Meet Courtney Calvert

Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Calvert.

Courtney, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started rapping at age 14. I found one of my classmate’s rhyme books on the bleachers and figured I’d give rapping a try and that was the beginning of my love for hip hop. From that moment forward, I was constantly writing music, using it as an escape from my mundane life. When I became a freshman in high school, I was introduced to a Christian rapper by the name of Ryzen. He was one of the most talented lyricists I had ever heard grace a microphone, especially one that represented Jesus Christ. I tried my hand at Christian rap and I was pretty good at it. I continued to write both Christian and secular music until I graduated high school.

Upon starting college, I made the decision that I needed to give my life to Christ. Nothing major happened to make me draw that conclusion. I believed that since I was coming into adulthood and knowing that I would face new challenges, I needed something to keep me grounded and to guide me through my everyday endeavors. I gave my life to Jesus and in that moment, I decided that I would only write music that glorifies God.

Fast forward, I’ve been a Christian rapper for about ten years and I’m a youth director and teacher at my church. 🙂 WON’T HE DO IT??!!! LOL!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. I’ve had people (that I considered to be friends) try to steal my likeness. Honestly, the most challenging part of this journey is finding people who are willing to persevere. This is no exaggeration. All of the rappers that I collaborated with and considered them to be crew members, either no longer rap or no longer rap for the Lord. I have had to learn to lean on God and those close to me to keep me focused and inspired.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I’m a Christian artist. My goal, when making music, is to create art that helps people cope with everyday life. I aim to make music that encourages listeners to examine their hearts and decisions. I also use my music as a voice for people who tend to be ignored or overlooked. I’m different from other artists because I’m myself. I’m not looking for a gimmick and I’m not trying to appeal to a particular group of people. I just do me and let real recognize real.

I’m most proud of the fact that I did not allow the changes in the Christian Hip Hop community to affect me to the extent that it affected other artists. I don’t follow other rappers’ leads. I follow God and keep it moving, and I’m very proud of that.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would definitely perform more. I would have started making music videos earlier. Basically, I would not have second-guessed myself and taken waaaayyyyy more risks.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.soundcloud.com/mildgenius
• Email: mildgenius@yahoo.com
• Instagram: mild_genius
• Twitter: mild_genius

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