Special Prayze Factor Awards Season 17 Edition of Good News with Twanda Black

Special Edition of Good News with Twanda Black ft the Prayze Factor Awards season 17 finalists, winners, performers and more...

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Thank you for joining me today on Good News with
Twanda Black. We are discovering some of the most inspiring
trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up a
friend and let them know it's time for some good news.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
How you can do the.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Suffer my.

Speaker 4 (01:14):
By did by me record, My lasting.

Speaker 5 (01:21):
Is my luck?

Speaker 3 (01:27):
What thank you got me?

Speaker 2 (01:40):
I'm not going to wait till come right down?

Speaker 3 (01:45):
Who right down? Day?

Speaker 6 (01:49):
Thank you anything.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Super sware.

Speaker 7 (02:05):
Hello, and welcome to Season seventeen of The Praise Factor's
special edition of Good News with Twanda Black. Hey, you
don't want to miss this conversation. We've got the Alternative
Solo Artist of the Year right here. Hello, Alternative Solo

(02:27):
Artist of the Year, Miss Nanier Thomas.

Speaker 8 (02:31):
How are you today?

Speaker 6 (02:33):
I'm good, I'm doing good, Thank God?

Speaker 2 (02:35):
How are you good?

Speaker 8 (02:36):
Good? Good?

Speaker 7 (02:37):
Tell us just a little bit about your career as
an artist.

Speaker 9 (02:43):
Well, I'm originally from Youngstown, Ohio. I sing quartet for
good twenty years of my life with my father, who
was a pastor, my mother and my sister, we were
the Martin Singers, and I sang and travel or, like
I said, a good twenty years. So that's my background

(03:04):
and I got to see a lot and meet a
lot of people, just be exposed to that whole quartet
community and just close ties and still keep in touch
with a lot of people. And my husband moved us,
literally moved us to Columbus in two thousand and one,
and I put off singing to go back to school

(03:25):
finish my degree because I stopped when the kids came graduate.

Speaker 6 (03:29):
When I graduated from college.

Speaker 9 (03:32):
And then my kids actually graduated from high school, I
picked music back up and started singing again and tried
to do quartet music because I thought.

Speaker 6 (03:42):
That's what God wanted me to do.

Speaker 9 (03:44):
But no, so.

Speaker 6 (03:47):
I kind of have almost like a neo so very
eclectic sound there.

Speaker 9 (03:51):
But God told me that nan year, you're going to
do music that's not going to be in the four
walls of a church.

Speaker 6 (03:58):
So I accepted that ministry.

Speaker 10 (04:02):
That he gave me.

Speaker 6 (04:03):
So you may hear rock and roll, you may hear jazz,
you may hear anything, but.

Speaker 9 (04:07):
You're always going to get the word. I have to
make sure that it's saturated with word because it sounds different.
So that's what God tasked me to do, and that's
what I do.

Speaker 7 (04:16):
Love your sound. It is eclectic, It is neo soulish,
maybe a little jazzy, honest, because you know, we got
to hear a little bit more of you this year.
Talk about your experience and praise Factor this year. Were
you surprised that.

Speaker 8 (04:31):
You won that?

Speaker 7 (04:32):
Absolutely?

Speaker 5 (04:34):
I was.

Speaker 9 (04:36):
Not expecting it at all, and I was crying. I
started crying instantly, and I had to get myself together and.

Speaker 6 (04:44):
I apologized to talk.

Speaker 9 (04:46):
To t and I didn't get the chance to talk
to you that I just forgot to say thank you
to everybody. I just went straight to thank you Lord,
because I just thought about everything, and like I said
when I accepted the award, all the things that I've
been through the past few years and still going through.
I injured myself at work and was diagnosed with seizures

(05:10):
and I'm still dealing with that and just chronic pain
that I have all the time. So that's something that
I'm still dealing with. And the fact that I was
able to make it back down the Praise Factor, it's
just a miracle. So that's everything that went through my
head when when I heard my Dave, and the only
thing I could say was thank you Jesus. And God
is faithful. That's the only thing I could think of

(05:32):
saying that.

Speaker 7 (05:37):
Was enough and living out this testimony of what you're
going through.

Speaker 8 (05:42):
You know, God is faithful and he is good, so.

Speaker 7 (05:46):
He's just saying to you, daughter, you're on the right path.
I love you in spite of what you're going through.
So it's just a blessing. It was a blessing to
be able to experience your ministry at those levels this time.

Speaker 8 (06:01):
So it was so good to see you.

Speaker 6 (06:04):
Yes, Yes, I had a great time.

Speaker 9 (06:06):
And I really like Praise Factor and events like that
because you get to see people that you've been talking.

Speaker 6 (06:12):
To online and social media and encouraging.

Speaker 9 (06:16):
Online to I get to see people that I've been
talking to, like I got to see Robin Birch. I've
been talking to her forever, Chapello Rabis, I got to
talk to her, Jimmy Grant, you know, all the different
people that I've been talking to and we've been encouraging
and voting for each other. So it was really good
to just see people that I've been that you know,

(06:38):
I've been talking to and can call friend and brother
and sister. Good to see them in person. Really good
talk about.

Speaker 7 (06:44):
The experience of expanding your ministry through Praise Factor, because
that's exactly what we want you to do. We want
you to expand your ministry through this platform.

Speaker 6 (06:57):
Well, I've met so many people.

Speaker 9 (07:02):
So last year was my first year, and one of
the first people who really encouraged me, and I don't
even know if he realized how much he encouraged me.

Speaker 6 (07:10):
Was Ricky Paul. He really encouraged me.

Speaker 9 (07:14):
He had no idea what I was going through at
the time, and he sat down for like an hour
and just talked to me, and it was encouraging me
and telling me how God had blessed him and just
trust God. And he had no idea that he was
blessing me by telling me that and everything that I
was going through.

Speaker 6 (07:30):
So him, his beautiful wife, She's just awesome. And I
mentioned earlier your mom. She was such a sweetheart.

Speaker 8 (07:37):
She was a sweetheart.

Speaker 6 (07:40):
The interviews.

Speaker 9 (07:41):
Last year, I met Pastor Drew, so I still stay
in contact with him. I had an interview with him. Oh,
Quentin Simon, I met him. I had an interview with
him earlier this week. So just the connections you make
and working with people, just working with people. Doctor Gates

(08:07):
so encourages me. He'll send me a message, and he
didn't realize. I would tell him, I say, you had
no idea what I was going through, and you'd be like, na, year,
did you do this?

Speaker 6 (08:14):
Did you do that?

Speaker 8 (08:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (08:15):
Keep going.

Speaker 9 (08:16):
So if nothing else, definitely a community of people who
can encourage you. I work with a lot of people,
so I've definitely been blessed by that community. We all
understand what it is to be an independent artist and
what we're trying to get to that next level.

Speaker 6 (08:35):
So, like I said, it's a community. We all have
the same goal in mind.

Speaker 7 (08:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So what are your plans, you know,
going into twenty twenty five? Are you working on new music?
Are you're still pushing your old music? Talk about what
your next steps are?

Speaker 6 (08:55):
Well, I am working on new music.

Speaker 8 (08:57):
I work a lot with.

Speaker 9 (09:00):
Tony Kelly actually from DWGN. He sends me music all
the time.

Speaker 6 (09:05):
Try this out, try it. He calls me needs, hey,
try this out, needs so he sent me something.

Speaker 8 (09:09):
So I'm working on that.

Speaker 9 (09:11):
I'm working on hone of my songwriting skills because I
just believe God has given me that gift of songwriting.

Speaker 6 (09:17):
So I'm working on that.

Speaker 9 (09:19):
And I want to actually work with other artists to
write music for them or write songs and lyrics for them.
So I'm working on that. I would like to have
a songwriting seminar one day. So some things that I'm
that I'm working on and looking forward to me.

Speaker 8 (09:37):
So you are you consider yourself a songwriter?

Speaker 9 (09:40):
Yes, I've written all my songs. I've written them out
of all of the music I've did, like a couple covers.

Speaker 6 (09:47):
Like when I first started one song again Tony Kelly.
It was his lyrics.

Speaker 9 (09:52):
I did the vocals and there was a minister at
my church. He gave me the lyrics and I came
up with the music working you know something else. I'm
working on the whole production stuff and learning how to
use the software. So a lot of those songs that
you hear are me sitting down learning how to use
the software and making up my own songs.

Speaker 6 (10:13):
But all of those lyrics are mine.

Speaker 2 (10:15):
So I thank God.

Speaker 9 (10:16):
I always pray when I'm when I'm getting ready to
do a song, always say God, give me lyrics, harmony,
harmonies and melodies so that I can write it.

Speaker 6 (10:25):
Give it to me so you know it can flow.
So I believe God has gifted me with.

Speaker 7 (10:31):
That that's fantastic. Now, did you play an instrument when
you were younger?

Speaker 11 (10:36):
I did, I did.

Speaker 9 (10:37):
I played a clarinet from elementary all the way through college.
So I played clarinet a long time.

Speaker 8 (10:45):
And yeah, so you have that instrument.

Speaker 7 (10:48):
I played the clarinet as well, So you have you
have that that that instrumentation ar songwriting, which is good.
A lot of songwriters don't even have that experience, but
it's good that you have that experience as well. Yes, yes, yes,
that is fantastic. Look, songwriters seminar love it. We probably

(11:09):
need more of those and to because some people don't
even know that they can write a song. You know,
it would be great to be able to teach that
part of it as well.

Speaker 9 (11:19):
Yes, and I truly believe we need to work on
our lyrics. You know, I can't say what God told
someone else to do, but I know what God told
me to do. We need to make sure that we
know who we're singing about. You know, you call yourself
a gospel artist. We need to hear God, Jesus, Holy
Spirit something, so I know who you're singing about. Yeah,

(11:43):
so you know, and I understand you know the different
ways that you try to get by that, but that's
what God tasks me to do. So when you hear
songs from then year, you're going to hear God, Jesus,
Holy Spirit, Savior. You're going to hear something know who
I'm singing about.

Speaker 7 (12:01):
So without a doubt, without a doubt, yes, well, we're
looking forward to what God is doing for you and
through you coming into the next season, and make sure
that you stay in touch. We love you, We enjoyed
you so much this year, ladies and gentlemen, the Alternative

(12:22):
Solo Artist of the Year for Season seventeen, Praise Factor Awards,
and tell everybody how they can reach out. What's your
social media?

Speaker 9 (12:31):
You can on my social media is nan your music.
That's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok. You can contact me at
nan your music dot com and just send a message,
or you can email me at.

Speaker 6 (12:45):
Nan your music dot com, your music at gmail dot com.

Speaker 12 (12:50):
There we go.

Speaker 8 (12:50):
All right, Well, thank you so much for joining us.

Speaker 7 (12:54):
God bless you, and again we enjoy every moment of
having you this year.

Speaker 6 (12:59):
At Season seventeen, Thank you for having me.

Speaker 7 (13:02):
I had so much fun, Gray Gray, God bless God
bless you. All Right, now we've got more from Season
seventeen of The Praise Factor special edition of Good News
with Twinda Black. Now, if you can watch the show
via pgn TV on all your digital streaming apps, or

(13:22):
visit us at pgntv dot org. We will see you
next time for some good news.

Speaker 1 (13:31):
Thank you for joining me today on Good News with
Twinda Black, where we are discovering some of the most
inspiring trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up
a friend and let them know. It's time for some
good news.

Speaker 13 (13:59):
Than all the n side, place that rest and fast
and like the Fine don't you te.

Speaker 14 (14:16):
A Long Way.

Speaker 3 (14:20):
He's Finest, No Lost Spaceball Fan, Bye, don't you te.

Speaker 15 (14:32):
Seat by Oh Lay Sleeps Love Beat, Bye with the
Y the Basket, gol Way by You Guys Who, by
every Die.

Speaker 13 (14:48):
By Fine Seat by the Fia by.

Speaker 3 (14:55):
Me Bi.

Speaker 8 (15:02):
All right.

Speaker 7 (15:03):
It's a special edition of season seventeen of the Praise
Factor Awards on Good News with Torna Black, and right
now we have Artists of the Year and Album of
the Year winner mister Licia Change.

Speaker 8 (15:21):
Hey, how you doing.

Speaker 16 (15:23):
I'm doing wonderful on yourself, wonderful, wonderful.

Speaker 7 (15:27):
You've got so many exciting things going on right now. Look,
I have to tell you Delicia and her husband are
starting a ministry. So I know that you are so excited.
Just talk about it for just a moment.

Speaker 16 (15:41):
Yes, the ministry is the Kingdom of God.

Speaker 4 (15:44):
Is this hands ministry?

Speaker 17 (15:47):
We've been going for a minute live on Facebook and YouTube.
But God just blessed us to be able to get
a building so we'll be located in the Grand Prairie,
Texas area.

Speaker 7 (16:00):
I'm so excited.

Speaker 17 (16:02):
God is just blowing our minds, even with the things
we need as we moving into the building, like desk
and chairs and different things, many free frigerators and just
different things like that.

Speaker 16 (16:15):
God is blessing and blessing people to give. You know,
God is moving. That's how you know when it's got
it working, and not your flesh.

Speaker 17 (16:24):
You know a lot of people move with flesh, but
when it's God, there's no denying it and then you
just have to obey and move.

Speaker 8 (16:31):
That's right, that's right.

Speaker 7 (16:33):
How as as a pastor, and I know you're your
husband are co pastoring as a pastor?

Speaker 8 (16:41):
How are you going to balance this music thing and pastoring?

Speaker 7 (16:46):
I think they go together. But I know that you
know you travel a little bit. So how are you
going to balance that?

Speaker 17 (16:53):
That is funny me and my husband is just talking
about that. Shout out to my husband, Apostle George James.

Speaker 18 (16:59):
Uh.

Speaker 17 (16:59):
And God's gonna lead us on how to balance it.
I don't think it's a hard thing. If he just
you know, be laid and be obedient, everything will work
together for the good of those something the Lord, everything
I'll come together. And man, even when I travel, that's
when my husband will step in and he'll step in
and do ministry while I'm on the road.

Speaker 4 (17:20):
And I laughed, but he was.

Speaker 17 (17:21):
He was like, what else I gotta go forth and
you gotta travel. And they was like, where's Pastor Patrick,
where's properties Delicia?

Speaker 4 (17:31):
And he said, what if they just want to go
on the road with you?

Speaker 8 (17:33):
I was like, I was like, you got it. You
gotta hold it down, you know.

Speaker 18 (17:42):
Uh.

Speaker 17 (17:42):
But no, I love his teaching and so many people
enjoy the way he teaches the world of God. You know,
like you said, balance just knowing how to move strategically,
and I believe we'll be blessed as we move forward.
I'm excited about the music as well as the minish you.
I'm just excited about everything.

Speaker 18 (18:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (18:03):
Yeah, so of course, uh you feen with us for
a while. But this year Artist of the Year and
Album of You.

Speaker 8 (18:11):
You were so surprised.

Speaker 7 (18:13):
It was just funny to see you.

Speaker 8 (18:15):
You were like, what talk about your experience and praise
back to this year.

Speaker 4 (18:22):
Oh that was amazing.

Speaker 16 (18:23):
Like I really was surprised because the categories.

Speaker 7 (18:27):
I was thinking and God was like, no.

Speaker 18 (18:31):
You.

Speaker 16 (18:32):
And so when I heard the categories, I was just like, oh,
I was like, well, maybe next year.

Speaker 7 (18:36):
This is that I'm fucked in my head.

Speaker 8 (18:38):
I think maybe next year, Jesus.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
And then I was y'all do me like this all
the time.

Speaker 8 (18:44):
And y'all did me like that last year.

Speaker 17 (18:46):
That is hilarious because I wasn't ready either, and I
definitely wasn't ready for this so MANYOK, when the category
came up with an Artists of the Year and I.

Speaker 2 (18:55):
Was looking and I was like, oh, that's a lot
of people.

Speaker 16 (18:58):
And then it was like when I and I was
ready to come on stage to sing, and so as
I got.

Speaker 17 (19:03):
Up there and it was like Delicia, I was like,
oh God, what my goodness, Like I kind of freaked
out and You're like, cool, go. So I went from stage,
and I'm just very grateful and you know, gave faiths
to God and you know those that disupport and vote
for me. And I was going down the stairs and
they was doing the album other year, you know, I

(19:25):
was taking my time and my mom was like, look
and I turned around. She was like, I was like, oh,
so I had to go back again and Harry be
get back up there. Like, I was totally surprised. At
the end of the day, I am grateful.

Speaker 8 (19:38):
I am so.

Speaker 16 (19:39):
Grateful, and my experience and praisepective was amazing.

Speaker 7 (19:43):
Yeah, it was a fun year. This year. We just
you know, of course, we just came off tour together,
so but it's just it's fun.

Speaker 8 (19:53):
It feels so much like family mine.

Speaker 17 (19:56):
Yes, I did feel just like family, like we hadny
each other for a long time.

Speaker 7 (20:02):
Yes, yes, yes, Now now I know that I don't
even know who the winners are. I mean has team
We don't know, probably until the day of. But I
never looked at the list.

Speaker 8 (20:14):
So I had no idea. So I was just as
surprised as you were.

Speaker 2 (20:20):
I was so surprised.

Speaker 16 (20:22):
I wasn't ready, you know, when Kevin Hart said I
wasn't ready.

Speaker 5 (20:26):
I was.

Speaker 16 (20:28):
Not ready but yet grateful.

Speaker 7 (20:31):
Yeah, Now which album was this album?

Speaker 17 (20:34):
This was on the Move with the album call on
the Move basically about being on the move of God.

Speaker 12 (20:41):
And each song is.

