Faithfully Podcast 7: Hip-Hop Artist Thi’sl Talks ‘Against All Odds,’ Cultural Appropriation and Serving the Streets

Chart-Topping Christian Rapper Also Comments on Lecrae, Birdman, Lil’ Kim, and More

Hip-hop artist Thi’sl (né Travis Tremayne Tyler) joined the Faithfully Podcast crew and kept it one hundred in their conversation about how God used a murder charge to help him find his way to Christ, part of his redemption story that is chronicled in his latest project (a book and CD), Against All Odds.

In addition to talking about his transition from being a gangbanger and dope dealer to a man now on mission in the hood for Christ, Thi’sl shares his thoughts on Christian hip-hop and how some artists, such as Lecrae, face challenges in trying to appeal to a wider audience while tied to a core Christian fanbase.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the topics discussed in Faithfully Podcast episode 7:

1:18 – “What happened with the murder charges?”

8:56 – Thi’sl comments on how drugs affected his family

12:28 – Thi’sl responds to question on youths seen as “lost causes” and reveals how he “sacrifices a certain level of success” by keeping his music street to reach people in the hood

15:18 – Christians in a “Christian bubble” and churches not being planted in the hood; being a Christian who raps vs being a “Christian rapper” and reaching certain audiences

22:05 – Lecrae and “Christian rappers” tied to a core Christian base trying to switch gears and reach a mass audience

31:50 – Thi’sl explains how Birdman’s confrontational appearance on “The Breakfast Club” resonated with him

38:15 – Lil’ Kim’s new look in Instagram photos and how black and white folks try to “appropriate” each other’s looks

Check out Thi’sl’s latest CD and his first published book, Against All Odds, on Amazon:

Listen via SoundCloud.

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