, criticizing him for negative references towards Jesus in his lyrics. [9] The result of the diss song led Bizzle to being called the "Christian Rapper that dissed Jay Z". [5] [ better source needed ] Overwhelmed by the positive response and media attention he received, Bizzle decided to make music that proclaimed a Christian message and exposed influences within the music industry that he believed to be negative. [5] [ better source needed ]
Bizzle released his first Christian mixtape, The Messenger, on March 30, 2010 on DatPiff. [10] The Messenger 2: Delivered & The Messenger 3: Truth Music followed in 2010 & 2011 respectively.[ citation needed ]
Shortly after the release of "The Messenger", Bizzle founded God Over Money Records in Houston, Texas. Since its creation, the label has released eight mixtapes, [11] a collaborative album with artist Willie 'P-Dub' Moore Jr., [12] and three full-length studio albums; [13] it has also signed two artists. [14] [15] [16]
Bizzle released his debut album, Tough Love & Parables , on June 21, 2011. It debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. [17] It appeared on the iTunes Store swoosh banner. [18]
On February 7, 2012, Felder and Willie Moore, Jr. released Best of Both Worlds: The Album. [19] The album reached No. 5 on the iTunes Hip Hop/Rap Chart. [20]
On May 7, 2013, Bizzle released his second studio album, The Good Fight. [21] The album features production-works from Grammy-winning producer Boi-1da. [22] [23] Its first single, "Soldier" was released January 26, 2013 [24] and features No Malice and included a music video. Later singles were "Dear Hip-Hop" [25] and "My Confession" (featuring Sevin). [26] The Good Fight debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Gospel Albums chart, No. 7 on Christian Albums, No. 11 on Top Rap Albums, [27] and sold a total of 3,962 copies in its first week. [28] [29] His previous works with Boi-1da include "Forgive Me" released on March 16, 2011 [30] which features rapper MC Jin and "Lost and Found" on his collaborative mixtape Martyrs in the Making with Bumps INF.[ citation needed ] Bizzle stated that Boi-1da worked free of charge on the project. [7] The collaborative work between the two was highlighted in the 2012 September edition of XXL . [31]
Bizzle received nominations for Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of The Year at both the 2012 [32] [33] and 2014 Stellar Awards, [34] [35] sharing the category with artists Derek Minor, Lecrae, and Thi'sl. He also received three nominations at the 2012 [36] [37] and 2013 Kingdom Choice Awards. Although he did not win any Kingdom Choice Awards in 2012, he won in 2013 for Rap Single of The Year, Hip Hop Album of The Year, and Music Video of The Year. [38]
On January 28, 2014, Bizzle released a single entitled "Same Love (A Response)" [39] in reaction to the pro-gay rights single "Same Love" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. It opens with the rapper reciting a quotation from the Book of Timothy, then leads into the same instrumental track as Macklemore's original. [40] The song is critical of the media in its promotion of homosexuality, stating that it is hypocritical to call for tolerance for same-sex relationships while at the same time branding opponents of homosexual behavior as "hateful". [41] The single takes issue with the analogy of gay rights with the African-American civil rights movement. [42] [43] [44] It also encourages Christians who struggle with homosexual attractions to "fight the good fight". [45]
Three days after its release, the song garnered over 30,000 views on YouTube. [46] The Huffington Post called the track "very disturbing". [47] The Advocate , a newspaper that represents the LGBTQ+ community, said Bizzle's single "uses the instrumental hook from Macklemore's 'Same Love' to say that LGBT people are sinful, violent, and just like pedophiles." [48] Bizzle has reported that he has received death threats because of the song. He also created a website that chronicles the backlash against him [49] and maintained that he was not homophobic but simply stating an opposing argument to that in popular media. [50]
Bizzle became a Christian in 2008. [51]
After 18 years of recording in Los Angeles, [5] Bizzle relocated to Houston, Texas. As of 2014, he resided with his wife and two children in Houston. [49]
Christian hip hop is a cross-genre of contemporary Christian music and hip hop music. It emerged from urban contemporary music and Christian media in the United States during the 1980s.
Jonah Kirsten Sorrentino, better known by his stage name KJ-52, is a Christian rapper from Tampa, Florida. The "KJ" part of his name refers to his old rap alias, "King J. Mac," a name which he later described in one of his podcasts as "horribly cheesy." "52", which is pronounced "five two", not "fifty-two", is a reference to the Biblical story of Jesus feeding the multitude with five loaves and two fish, which is also sung about in his song "Push Up" from The Yearbook and in the "KJ Five Two" on It's Pronounced Five Two. He was awarded the Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year for "Never Look Away" and Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards of 2007. On July 28, 2009, KJ-52 released "End of My Rope", which is the first single for his album Five-Two Television.