Speaker 17 (20:45):
A way in which it reached people and encouraged people
to be on the move of God, whether it was
traditional in or whether it was jazz, whether it was
hip hop rap, or whether it.

Speaker 7 (20:55):
Was worshiped, just to be on the move about God's business,
you know. And what I love about your ministry, your
your artistry and your ministry is that you you kind
of cover all those things, but you came from poetry.
You write from being a poet, which is amazing. And

(21:16):
then what are you thinking when God says, Okay, I
don't want you to do it that way. I want
you to do it this way this time. Can you
do some country Western?

Speaker 8 (21:24):
Can you do some jazz?

Speaker 18 (21:25):
Can you do.

Speaker 16 (21:30):
Like I just be lived by guy and he said
this is what I want you to do this time.

Speaker 17 (21:34):
Then I'm going to obey because I'm sure it's a
particular audience that He's having mind.

Speaker 7 (21:41):
For me to be able to reach.

Speaker 4 (21:43):
So I'm always excited.

Speaker 17 (21:44):
However God leads me to do it, I'll do it
because I know it's it's souls hanging in the balance.

Speaker 16 (21:49):
Amen, it's about saving so Samen.

Speaker 7 (21:53):
Yeah, yeah it is.

Speaker 8 (21:54):
You know, my favorite favorite song this year has been Fighting.

Speaker 7 (22:00):
That song been lighting it up. Talk about when you
wrote that song, where were you, what was happening in
your life, because that song, that song just lights up
the atmosphere. It does.

Speaker 17 (22:14):
Actually, I was in the middle of my first first marriage.
I was in the middle of going through and at
that time we had separated and I was at home
and it was so stressful. I was so stressed and
I was sitting there and all of a sudden, my
heart just started like beating, like so out of control.

Speaker 16 (22:37):
And I did not know it was going on.

Speaker 17 (22:39):
I was sitting there and it's like all my strength
was like leaving my body. And I was like, Lord,
what is going on? And then it got to the
point where I couldn't move. I didn't I just feelt
so tired, and I just told her heard the Holy
Spirit say get up and fight.

Speaker 8 (22:53):
And I was like, huh.

Speaker 17 (22:55):
And I heard the Holy Ghost again, so strong you
say get up and fight. I was like, well, I'm
going a week. Well, he said, when you get up
and move. You don't move in your own strength, you
move in my strength, is what he told me. So
as I stood up, I knew it wasn't my own shift.
I stood up and I felt the fire of.

Speaker 16 (23:10):
God consume my whole body.

Speaker 17 (23:13):
And when he said get up and fight, and he
telling me to get up and start exercising, and the
whole time, I'm like doing jeff and jumping jacks.

Speaker 7 (23:20):
Like okay, this is weird.

Speaker 8 (23:22):
I don't know what's going on. I'm gonna obey and
do it.

Speaker 17 (23:25):
So I started doing jumping jacks and literally the Holy
Spirit led me to exercise to conversate for the overpowering
of my heart rain. And so I got up and
I started exercising, and as I was exercising, I just
heard guy.

Speaker 4 (23:39):
Say keep fighting, keep moving.

Speaker 17 (23:42):
After that I was able to get up. I went
to the hospital and they said I had had a
mouth heart attack, but the grace of God his blood
covered with me. So after that, I sat down and
I was like, Okay, God, this has got to be
a song, because this is a testimony that it's gonna
bless many.

Speaker 16 (24:01):
So I sat down and beginning.

Speaker 17 (24:03):
Right and even when you feel like you're down to
your worst or you don't see a break food, you
don't see a way through or a way out. Distrust
God and just keep fighting. And how you keep fighting
in prayer, standing faithful and obedience of God, regardless of
what they look like. Keep fighting, reading the word, encouraging

(24:24):
your stuff, you know the Bible. Just to stand a
firm on the word. He said, be planning about the
river like a tree, and be not flu So you know,
stand firm. And that's how that song came about. They
carried others, you know, to keep that song as.

Speaker 8 (24:38):
The jam of the year.

Speaker 7 (24:39):
Okay, we love that, I mean, you know we love time. Yeah,
that's that's another one. Now what were you when you
were writing that? What was happening in your life when
you're writing time?

Speaker 8 (24:52):
Time?

Speaker 2 (24:53):
I wasn't spending enough time.

Speaker 8 (24:54):
I'm gonna just be honest.

Speaker 17 (24:55):
Guys like you not, Hey, you're not spend enough time
with me. It's so much I want to share with
you and show you. I need you to do. You
to get out the way so I can come in
and I can move in a greater way. He just said,
you need to spend more time with me. It's almost
as if you have a you know you have a
relationship with your with your husband or either a person

(25:18):
with their white and you don't spend time if it
comes neglect you know, and I just I have to,
Like I said, Lord, I'm neglecting you.

Speaker 7 (25:26):
I'm putting other things in.

Speaker 6 (25:28):
Forward you, I said.

Speaker 17 (25:29):
And that's how time came about. I need you to
spend more time with me. I love you and I
forgive you, but I need you to spend more time
with me so I can show you the things I
have in store for you. If you don't spend time
with me, then I can't show you.

Speaker 7 (25:42):
I can't bless you, I can't.

Speaker 16 (25:44):
Strengthen you, I can't encourage you.

Speaker 12 (25:46):
You know.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
So that's how time came about.

Speaker 7 (25:49):
Wow wow Wow, But keep fighting.

Speaker 8 (25:53):
That's the gem, hey man.

Speaker 7 (25:55):
That is the gem of the year. We enjoy every
moment of.

Speaker 8 (26:01):
You this year.

Speaker 7 (26:02):
At Season seventeen of the Praise Factorwards tell folks how
they can learn more about you, where they can get
your music from.

Speaker 17 (26:10):
Okay, you can go to my website with it which
is Delicia J dot com.

Speaker 4 (26:15):
That's D E.

Speaker 16 (26:17):
L I s I A J dot com.

Speaker 17 (26:20):
And on my website you will find my Facebook handle,
my Twitter, my Instagram. Everything you need to find out
about me, you'll find it on my website as well
as how to book me, as well as how to
get encouraged, I mean, get in touch with me, which
is through also through my email address, which is Delicia.

Speaker 16 (26:43):
J One at gmail dot com.

Speaker 7 (26:46):
All right, all right, all right, look are you.

Speaker 8 (26:49):
Working on new music?

Speaker 16 (26:51):
I got some things in store. I got a little
jazz Christmas coming and.

Speaker 17 (26:57):
You know, some some new things is coming. So I'm
excited about that. I think y'all guys, you guys gonna
love that. And just we'll contine to push the current
songs that time and then keep fighting and got some
events that's gonna be set up that's coming as well,
So I just stay tuned in and see what's new coming.

Speaker 7 (27:20):
All Right, We're excited, We're excited.

Speaker 8 (27:23):
You know, we love you.

Speaker 7 (27:23):
We're gonna keep fighting everybody. Ncia James joins us here
on this special edition of Good News with Twanta Black.

Speaker 8 (27:32):
Thank you so much for taking out time.

Speaker 2 (27:34):
Thank you for having me.

Speaker 7 (27:37):
All right now, Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards.
Special edition of Good News with Twanta Black. Look, you
can reach out to me at good News at thepg
network dot org and watch the show via pgn TV
on all digital streaming apps, or visit us at pgntv
dot org. We'll see you next time for some good

(27:59):
news tuned, We've got more.

Speaker 1 (28:13):
Thank you for joining me today on Good News with
Twanda Black, We're we're discovering some of the most inspiring
trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up a
friend and let them know it's time for some good news.

Speaker 5 (28:34):
We're watching out of the Dumpish into his Hole us bad.

Speaker 3 (28:44):
Wiz It go to the Mandish and guess to sound
as somebody.

Speaker 6 (28:54):
With that.

Speaker 3 (28:56):
Go to the Bloodish, say yes, go sad?

Speaker 7 (29:04):
Wis up.

Speaker 3 (29:07):
To deception? Yes yes, truth and Cols What's side? Go
to the Bless's say yes sad.

Speaker 7 (29:28):
All right.

Speaker 8 (29:29):
Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards.

Speaker 7 (29:31):
This is a special edition of Good News with Twanda
Black and joining me Trina Sharifa Cuff. She is the
Rhythm and Praise Solo Artist of the Year. Trina, how
are you?

Speaker 8 (29:44):
I am blessed. I am blessed. You are blessed. You
are blessed.

Speaker 7 (29:49):
We're so proud of you and we enjoyed your talent,
your artistry this year at season seventeen of the Praise
Factor Awards, tell her audience a little bit about your back.

Speaker 9 (30:02):
I'm from Philadelphia, the Tri State area. Grew up in
South Jersey, had a hip hop background for many years.
But my first solo was in Church of God in
christ And when I moved to Atlanta, maybe thirty years ago,
I recorded my first album that took me overseas to Europe.

Speaker 7 (30:27):
And so you said you moved to Atlanta, but then
you moved out of Atlanta.

Speaker 9 (30:30):
Right, Yes, I was living in Atlanta for about five
years and while I was there. When I first went
to Atlanta, I wasn't interested in gospel music. I was
a Christian, but I thought gospel music was born. But
I listened to Carmen and Yolanda Adams and then God
said give me your gift. And then I took two

(30:52):
years and worked on my first album, and then I
got a call to go to London, and from that
one gig, I just stayed and started touring in different
countries overseas.

Speaker 7 (31:06):
What do you consider your style? What for me, I'm
learning that, of course forty years in the business, that
everybody doesn't have a cookie cutter style. You know, like
everybody else, what do you consider to be your style?

Speaker 9 (31:20):
Well, I've been known for urban gospel for so long
because of the hip hop influence I had, and you know,
even my first two albums, I had a few tracks
on there where I rapped, you know, but I think
as I'm getting older, I'm not putting myself in one

(31:41):
cookie jar, you know, like the hems. You know, I
had to hem how great Thou art that I put
on this how to break Up? You know, just to
be balanced.

Speaker 19 (31:53):
You know.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
I don't want to get too far to the left
and right, and so I.

Speaker 9 (31:57):
Try to be all things to all people. But urban
gospel has been my niche and that is what I
am known for.

Speaker 7 (32:07):
You know, we really got to see your ministry this
year Friday night, well, Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday phenomenal, phenomenal.
You did something different. Every time you gave us something different.
We enjoyed you so much. So talk about your when
as with Rhythm and Praise Solo Artists of the Year.

(32:29):
Did you expect it?

Speaker 2 (32:31):
I did not expect it at all.

Speaker 9 (32:34):
I think my eye was so focused on the video
award because we just put more emphasis in the work
that we put in. But when I saw the other
contestants video, I.

Speaker 6 (32:48):
Was very amazed.

Speaker 9 (32:50):
I was like, wow, you always think you're the only
one putting in the work, and when you see other artists,
oh my goodness some of the videos that were set,
it blew me away and I had to tell them, look,
your video.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
It was a blessing.

Speaker 9 (33:06):
So I think it fell the way it was supposed to.
But I did not expect that category.

Speaker 4 (33:11):
I wasn't even looking in that generation all.

Speaker 8 (33:14):
Be honest, you were quite surprised.

Speaker 7 (33:19):
Yes, tell us about tell us about your experience and
praise factor this year.

Speaker 9 (33:26):
It was exciting seeing people from all parts of the
world connecting with some disc jockeys from Europe, Africa, the
other musicians from Texas and just I was really excited
to see on the final night, Saturday Night, how everything

(33:46):
came together. I have some production background. I used to
have a show called Good News Vibe maybe twenty years
ago in London, but I.

Speaker 2 (33:57):
Could not continue. I don't see. No, you have to
have an anointing to pull this together. I couldn't do it.

Speaker 8 (34:05):
It wasn't a lot, wasn't it.

Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yes, But when we saw how it flowed, the main night.

Speaker 9 (34:13):
And you know, the other artists told me, they said,
watch Talent all phones out on the main night. Wow,
so wonderful, so glamorous, so spectacular, and I'm just hats off,
hats off, I said, look, thank you, the right ones
are doing what they're supposed to do.

Speaker 2 (34:33):
Because it couldn't be me.

Speaker 7 (34:36):
Well, look, wait until you see the finished product. You
are going to be even more amazed when you see
the televised version it is. We're still working on it.
Pastor t Apostle, Teresa Jordan, she does all of that,
and I'm always amazed at her talents. Well, wait till
you see it. It's going to be absolutely amazing. Yes, yes, yes, yes,

(35:03):
So talk about what you're getting ready to do. Are
you traveling more, are you writing? Are you going back
into the studio, how are you working right now?

Speaker 2 (35:14):
I think coming to Atlanta it did something for me.

Speaker 9 (35:19):
You could feel that line of like you're in the
Gospel belt for real, for real, and I would hope
to go.

Speaker 2 (35:28):
Back down South.

Speaker 9 (35:29):
When I left Atlanta, I visited my mom in South Carolina,
not too far from Savannah, Georgia, and the same thing.
So Christmas, we have a few Christmas tapings and then
but I'm excited all the people I'm met from Texas, Tennessee.
It made me want to come back down south.

Speaker 8 (35:51):
I gotta come back.

Speaker 4 (35:53):
And the peach cobbler, oh my goodness.

Speaker 7 (35:56):
Oh oh, you're getting in trouble now, girl, getting in trouble.
But you know, the Bible Belt as they call it
as it were, it is a little different.

Speaker 8 (36:08):
It is a different feel, and.

Speaker 7 (36:11):
You know, they take their gospel seriously, just like in Chicago,
in Detroit, you know everybody they take their stuff serious.

Speaker 8 (36:19):
You know, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.

Speaker 9 (36:22):
And so there was a good vibe thinking that where
you started was where you came back, and you know,
you were just honored with an award.

Speaker 2 (36:33):
It's a full circle moment.

Speaker 8 (36:37):
So for the holidays, you traveling next year?

Speaker 7 (36:42):
I know I just asked you this, but I'm going
to ask you again. Are you working on your music? Yeah?

Speaker 9 (36:47):
I'm going to release some new singles off of the
present album. I'm a strange artist. I just don't just
jump up and jump into the studio every year and
start recording. I work until the last drop and then
I go and do what I have to do. I yeah,
I'm guilty.

Speaker 7 (37:07):
That's a smart artist.

Speaker 8 (37:08):
You're good. You're good. That's wisdom. That's wisdom right there,
that is wisdom.

Speaker 9 (37:14):
I work all my singles until you just you already
know it's done.

Speaker 3 (37:20):
Amen.

Speaker 7 (37:20):
Amen, that is that is awesome right there.

Speaker 9 (37:25):
I have a few like gospel jazz vibes on the
album that I would like to release, and they're easy,
They're easier vocally, you know, and uh, maybe one or
two more urban for the youth.

Speaker 2 (37:42):
And then yeah, and.

Speaker 7 (37:46):
You know, you've got a great range in your voice.

Speaker 8 (37:50):
How long have you been singing?

Speaker 9 (37:52):
Oh, my lord, probably fifty three years. My first song
was in Church of God in Christ. But when I
was growing up, when I first started singing as a youngster,
I had I had a high tone, but all my family,

(38:13):
relatives and the people around me that could sing had
these big voices.

Speaker 2 (38:19):
I just couldn't do it.

Speaker 8 (38:21):
Yeah, what in the world.

Speaker 9 (38:22):
So eventually, you know, with practice, and then I took
vocal lessons, but I kept I sound like Kermit the Fraud.
But eventually I got there. I said, we're gonna get this,
We're gonna get this power. So I'm an I'm a
natural soprano.

Speaker 2 (38:38):
That is my gift.

Speaker 9 (38:39):
But you could tell Yeah, but that's my because I
grew up listening to like Denise Williams, Minnie Rippleton, the News.
So those are the people that I would mimic as
a child. But sometimes we don't want what God gives
us until later we're like, oh, this is really nice,
right right. I wanted to be a Belta, which I

(39:03):
am now, but it took it took a long time
to get there.

Speaker 7 (39:08):
Ain't nothing wrong with that.

Speaker 8 (39:09):
Ain't nothing wrong with that.

Speaker 7 (39:10):
Look, Trina, tell everybody how to reach you, how to
learn more about you, get your music, all of that
good stuff.

Speaker 9 (39:18):
Okay, there's a smartland called here now. If you google
here now Trina Sharifa Cuff, it will take you to
all the platforms that my album is on. Listening my
present album, it will take you to Spotify, Amazon, Apple,
and on YouTube. And also my website address is ww

(39:39):
dot Sharifa online dot com, Sharifa Online, s h A
r I f A online dot com and you'll find
all my music. My email address is Trinacuff one at
gmail dot com.

Speaker 7 (39:53):
There you go, all right, all right. The Rhythm and
Praise Solo Artist of the Year receiving seasons seventeen of
the Praise Factor Awards, Trina Sharifa Cuff, thank you so
much for taking time out to just say hello and
introduce yourself to the world.

Speaker 8 (40:09):
Thank you so much for joining us. God bless you,
God bless you.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
Thank you.

Speaker 7 (40:17):
All right now Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards. Look,
if you want to be a guest on the show,
you can email me at Twinda Black at THEPG network
dot org or.

Speaker 8 (40:26):
Good News at Thepgnetwork dot org.

Speaker 7 (40:30):
Watch the show via pgn TV on all your digital
streaming apps, or visit us at pgntv dot org. Look,
we've got more. Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards.
Special edition of Good News with Twanda Black. So stay tuned.

Speaker 2 (40:58):
Thank you for.

Speaker 1 (40:59):
Joining me to day on Good News with Twinda Black,
where we are discovering some of the most inspiring trials
to triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up a friend
and let them know it's time for some good news.

Speaker 7 (41:24):
Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards. This is a
special edition of Good News with Twnda Black, and we
have for you right now the artist who won Best
Video of the Year, Rashaan Nicole Hi lady.

