All Saints Radio with Derriqmaq

FROM THE ASR VAULT - Born in Southeast Washington, D.C on March 22, 1984, Ernest “CaNino” Matthews was set apart for a purpose. As a young boy, he was abandoned, placed in many foster homes and abused - but the Lord had a plan for his life. CaNino’s biological father found him and removed him from foster care just days before adoption.
At the age of 9, they moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he grew up most of his life. CaNino faced gang related issues and other problems associated with an urban community. He discovered music as an outlet for the pain and writing became a form of therapy.
In 2000, he was approached by a youth in an urban city church and was introduced to a personal relationship with the Lord. As God drew him, he walked towards a life of change. He began to gain more of the Word and had a passion for outreach and evangelism. Soon enough, CaNino found that he couldn’t just serve God when it felt good, but he had to trust in the Lord during the times he felt alone.
During this period, CaNino found other talented artists who were expressing their relationship with God through rap music.
In 2014, CaNino was selected to be an artist on the Coast to Coast Mixtape. He developed a fan base on The Homecoming Tour featuring Kelly Prodigal Williams. This experience led to a contract with Tyscot Loud Records/Warner Brothers Music Group.
CaNino has overcome so many obstacles and continues to stand firm and place his hope in God. He is selfless, compassionate, and real. Next up is TYSCOT Artist, Dale J Evans who shares this personal message: What up family ? I hope that the music God has inspired me to create will be an inspiration to you. some of you might even say, what is gospel rap? I've never heard it before or maybe you've heard some that didn't sound peculiar enough or set apart enough to represent the omnipotent Glory of God. If this is the case then I'm very glad that you've decided to check out my music with the expectation to receive a changed perspective of Gospel Rap Music. It's not about me, it's all about HIM (JESUS). Amen+Amen DJE… Closing out the ASR Podcast is Chi Town Rapper TSO. In the realm of rap, kingship is an honor unlike any other; one that often comes with cars, clout, and lots of Cristal. But with the rise of emerging Christian rappers like T.S.O., those three C’s have been favorably replaced with a much more prominent one: Christ.

Tyscot Records’ latest artist isn’t wasting any time hitting the market with his new music, and from the sounds of the content, he’s not afraid to aim high. Tackling this genre of religious rap means joining the likes of Christian contemporaries like LeCrae and Mali Music, but T.S.O. is up for the challenge; he’s entering the musical arena with a story to tell.

Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, T.S.O. experienced what some would consider a less than fortunate upbringing. Family life during his formative years proved to be a challenge for this motivational musician—chaotic from the start of its formation; but unbeknownst to him, or any other, the confusion that surrounded him would send him spiraling toward his purpose, his destiny.

FROM THE ASR VAULT - San Antonio native SonDaye is known for his powerful East Coast/Texas lyricism, witty punchlines, and energetic delivery style which he calls "gettin' zealous". After his encounter with Christ in 2004, his high school hobby of rapping became a passion in which he would later use to proclaim the "live zealous" message.

His career began in 2009 as part of the rap duo "Da' Watchmen". The duo released their debut project, "The Choose Life EP". They later became known as E.Z.K.L. (Establishing Zealous Kingdom Living) and released their sophomore project in 2012, titled "Stories of the Heart." The two eventually branched off to pursue solo careers, and SonDaye founded Live Zealous Music.

SonDaye released his solo freshman project "New Creature" in 2014, followed by the "Hidden EP" in 2017. The project featured the popular songs "B-Side" and "Tug of War". Most notable was his 4-day "Hidden EP Devotional" accompanying the record.

Growing up in Middleburg, Fla., about 30 miles Southwest of Jacksonville, Jade Harrell struggled to find acceptance among her peers. She was teased because of her distinctiveness and far-reaching interests, while being made fun of for her firm stance on abstinence. Jade’s experience lent itself to inspire the title of her album Class Reject.

“I see the world as a big classroom, and because I am a Christian, as well as a strong advocate for abstinence until marriage, I’m automatically rejected by most of the world,” Jade says. “That’s not how the world does it.”