Lecrae Devaughn Moore is an American Christian rapper. Since having began his career in 2004, he has released ten studio albums and three mixtapes as a solo artist, as well as three studio albums as a lead member of the hip hop group 116 Clique.
Matthew Jehu Samuels, known professionally as Boi-1da is a Canadian record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario.
William Lee Barefield III, better known by his stage name Trip Lee, is an American Christian rapper and singer. Signed to Reach Records, he has recorded both as a solo artist and as a founding member of the 116 Clique. Originally from Dallas, Texas, he served as a young adult pastor at Concord Church until 2021. His third album, Between Two Worlds (2010), was nominated for two Dove Awards and won the Stellar Award for Best Hip Hop Album in 2011.
The following is a discography of Canadian record producer Boi-1da.
The discography of Lecrae, an American Christian hip hop artist, consists of 11 studio albums, two of which were collaborative; four mixtapes; two extended plays, one of which was collaborative; 136 singles, including 79 as a featured performer; 77 music videos, including 39 as a featured performer; and 87 guest and other appearances. Lecrae debuted with Real Talk in 2004 through Reach Records; the album was re-issued the following year by Cross Movement Records. After the Music Stops followed in 2006 and his third solo album, Rebel, was released in 2008 and reached No. 1 on the Gospel chart, the first Christian hip hop album to do so. Rehab, his fourth solo album, was released in 2010 and reached No. 1 on the Gospel, Christian, and Independent charts, and garnered a nomination at the 53rd Grammy Awards. Rehab: The Overdose, was released on January 11, 2011, and peaked at No. 1 on the Christian and Gospel charts. Lecrae began garnering mainstream attention when he performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher and was featured on the Statik Selektah song "Live and Let Live" from his Population Control album.
Church Clothes is the first mixtape by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released for free on May 10, 2012, and hosted by DJ Don Cannon. It featured No Malice of Clipse on the song "Darkest Hour", and included production work by 9th Wonder, Boi-1da, S1 and Street Symphony. Label-mates Tedashii and Andy Mineo, as well as other fellow Christian hip-hop artists such as Dre Murray, Thi'sl, Swoope, Christon Gray, and Braille, also made appearances on the album. The mixtape was downloaded 100,000 times in 48 hours, and met with critical acclaim. It received controversy in Christian media upon its release due to its condemnation of hypocrisy in the Christian Church and Lecrae's collaboration with the mainstream producer Don Cannon. A shorter, remastered EP version was released on iTunes on June 25, 2012. The EP debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Christian Albums and Gospel Albums charts.
Gravity is the sixth studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on September 4, 2012. The album features appearances from Big K.R.I.T., Mathai, Ashthon Jones, Sho Baraka and Mali Music, along with labelmates Trip Lee, Andy Mineo, Derek Minor, who was formerly known as PRo, and Tedashii. Producers on the album include DJ Khalil, Street Symphony along with his production team Heat Academy, and The Watchmen. The first single off the album, "I Know", was released on July 24, 2012, and was followed by "Tell the World" featuring Mali Music on August 15, 2012, and "Mayday" featuring Big K.R.I.T. and Ashthon Jones on August 30, 2012. Reach Records released five music videos for the album: "Lord Have Mercy", featuring Tedashii along with No Malice of Clipse, on August 1, 2012, "Tell the World", featuring Mali Music, on October 19, 2012, "Mayday", featuring Big K.R.I.T. and Ashthon Jones, on December 13, 2012, "Fakin'", featuring Thi'sl, on February 1, 2013, and "Confe$$ions", featuring David Banner, on April 30, 2013.
Andrew Aaron Mineo, is an American Christian hip hop artist, producer, music executive, and video director based in New York City. He is signed to Reach Records and his creative initiative Miner League. In addition to his solo work, he is a member of Reach Records' hip hop collective 116 Clique.