Speaker 4 (41:40):
Hello, Hi, how are you are you doing well?

Speaker 7 (41:44):
How are you doing?

Speaker 8 (41:46):
Wonder?

Speaker 7 (41:48):
Best Video of the year. First of all, congratulations, but
tell us about this video.

Speaker 20 (41:55):
Yes, so excited to win Best Video of the Year.
Only one and this music video. Shout out to the producer,
which is Alex Presskitt here in Seattle, Washington and the
music producer Donie Goodman from Florida.

Speaker 4 (42:13):
But the music video basically takes place and three locations
here in Seattle.

Speaker 20 (42:18):
So we showcased like a dashpoint area and then further
out in Seattle. And it took us about six months
to film the music video. Because yeah, it took six months.
Alex the music producer, he wanted to get like the
right lighting. He was like, we have to do it

(42:39):
on the Golden out hour and here in Seattle.

Speaker 4 (42:42):
Of course, you know, we get rained. Sometimes we can
get the four four seasons and one day.

Speaker 20 (42:49):
And so there was days that we had to cancel
because of the raining, and so it just it was
just this whole process, but it turned out to be lovely.

Speaker 4 (42:57):
He wanted to do a couple of you know, take
some free scenes and we have to keep the right lighting.
The sun has to be here so it was a process,
but it was just it was great to you know,
shoot and film this and needs to talk about the song.

Speaker 16 (43:10):
What's the song?

Speaker 8 (43:11):
What's the video?

Speaker 4 (43:12):
Yeah, so the music video only one.

Speaker 20 (43:15):
I wrote the song actually a few years ago, and
it's this was a process as well. It took about
two years to complete the song, and so we just
I decided that I wanted something this is my only
worship song.

Speaker 4 (43:28):
I was like, I want something a little bit different.

Speaker 20 (43:30):
So I went to kind of showcase Seattle, Washington area
with our greenery and the water and this and the
beautiful scenes that we have here. And so I was like,
let's do let's film it like at the beach and
and so he's like, yes, we'll go to the beach
and we'll film.

Speaker 8 (43:47):
Some water scenes.

Speaker 4 (43:48):
We'll also shoot like some grass and some tree scenes.

Speaker 20 (43:51):
And so I wanted to just kind of showcase just
the beautiful you know earth that God's created and that
you know, He's the only one. And so I wrote
the song back back in twenty twenty actually during the shutdown,
and I started writing that that was the time where
I was just kind of going through a lot in.

Speaker 4 (44:10):
My life and struggling with depression and everything.

Speaker 20 (44:12):
And that was before I went to treatment, and so
I just started writing, you know, God here the only one,
No one compares to you.

Speaker 4 (44:18):
And then I finished it after I left out of
treatment where I had the verse.

Speaker 20 (44:23):
Yeah, so it took some time. I kind of put
on the shelf a little bit, and then I came back.

Speaker 4 (44:28):
To it and finished the song. And then that's when
I was like, let's release it.

Speaker 20 (44:33):
Let's you know, shoot the music video and just show
this beautiful scenery and this amazing view.

Speaker 4 (44:40):
And so that's just kind of like how only one
came about.

Speaker 7 (44:44):
That's beautiful. It is a beautiful video, absolutely beautiful. Talk
about your testimony. You're alluding to it a little bit,
but tell your testimony.

Speaker 20 (44:52):
Yeah, So a little bit about my testimony. Back in
twenty twelve, I had a near death experience. Was very sick,
and I was in ICU for thirty days and during
that time I almost died twice.

Speaker 4 (45:07):
And so after I left out of ICU, I struggled
with the medical trauma.

Speaker 20 (45:12):
So I struggled with PTSD depression, addiction, and anxiety, and
the prescribed medication that they gave me at night to sleep,
I was drinking alcohol on top of that, just so
I did not have to.

Speaker 4 (45:25):
Relive the experience of the trauma that I faced.

Speaker 20 (45:27):
And so this became a vicious cycle Twanda for nine years,
and I tried to you know, I tried to work
on it myself.

Speaker 4 (45:36):
But back in twenty twenty, at the end of twenty twenty,
I was like.

Speaker 20 (45:40):
Enough is enough. I need to go and seek professional help.
And that's when I went to treatment for two months
and worked on my trauma and worked on healthy coping skills,
and that's when I started writing my music of my story,
my testimony, and so after leading out of treatment is
that's when I released my first single, Wooded Scars, and

(46:02):
then just sharing my story with each song kind of
storytelling of my story and overcoming.

Speaker 4 (46:07):
All the obstacles that I went through.

Speaker 20 (46:09):
And so I'm super grateful to not only sing about
my testimony but also to share and speak about it
as well.

Speaker 7 (46:16):
Absolutely, absolutely, you don't know how many thousands or millions
of people you're helping bit by sharing. And your music
is so phenomenal. Yeah, so phenomenal, And I love that.
I know this was a worship song, but your songs
are usually those fighter songs.

Speaker 8 (46:33):
They're upbeat, you can dance to them. You know all
of that.

Speaker 7 (46:38):
I love it.

Speaker 8 (46:39):
I love it.

Speaker 7 (46:40):
I love it. Thank you for sharing your testimony. You
also went back to school to actually follow up with
your experiences.

Speaker 4 (46:50):
Right, absolutely, yes, And I am like, I am almost done.

Speaker 20 (46:53):
It's been two years. It's been two years, and I'm
at the end of I'm doing my practicals.

Speaker 4 (46:59):
And so I did. I went back to school.

Speaker 20 (47:01):
I'm an educator, but during this time of me of healing,
I started to have a passion of speaking about mental
health and wellness, and so I was working on myself
and I was like, I want to educate, you know,
and bring awareness to people.

Speaker 4 (47:14):
In the community.

Speaker 20 (47:15):
And so I enrolled to be a it's called a
functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner or I just say, I certified
health coach. And so I'll be finished, hopefully in the
next few months where I can really just dive deep
and really just truly help the community and people who
want to look at what's going on with their health
and give them specific protocols and follow up and help

(47:38):
support them.

Speaker 4 (47:38):
So yes, I did give me in your prayers with that,
I'm almost done.

Speaker 7 (47:42):
So I'm so happy for you. I can't wait. I
can't wait. You know, have you always written your own songs?
Would your How was your career before your crisis as
compared to after the crisis.

Speaker 4 (47:58):
Yeah, yeah, great question.

Speaker 20 (48:00):
And you know, yes, before I went through my treatment,
I was in the studio here here and there, you know,
I would go and record a song.

Speaker 4 (48:09):
And I was like, oh, I want to release that one,
you know, like I.

Speaker 20 (48:12):
Kind of music to me was I enjoyed doing it,
and it was more kind of a hobby for me.
But after treatment is when I realized, like, it's this
is not a hobby.

Speaker 7 (48:22):
This is a ministry.

Speaker 20 (48:23):
This is my purpose, this is my calling, and this
is what I am supposed to do. And so I think,
you know, my I think my my, my struggle became
my purpose. And so before that, like I said, I
enjoyed it and it was fun for me, but it
wasn't something that I really thought, oh, you.

Speaker 4 (48:41):
Know that I would do as as my miniscreen.

Speaker 20 (48:43):
So I would always write as a little girl, write
songs and you know, and as a team would write.

Speaker 7 (48:48):
Songs and everything.

Speaker 20 (48:50):
But I think it was just after treatment is when
it was it was different for me and something just
clicked and that's when I knew that this is what
I had to do.

Speaker 7 (48:58):
That's amazing, and that's an amazing test toning in itself.
And of course you know God is going to continue
to use you in that area because that is your calling,
that's your ministry, that is your ministry. So talk about your.

Speaker 8 (49:11):
Experience at Praise Factor.

Speaker 21 (49:12):
We met you last year and phenomenal artists, but you
know it felt like you were coming back.

Speaker 8 (49:19):
Home to us this year.

Speaker 7 (49:20):
Yeah, we were so excited to see you talk about
your experience a Praise Factor this year.

Speaker 4 (49:26):
Yes, yeah, So Praise Factor has been amazing. Like you said,
season sixteen. Last year was my first year, and I
was like, I love this. I love the community. I
love the people and the artists and of course Pastor
T and you as well, Swanda.

Speaker 8 (49:40):
And so this year I was.

Speaker 20 (49:42):
Able to participate in the meet and greet, and so
I was able to perform my new single which is
Brighter Days and Free, and that was amazing. And also
I was able to participate in the award ceremony. I
missed a couple of act tivities because I was speaking.

Speaker 4 (50:01):
During that time.

Speaker 20 (50:02):
So I was on stage speaking about mental health and burnout.
So I kind of I was juggling to you know,
events out one time, but it was great, and so
I would say that I really do enjoy and I
said this last year, the business the business classes because
as artists, as independent artists, we're doing everything right. And
so I think just having that business aspect and knowing

(50:23):
like this is what I need to do as a business,
you know, because this is not.

Speaker 4 (50:27):
A hobby, this is a business.

Speaker 20 (50:29):
I really enjoy those classes and looking back at them
and referring back to them, and so thank you for
doing that, and yeah, I love it every year.

Speaker 7 (50:37):
So it's been amazing. It was such a blessing to
have you so talk about how are you going to
connect and I think I'm hoping you're going to say
what I think you're going to say.

Speaker 8 (50:49):
How are you going to.

Speaker 7 (50:49):
Connect your music with what you're doing career wise in
the mental health bil?

Speaker 3 (50:56):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (50:56):
Absolutely, yes. So I'm doing that now as an educat.

Speaker 20 (51:01):
I speak on mental health and burnout prevention, and so
I'm marrying I'm marrying the music.

Speaker 4 (51:08):
And the speaking together.

Speaker 20 (51:10):
Yes, so I'm not just available just to sing, but
I'm available to speak and so basically I'm in the
education space.

Speaker 4 (51:17):
Now where I'm talking about.

Speaker 20 (51:18):
You know, a lot of teachers are struggling and they're
burnt out, and so to talk about how burnout can
affect your mental health and it can lead to anxiety
and depression and addiction. So I'm speaking to educators and
busy professionals and saying, you know, these are some some
tools that you can take, some strategies, some practical strategies
that you can use to you know, improve your mental

(51:39):
health and prevent burnout or burnout.

Speaker 4 (51:42):
Recovery and so.

Speaker 20 (51:43):
And then I can take on those one on one
clients for those who want to dive deeper into their health.
So just speaking about it and letting people know my story,
but also taking them, you know, one step further if
they want to, you know.

Speaker 4 (51:56):
Go through that healing process.

Speaker 7 (51:58):
It's pretty awesome, Pretty awesome, and what a great opportunity
also to minister in song and to speak as well
at the same time.

Speaker 3 (52:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (52:07):
Great.

Speaker 7 (52:08):
He tell folks how they can learn more about you,
how they can get your music, how they can book
you for either or for both.

Speaker 20 (52:15):
Yes, Yeah, so you you can learn more about me
on my website, which is Roshannicole dot com. I'm also
Roshan Nicole on Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube, on TikTok.
Make it easy for everyone, Rochon Nicole and I'm available
for not only singing but also speaking as well.

Speaker 7 (52:35):
So yeah, such a blessing and such a blessing to
see you this year. We're so proud of you and
all the things that God has is just blessing you
with using your gifts and talents to the utmost. So
thank you so much for just giving us this little
bit of time.

Speaker 8 (52:51):
Thank you.

Speaker 4 (52:52):
Thank you so much, Twanta for having me on it.
So good to see you you too.

Speaker 7 (52:56):
Best Video of Year, Richon Nicole Well, Season seventeen of
the Priise Factor Awards.

Speaker 8 (53:02):
Thanks for joining us. Thank you all right now, that
was awesome.

Speaker 7 (53:08):
If you want to be a guest on Good News,
you can email me at Twanda Black at thepgnetwork dot
org or Goodnews at thepgnetwork dot org. You can watch
the show via pgntv on your digital streaming apps, or
visit us at pgntv dot org. Look Season seventeen of
the Praise Factor Awards. This is a special edition of

(53:29):
Good News, so make sure you stay tuned. Luke got
more to come. God bless.

Speaker 9 (53:48):
Thank you for.

Speaker 1 (53:48):
Joining me today on Good News with Twinda Black, We're
we're discovering some of the most inspiring trials to triumph
stories and empowerment moments. Call up a friend and let
them know it's time for some good news.

Speaker 22 (54:11):
He's gonna show all his glory and punch your hate
is a crunch of fold. Just come as your awt
and let that be your church clothes, because he's gonna
use what he got the store kicking down some dose
and every time one closed, crack a smiles, strike a
pose and say I'm a child of the King. Im
Gucci forever more saying kenep.

Speaker 23 (54:28):
Guard first and then control.

Speaker 18 (54:31):
When this world gets cold.

Speaker 24 (54:32):
And you're about to let it go, Hey.

Speaker 23 (54:35):
Keep guard first and then control.

Speaker 22 (54:37):
When your heart's full little pain and you're about to
go insane, Hey, let go the wheel and let your
over navigate. Nevercline and the passenger see close your wires
and learn to win.

Speaker 8 (54:48):
Don't trip on how slow, don't trip on how fast.

Speaker 18 (54:51):
Letting him mash the gas.

Speaker 24 (54:52):
And throw your keys in the trail. If he turns
left and you feel it, why didn't he turn right?

Speaker 8 (54:57):
Just take that an here chip and go it out
the what did the.

Speaker 7 (55:03):
Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards. This is a
special edition of Good News with TWNTA Black. Hey, y'all.
Joining us today is the new Artist of the Year,
the Butler God's Child.

Speaker 24 (55:18):
Hey, how you doing super duper blessed? And that's an understatement,
all right?

Speaker 8 (55:26):
I love it. I love it you.

Speaker 7 (55:30):
You joined us from Praise Factor this year and you
are new Artists of the Year. Were you surprised by that?

Speaker 24 (55:38):
Totally, totally, totally caught me out board. But that's what
God do.

Speaker 7 (55:47):
Yes, yes, yes, talk about your talk about your experience
and Praise Factor this year.

Speaker 22 (55:53):
Wow, it was amazing. I mean it was like a
script out of a book. I mean from start to finished,
just the fingerprint of God all over throughout the weekend.
Being stranded in North Carolina on Friday night and making
it to the Praise Factor on Saturday, meeting miss to

(56:13):
one on Saturday morning, getting my.

Speaker 7 (56:16):
Hug and you said that you was like, let me
get my hug again.

Speaker 22 (56:22):
I'm a listener and I heard you a lot and clear,
like a lot of a lot of artists, a lot
of we come to events like the Praise Factor and
we don't get to meet and Greek, we don't talk
to one another. We just come in, accept our water,
perform or whatever it is you do, and then you leave,
and really you leave your blessing behind.

Speaker 7 (56:42):
Yeah, because you're not connected. You're just not connected. Well,
let me ask you this again. So the Butler God's Child.
Talk about your name and where it came from. How
you developed that.

Speaker 24 (56:54):
The Butler God's Child d A.

Speaker 22 (56:56):
I played a it's a play on the The Butler
is my last name, and Gard's Child has always been
my rap name. But in the in the business, there
were a couple of other Gad's childs floating around, so
I had to add the Butler to God's Child, and
that's how I got my name.

Speaker 24 (57:13):
We're all Guard's children.

Speaker 22 (57:15):
But I wear heavily that I'm God's Child, and it's
like one of my affirmations to myself.

Speaker 24 (57:20):
I'm gags childing when other people call me gags Child.

Speaker 22 (57:23):
No matter how I'm living or how I'm feeling or thinking,
it's just something about that name and knowing that you child.

Speaker 7 (57:31):
Talk about your talk about your career. How long have
you been in the rap uh in hip hop?

Speaker 8 (57:36):
Did you start out in secular hip hop, or did
you start out in holy hip hop? Talk about your
career for a moment.

Speaker 24 (57:43):
I've been I've been rapping all my all my life.

Speaker 22 (57:46):
I'm talking about I go out, wake back to my elementary,
elementary days of rapping. I tried to wrap in the
streets a little bit, but I mean it didn't pay
about that wasn't what God had for me.

Speaker 24 (57:57):
About twelve years ago, I.

Speaker 22 (58:02):
Got serious with gospel rap, got serious with gospel rep
And it's.

Speaker 24 (58:07):
Really music has always been a way of me learning.

Speaker 22 (58:11):
So my mom used to always tell me, if you
want to if you want to learn something, ill I
gotta do is put it in a rap song. I
can learn rap songs quicker than I could learn you know, books,
science reading.

Speaker 24 (58:22):
So I used to listen to my bishop and my
pastor preaching.

Speaker 22 (58:25):
As soon as I would get their sermons, I would
take their sermons home literally and write write songs out
the Bible, you know, correlating with their sermons. And that
that's the way I could remember. I got a song
right now called sixty six. The only way I could
remember all the books of the Bible was to put
it in a rep.

Speaker 8 (58:43):
So, oh my goodness, that's excited.

Speaker 24 (58:45):
You gotta hear that.

Speaker 8 (58:47):
I gotta hear it. Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness.

Speaker 6 (58:53):
So I know that.

Speaker 7 (58:55):
You know, as everybody can see, you're in a vehicle,
but you're coming from an event. So talk about that event.

Speaker 8 (59:00):
How did you get involved with that event?

Speaker 22 (59:03):
Actually, it's it's the Pamela Thomlins Breast Cancer Foundation, and
it's a foundation that's very meaningful to my my bishop
and my pastor. It's named after my bishop's sister passed
away from breast cancer.

