Wordsplayed | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | John Itiola |
Also known as | Magic |
Born | Nigeria | 13 June 1979
Genres | Gospel, CCM, hip hop, drum and bass |
Occupation(s) | Christian rapper, songwriter and author |
Years active | 2008–present |
Labels | Miner League |
Member of | Magic and Bird |
Website | wordsplayed |
John Itiola, also known as Wordsplayed, is a Christian rapper based in San Diego. [1] [2] His style is influenced by trap music. He has made album appearances for artists like Andy Mineo (C-Lite), GAWVI and Social Club Misfits. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Wordsplayed was born to Nigerian immigrants who moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He grew up in Long Island, New York.
In 2008, he became friends with members of the evangelical hip-hop ministry T.R.U.C.E. (To Reach Urban Communities Everywhere), which included the rapper Andy Mineo, who gave Itiola a guest spot (credited as John "Word Up" Itiola) on his 2009 Sin Is Wack mixtape. [8] He has also previously worked with Beleaf and Ruslan of the Dream Junkies and formerly of theBreax, on the songs “Drag ‘Em” and “That’s Me” respectively. [9]
Itiola also joined Mineo's artist collective Miner League. [10] Itiola released his debut single as Wordsplayed, "Martinelli's (ft. Andy Mineo)," on December 29, 2014 [11] and "Sammy Sosa" on April 11, 2015. Itiola collaborated on the Marty's album (Social Club) in the song "The One with my Friends" alongside NF, John Givez, Fern and Kaleb Mitchell.
In 2016, he debuted with the mixtape Clowntown, which was released by Miner League and hit number 35 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart. [12] [13] Also, he was a special guest with Social Club Misfits in "Friends & Family Tour" of Andy Mineo. [14]
In 2017, Itiola and Mineo teamed up for Andy Mineo & Wordsplayed Present Magic & Bird, on August 4, 2017. [15] [16] The full-length collaboration debuted at number 49 on the all-genre Billboard 200. [17] This album had 5 songs on the Billboard's "Hot Christian Songs" chart. [18]
His latest releases, Lo-Fi Love 1 (LFL1) and Lo-Fi Love 2 (LFL2), have been paired with his stellar “Lo-Fidelity Hour” and "Lo-Fidelity Nights Uncut" direct to public access television series', respectively. [19] [20]
In 2019, was a guest on NBC’s ‘Off The Dribble’ on ‘NBA Hot Takes’ segment. [21]
In April 2020, he launched a podcast called "Circle of Trust", with the intention of "building a global network of people with positive, successful and like-minded ideas." [22] [23]
Title | Album details | Positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US Christ | US Rap | US R&B /HH | ||
Clowntown |
| 49 | 35 | 23 | 28 |
Lo-Fi Love 1 (LFL1) |
| - | 22 | - | - |
Lo-Fi Love 2 (LFL2) |
| - | - | - | - |
Title | Album details | Positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US Christ | US Rap | US R&B /HH | ||
Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed present: Magic & Bird |
| 49 | 1 | 23 | 28 |
Lecrae Devaughn Moore is an American Christian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, record executive, and actor. To date, he has released ten studio albums and three mixtapes as a solo artist, and has released three studio albums, a remix album, one EP, and numerous singles as the leader of the hip hop group 116 Clique.
The 116, formerly 116 Clique, is an American Southern Christian hip hop collective originally from Dallas, Texas signed to the Atlanta-based Reach Records. The group performs a wide variety of contemporary hip hop styles, from chopped and screwed to trap to Latin hip hop. The 116 Clique is named after the Bible verse Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile." For them it means acknowledging the power of the Gospel and the divine calling to proclaim it in every area of their life. "We can lay our lives down to serve and glorify God in everything we do."
Mark Julian Felder, more commonly known as Bizzle, is an American Christian hip hop recording artist and entrepreneur.
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; 130 singles, including 75 as a featured performer; 73 music videos, including 37 as a featured performer; and 86 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.
"Coming in Hot" is a song by American rappers Lecrae and Andy Mineo. It was originally released as a standalone track and was later included on the Reach Records collaborative album Summer Eighteen..It was produced by record producer and record executive Sak Pase. It was certified RIAA Digital Gold in August 2021, and Digital Platinum in 2023. It also became a viral song on social networks and was used by personalities like Kim Kardashian and Will Smith. It charted on Billboard's Triller US chart and Triller's Global Chart three years after its release.