The discography of American Christian hip hop artist Andy Mineo, formerly known as C-Lite, consists of three studio albums, three mixtapes, one compilation album, twenty-one singles, including seven as a featured performer, fourteen music videos, including six as a featured artist, and fifteen guest appearances on various albums. Originally from Syracuse, Mineo initially achieved success as a producer in Upstate New York, and was a member of the hip hop group Fat Camp, signed to Syracuse University's Marshall Street Records. After moving to New York City where he re-dedicated his life to Christ, he closed down his production studio and restarted his career. He released his first mixtape Sin is Wack Vol. 1 in 2009. After providing sung vocals for the song "Background" by Lecrae from the album Rehab, he experienced a surge in popularity and became highly sought after for collaborations. His 2011 single "In My City" featuring Efrain from Doubledge also garnered attention, as did his appearance on the song "Reverse" by Tedashii from Blacklight. He signed to Reach Records in 2011 and dropped his stage name "C-Lite" in favor of his legal name. Under this name he released another mixtape, Formerly Known, in 2011. In May 2012 he debuted a four episode web series entitled Saturday Morning Car-Tunez in which he remixed classic hip hop songs. The four songs were subsequently released for free as a compilation album. His debut full-length studio album, Heroes for Sale, was released April 2013.
Derek Laurence Johnson Jr., better known by his stage name Derek Minor and former stage name PRo, is an American Christian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, actor, and screenwriter. He co-founded the hip-hop record label Reflection Music Group (RMG) with Doc Watson, and signed to Reach Records in a joint venture between the two labels in 2011. In 2012, Johnson announced that he had changed his stage name from Pro to Derek Minor. In 2014, he announced that as his two-album contract with Reach was complete, he would no longer be publishing releases through that label.
Reach Records is an American independent record label specializing in Christian hip hop. The label was founded in 2004 by Ben Washer and the hip-hop artist Lecrae. In addition to Lecrae, the Reach Records roster contains artists like Tedashii, Trip Lee, Andy Mineo, 1K Phew, WHATUPRG, Anike, Hulvey, Limoblaze, and Jackie Hill Perry. The hip-hop collective 116 operates under the label and consists primarily of the label's solo acts. The artists Sho Baraka, Derek Minor, Aha Gazelle, KB, and Gawvi were formerly signed to the label, and DJ Official was under the label until his death.
The Good Fight is Bizzle's second Christian hip hop album released on May 7, 2013 under Bizzle's own record label God Over Money. It was produced by Boi-1da, Dilemma, Megaman and others. It contains collaborations with No Malice, Willie 'P-Dub' Moore Jr. and Sevin.
The Maven Boys are a songwriting-production duo from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of Zale "Zalezy" Epstein and Brett Ryan Kruger. In 2012, they were featured on Complex Magazine's 25 New Producers To Watch Out For list. The Maven Boys have co-produced alongside Eminem and Boi-1da. They have worked with many notable artists including Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, 2 Chainz, and Childish Gambino.
Mark Joseph James,, who goes by the stage name Bumps Inf, is an American Christian hip hop musician from Cleveland, Ohio. He has released two studio albums, Pain in Paragraphs, in 2012, and Man vs. Machine, in 2015, both through God Over Money Records.
Surrender is the third studio album from Bizzle. God Over Money Records released the album on October 23, 2015. He worked with Beanz N Kornbread, Boi-1da, The Cratez, Dilemma, Dreamcatchers, Marv4MoBeats, and Vybe, in the production of this album.
Marques Adams, who goes by the stage name Sevin, is an American Christian hip hop rapper who has officially retired from music in September 2018. He has released 20 studio albums: All or None, Evin Angelz Kry (2004), Holy Mictramony, Feel me..., Father Forgive Me (2005), Sevin presentz : Hog Life : The LP, Work of Art : The R&B EP (2007), B 4 I Wake (2007), We Die (2007), Str8 frum tha Dragonz Mouth (2008), HOG MOB : Tha LP (2008), Faith, Love & Lust (2009), " Unreleased aka Rezin" (2009-10?), Finally Home (2010), "Finally Home Vol. 2" (2011), Purple Reign (2011), Commissary (2013), Pray 4 My Hood (2015), "I'll Wait" (2015), Purple Heart (2016), "Surrender" (2017), "Rather Die Than Deny" (2018), "Tha Mob Chronicles " (2018), and his final album "4eva Mobn" (2018). The album Commissary was his breakthrough release upon the Billboard magazine charts. His four mixtapes were Nine 1 Sikk Mixtape volume 2 : City Of Kingz (2006) and 9 1 Sikk Mixtape volume 3 : Hunterz Moon (2007) Nine 1 Sikk Mixtape volume 4 : kakoon. He also released a greatest hits album, Street Legal (2006).
All Things Work Together is the eighth studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on September 22, 2017, through Reach Records and Columbia Records, also making it his first major label release. The album features appearances from Tori Kelly, Ty Dolla Sign, 1K Phew, Kierra Sheard, Taylor Hill, Aha Gazelle, Jawan Harris and Verse Simmonds.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)