Speaker 24 (59:16):
And they've been doing it like fifteen years. We walked.
We walked every October and we just let the community
come out. We eve, we serve, and march. This is
for cure. Did you minister today, No, ma'am, No, ma'am, ma'am.
I didn't verbally, busfully I did. I had my bus.

Speaker 22 (59:40):
If you ever see my bus on social media, this
bus that I'm sitting in, this is this is my church.
To see on the side of it, we the church
and see the basketball goal on the back and got
the music. I can't turn it, but you see the music.
Everything right here, Yeah, this is this is where it
all happens. That right here my sanctuary.

Speaker 7 (01:00:00):
That's amazing.

Speaker 8 (01:00:00):
That is amazing.

Speaker 7 (01:00:03):
When you performed at Praise Factor this year, you came
on with a mask. Talk about that, Talk about that
performance and the meaning of all of that.

Speaker 24 (01:00:15):
Oh, the the mind mass is very, very dear to
me as well.

Speaker 22 (01:00:20):
It's God in the Holy Spirit moving through me and
taking music, my music, rap music to a whole other level.
It's just you've you've heard a lot of rappers, You've
seen a lot of repers at the stage. But God
has developed me, not just not just to ministry with rap,

(01:00:41):
but the minister in mind as well.

Speaker 7 (01:00:44):
Okay, okay, I you know, we got a chance to
see you and and really experience you, uh this year,
And so I said, if I get a chance to
talk to him, I'm definitely gonna ask him about that.

Speaker 8 (01:01:02):
Oh you got it all right? So you do you
dance as well?

Speaker 24 (01:01:08):
I do, but not as much anymore, not as much,
not as much. But I can get.

Speaker 22 (01:01:14):
Rhythm, rhythm, rhythmatic with praise, praise songs, worship songs.

Speaker 7 (01:01:20):
So talk about the ministry to come. What what is
in your plan for the balance of this year and
going into twenty twenty five?

Speaker 22 (01:01:29):
Learning the business, learning the business, learning the business.

Speaker 7 (01:01:37):
Yeah, yeah, because you know, you guys, you can perform
all day till the cows come home, but you got
to eat too, So that's that's where you need to
learn the business, ma'am. Absolutely, yes, ma'am.

Speaker 22 (01:01:48):
And I appreciate doctor Gates and mister Milton, I mean
because they always there to answer the phone for me,
answer any questions that I may have, and they always
they have they have always done for men to write directions.

Speaker 24 (01:02:01):
I just appreciate them too, so much, man.

Speaker 8 (01:02:05):
That's pretty awesome.

Speaker 7 (01:02:06):
That's why we hold the Business Symposium every year because
we want to educate our independent artists because there's so
much more to your ministry than just propod it.

Speaker 8 (01:02:16):
You know, so much more to it.

Speaker 7 (01:02:18):
So you know, of course, we invite everybody to come
in and take a look at that. I believe you
can get that on demand. I'll check into that, but
I believe that you should be able to go back
and watch that part as well, because again, it's so
important to what you're doing. Talk about your writing process
for a moment. I know you write your own lyrics,

(01:02:40):
your own raps. Talk about that process.

Speaker 22 (01:02:45):
It's just it's a download from him. It's a download
from it. Everything is downloaded straight from Him. I can
be reading a scripture and I can be reading and
all things acknowledge.

Speaker 24 (01:02:58):
Him, and you would have ricked up, and it just
translates into a song.

Speaker 22 (01:03:03):
I can hear you singing a song while here you
ministering and preaching a word from God, and it can
translate into a song. It's just the Holy Spirit. In
the spirit, everything comes straight from God. I don't see
him try to make up no words, and and see
what we're around with this and that. No boy is
gonna give it to me the way he wants me
to give it to the people.

Speaker 7 (01:03:24):
All right, all right, you have a family, you have boys, right?

Speaker 24 (01:03:27):
Oh yeah, yes, ma'am, talk about talk.

Speaker 7 (01:03:32):
About raising sons uh in this time and especially with
what your ministry is.

Speaker 22 (01:03:40):
Oh man, we're finna go there. Boys, No boys, they're
they're they're dear to my heart. And you know, family
is your first ministry. Yes, family is your first ministry.
So I'm always ministering to my young black males in
my house. So being a young black male that feel
victims to the system. Going back when I was sixteen seventeen,

(01:04:04):
I was on my way to prison.

Speaker 24 (01:04:06):
That's a whole other segment while I was on my
way to prison.

Speaker 22 (01:04:10):
There was a lot of things that led me to
the to prison, you know, like addiction, stress, mental ailments
of domestic.

Speaker 24 (01:04:20):
Violence, and just molding my kids.

Speaker 22 (01:04:25):
Molding my kids, teaching them the things that I went through,
and praying to God that you will listen to me
and follow me and not go down those same rabbit.

Speaker 8 (01:04:35):
Holes exactly exactly I've been though.

Speaker 24 (01:04:38):
I spent over a decade of my life in prison,
in and out.

Speaker 8 (01:04:41):
Yeah, yeah, so I can.

Speaker 22 (01:04:43):
I can write some things about there, and I can
teach them some things. And to see my kids seventeen
sixteen now and driving, never never been in trouble and
no living, living pretty good lives.

Speaker 8 (01:05:00):
That is awesome.

Speaker 7 (01:05:01):
I'm a I'm a I'm a girl, a boy mom myself,
so I understand.

Speaker 8 (01:05:06):
But but thank God for that.

Speaker 7 (01:05:08):
I saw that on somewhere about your children.

Speaker 8 (01:05:12):
I was like, Wow, it's it's.

Speaker 7 (01:05:13):
Tough out here for young black men that we need,
you know, good black men to be able to help
them through this environment that we live in today. Yes, ma'am, Yeah, yeah, yeah,
it is. It is like you said, family is our
first ministry. Tell folks how they can find out more

(01:05:34):
about you, how they can get your music, how they
can book you, all.

Speaker 8 (01:05:39):
That of stuff.

Speaker 22 (01:05:41):
The Butler Guards Child ash tag The Butler Guards Child
d A v U T L E R g O
d x c h I E l D. I'm building
a website right now. I have a website, but I'm
rebuilding businesses one. I'm starting with my website and I'm
uploading all my music and shirts in my brand to

(01:06:02):
my website with the Butler Gods Child. From now, I'm
on Spotify, Itune, keep going first and the control file wop.

Speaker 24 (01:06:09):
I got some songs on the yat I appreciate right,
all right.

Speaker 8 (01:06:13):
We were so happy and blessed to have you here
with us this year.

Speaker 7 (01:06:17):
New Artists of the Year Season Praise Factor Awards dub
Butler God's Child, Thank you.

Speaker 5 (01:06:26):
Year.

Speaker 8 (01:06:27):
We can't wait to see you.

Speaker 24 (01:06:28):
We can't wait. More prepared, more focus, with a whole
no level of energy.

Speaker 8 (01:06:32):
I'm ready, all right, all right, we're looking forward to it.

Speaker 7 (01:06:36):
God bless.

Speaker 8 (01:06:41):
Oh boy, all right.

Speaker 7 (01:06:43):
Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards, Special Edition. If
you want to be a guest on the show, you
can reach me at Good News at thepg Network dot
or watch the show via pgn TV on all your
digital streaming apps, or visit us at pgntv dot org. Look,
it's a special edition. We're interviewing all of our winners

(01:07:04):
or most of our winners from season seventeen of the
Praise Factor Award, So stay tuned.

Speaker 8 (01:07:09):
We've got more to come.

Speaker 1 (01:07:24):
Thank you for joining me today on Good News with
Twanda Black, where we are discovering some of the most
inspiring trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments.

Speaker 8 (01:07:35):
Call up a friend and let them know.

Speaker 1 (01:07:37):
It's time for some good news.

Speaker 8 (01:07:50):
Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards.

Speaker 7 (01:07:52):
Special edition of Good News with Twanda Black. How y'all
doing right Now? We have the Rhythm and praise Group
or Duo of the Year. Trinity One Sound joins us.
All right, Trinity One Sound. My friend rose avelut from

(01:08:12):
probably fifteen years ago. When I first saw you solo
and then you developed a group.

Speaker 8 (01:08:20):
Talk about that for a moment.

Speaker 12 (01:08:22):
Yes, I name so I did.

Speaker 10 (01:08:23):
I started as a solo artist in two thousand and six,
I released my first album, and of course when I
met you, I was Boyce the McDonald's representing the Usa.

Speaker 12 (01:08:33):
So table's turn.

Speaker 10 (01:08:35):
I've always always I told the girls how honored I
am about you just in general, because to me, you're
the Monica Kaff.

Speaker 12 (01:08:43):
Radio right.

Speaker 10 (01:08:44):
So it's like, I'm so nervous just to just to
be in your presence. But such an honored apps you
as interviewing us.

Speaker 18 (01:08:50):
But did do it?

Speaker 10 (01:08:52):
Me and my sisters used to sing nineteen ninety seven
we were saying this. Nineteen ninety seven, we were in
South Carolina together. We had a group and it was
it's called Trinity at that point, and so we traveled and.

Speaker 12 (01:09:03):
Did prison ministry.

Speaker 10 (01:09:05):
I drove them into prison and they thought I was crazy,
right when those doors slammed.

Speaker 12 (01:09:08):
Their lives change.

Speaker 10 (01:09:10):
But of course we did prison miniSTR together and just
traveling across the world. And it started out we were
doing different ministries, all also from different ministries, but we
heard each other thing and just saw.

Speaker 12 (01:09:20):
That we had agg sounds that would blend together.

Speaker 10 (01:09:24):
They decided pre COVID that they were ready to do this,
so prior to free Covid, they released their first single
called Hide Me, which is on this album Fire, and
it did so well. It was just God validating his
promise to us. What he had promised us twenty eight
years ago now coming to play. So they are here

(01:09:44):
now and up and running, and Goddess just then blessed
less them. We're just so honored. Praise factored sauce and
thought we were worthy of representing.

Speaker 12 (01:09:52):
The entity that is such a major blessing.

Speaker 19 (01:09:56):
We are.

Speaker 7 (01:09:56):
Hey, that's God saying you're worthing.

Speaker 8 (01:10:00):
Ladies. Talk about your experience the Praise Factor this year.

Speaker 9 (01:10:06):
Well, for it being my first our first time being
at Praise Factor, it was an experience.

Speaker 6 (01:10:13):
It was very very.

Speaker 16 (01:10:16):
Spiritual yet still uplifting.

Speaker 9 (01:10:19):
It was just a great experience, a great experience to
be among other artistists that are doing the team that
we are doing and seeing that.

Speaker 2 (01:10:29):
They're doing a good job.

Speaker 8 (01:10:31):
Relasia.

Speaker 9 (01:10:34):
It was very interesting for me at Praise Factor. Matter
of fact, I think it's been the best. Not throwing
shade on nobody else, but it's been the best award
show that I have attended since we've been doing the
award shows. But Praise Factor, they did they think they
treated us with royalty. It was exceptionally what awesome. So Roosevelt,

(01:10:54):
what was your experience this year?

Speaker 10 (01:10:56):
You know what I always say, Atlanta delivered and this
was my first time at Praise Factors. But I told
my sisters, I was like, look, we've done a lot
of ward show because God knows, the last fourteen months,
we have just been at every award show possible, seemed like.
And when I tell you, I know they were exhausted.
But I kept telling them. I was like, this is

(01:11:17):
going to be different, even though I never had the
honor of the privilege to attend. But I kept saying,
oh my god, you're just in for a treat because
Atlanta doesn't play. And so when we pulled on the lot, well,
I ain't gonna tell on them, you know, the first
thing they saw the food trucks, so they really got
you know, that was the highlight right there for them
because they love to travel eating jobs, trust me. And

(01:11:37):
so when we walked around and saw the red carpet
out there in different people interviewing, it was just absolutely breathtaking.
I thought it was innovative. We had never seen it done.
I've never seen the red carpet outside. I'd never seen
so many people be on time and in lines really
get started because most award show you go to, the
people that are doing an interviews are setting up when

(01:11:59):
you're getting there. Well that wasn't the case here, like
they were in place already interviewing, and so I told
my sisters. I was like, well, we're gonna leave this early,
but this time we're on time, and we're late for real,
like even being on time.

Speaker 12 (01:12:09):
So it was I was saoughly I'm faoroughly blessed. And
we were just a little upset.

Speaker 10 (01:12:17):
Because I reserved the tickets, but I didn't check the
right night, so we missed the first night.

Speaker 12 (01:12:22):
So we were broken about that, like our hearts were
broken because we can.

Speaker 10 (01:12:25):
Only imagine what it was like and what we missed,
and we hate not being a part of those sumptions
that they do, because I feel like that kind of
segues most independent artists on something and everych other was
gone through all the preliminary stuff that has been really
blessed Morning Glory Morning, Worships, those things were just incredible.

Speaker 12 (01:12:40):
So we hate we missed it, and the girls will
beat me up, and I still love y'all.

Speaker 10 (01:12:44):
But I stood up getting the tickets and it was
sold doubt, so we were broken, like you couldn't get
a ticket to get there, But I'm just excited. I
just thought that, you know, doctor Teeth an incredible job,
and you all the entire team, you guys, just you
guys did the Red Coppert Ruler and I was honest.
So I'm just anticipating next year it's just gonna probably

(01:13:06):
be just as ridiculous.

Speaker 7 (01:13:07):
Oh yes, yes, yes, wait till you see the televised version.

Speaker 8 (01:13:12):
We're gonna let you know when it's gonna be it.

Speaker 7 (01:13:13):
The production is going to be amazing. Were you surprised
that you won Rhythm and Praise of the Year.

Speaker 12 (01:13:23):
We were.

Speaker 10 (01:13:24):
And you know, my sister, she sat there numb when
they call our name, even though you put your city
there and they call your name, She's.

Speaker 12 (01:13:30):
Got this delay, and so it is just like, you know,
looking at me, and I'm looking at Roberta, and I'm like,
it really was our name. So we were on that cause.
But when our name came across, so we were like, oh,
it really is us.

Speaker 10 (01:13:42):
So I didn't realize that it was us. So that's
why I'm trying to thrive to the stage expeditiously because
I already sat there five.

Speaker 12 (01:13:49):
Minutes in our it really called their name. But we
were so so honored and so so grateful, absolutely so tell.

Speaker 7 (01:13:59):
Us about twenty one sound. What will you consider your
sound to be? And tell us about what's coming in
twenty twenty five.

Speaker 12 (01:14:10):
Well, go ahead, police, Yes, our sound is unique.

Speaker 9 (01:14:17):
We don't try to be anyone else. We come across
as genuine as possible and we always sing roosevelt slogan
whatever we do for Christ shall last. So we try
to stay in that mindset, that frame, and we're just
out here for ministry. We just want to get souls
and draw people. That's our main goal, nothing more, nothing less.

Speaker 8 (01:14:42):
Yes, tell us what's coming up in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 10 (01:14:47):
We already have a single. Of course, this is that
you guys had was Fire that was for that first album.
We have a new single that is segueing out called
My Joy. We know that the world is suffering and
it it seems like the joy the Lord is non
existence and the love of God has been diminished. And
I am convinced that our assignment is to show the
world that the love of God is ever so pressing comes.

Speaker 12 (01:15:09):
In different takes form and sizes. So we have we're.

Speaker 10 (01:15:11):
Excited about My Joy and the notoriety that is getting
segueing into the new new album. So we are working
on the new album currently. We have two more songs
that we're working on, and so we're excited about, you know,
being that like most people tell us, when we walk
in the room, you generally light up the room because it's.

Speaker 12 (01:15:29):
So authentic and so genuine and so humble. That's just
where God has us.

Speaker 10 (01:15:33):
And so we want to look forward to twenty twenty
five being a demonstration of God's love even more and
showing the world that the joy of the Lord is
really your strength.

Speaker 8 (01:15:42):
Amen, Amen, Amen.

Speaker 7 (01:15:44):
Now tell folks where they can learn more about you.
Won't you get your music all that good stuff.

Speaker 12 (01:15:52):
Any social media platform that's available.

Speaker 10 (01:15:54):
If you type a in Trinity one sound, we even't
got it that they do key and the number one sound.
We try to sures of people get to reach us
no matter what. But Trinity onsound dot Com will take.

Speaker 24 (01:16:03):
You to our ePK kit.

Speaker 10 (01:16:05):
It does give you the latest song that's in rotation
right now, which is My Joy, but it does show
the previous featured album.

Speaker 12 (01:16:12):
It also has bios of.

Speaker 10 (01:16:13):
Every single one of us, so it talks about all
of us individually, so you can know because a lot
of people don't know that Edith is actually in apop
ful of a turk.

Speaker 12 (01:16:21):
So when we put that, people like, oh my god,
you gotta be kidding.

Speaker 10 (01:16:24):
The Felicia's you know, a school teach's been in school
system and four boys, and Robert is the entrepreneur having
her own here salon, et cetera. So people were able
to see those things. But Trinity Onsound dot com will
take you to the ep K kit for that. We're
also on Facebook, so any of our Facebook is real simple.
It is Trinity one Sound. You can find us there individually.

(01:16:45):
You can find ROBERTA. Patterson, Edith Sly, Felicia Riley, or
Roosevelt Bowles.

Speaker 7 (01:16:52):
Congratulations y'all, Rhythm and praised of the year. We are
delighted with you.

Speaker 8 (01:16:59):
Maybe next year.

Speaker 7 (01:17:00):
Your perform on the main stage for us, we would
love to see that.

Speaker 18 (01:17:04):
All.

Speaker 7 (01:17:04):
Congratulations and thank you for taking out time to join
us today.

Speaker 24 (01:17:08):
Thank you for having me, Thank you for having us all.

Speaker 3 (01:17:13):
Woo.

