che smith chnaged His life

                       

Real Name Che Smith

Albums Blue Collar (2006)Total Albums Sold~ 0.02 million

NotesRhymefest, probably best known for his ghostwriting for Kanye West, including the hit single, Jesus Walks, was first introduced to Islam through member of the Vice Lords gang. The gangmember took him to the mosque where he was toldto listen to the Imam speak, "I heard the imam speak, and it made me cry," the rapper says. "He was speaking of community and brotherhood and love, and I saw men all around me who had their boys with them. I saw these men in this holy place, with their shoes off, prostrated before God. I said, 'That's the kind of fatherI want to be.'"Now he shares a house in Indianapolis with his mother, who has been clean (fromcrack-cocaine) for years; a teenage sister; and his young son from a brief marriage, Solomon. Rhymefest worked countless jobs to support them, eventually becominga teacher and youth counselor. He could have easily written an entire album about his close proximity to the gang life where he grew up."Discovering God was my way out," he says. "You know why some rappers glorify drug dealing? They don't tell the whole story. They don't talk about the lives destroyed by it. The children left at home who eat paint chips off the wall, that go to school hungry. They aren't telling the whole story, and I hate that."Rhymefest has also spoken out about rappers who hide behind God to help themsell records. On his blog on SOHH.com, hesays, “Even rappers are jumping in on the"use God as a shield" act. Or is it really an act? It doesn't seem as though rappers areconcerned with appealing to that religious audience yet one of DMX's last singles was "Lord Give Me A Sign." Yes, this thing reaches further than any specific denomination, when even Lupe Fiasco proudly proclaims his Muslim faith as part of the reason for his unique outlook on music and culture. Don't get it twisted, in no way am I dissing any artist who announces their faith in their music and lifestyle. For even I use my co-authoring of"Jesus Walks" as part of the advertisementfor Rhymefest as an artist. And like Lupe, I have publicly embraced my Islamic faith. Although, I personally have a difficult time calling myself a Muslim (one who submits his will to God) because I'm still striving to totally submit myself to God. So let's makethis clear, sum it up and ask the questions”“(I’m) not talking about partial submission to God or using God's name as a marketingtool. (I’m) talking about totally submitting our lives to the idea of a power greater than record sales, saving face in lieu of criticism or even our own physical lives.”