Fortunately, Jade didn’t succumb to peer pressure and ultimately she was rewarded for being herself. When she was 13, a keyboardist in her church noticed her vocal talent and started using her as a background singer. This work earned the attention of Revolution Art, owned and operated by positive hip-hop stalwarts GRITS, who were impressed by her artistic prowess and versatility.

“I had so many problems and I didn’t know what the source was,” she says. “When I put them out there, it was easy to write about them, think about them, and sing about them. I want to encourage people to open themselves up and to be real. I think that’s the easiest way to find out who you are.”

FROM THE ASR VAULT-Multidisciplinary artist Catalina Bellizzi goes by the stage name Cataphant, but she expects to be called “different,” mainly because of how she thinks when she makes music. Cataphant is not a rapper, rather a painter and singer-songwriter whose Christian hip hop- vocals have been featured on numerous Humble Beast Records songs — Beautiful Eulogy’s “Take It Easy,” Foreknown’s “The Truth about Flight, Love, and BB Guns” and Alert312’s “Invisible Man,” as well as “Kill the Elephants” for background vocals.

Born Kelly Williams in the high-crime city of Canton, Ohio, Prodigal came into this world fighting. Addicted to crack-cocaine at birth, he was taken away from his mother, given back shortly after, and at three months old his father was given full custody. Prodigal Son, a seven-time Billboard-charting gospel rap artist who rhymes about his rough and tumble past life on the streets, has been under scrutiny for his brutally honest lyrics instead of his ability to shed light on the evils of the world. Growing up wasn't easy, born in Canton Ohio, he only had four choices to escape poverty, Music, Sports, Crime and, Working in a steel mill, he chose all four. "I talk about real life. I'll say what you think about but never dare to say it!" says Prodigal. "My music is very unorthodox as it relates to a lot of people. I never promote solely to a Christian market because everybody listens to music." says Prodigal Son.

Stay connected to discover the inspiring testimony that’s changing lives from the streets to the charts on this edition of the ASR PODCAST with Derriqmaq! It’s #musicwithahighercalling

FROM THE ASR VAULT - Spend five minutes with Lauren Béa (pronounced Bay - ah), and you’ll find her to be strong, beautiful, kind and capable. Yet, the woman she is today is the culmination of a lifetime of learning how to love herself. And now on her debut album, Wildflower, she’s spreading a message of empowerment for young girls and women that can be claimed everywhere. After all, she’s walked in their shoes. She knows what it’s like to feel unloved; but now, standing on the other side of her self-doubt, she knows what it’s like to feel free.

As the wife of retired NFL player Keenan Robinson and the mother of 2-year-old Kaidence, one might think Béa’s life is solely filled with VIP-only invitations and Instagram-worthy moments. Yet, Béa’s road to the stage has been paved with ridicule, loneliness and insecurity. Her journey began under wide open Arizona skies.

“When I was little, I would take my mom’s Walkman, and I would listen to cassette tapes of Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. I would just go outside and sing at the top of my lungs,” she recalls. “So, I started out listening to the divas and just loving ballads, and I think that’s where my heart for singing really started.”

Growing up, her father was an evangelist, and when her family moved to Dallas, they became the only biracial family in their neighborhood. To make matters worse, the middle school girls were unrelenting. Béa even became the object of the “I Hate Lauren Club.” She was bullied for four years straight.

“Four whole years of my life was like rejection, rejection, rejection. You’re not good enough. You’re not pretty enough. You’re different. You’re too black. You’re too this. You’re too that,” Béa remembers. “It was something I didn’t realize would really set a foundation for my calling. I had to go through those things to be able to be the person I am today and to be able to sing and write about the stuff that I went through.”

FROM THE ASR VAULT - Rev. Gavin Rogers is the associate pastor at Travis Park Church and the Executive Director for Corazon Homeless Ministries. He is the founder of the interfaith community group Pub Theology San Antonio. He is a native Texan and is a graduate The Divinity School at Duke University. In 2013 he was selected as the Young San Antonian of the Year for his work of solidarity with the homeless when he lived on the streets of San Antonio for Lent. This award has been given to one San Antonian each year since 1931. In 2018, Gavin traveled with the migrant caravan to better understand the immigration issue and learn the personal stories of migrants. His work can be found on CNN, Fox News, The Rivard Report and the San Antonio Express News.