Speaker 7 (01:17:14):
That was a good one. Look if you want to
be a guest on the show, good News at thepgnetwork
dot org. Watch the show via pgn TV on all
digital streaming apps, or visit us at pgntv dot org. Look,
it's the Season seventeen Praise Factor Awards Special edition where
we're talking to all of those wonderful winners from this year.

(01:17:37):
So on Good News with Twanda Black, We'll see you again,
don't miss it.

Speaker 1 (01:17:54):
Thank you for joining me today. On Good News with
Twinda Black, We're we're discovering some of the most inane
firing trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up
a friend and let them know it's time for some
good news.

Speaker 7 (01:18:20):
Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards. This is a
special edition where we're talking to all of our winners
about their.

Speaker 8 (01:18:29):
Day and their experience.

Speaker 7 (01:18:31):
It's Good News with Twanda Black, and we've got Song
of the Year artist Arniche Low.

Speaker 4 (01:18:38):
Hello, how are you, Ornisha. I'm doing good. I'm so
glad to be on here today.

Speaker 8 (01:18:44):
So I'll tell you song of the Year.

Speaker 21 (01:18:48):
Where you're expecting that, To be honest, I had kind
of packed myself out. I met all these wonderful singers,
both wonderful in terms of skill and just sweet people,
and I was just like, Okay, well, I'm just gonna
enjoy the process. I'm not gonna look to win anything.
And literally was surprised. I think everybody knew. My mouth

(01:19:14):
just dropped and I was just like, oh wow, yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:19:17):
So but the song is so deserving, always been you.
That's a gem right there. Everybody loves that song. Talk
about did you write the song?

Speaker 21 (01:19:28):
Actually, my husband wrote that particular song from top to bottom.
He produced it and his name is Anthony Lowe, and
he produced it, wrote the song. When you have a
music video that he produced all that song. Yeah, he's
a man behind this one.

Speaker 7 (01:19:45):
All right, all right, But beautiful that you have a
husband and life team who's doing.

Speaker 8 (01:19:51):
What they're doing.

Speaker 7 (01:19:52):
You know, that's a beautiful thing.

Speaker 8 (01:19:54):
So do you guys co produce most of your music.

Speaker 21 (01:19:58):
Yes, we've been making music together since around two thousand
and nine, twenty ten, we.

Speaker 4 (01:20:05):
Released our first album together.

Speaker 21 (01:20:08):
It was entitled Way Home, and since then we put
out different projects, singles here and there and things of
that nature.

Speaker 7 (01:20:16):
So talk about your career. How long have you been singing?

Speaker 4 (01:20:19):
All my life Lord, all my life.

Speaker 8 (01:20:23):
Long?

Speaker 4 (01:20:23):
And ray he's singing.

Speaker 21 (01:20:24):
Yes, they actually really have video of me, like before
I could form words, well this singing, you know, so
it is that kind of thing. My mother's side of
the family, there's a lot of singers quartet singers.

Speaker 4 (01:20:36):
Particularly my grandfather.

Speaker 21 (01:20:39):
Would travel around Lake Charles, Louisiana singing, so it's been
in it's in my blood, I guess.

Speaker 7 (01:20:44):
So how did you develop your style of singing Because
a lot of times when we come from these families
of singers, and you know, we're used to singing one
style of music or were used to hearing one style
of music, we kind of developed that sound.

Speaker 8 (01:20:58):
But you have a very different sound.

Speaker 21 (01:21:02):
One of the things about me is I think I'm
kind of e collectic, so I'm very versatile in styles,
and that's one of the things that maybe it's a
good or bad thing, but I kind of liken it
to Marry Mary because they're able to kind of do
different styles but yet they still stay relevant.

Speaker 4 (01:21:21):
So that's kind of my thing.

Speaker 21 (01:21:23):
But some of my favorite singers are more so ballad singers,
so like You're Whitney Houston's you just lending eyes.

Speaker 4 (01:21:30):
Those are some of my favorite vocalists. So I like
all types of music.

Speaker 8 (01:21:34):
That's good.

Speaker 7 (01:21:36):
That's a good thing. So what are you working on now,
especially going into twenty twenty.

Speaker 21 (01:21:41):
Five, We're still pushing this one always been you definitely,
But like I said, we have so much music honestly
that we put out that we just haven't necessarily put
on iTunes and all those type of things. Like if
I was to put out all of our music right now,
it would probably over be twenty somethings songs that we
just put out right now. So it's not it's a

(01:22:02):
matter of just praying about what God wants us to
do next in that vein. But also like in ministry,
I'm also a minister. So the one of the things
that I'm getting ready to start doing is kind of
a platform where I am doing something similar to what
you're doing, where I am doing like a daily prayer,
daily word kind of thing.

Speaker 4 (01:22:24):
It's called declaring freedom. So I'm looking forward to starting that.

Speaker 6 (01:22:28):
Pretty soon now.

Speaker 7 (01:22:29):
Very nice, very nice. Talk about your experience at Praise Factor.
This was your first one, So what was your experience, Like, it.

Speaker 4 (01:22:39):
Was really really good from you and doctor T and just.

Speaker 8 (01:22:46):
You guys.

Speaker 21 (01:22:46):
Really you really care about us as artists, and we
can tell it. And the fact that you guys even
created this platform is we really appreciate it.

Speaker 8 (01:22:57):
I appreciate it.

Speaker 21 (01:22:59):
And just meeting the different artist like I was saying earlier,
was that's a big part of it, because even in
any business or any genre of work or business, it's
all about networking, and sometimes we aren't. That's one of
the things that I feel like me and my husband
need to do more of because I'm not from here.

Speaker 4 (01:23:18):
I'm from California.

Speaker 21 (01:23:19):
Originally he's from here, but he moved to California and
then he moved back, right, So it's just a matter
of that was a great opportunity to form connections, and
I appreciated that opportunity. And then did you have an
opportunity than saying one of the Knights? And it's just
the camaraderie and just seeing all those gifts.

Speaker 7 (01:23:39):
Well, you know, we got a chance to see you
as a part of the Atlanta tour and that was
my first experience seeing you, and you just blew us away.
So we hope in next year we see you on
that main stage because you really need to showcase your gifts.

Speaker 8 (01:23:55):
You really really do.

Speaker 7 (01:23:58):
We absolutely love that song, and then you do some
other praise and worship songs as well.

Speaker 8 (01:24:04):
So what are you doing now in ministry?

Speaker 7 (01:24:06):
Are you pastoring praise and worship leader? What are you
doing now?

Speaker 21 (01:24:11):
A whole lot of praise and worship leader. Me and
my husband tend to help a lot of startup ministry,
so it seems that's kind of a vein that God
keeps putting us in. And since we've been out here,
we've been a part of several ministry startups, and even
right now, my Saturdays and Sundays are always field.

Speaker 4 (01:24:29):
But I'm glad for it. And in terms of the
preaching part of it.

Speaker 21 (01:24:34):
The next thing I'll be doing, I'll be seeing preaching
at a conference in Why am I trying to say
Philadelphia and Florida.

Speaker 4 (01:24:42):
That'd be on the ninth Yes, I'm looking forward to that.

Speaker 7 (01:24:45):
Talk about the difference in the gospel scene in California
as opposed to Atlanta. What's the difference that you see
and feel? Because people talk about being in different parts
of the country and how things are different.

Speaker 21 (01:25:01):
This would probably be the same in any area, But
I don't know. Sometimes in California it felt like people
have their connections and they don't really so much work
to gain more connection, if that makes sense.

Speaker 4 (01:25:15):
But they could have just been the circles I was in, cause,
like I told you, we've not.

Speaker 21 (01:25:19):
Been the best at getting into the whole networking thing
as we probably should have, so I can't really, but
I have heard many times there's a lot.

Speaker 4 (01:25:28):
Of crab in the bucket mentality.

Speaker 7 (01:25:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:25:32):
Here, I do feel like people are.

Speaker 21 (01:25:35):
Definitely more inclined to work together. And but I've had
I I don't want to say that hasn't been the
case at all there either.

Speaker 4 (01:25:44):
Because my husband is a producer, He's worked with a
lot of artists in California.

Speaker 21 (01:25:47):
We've done c collaborations, but it's just it is a
little different in terms of I think there is more
of a but even like it just depends cause all
the people that were at Praise Factor, for example, they
are all over the world.

Speaker 4 (01:25:59):
And it is on the person.

Speaker 7 (01:26:00):
I think. Yeah, But you know, I feel like in
our area in the South that you know, everybody's more
friendly and more prone to work together, especially in this industry.
So I always like to hear the difference because you
hear somebody from Chicago, from Detroit, from California, even from

(01:26:24):
different countries talk about the gospel scene and how different
or that it may be alike.

Speaker 21 (01:26:30):
Actually, you know, yeah, one of the things we always
try to do is like we had even a thing
that we did out in California that was called Zion's
Den and it was a lounge with a Christian lounge,
so we had different artists come in and perform. Those
kinds of things where we come together and connect. It's
not about dollar bills because dollar bills aren't always there,

(01:26:51):
but we can always help each other in different ways,
so those kind of things are always productive.

Speaker 8 (01:26:56):
I think that's nice. That's nice. We need more of
those where.

Speaker 7 (01:27:00):
We can get together and enjoy company and network more.

Speaker 8 (01:27:05):
You know, in our industry, you really do.

Speaker 7 (01:27:07):
So or niche tell everybody how to reach you, how
to book you, how to get your music, all that
good stuff. Awesome.

Speaker 4 (01:27:20):
Well, one of the easiest things I can tell you
to do is google me.

Speaker 21 (01:27:24):
My name is very unique, so you'll be easy to
find me, but it's spelled o r n Icia. I
have a website under our niche'll low and I'm on
all your social media from Instagram to TikTok even you'll
find me. And then music is on iTunes and all
the major music platforms. Like I mentioned earlier, we have

(01:27:45):
music from twenty ten that we released up till now,
so you'll find some things on there.

Speaker 8 (01:27:51):
That's a lot of music that's a lot of music.

Speaker 21 (01:27:54):
Yeah, awesome, there's more in the background that has been
put out, but hopefully soon.

Speaker 8 (01:28:00):
So are you releasing new music in twenty twenty five?

Speaker 4 (01:28:04):
I believe we are.

Speaker 21 (01:28:05):
We We already have stuff that we were again like,
we have stuff that we've already done, but we have
new things.

Speaker 4 (01:28:11):
Even because I noticed, how can I say this?

Speaker 21 (01:28:14):
We have a song called following Me and it's kind
of an upbeat, catchy song for example, And then we
have songs and I didn't mention this.

Speaker 4 (01:28:22):
I'm also an author, and so I wrote a book
called why Not Me?

Speaker 21 (01:28:26):
I was built for this and it was based off
of my son's passing and just got taken me through
the grief and how you can journey through grief in
a positive productive way, right, And so the point of that,
it's also created a song to do with it. So
that just happened within this year as well.

Speaker 7 (01:28:43):
So yeah, all right, all right, congratulations, thank you relations well,
we appreciate you coming on today. Song of the year
always been a little beautiful song and God bless you.
We hope to see more.

Speaker 4 (01:28:58):
Thank you so much. Appreciate you, miss God bless pop blessed.

Speaker 8 (01:29:04):
All right, great interview.

Speaker 7 (01:29:06):
If you want to be a guest on the show,
you can reach out to me at Twanda Black at
thepgnetwork dot org or good News at thepgnetwork dot org.
Watch the show via pgntv on all your digital streaming apps,
or visit us at pgntv dot org. Season seventeen of
the Praise Factor Awards. This is a special edition of

(01:29:28):
Good News with Twanda Black. We've got more to come,
so make sure you stay tuned.

Speaker 1 (01:29:44):
Thank you for joining me today on Good News with
Twinda Black, where we are discovering some of the most
inspiring trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up
a friend and let them know it's time for some
good news.

Speaker 3 (01:30:05):
Everything I do is for the law.

Speaker 8 (01:30:08):
Everything I do is for the love.

Speaker 23 (01:30:10):
For God's glory is a whole lot too.

Speaker 25 (01:30:12):
It don't matter if I can't break the time my shoe.
You know I got the holy spirit of mind. Does
a walk in the work, set the Lord for your
side in the twine with the spirit the Pye. I
find myself drinking from the food of the Pye, no wine,
eye pie in his grace.

Speaker 23 (01:30:26):
It got me so blessed that I'm out of space.

Speaker 25 (01:30:28):
Sheper paid a place and he said he's coming back,
but there's only one way, like a gold in the second,
no time to slack us send and Cat Pensy heal
the sacred racing that in my sitting, preach the world
in and out of season, find me on his journey.

Speaker 23 (01:30:41):
Don't so.

Speaker 8 (01:30:41):
I believe it because God is good and he used.

Speaker 24 (01:30:43):
My word and everything I too, wrybody, everything I do
is for the law.

Speaker 8 (01:30:49):
Everything I do is for the law.

Speaker 24 (01:30:51):
Everything I do law everything.

Speaker 7 (01:30:58):
Season seventeen or the Praise Factory Awards, it's a special
edition of Good News with Twanda Black and so much
good news going on because we're talking to the winners
of Season seventeen Praise Factor. And today, right now we
have Holy Hip Hop Artists of the Year Tommy Codell
joining us.

Speaker 23 (01:31:19):
Hey, beyond here, awesome to have you on.

Speaker 7 (01:31:25):
I believe this is your first year with Praise Factor.
Tell us about your experience.

Speaker 23 (01:31:31):
I loved it this year.

Speaker 26 (01:31:32):
Just amazing experience, connecting with all the artists, being able
to share a platform with such talent all over the world,
and it was just truly great seeing everybody dressed up
and just giving the praise to God.

Speaker 23 (01:31:46):
It's a beautiful thing.

Speaker 7 (01:31:47):
Yes, yes, yes, we got to see you Friday night
and Saturday night and you were in our finale, so.

Speaker 8 (01:31:55):
It was just phenomenal.

Speaker 7 (01:31:57):
Everybody's still talking about the finale, by the way, it
was just so much fun.

Speaker 8 (01:32:02):
It was so uplifting.

Speaker 7 (01:32:05):
How did you feel about your performances.

Speaker 26 (01:32:09):
I just go up there and have fun. I really
had a great time and just went up there gave
it all I got. I felt good about it afterwards.
I felt like it was well received and yeah it
was beautiful.

Speaker 7 (01:32:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (01:32:24):
Yeah. Tell us about your career. How long have you
been doing this?

Speaker 7 (01:32:28):
Did you start out in gospel hip hop or were
you doing secular How did your career start.

Speaker 26 (01:32:34):
I started rapping in high school actually when I was
fifteen and put out a mixtape with some friends of
mine nice and that was before I met the Lord though,
so it wasn't always doing it for him, And then
after I got saved, I gave it up for a
while because my brother actually introduced me to gospel rap

(01:32:55):
and he was a gospel rapper on a pretty large
scale before me, and so I left it alone for
many years, and then I partnered up with a ministry
called Holy Smoke where I became the MC, and I
was introducing a lot of holy hip hop artists. And
the more I hung around these artists and traveled with them,
I started having dreams about being on stage with no lyrics,

(01:33:18):
and so that was kind of the Lord's way of
getting me back into writing. So since like twenty fifteen,
about ten years ago, I started getting back into it
and taking it more serious and putting out musics and
job studio album and been doing it ever since.

Speaker 7 (01:33:35):
So you have a partner Calvin Cooper, who was also
Manager of the Year for this season, and how did
you guys get together.

Speaker 26 (01:33:47):
I was performing at an event at a church called
UFO Universal Faith Outreach and Calvin was doing the sound
for us that night, and after my performance, he sent
someone to call me back to talk with him and
was telling me how he has some beats that he
was making and you know, was looking for an artist

(01:34:07):
to get on some of his tracks. And so when
I met up with him some time after that, he
showed me some of his music and the first one
he showed me was for the Lord, and I just
loved the chorus.

Speaker 23 (01:34:18):
I love the beat. I'm very into the upbeat.

Speaker 26 (01:34:20):
Style, like the dance tracks the hype, and so once
I heard it, I was like, yeah, let's get on
that together. And that was like two years ago. So
now we're working on a collaborative album. He's producing the beats,
I'm writing the lyrics, and it's just been history ever since.

Speaker 7 (01:34:36):
That's amazing, that's amazing. Love you guys on the stage together.
The song that you did also had a female voice
in there, and so love that. Of course she wasn't there,
but do you want to talk about her a little bit?

Speaker 23 (01:34:54):
Yes, that was Apostle Judy.

Speaker 26 (01:34:58):
She is actually one of apostles of that church UFO,
who was very supportive of us. It was Calvin's idea
to get her on the track and she came in,
dropped her vocals, did an amazing job. We wanted to
get her out there maybe definitely in the future, like
to travel with her a little bit more, but she

(01:35:19):
just did her thing on that that song.

Speaker 23 (01:35:22):
Believe it.

Speaker 7 (01:35:23):
Yeah, yeah, that hook, the hook.

Speaker 8 (01:35:25):
We love the hook on that one.

Speaker 7 (01:35:27):
Awesome song. Awesome song. So are you writing most of
your music?

Speaker 23 (01:35:32):
Yeah, I write all the music.

Speaker 26 (01:35:34):
Lately with Calvin's beats, He's been writing most of the
choruses for him, so it's kind of been a partnership.

Speaker 7 (01:35:43):
Nice. Nice, Nice.

Speaker 8 (01:35:45):
So what's coming up? And I heard you say you're
working on new music twenty twenty five. Tell us what
you're planning to do?

Speaker 26 (01:35:51):
Yeah, Lord Willing, we're looking to drop an album early
next year with at least ten tracks right now. We
have some unreleased ones and we got all the beats
and everything. We just got to stay focused, keep writing,
get these things recorded. But that is the plan to
release this album and then start doing more live events,
maybe even tour a little bit more and really try

(01:36:13):
to get the music out there as the world.