Kevin Elijah Burgess, better known by his stage name KB, is an American Christian hip hop artist and music executive from St. Petersburg, Florida. He is the leader of the hip-hop group HGA. Burgess signed a solo artist contract with Reach Records in 2010. The label has released several projects, including the Who Is KB? mixtape in 2011, Weight & Glory, on July 17, 2012, 100 EP on March 4, 2014, Tomorrow We Live on April 21, 2015, and Today We Rebel on October 20, 2017. He is also a member of the label's collective formerly 116 clique shortened to 116.
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.
Tyshane Thompson, known professionally as Beam, is a Jamaican-born American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the son of dancehall and gospel reggae singer Papa San. He was one-half of the production duo 808&Elite. Beam released his debut studio album, Alien, on February 4, 2022. It includes collaborations with Justin Bieber, Jorja Smith, and his father, among others.
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.
Heroes for Sale is the debut studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Andy Mineo, released on April 16, 2013. It follows up Mineo's 2011 mixtape Formerly Known. Considered one of the most anticipated Christian hip hop albums of 2013, Heroes for Sale includes features from Lecrae, Trip Lee, KB, Christon Gray, Krizz Kaliko, and for KING & COUNTRY among others. Three singles were released for the album, "AYO!" on January 28, 2013, "Bitter" on March 5, 2013, and "You Will" on April 2, 2013. A music video for "AYO!" came out on January 31, a three-part webseries was launched on February 6, and a documentary entitled "Everything Must Go" was released on April 9. Lyrically, Mineo based the album concept around the brokenness of human heroes, and the album has a very transparent and personal tone. Stylistically, it mixes electronic-influenced hip hop music with a variety of other genres, including hymns, reggaeton, jazz, R&B, heavy metal, classical, dubstep, second line, acid jazz, psychedelic funk, and jack swing. The album debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on Top Rap Albums chart, No. 1 on the US Top Christian Albums and No. 2 on the UK Top Christianhart.
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.
Social Club Misfits, known as Social Club from 2012 until 2016, is a Christian hip hop duo from Miami, Florida made up of rappers FERN and Marty Mar. They formed their musical partnership in 2011 and released their first free album, entitled Misfits, on November 27, 2012. Then, the duo released two EPs entitled Misfits-EP, released on March 26, 2013, and Rejects. on April 2, 2013. The latter garnering some charting success. The third free album from the duo came out on September 13, 2013, entitled Summer of George. Their breakthrough album, Misfits 2, was self-released on April 29, 2014, and Us was released on March 24, 2015.
Anomaly is the seventh studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on September 9, 2014, through Reach Records. The album features appearances from Crystal Nicole, Kari Jobe, and For King & Country, along with label-mate Andy Mineo. Anomaly met with a positive critical reception, and the song "Nuthin", released for streaming as a single on July 1, 2014, was nominated for the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards in the best Impact Track category. The album also fared well commercially, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with over 88,000 copies sold. It also debuted at No. 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart, marking the first time that any artist has ever topped both the 200 and Gospel charts. Anomaly won Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards, and Rap, Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year at the 2015 Stellar Awards. Two songs earned a nomination for the 2015 Grammy Awards; "All I Need Is You" was nominated for Best Rap Performance, and "Messengers", featuring For King & Country, won Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
Rise is the fifth studio album from Christian rap artist Trip Lee. The album was released in 2014, through Reach Records. The album includes features from Lecrae, Andy Mineo, and This'l among others. Four singles were released for the album; "Shweet", "Sweet Victory", "Manolo" and "Beautiful Life 2 (Mine)".
Gabriel Alberto Azucena, who goes by the stage name GAWVI, is an American Christian hip hop artist and music producer, formerly for Reach Records. Born in the Bronx, New York, he has released three extended plays, five albums, and twenty-three singles including his songs; "In the Water" and "Late Nights."
Sin Vergüenza is the first album entirely in Spanish by 116 Clique, produced and distributed by Reach Records, in association with No Apologies Music, the label of Puerto Rican producer Cardec Drums. It was announced to be released at the end of October 2020, and was promoted with two singles: "Donde están (Watcho6)", between Reach artists and other Latin rappers, and "La Fiesta" by Lecrae and Funky. In 2021, it was known that Reach would be in charge of the soundtrack of the Netflix movie, Blue Miracle, where it is composed of a large part of the musical pieces of this album.
Christopher Michael Hulvey, known professionally by his surname Hulvey, is an American Christian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His debut studio album Christopher debuted and peaked at No.2 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.
Jacob Cardec, artistically known as Cardec Drums, is a Puerto Rican drummer, music producer and songwriter, specializing in Christian urban music who has worked with artists from Reach Records, Reflection Music Group and Funkytown Music. He has received various awards for his work with KB, Lecrae, Redimi2, Almighty and Andy Mineo.