Sir the Baptist: Urban Hymns from a Preacher's Son
February 3, 2016
Sir the Baptist, the son of a preacher, is an indie gospel and R&B artist and social activist, whose music adds a secular twist to his religious upbringing. He views his music as taking the same path as Ray Charles, when bringing gospel music to a wider audience with his song “I Got a Woman.” A 93% increase from last week landed this “urban prophet” in the fifth place spot on this week’s A&R Moneyball chart.
Music:
Sir the Baptist’s most popular track, “Raise Hell” is an interesting mix of clapping, piano beats, and soulful lyrics with a great rhythm. Upon first listen, this track stood out as having a quality similar to that of Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us,” due to the prominence of piano chords and overall upbeat tempo. Sir the Baptist does a great job of
incorporating a gospel choir and background chatter to create the feeling as though the listener is actually there with a group of people, sharing the experience with them.
Future:
Sir the Baptist is a fairly unique instance of someone who is able to embrace their background without having the stimga associated with most music referencing religion. Perhaps this comes from incorporating explicit language and using religious references as more of a turn of phrase than the foundation for the songs. Having already had collaborations with Chance the Rapper and Twist, as well as an Apple Store event, Sir the
Baptists future looks bright. One key to his success will be whether his future tracks remain commercially accessible because his current songs are quite enjoyable to listen to.
Audience Gender Breakdown
45% Female
55% Male