Speaker 7 (01:36:15):
Awesome, Awesome, We enjoyed you so much. Would you like
to talk about, you know, how you felt this year
at Praise Factor? What did you take away from this
season of Praise Factor?

Speaker 26 (01:36:30):
Yeah, it was a huge honor to be nominated and
receive a reward because when I started rapping and there
wasn't even in my mindset to receive anything from it
other than just at to fine people with the word
of God through my music. So to be honored in
that kind of way really encouraged me to keep going

(01:36:51):
and you know, kind of like a reward for all
my efforts that I put in, so just the honor
that was shown, the love and support as a whole.
The community was really supportive and it didn't feel like
a competition like someone better than someone else or outdid someone.
It was all everybody uplifting each other, supporting one another,

(01:37:11):
helping one another. And through that I really saw the
Kingdom of Gobb being expressed through the praise factor and
what you guys are doing down there.

Speaker 8 (01:37:20):
Ah man, and down there you're in Connecticut.

Speaker 23 (01:37:22):
Right yeah, Connecticut?

Speaker 8 (01:37:24):
How cold is it in Connecticut yet?

Speaker 23 (01:37:27):
Right now? It's actually a beautiful day.

Speaker 26 (01:37:29):
It's like probably mid sixties, maybe seventy and the recurrent colors,
so it's night's fall season right now.

Speaker 7 (01:37:35):
Yes, yes, yes, Look, tell everybody how they can reach
out to you, how they can book you, how they
can get your music.

Speaker 26 (01:37:45):
So you can find me at Tommykodell dot com. That's
Tommy ko d e L. And it's the same across
all platforms Instagram, Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, Our music is not
all platforms. And the Calvin Cooper, my producer. His website
is Clearimagemusicgroup dot com.

Speaker 7 (01:38:05):
All right, Calvin Cooper not here. Manager of the Year
but Tommy Codell, who is here. Holy hip Hop Gospel
Artists of the Year, Solo Artists of the Year. Thank
you so much for joining us, Tommy, I appreciate it.

Speaker 8 (01:38:20):
Thank you, God bless all right.

Speaker 7 (01:38:24):
Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Special Edition. Look, if
you want to be on the show, you can reach
out to me at good News at thepgnetwork dot org
or watch the show via PGNTV on all digital streaming apps,
or visit us at pgntv dot org. We've got more
artists to go. Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards

(01:38:47):
Special Edition. It's Good News with Tronda Black, God blessed.

Speaker 8 (01:39:03):
Thank you for.

Speaker 1 (01:39:04):
Joining me today. On Good News with Twinda Black, We're
we are discovering some of the most inspiring trials to
triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up a friend and
let them know it's time for some good news.

Speaker 7 (01:39:29):
Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards. It's a special
edition of Good News with Twanda Black.

Speaker 27 (01:39:36):
We are talking with our winners, Yes and joining us
Urban Duo Group of the Year Sister Shalom and Love
Long Music.

Speaker 8 (01:39:47):
Hi, ladies, it so good to see you both.

Speaker 24 (01:39:51):
Hello.

Speaker 8 (01:39:51):
Hello, awesome, awesome urban.

Speaker 7 (01:39:55):
Duo Group of the Year, Sister Shalom, tell me about
your career because you're featuring La La on your cut right.

Speaker 19 (01:40:06):
Yes, So this is actually a song that the Lord
gave to me a little over a year ago. It
released last year.

Speaker 28 (01:40:13):
It's called Indoor and I had this song fully written
and I just it was on my heart. I needed
a more dynamic voice like I could just the song
was good, but you know, you when you can tell
that it needs some more dynamics, and the Lord put
it on my heart to reach out to Lola Music.
She was the first one that came to mind, and

(01:40:37):
she rocked it. Like the what she added was just
you know, made it much so much more significant. And
I mean the song is it always touched its song.

Speaker 19 (01:40:47):
For me because of the message.

Speaker 28 (01:40:49):
And you know, ever since then, we've just been like
such an amazing duo working together, like very well rounded
working relationship.

Speaker 19 (01:41:00):
It's like we'll be up like two am and I
might message her and she's up.

Speaker 8 (01:41:05):
She messed me back.

Speaker 28 (01:41:06):
I'm like, oh, I didn't even expect you to be up,
And like, you know, sometimes we had the same thoughts
and in finishing each other sentences in a sense, and
it's like we just worked so well together, so so
much has come from that one collaboration, and I just
all praise to the most high.

Speaker 8 (01:41:22):
Amen. Amen. Lula. Talk about your career.

Speaker 7 (01:41:27):
I know that you've been in this industry for a while,
but tell us where your career started.

Speaker 8 (01:41:32):
Yeah. So I've been professionally.

Speaker 29 (01:41:36):
Singing songwriting for about six years, been doing it literally
all my life.

Speaker 8 (01:41:41):
Just made that decision. My husband kind of pushed me
into it.

Speaker 29 (01:41:45):
But yeah, so I've been I'm writing, performing, traveling, you
name it. That's pretty much been My goal was just
to get on an international platform to be able to
spread the gospel.

Speaker 4 (01:41:57):
So I'm doing it.

Speaker 8 (01:41:58):
Amen, he man, Amen.

Speaker 7 (01:42:01):
This collaboration, as Sister Sholoma said, has been a dream
come true. I'm sure for both of you. Sister Sholom,
when did you start your ministry?

Speaker 28 (01:42:13):
So I've been in music all my life as well.
I was born and raised in the church. My mom
was a gospel artist and I sang back up for
her and my sister and I my cousin. We had
a gospel group growing up. But I put the pin
down for a long time and I didn't pick it
back up until twenty twenty. However, I didn't start professionally

(01:42:36):
until twenty twenty one.

Speaker 8 (01:42:39):
Urban Duo Group of the Year. Were you surprised I
was being in the seat, like huh? I could not
believe that.

Speaker 6 (01:42:55):
I really couldn't at all like it was.

Speaker 28 (01:42:59):
I mean when we were in there, and I wish
I would have been recording from my phone because our reactions,
like it was just priceless. It was a priceless moment.
And I really appreciate, you know, even being recognized.

Speaker 7 (01:43:10):
You know, yes, talk about your experience with Praise Factor
for the weekend. We so enjoyed you guys coming in
and joining us. But what was your experience, Like.

Speaker 6 (01:43:22):
I would say, for me, I'll just jump in real quick.

Speaker 29 (01:43:25):
For me, it was fantastic to get to meet different
artists that I've never spoken to before, getting to check
out their music, being able.

Speaker 8 (01:43:33):
To meet you Tuwanda and doctor A Posselt.

Speaker 29 (01:43:37):
So it was just fantastic. The atmosphere was right, it
was on a very professional level. Definitely one of the
most top notch award shows I've been to, and I've
been to quite a few, so definitely want to commend
you all for the amount of excellence that you put
into this to glorify got a man.

Speaker 8 (01:43:55):
Can't wait for you to see the post production of
televised version. It's going to be better. What about your sister, sheil.

Speaker 28 (01:44:04):
Saying for me, it was just such a blessing to
be there, and like that was my first award show,
so the experience it was just it was simply amazing.

Speaker 6 (01:44:14):
It was nothing like I expected at all.

Speaker 28 (01:44:18):
And the different events that were put together, like everything
was so well organized.

Speaker 19 (01:44:23):
Everybody was just you know, there and participated on one accord.

Speaker 2 (01:44:27):
It was.

Speaker 19 (01:44:28):
It was a blessing, and especially a Friday night, the
first event, it was so many amazing artists there, Like
I was. I was truly blessed, Like I was like
fulfilled the entire weekend and so all praise to the
most high.

Speaker 7 (01:44:44):
Look she came Friday night looking one way and Saturday
looking another way.

Speaker 8 (01:44:48):
I had to do a double take.

Speaker 7 (01:44:49):
I was like, that's the same, bro.

Speaker 19 (01:44:55):
And when it's time of step on.

Speaker 7 (01:44:56):
The step, you know, you stepped and la lah look
like a queen.

Speaker 24 (01:45:01):
Oh thank you.

Speaker 7 (01:45:03):
You guys are just fabulous. Maybe next year, if you're
going to be a part of the platform, we'll see
you on that main stage.

Speaker 8 (01:45:09):
We will love to see you on the main stage.

Speaker 7 (01:45:12):
Fo y'all were just fantastic. Thank you so much for
joining us. Now tell people how they can learn more
about you. Book you learn about your music. I know
you have together and you have separate.

Speaker 29 (01:45:27):
All right, Well, I guess I'll start, So I'll keep
it simple. I'm a one stop shop. You can go
to www. Dot l A l A m U, s
i Q dot com and that's where you can also
find all my social media, all my music. I'm stringing
on all digital platforms, so I like to keep it simple.
That's where you can find me.

Speaker 8 (01:45:46):
Absolutely well.

Speaker 19 (01:45:48):
It's same for me.

Speaker 28 (01:45:49):
I have a website where you can find all my information,
Sister Shaloon dot co, not dot com, just dot co.
You'll have access to all my videos, all my music,
my social media platforms. I'm Sister Shalom across all social
media platforms.

Speaker 7 (01:46:06):
All right, Urban Duo Group of the Year Sister Shalom
La La Music. Guys, thank you so much and thank
you for being at Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards.
We appreciate you so much.

Speaker 19 (01:46:18):
Thank you so much for having us.

Speaker 8 (01:46:19):
God Bless God.

Speaker 18 (01:46:21):
Bless.

Speaker 8 (01:46:23):
Phenomenal.

Speaker 7 (01:46:24):
Look to be a guest on our show, you can
email me at Twanda Black at thepgnetwork dot org or
good News at thepgnetwork dot org. Watch the show via
pgntv on all digital streaming apps, or visit us at
pgntv dot org. Look, it's season seventeen of the Praise
Factor Awards. It's a special edition. We're talking to all

(01:46:47):
of our winners and we've got a little bit more
to go, so make sure you join us on Twinda Black,
God bless.

Speaker 1 (01:47:05):
Thank you for joining me today on Good News with
Twnda Black. We're we are discovering some of the most
inspiring trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up
a friend and let them know it's time for some
good news.

Speaker 7 (01:47:31):
All right now, it's Good News with Twanda Black. But
it's a special edition, Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards.
We are talking to our winners and right now we
have Caribbean Afrobeats Solo Artists of the Year, Pastor Jumon Grants.

Speaker 30 (01:47:51):
Hi Pastor, Hi, Hi, Miss Twonda. Blessed day to you all,
you too, you too?

Speaker 20 (01:47:57):
How are you?

Speaker 14 (01:47:58):
I'm doing well in yourself?

Speaker 7 (01:48:00):
Good good good calling us all the way from Bahamas.

Speaker 14 (01:48:03):
No, I'm in Canada.

Speaker 7 (01:48:05):
Oh you're in Canada, Canada and you joined us for
Price Factor?

Speaker 8 (01:48:11):
Was this your second year.

Speaker 7 (01:48:12):
Or third year?

Speaker 14 (01:48:14):
This was actually my second time being there, my second year.

Speaker 8 (01:48:17):
Second year, And congratulations on your win.

Speaker 7 (01:48:20):
Were you surprised?

Speaker 30 (01:48:22):
I was very much surprised, very very much surprised, because
I know that the finals that were in the categories,
everyone had a chance of becoming that person, right, So
I came, like, like I said, in that night, I
prayed the night before. I was because my birthday was
the same day. Yes, and I said, God, the things

(01:48:42):
that he was telling me that night, I say, you
consume it by giving me a win. So that's the
way I came with an open mind because anything could happen.
And when it did happen, I was really, really really
surprised and blessed.

Speaker 7 (01:48:55):
Let me tell me about your experience and Price Factor
this year. We were just blessed that you, you and
your wife made it.

Speaker 8 (01:49:01):
I didn't know you were coming, so I was really
surprised when I saw you.

Speaker 30 (01:49:05):
Well, actually we were supposed to be in earlier the Friday,
but all flights were delayed and stuff, and I would
say this.

Speaker 14 (01:49:14):
The print fact the awards. For me, it's like it's
like the pinnacle of awards.

Speaker 30 (01:49:18):
I felt as though I attended a Grammy because the
level of excellence and the way you guys truck did everything.
It was so professional, it was so great that it
boosted your esteem. You'll do more.

Speaker 14 (01:49:35):
It felt so great being in such an atmosphere, you know.
So I talked to you guys. You you did a
phenomenal job, and I can't wait to see what next
year is going to be.

Speaker 8 (01:49:45):
Like, well, yes, yeah, we're already working on it. We're
already working on it.

Speaker 14 (01:49:50):
Great.

Speaker 18 (01:49:51):
So tell us a.

Speaker 7 (01:49:52):
Little bit about your career. I know that you pastor,
but you're also an artist, and how do you marry.

Speaker 8 (01:49:58):
The two you know and make it work.

Speaker 14 (01:50:03):
Well, I would say it's all by God's grace.

Speaker 30 (01:50:06):
I'm not into ministry full time as a full time pastor,
and by the help of my wife also that brings
the balance for me.

Speaker 14 (01:50:17):
With the music.

Speaker 30 (01:50:19):
I have my days that it's catered for studio. Also
in the week I have my time that is catered
for studying, schooling, and my wife is that pinnacle that
helps bring the balance to everything for me because we
have four kids and it's not easy having to do this,
be here, being there all at the same time. And

(01:50:40):
she just be like, baby, you go ahead, I got
you here. So that really helps bring the balance to
to marry the boat together.

Speaker 7 (01:50:48):
For me, that's amazing to have a spouse who supports
you like that.

Speaker 8 (01:50:54):
Yes, that's a beautiful thing.

Speaker 14 (01:50:56):
That's a beautiful thing.

Speaker 7 (01:50:57):
Now are you originally from the Bahamas?

Speaker 14 (01:51:00):
I'm originally from Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaker 7 (01:51:02):
Oh, Trinidad, Okay.

Speaker 8 (01:51:03):
And so how did you end up in.

Speaker 14 (01:51:04):
Canada because of work.

Speaker 30 (01:51:08):
I work in the oil and gas industry and in
twenty I think it was twenty eleven, I believe I
gotten an author for a job out here, and when
I came for the job, well just put everything.

Speaker 14 (01:51:24):
In place for me that my family came a while
after me.

Speaker 8 (01:51:28):
And this is where we are now, all right, all right?
Do you love it?

Speaker 7 (01:51:34):
How is did you have to make a big adjustment?
I'm sure from Trinidad at nice and warm to Canada,
nice and coal.

Speaker 30 (01:51:42):
It was definitely a big adjustment. Much for my wife,
especially the kids, they adjusted really quick. But for me,
I've been traveling a lot doing work and stuff. So
I spent a lot of time. He had spent times
in the US, so the call was something that I
was a customed me too. Yeah, but my first winter

(01:52:03):
here it was it was something.

Speaker 18 (01:52:06):
To do with it.

Speaker 8 (01:52:09):
But Canada coal ain't no joke man, Yes, and.

Speaker 30 (01:52:14):
When we wanted the coldest sponts. We live in Alberta, Canada,
So in the minus forty sometimes, yes, where you have.

Speaker 7 (01:52:26):
To have a little thing to put in your car
so you oil and.

Speaker 8 (01:52:28):
Stuff won't won't freeze.

Speaker 2 (01:52:30):
Yeah, he.

Speaker 7 (01:52:34):
Yes, yes, I've been to Alberta. It is extremely cold there.
How do you deal with the time change? When I
was there, it was one o'clock in the morning and
it was still light. I was like, I can't you know.
I was passing out because I could not make that adjustment,
and then went to bed five o'clock it was light again.

Speaker 8 (01:52:57):
I'm like, okay, what's really happening. Yeah.

Speaker 30 (01:53:01):
We tried our best to like set the house and
away like, no, it's it's it's full season heading into winter,
so we don't change the curtains and all that stuff
because the lfetime stays out less than it is in
the summer, right, So we try have best just adjust
everything by That's that's a.

Speaker 7 (01:53:20):
Real adjustment right there.

Speaker 8 (01:53:23):
That's a real adjustment.

Speaker 7 (01:53:25):
So so talk about your music. How did you get
into gospel music work? Have you been singing gospel your
entire career?

Speaker 30 (01:53:35):
Well, I started singing at a younger age my my
deceased grandfather, Reverend Isaiah Cummins. He was the one that
really introduced me into singing and music. And when I
got into my teens, I did straight a week from things.
I remember one of my aunts had passed away, she

(01:53:58):
had cancer, and for her funeral, my cousin and I
we sund for the funeral. And when I sang for
that funeral and the casket was open before me, it
did something to me that wasn't too good.

Speaker 18 (01:54:15):
You know.

Speaker 14 (01:54:15):
It messed with me in a way that I just
stopped saying.

Speaker 8 (01:54:18):
For a long long time.

Speaker 30 (01:54:20):
It could have been about ten years before I got
back into it and the ministry I was attending. Back
in those days, I had some experiences where I would
wake up late that night and I would just be
whsiping and crying, and sometimes even on my job, I
was standing there and just be having all these visions

(01:54:42):
in my head and whisping him crying, and people.

Speaker 14 (01:54:44):
Would be looking at me, like, what's wrong with this
young man? I think his wife has given him problems
and all that.

Speaker 30 (01:54:50):
But it was just these experiences that I was having
with God that I couldn't really express or exploit to anyone.

Speaker 14 (01:54:57):
And one day I.

Speaker 30 (01:54:58):
Took the time to sit for my past stuff and
we spoke about it and he told me, he said, look,
you need to get back into worshiping and doing the
thing that God has really plums on your heart to do.
And that pulled me back into to worship. When I
migrated to Canada and I met with my events for

(01:55:19):
your Father a studium Boger, I received a prophetic word
in twenty eighteen, and that word God said to me
that he wanted me to pursue this path.

Speaker 14 (01:55:32):
This is the part that he wanted me to go over.

Speaker 30 (01:55:34):
And to confirm it, we had a conference a couple
of months later, and one of the visiting churches, the
lead musician was also a producer.

Speaker 18 (01:55:47):
So after the.

Speaker 30 (01:55:48):
First night of meetings, came to me and he said,
while you were worshiping, the Holy Spirit told me that
I need to produce for you. And he went on
to tell me that you He had some projects on
the table, but as soon as he's finished with it,
he's going to get in contact with me, and he
did in twenty twenty and the rest is history.

Speaker 7 (01:56:09):
Wow, what a testimony, What a testimony? God said, Ah,
you're not sitting on the shelf on me.

Speaker 14 (01:56:20):
I mean, I try run it from it.

Speaker 30 (01:56:22):
I was never it was never a desire of minds
to be a pastor to be singing on this level.

Speaker 14 (01:56:28):
No, it wasn't wow.

Speaker 7 (01:56:30):
Wow, But now that you're doing it, do you love it?

Speaker 2 (01:56:34):
I do?

Speaker 18 (01:56:35):
I love it?

Speaker 30 (01:56:36):
I enjoyed. I enjoy I always tell people that there's
a process to be coming, and in that process, we
need to take all the time and enjoy the two
that's right. Yes, they're going to be high days and
low days.

Speaker 14 (01:56:48):
They're going to be rejection. They're going to be all
these things. But most important, you know that God is
in the boat reject.

Speaker 30 (01:56:55):
So I enjoy everything that comes my way because I
believe everything is for learning, and if everything is for education,
all the experiences that I have been through thus far
is also to help someone that is coming behind me.

Speaker 14 (01:57:09):
So I try my best to enjoy it.

Speaker 30 (01:57:11):
And again the award received last September. Was just a
confirmation of God's thing to do what he said to do.

Speaker 7 (01:57:23):
That's right, that's right.

Speaker 8 (01:57:25):
Amen to that. Are you recording what's coming up in
twenty twenty five? Are you working on new music? Do
you write your own music?

Speaker 30 (01:57:34):
Do you write my own music? I'm working on an
album currently. We have a lot of projects that are
on the table right now. But next year, please go
on reap Planet, some tours for Africa, the Caribbean.

Speaker 7 (01:57:48):
Nice.

Speaker 30 (01:57:49):
A new book is coming, So we have a couple
of things that's on the show that we're going to
be releasing.

Speaker 8 (01:57:58):
That's awesome.

Speaker 7 (01:58:00):
That is so great.

Speaker 8 (01:58:02):
Can't wait to hear and see what God is doing
in your life.

Speaker 7 (01:58:07):
How different is the gospel music environment in Trinidad than
it is in the States and Canada?

Speaker 14 (01:58:15):
For you, Trinidad is very vibrant.

Speaker 30 (01:58:19):
Yeah, I think the level of professionality in the States
and the vibrancy in the States, I would say it's
about seventy ten. But Trinidad is very brigrant because they
are very spiritual people.

Speaker 14 (01:58:34):
Yes, I mean the culture, the culture of the land,
it calls for that. You know.

Speaker 30 (01:58:41):
The music is different, but yet still there is such
a mixture of everything coming in together. So you get
a little bit of R and B, you get a
little bit of reggae, you get some suka, and all
that emerges.

Speaker 14 (01:58:54):
In one melting.

Speaker 30 (01:58:55):
But it's phenomenal and really enjoyed what I experienced there
because some of the things that I experienced I was
able to take with me and bring it here. And
now experiencing the level of ministry in America and Canada,
it's been phenomenal because I'm now able now to take

(01:59:18):
the things I learned there and try my best to
appropriate it here.

Speaker 8 (01:59:22):
Now, hey man, that's great. That's great.

Speaker 7 (01:59:25):
Now tell people where they can learn more about you,
get your music book, you perhaps.

Speaker 8 (01:59:32):
All of that good stuff.

Speaker 30 (01:59:34):
Okay, So my social media platforms, you can find me
on Facebook. You can find me on Instagram, TikTok under
one name Jimo Grant so that is j U m
U g Iri n T. You can contact me there
for bookings or you can also contact mister Lando Miller
aka line Lord.

Speaker 7 (01:59:55):
That's why I thought you're from the Bahamas, because the Landlord.

Speaker 8 (02:00:02):
Yes, yes, yes, yes yes.

Speaker 7 (02:00:04):
Look, congratulations on your win.

Speaker 8 (02:00:09):
You bless us this year.

Speaker 7 (02:00:10):
Hopefully we'll get a chance to see you on the
main stage next year, you'll back down. We would be
so delighted, uh to see you, and make sure you
see the production, the televised production of Yes, Yes, We're excited.
We're excited. Thank you so much for joining us, and
congratulations again.

Speaker 30 (02:00:31):
Thank you for having me in God's blessings to you
as well.

Speaker 7 (02:00:36):
All right to be a guest on our show, you
can reach out to me at good News at thepg
network dot org. Watch the show via pgn TV on
all digital streaming apps, or visit pgntv dot org.

Speaker 8 (02:00:52):
Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards.

Speaker 7 (02:00:54):
This has been a special edition of Good News with
twet Black.

Speaker 8 (02:00:59):
Make sure you tune in.

Speaker 7 (02:01:00):
All right, doubless, thank you.

Speaker 1 (02:01:14):
For joining me today on Good News with Twynda Black,
were we are discovering some of the most inspiring trials
to triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up a friend
and let them know it's time for some good news.

Speaker 7 (02:01:39):
It's season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards. Special edition
of Good News with Twynda Black. We're talking with our
artists and performers and our winners for this season. So
thank you for joining us. Hey, here's Calvin Cooper, Producer
of the Year.

Speaker 8 (02:01:59):
Yes, hi, oh you wonderful, wonderful.

Speaker 7 (02:02:04):
Look, this was your first time at Praise Factor this
year and my god, producer of the year.

Speaker 8 (02:02:13):
Tell us about your experience this year, Well.

Speaker 18 (02:02:16):
I could tell you. I love my experience this year.
Like you said, it's my first time.

Speaker 11 (02:02:21):
I just want to thank you, thank Apostle, doctor T Jordan,
love you guys though at the most, thank God for
the opportunity. We really enjoyed ourself there. People was lovely.
I love your heart, saw that from the beginning. I
love the professionalism. It was this great.

Speaker 7 (02:02:41):
I'm honored, Hones.

Speaker 8 (02:02:44):
We loved you guys.

Speaker 7 (02:02:45):
So when he says we he's in partnership with Tommy Codell,
holy hip hop artist and winner. He just did the thing.
We loved you and tell me together doing your thing.
Talk about how you guys.

Speaker 18 (02:03:02):
Met well met I was producing music.

Speaker 11 (02:03:08):
Started with producing a young lady named Kayla Adams, and
I just started liking well. I also work in the
school system for a while with special at kids, and
I just noticed that how music was influencing them and
I just wanted to do And I was DJing for
the school as well. So I said, you know what,
I'm gonna start making my own beats and stuff like that.

(02:03:29):
I went to God and asked him if he could
help me. Made it coveting with him. You know, I
had to give up some things, and I just thank
God for what he has put in me. And I
started playing my music around the kids. I wasn't telling
them when I got the music problem, just to see
what their reaction. I saw them dancing to it. So
then I hit them with hooks and then they would
keep repeating the hooks.

Speaker 18 (02:03:49):
I said, oh, thank you.

Speaker 11 (02:03:51):
So I saw Tommy Cordell one day at one of
his folks functions, Holy Smoke, and you know, I just
really like his politeness, just something about him that I
drawed me to him. When I told him I had
some beats, and he came to the house and he
listened to him, and he liked him. And you know,
he pursued me too as well. I pursued him.

Speaker 18 (02:04:13):
But it was like a match in heaven, almost like
us coming to praise facts heaven.

Speaker 7 (02:04:21):
Oh my god, we loved it.

Speaker 8 (02:04:24):
We loved it.

Speaker 7 (02:04:25):
You know, you guys are so different, but your your relationship,
your your partnership is just harmony.

Speaker 8 (02:04:33):
You know, it's wonderful to a god be all the glory.

Speaker 7 (02:04:37):
Yes, yes, yes, Now, Producer of the Year.

Speaker 8 (02:04:41):
Were you surprised?

Speaker 26 (02:04:42):
I was.

Speaker 18 (02:04:43):
I was surprised. I did you know. I didn't know
if I was gonna get any categories.

Speaker 11 (02:04:48):
I'm telling you, I was there for the experience, and
I just thank God for the opportunity to receive the
Producer of the Year. I just you know, God is
God is good. He you know what he can put
in man's hearts to vote for you and to allow
me to experience produce up the years. So I'm going
to take that and I'm gonna go forward and keep

(02:05:10):
making music for the Lord.

Speaker 7 (02:05:11):
Oh you know. And the thing about it is that
was your hard work because the people voted for you. Yeah,
nothing to do with us. Your folks voted from you.
So welcome.

Speaker 8 (02:05:22):
Yeah yes yeah yeah.

Speaker 7 (02:05:24):
So so talk about you and Tommy. Are you guys
going to be making more music? What's happening coming up
in twenty twenty five?

Speaker 11 (02:05:33):
So we just released another single, Seek the Lord, so
you can have a chance to change your ways.

Speaker 18 (02:05:41):
We're gonna do an album. We're gonna try to have
that out before the New Years.

Speaker 11 (02:05:46):
We're gonna do a couple of collaborations with other rap
artists and look forward to it. I just you know,
I look forward to this album. He already got all
the music, so no, it's up to help us.

Speaker 18 (02:05:57):
Do the writing.

Speaker 8 (02:05:58):
Yeah, yeah, did you become a producer.

Speaker 18 (02:06:03):
I always loved music.

Speaker 11 (02:06:04):
So as a kid, my mother was a singer Promotorham
Gospel and Rich Food, the Rich Food area. And I
always was around music all my life. And you know,
I was managed a lot of artists, but this was
R and B and you know, hip hop and stuff
like that.

Speaker 18 (02:06:21):
But when I just got.

Speaker 11 (02:06:22):
Tired of that, I just got tired of the many
struggles that you go through, the backstabbing and all that.
I just say, you know what, God, when I changed
my life and I gave it to Christ, you know,
I just went to them and then I went to
go buy the equipment and I spent time with God,
and next my NOA, I was making music.

Speaker 7 (02:06:40):
All right, all right, that song believe it is a
straight up hit.

Speaker 4 (02:06:45):
We love that song.

Speaker 18 (02:06:47):
Well, thank you, thank you so much.

Speaker 7 (02:06:49):
It's you know, it's one of those jams and the
hook is just right on.

Speaker 8 (02:06:54):
Yeah, that's what you want.

Speaker 7 (02:06:57):
Everybody going out singing that song, you know, singing that hook.

Speaker 18 (02:07:01):
So that song was very good because it's so true.
If he said it, believe it, if he spoke and
received it, I would make it good. He tried to
he could.

Speaker 7 (02:07:14):
Yeah, yeah, you guys got to do that song in
the finale.

Speaker 8 (02:07:18):
So everybody walked out singing.

Speaker 3 (02:07:21):
Yes.

Speaker 11 (02:07:24):
It was a great experience, great experience, and Tom felt
so good. It was worth every bit of coming to
the praise factor.

Speaker 7 (02:07:31):
Yeah. Yeah, we were just so happy you guys came
and experience. We hope that you'll come back. It was
just a blessing. It's always a blessing to have new
artists come in and experience the praise factor love.

Speaker 11 (02:07:46):
You know, Yes, And that's why that's exactly what I
was gonna say, the love, the praise factor. Love meant
more than anything, any award or anything. The way how
y'all treat artists the way how y'all treat people. A
lot of people not doing better like that. So I
wish a lot of people could experience what we experienced,
and it will because I see great things for the

(02:08:07):
praise factor.

Speaker 8 (02:08:08):
Amen.

Speaker 7 (02:08:09):
Great, hey, look we received that. Absolutely we received that
we received that. So now when you when you guys
are I know you said that Tommy has already got
the music ready, so you're going to do some writing
as well.

Speaker 8 (02:08:22):
You both been writing.

Speaker 11 (02:08:23):
Yes, So when I'm writing a lot of the hooks,
you know, he's uh doing his part. And I'm also
coming out with a couple of singers myself. By the
fact I got it, I'm working on him now.

Speaker 12 (02:08:37):
So you singing, yes, ma'am?

Speaker 8 (02:08:39):
Oh hear that?

Speaker 18 (02:08:47):
Yes, he's been so good, so I got to sing
to him.

Speaker 3 (02:08:49):
All right, all right, all.

Speaker 8 (02:08:51):
Right, the big Teddy Bear are gonna sing? I love it?

Speaker 7 (02:08:55):
Yes, I love it?

Speaker 8 (02:08:58):
Now, how long have you been singing?

Speaker 11 (02:09:01):
That's I've been singing all my life, really, but I
was never sung. I used to man the singers, but
I would never sing out there. But when I came
in from Christ, I say about this. So now like
fifteen years I came in from Christ and I just
started singing for him. Now when he's taught me music, y'alls,
is teaching me how to write. So I learned how

(02:09:23):
to write my own songs and all that.

Speaker 18 (02:09:25):
What is awesome.

Speaker 8 (02:09:26):
That's awesome.

Speaker 7 (02:09:27):
It must be exciting to be able to do what
you love.

Speaker 18 (02:09:30):
You know, it is it really is. You know, it's
like a when God give you something and you know
he gave it to you.

Speaker 11 (02:09:39):
It's just a feeling that comes over you that make
you so happy that he, you know, he cared about you,
that he will sing to you and you, you know,
get the songs in you from God singing to you.

Speaker 7 (02:09:51):
That's a beautiful thing. That's a beautiful thing. Now, tell
people how they can learn more about you all your
social media.

Speaker 8 (02:09:58):
If they want to hire you for something or you guys,
what do they need?

Speaker 11 (02:10:03):
Definitely they can reach me at clear Image Music Group
dot com, Clearage Music Group at.

Speaker 18 (02:10:11):
Gmail dot com.

Speaker 11 (02:10:12):
You can reach us on social media on Facebook, on Instagram,
you can you can reach us.

Speaker 18 (02:10:19):
You can reach me. I always say because yeah, I
like to because you know it's a team. I think
it was team, just like you guys are team and
that's what makes it team work better.

Speaker 7 (02:10:32):
Look, when is your single coming out with you to do?

Speaker 11 (02:10:36):
Yes too as well? When Charming dropped it, but we
dropped this, I'm gonna drop something in new ys do
as well. Okay, I just got going, I got.

Speaker 18 (02:10:44):
It all set, just got to take it and get
it mixed it up.

Speaker 7 (02:10:47):
Oh right, you ready then?

Speaker 8 (02:10:49):
Look I'm excited. Look I want to get the copy. Okay,
I can't know it.

Speaker 7 (02:10:54):
You cannot wait to hear it again. We enjoyed you
guys so so much. Calvin Cooper and Tommy talked about
you so Tommy and Comic Codell as well.

Speaker 8 (02:11:07):
You know, like you said, partnership.

Speaker 7 (02:11:09):
It's a partnership and he is a Producer of the
Year for Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards. Look,
we look forward to seeing you next year.

Speaker 18 (02:11:17):
Okay, I look forward to it. You keep up you
so for professional I love how you professional. You were
a doctor. T love how professionally you guys are.

Speaker 7 (02:11:27):
Thank you with love, yes, yes, yes, with love, with
love with Steve and God bless you.

Speaker 18 (02:11:34):
I bless you.

Speaker 7 (02:11:35):
Yes. If you want to be a guest on the show,
you can reach out to me at good News at
thepgnetwork dot org. Watch the show be a pgn TV
on all your digital streaming apps, or visit us at
pgntv dot org. Look season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards.
This is a special edition. You don't want to miss

(02:11:56):
a second of it. We'll see you next time. All right,
thank you for.

Speaker 1 (02:12:11):
Joining me today on Good News with Twinda Black, where
we are discovering some of the most inspiring trials to
triumph stories and empowerment moments. Call up a friend and
let them know it's time for some good news.

Speaker 5 (02:12:31):
Memory's Memories for Meal CAVORI how you gave you life
to send the freeze memories.

Speaker 3 (02:12:40):
Memorys Memory.

Speaker 5 (02:12:47):
I'll never forget what you've done for me. You laid
it down your life. You said it was your passion
to die for me. I'm never understand love you have

(02:13:14):
you move Heaven and nerves to come to Frene.

Speaker 7 (02:13:24):
Season seventeen of the Praise Factor Awards. This is a
special edition of Good News with Twanta Black. We're talking
with our winners, our performers, all of that great stuff,
just for insights, so you know what the experience was
like this year at the Praise Factor Awards, joining us
as Robin Birch.

Speaker 8 (02:13:46):
She is a double winner this season.

Speaker 7 (02:13:49):
Robin, so hello and congratulations. You took home too awards
this year, Praise and Worship Solo Artist of the Year
and Urban Solo Artist of the Year. It looked a
little surprised.

Speaker 8 (02:14:02):
I was totally surprised. Why. I think I saw that
you put the work in.

Speaker 7 (02:14:11):
You know, your friends were there pushing for you, people
were voting for you.

Speaker 8 (02:14:17):
Why was I surprised? Because you know, I was just
in the headspace like a year before in season sixteen,
the Lord had in my worship time, had had asked me,
I question, when I go to Praise Factor, would I
sing a particular song. Well, I didn't get to go

(02:14:39):
to Praise Factor season sixteen because I had vocal court
surgery immediately after season fifteen, and so I didn't think
that I would ever be able to sing again. But
God got in his good self gave me a miracle,
and so I was just excited just to then with

(02:15:00):
seasoned the announcements for season six seventeen to come and
I got into the running. And then I was like,
and the Lord brought it back to me, will you
sing this particular song that he say, the name speak
the Name of Jesus. I was just so focused in
on that that honestly I forgot about everything else. And

(02:15:25):
when I the first award of the evening and when
my husband's like, honey, I'm looking up and here I was,
I was so surprised. It was like season fifteen all
over again, because.

Speaker 7 (02:15:39):
Honey, you just stood there for a minute.

Speaker 8 (02:15:42):
I was like, do I need to come get it?
Totally surprised. Let me tell you. Season seventeen caught me
totally by surprise. Wow. And then urban solo artists, you know,
you were like what.

Speaker 19 (02:16:04):
I was like?

Speaker 8 (02:16:05):
I was so But what was so incredible about it
was right before I wasn't thinking about anything. I had
sang the song the pre show. I delivered what God
told me to do.

Speaker 7 (02:16:19):
I was.

Speaker 8 (02:16:20):
And so you know you're coming down from that like
I've done what God has called me to do.

Speaker 9 (02:16:25):
Now.

Speaker 8 (02:16:25):
I knew that I was gonna sing my my new
single on the main stage, but so here I am.
I wasn't thinking about that. This little voice came and said, well,
you haven't prepared a speech, and I'm just like what
And it all happened just like boom, you haven't prepared

(02:16:45):
to speak, Robin, Robin.

Speaker 7 (02:16:47):
I'm like, yes, yes, yes, I love it. I love it.
You know, just God bless When you're having your surgery,
of course we were all in prayer. What were you feeling.
Were you feeling like this is the inner? Like the

(02:17:08):
Lord is going to bring me through this, and I'm
gonna be able to sing again.

Speaker 15 (02:17:12):
You know what.

Speaker 8 (02:17:14):
I remember getting off the stage from season fifteen. I
remember after the red carpet, I went in the room
and I walked into that beautifully. That room was so
beautiful season fifteen, and I thought, oh my goodness, I
just want to remember this. I was just happy to
be in the house again. I was just happy to

(02:17:36):
be in the house. So I asked the guy he
was standing there. I said, do you think their mind
if I just walk up from the stage and take
a picture.

Speaker 3 (02:17:42):
And I did.

Speaker 8 (02:17:43):
I remember that thing, and I took the picture. But
me and God is having a We're talking because I'm
looking at him saying, thank you God, thank you for
allowing me to be here, thank you for allowed And
then God just began to speak to me and he said,
why do you want to hold this as a memorial.
Look to the field of expectancy. He said, talk closer

(02:18:05):
to me, and I would draw. I'm gonna show you things.
He said, eyes have not seen, no your ears have heard,
nor have it entered in your heart. What I am
gonna do for you? So I'm thinking that. But immediately
when I walked off the stage, the guy said, look
at this picture. That's gonna be a cover. Immediately when
I walked off the stage, the enemy pounced and he said,

(02:18:29):
I couldn't stop this, but you're not gonna enjoy it
at all. When I got back home, get on the airplane.
You know how I don't fly. I'm not a good flyer.
But you know how your ears popped? When my ears
popped and I lost my hearing for a moment. When
we started to ascend, my ears pomped and I didn't

(02:18:50):
get my hearing back for about two weeks.

Speaker 18 (02:18:52):
It was like water.

Speaker 8 (02:18:54):
And I did all the all the you know, and
I'm thinking I should have had you know, they tell
you to do join gum. So I'm doing all this
stuff trying to make my ear pop. My ear never popped,
so I went so then my ear never popped, but
I didn't want to tell anybody. I came back to
Atlanta in October because One Nation under God Records was

(02:19:17):
having their tenth anniversary. I came to sing, got back
on the plane. The same thing happened. This time it
was a piercing hurt. Well, I knew immediately when I
got back to New York I needed to go to
the doctor. When I went to the doctor, they immediately
sent me to a specialist. When I went to specialist,
I was scheduled for vocal cord surgery. And in that moment,

(02:19:38):
I'm thinking, God is over before it begins. But then
I had to remember I said, God, don't do that. God,
don't take you to the door, and then say no, no,
none of booboo.

Speaker 29 (02:19:51):
God.

Speaker 8 (02:19:51):
Do you know what I'm saying. God is not a god.
He doesn't do that. And I can remember having a
dream after being just so like, what in the world,
Oh God, I know I heard you. I know you spoke.
I know that this has been spoken over my life.
I know all of this. And I'm sitting here in
that moment, and the Lord said, it's a process. You're

(02:20:14):
gonna be okay, it's a process.

Speaker 7 (02:20:15):
You got to go through this.

Speaker 8 (02:20:17):
I had the surgery. Well, I'm planning on coming to
praise back to sixteen. Anyway, I'm gonna come. I'm gonna sing.
The doctor said no, he said, you won't be able
to sing for about a year. If you're able to sing, Wow,
went through the process. I went back after they did
the surgery because where the where this thing was located

(02:20:42):
in my vocal cord. It was bedded down and had
been hid years. But by this, see everything ain't the
devil right, but by me going through this. Had I
never went through this incident, i'd never went to the doctor,
I'd have never been dying. Knows, they'd never found it

(02:21:02):
because this thing had been bothering me and it had
been like ten years, like ten years increments. It started
in my early twenties when I was singing and lost
my voice, and they told me you'll never sing again.
You can't take the risks because your vocal cords are enlarged.
I went through every test, every blood test, all this

(02:21:22):
stuff soapt when the next time you lose your voice
could be the last time. But I remember God said,
I've called you to the nations, and he says, when
you get ready to take the platform, there's gonna be
a level of annoying and you're gonna walk in.

Speaker 4 (02:21:36):
Don't be afraid.

Speaker 8 (02:21:37):
And so everything with smooth. Ten years later it happened again,
and then here we go on ten years later, here
it goes again, and so I'm just saying, God, how
I'm so scared. I'm just like, what in the world
is going on. But I had the word of God,
the promise of God, and I said, God did not

(02:21:58):
bring me this far. He didn't bring me this far.
I've been trusting him, and I've been trusting the worst
that he spoke op with my life as a little child.
What he was going to do through me and the
vocal get the vocal ministry that I operate in. And
I said, Okay, God, I'm gonna trust you. I can't
do anything but trust you. I knew he was gonna
bring me out, but I remember, I didn't want to

(02:22:21):
tell anybody. After I had the surgery, it was about
I went back to the doctor, got my check up.
He said, everything is going good. I see a little
bit of inflammation. You still cannot sing, and then you're
gonna have to go through I went through therapy just
to learn to speak, not to sing, but to speak
and so and he said, we'll talk about it as
you go. You have to make all your appointments. So

(02:22:43):
I had to go an hour away get my appointment.
So I went there. So it was like a couple
months later. He told me, he said, you know what,
you can sing. You go out there and you can
sing because your voe. Your vocal cords are amazing. They
are all right. But still when I came back, like

(02:23:04):
come back home, and I'm trying to sing because now
I'm afraid to sing for out Well about three months
after that, I woke up one day didn't have a voice.
So immediately I'm like, and the enemies like, see there,
see there. So I said, okay, so now praise Bac
there's coming around. The Lord is still telling me you're

(02:23:26):
gonna sing this song to wander when I tell you this,
I wrestled with that one song for almost a year
to learn. My voice would not. It just would not,
just learning. And then when I lost the voice again,
I said, God, what in the world is going on?
And Lord said, do you trust me? So down to

(02:23:46):
the very I didn't get my ticket, my plane till
I didn't get any of that. Down to the last
little days, I said, Lord, I just don't know. I
don't know. And in my mind I said, okay, pray
in fact, there's gonna be the last thing that And
the Lord said, do you trust me? Eyes have not seen,

(02:24:07):
nor your eyes have not seen, your ears have heard,
nor have it entered in the hearts of man. What
I have for those that love me. Dude, you trust me?
And I said, Lord, yes I do. He said, will
you sing that song? I had people to talk me out.
Don't sing that song? Why would you sing that song?
You're an artist, you just released a.

Speaker 3 (02:24:28):
Song.

Speaker 8 (02:24:29):
Why don't you go sing your song. I said, this
is what God told me to do.

Speaker 4 (02:24:33):
This is what I'm going to do.

Speaker 8 (02:24:34):
So me going to praise factor was being obedient, going
to do what God has told me to do. That's
how I forgot about everything else. So when I got there,
it was a struggle. That Thursday, everything that could go
wrong went wrong. The uber driver dropped us off in
the wrong face, be everything that could go wrong. Then
we got there. The mic kept mouth fucking yeah, and

(02:24:56):
I was just like, God, are you sure?

Speaker 7 (02:24:59):
God?

Speaker 4 (02:24:59):
You sure?

Speaker 8 (02:25:00):
Then Friday I got there, we were the same thing
we called. The uber took us to a totally different place. Wrestle.
I mean, this was a wrestle. And I told you,
I said, I don't know what it is that I'm carrying.
I don't know, but God knows, I said, But the

(02:25:20):
devil is priced me not to get there. So when
I got there, I was late getting there but when
I got there and I walked through the door, somebody said, Robert,
they just call you for the mic chap. And then
even when I got there to sing the song, my
voice started to gruff over, but I pulled it through.

(02:25:41):
I said, God, look, I'm obeying you, and I'm leaving
the consequences to you. I'm you you for whatever reason,
because I didn't ask God. I didn't question him to
say why you want me to sing this? Who is
this FuG an idiot to do what you said do?
I'm not asking you no question. I'm just obedient. Got

(02:26:01):
through that song. Here we go Sunday, I mean Saturday
when I tell you, the awards came before I even
got up to sing, just like, oh my goodness. So
then when I got up to sing, there was a freedom,
was a there was a freedom that I'm it was
a freedom and I knew then. I said, no, I

(02:26:24):
ain't quit and singing. I just started.

Speaker 3 (02:26:26):
I ain't.

Speaker 8 (02:26:28):
You know, I'm not quitting. But I was so surprised.
I was just so surprised. But that was one of
those moments that the Lord said, eyes haven't seen your
ears have hurt, nor have it entered in the hearts
of man, but I half of those that loved me.
I honestly didn't go to praise factor to win an award.

(02:26:49):
I was on an assignment and that that was more
important than any award that could be.

Speaker 26 (02:26:56):
And that is just that.

Speaker 8 (02:26:58):
Look, thank you God, you the song, and there you go,
and there you go. And it wasn't I didn't see
who who responded to it. I didn't see who, but
I do know that early on in my life I've
been I've been to the Dame Minister my young life.
Not call me to atmosphere. He called me to go

(02:27:19):
in and shift the atmosphere.

Speaker 7 (02:27:21):
Man.

Speaker 8 (02:27:21):
When he called me to shift the atmosphere, I just
do what God told tell me to do. And then
it's like a farmer when you go and you sow
them seas, get out of the field, trying to see
what's sprouting up, if it's caring, if it's peds or
all that. You just do what God told you to do.
And so I came, and that's what I came to do,
was just be obeedied. I didn't say, well, who needed this?

(02:27:42):
But this was for somebody and all this and that
all I know, God said, go release that will go
release that song in the atmosphere. And as I was
sitting here thinking some days ago, I said, that song
was for me, that.

Speaker 7 (02:27:59):
For me, That was for your liberty.

Speaker 8 (02:28:02):
Yes, I love God. That was for me to trust him.
And the whole battle. Look, that whole battle, that whole
fortday battle was for you, and it was. That's amazing,

(02:28:23):
that's amazing. Look, you can't do nothing but laugh.

Speaker 4 (02:28:30):
I can't do nothing.

Speaker 8 (02:28:31):
So when I'm thinking about it, the Lord let me know.

Speaker 9 (02:28:35):
It was for you.

Speaker 18 (02:28:37):
It was for you.

Speaker 8 (02:28:38):
This was for you because you you know, I had
lost my confidence even after coming back after a twenty
seven year delay. Yeah, coming back, I have to really
really rely on God. You know what I'm saying. And
then when people ask me, Robin, do you sing? I
can honestly say I've come to the end of myself.
I don't sing, but the Holy Spirit sings through me.

(02:29:01):
I don't sing anymore. The Holy Spirit sings. So I've
come to an end of myself to know the Lord say,
make a joyful noise. Unto the Lord all your lands,
and I'm just a vessel for him to use. It's
not about me trying to outshine nobody else. I just
want to be obedient. I just want to do what

(02:29:22):
God has called me to do. And that's where I'm
at in my life.

Speaker 7 (02:29:27):
Hey, what a testimony. That is a beautiful testimony for
every artist who has lost their confidence, lost their voice,
lost their way, not understanding where am I supposed to
be in this thing? You've given me this talent? Now
what am I supposed to do with it? Where you're
supposed to let everything go.

Speaker 8 (02:29:47):
And be obedient to God?

Speaker 7 (02:29:50):
Period?

Speaker 8 (02:29:50):
Okay, period, w Dray period. That is a beautiful testimony.

Speaker 7 (02:29:57):
I'll tell you we have enjoyed you from the first
moment you came to praise factor.

Speaker 8 (02:30:03):
We're so blessed to have you with us and.

Speaker 7 (02:30:09):
Just and and and enjoying your gifts and talents that
God has given and that that gift that you have
of I don't know, let me see what am I
going to call it?

Speaker 8 (02:30:22):
It's it's a piece.

Speaker 7 (02:30:23):
I think that you have this piece about you and
you're so genuine I love that about you. You're genuinely
wonderful person, sweet and I love that about you. So
we thank you for coming from fighting your way through
being obedient to God. Giving this testimony is very transparent testimony.

(02:30:48):
I think you know you cannot go anywhere and not
give that testimony. That's that's amazing. It is absolutely amazing.
I know that you do so many other things and
then you came all the way from New York to Atlanta.
But fighting, fighting the whole. Sometimes we have to fight.
We cannot give up in the middle. We cannot, we

(02:31:12):
cannot give up. Tell folks how to reach out to you,
how to book you, how to learn more about you,
where to get the new music.

Speaker 8 (02:31:21):
From, tell us all that good stuff. You can find
me on Facebook Robin Birch. But I'm gonna win you
right now. I do some crazy things there.

Speaker 24 (02:31:31):
I am.

Speaker 8 (02:31:33):
I don't want to be so heavily minded that I'm.

Speaker 7 (02:31:36):
No earthly girthly good.

Speaker 8 (02:31:38):
That's right. I do a lot of things. I do
a lot of exercising and hula hooping. So if you
see that, I'm still saved. God has changed my platform,
but I'm still teaching and reaching for the kingdom. I
do a series called Unbig My Back I do and

(02:31:59):
so you'll see some stuff. But it's Robin Birch Facebook.
Instagram is Red Underscore Bird Underscore Music. Twitter Robin Birch
sixty eight YouTube Robin Birch.

Speaker 7 (02:32:14):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (02:32:14):
You can find my music on all digital platforms Deza, Spotify,
Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, and you can always as people say, Google,
but come to my page, uh and you'll find out everything.

(02:32:35):
But I'm just warning you. My page is not for
I want to say.

Speaker 4 (02:32:43):
I'm just the girl in.

Speaker 8 (02:32:44):
Pursuit after the Master's part and he calls us to
different mountains and I finally found the mountain that it's
called me too, and so I'm okay with that. So
you yeah, I'm gonna warn you right now. I do
have sweats on and.

Speaker 7 (02:32:59):
I have who you know, and ain't nothing wrong with that.

Speaker 8 (02:33:04):
I'm hoping for God.

Speaker 7 (02:33:09):
Well, Robin, thank you for coming. I know we talked
about you getting there, But what was your experience like
this year at Season seventeen.

Speaker 8 (02:33:20):
When I looked when I went, let me tell you something,
you guys do it all the way. You hear what
I'm saying. It was so beautiful. But the spirit of
it was so beautiful. You understand what I'm saying. The
spirit everything was so beautiful, The people were beautiful. Just

(02:33:42):
to think that in the indie artists have a place
to go to be celebrated, to meet other people and
to I mean, it's just like finding your clase and
getting that strength that you need to become the art
and then the works and all the things that you
have that will make us not only are you allowing

(02:34:06):
us to come, allowing us to come, you have a
place for us, but the training to know that that's
going to keep you there. Going through the doors one thing.
It's staying any places another thing. So you give the
artists everything that they need to be able to stand
and to be able to flourish. And that's the thing

(02:34:27):
that I really loved about all of everything that Factor
had to offer those. That's the thing. The whole thing
about it was so beautiful, and the whole feel about
it was so beautiful, and I was just I think
that every artist, every artist needs a Praise Factor experience.

Speaker 7 (02:34:52):
Amen, every arty get some of this praise back to
love y'all.

Speaker 3 (02:34:58):
Look here.

Speaker 7 (02:34:59):
Season seventy Robin Birch praise and worship solo artists of
the Year and also urban solo artists of your congratulations.
We love you, we pray that we see you in
the new year next year. For season eighteen, God bless you.

Speaker 8 (02:35:15):
Thank you.

Speaker 7 (02:35:18):
All right now, if you want to be a guest
on the show, you can reach out to me at
good News at thepgnetwork dot org. Watch the show via
pgn TV on all your digital streaming apps, or visit
us at pgntv dot org. It's the season seventeen of
the Praise Factor Awards Special Edition, so make sure you

(02:35:38):
tune in and see all of our winners, our performers.
They're so excited about this year and you don't want
to miss a moment. God bless you.