WillStomp, Artist Spotlight

Rapping all his life, as far back as he could remember. WillStomp says rapping was his identity.

As a young ten-year old boy, he was allowed to mingle with the older crowds and circles in the studio – smoking and drinking at a very young age. Instead of high school parties he was at the club. People knew him from rapping. That was the hardest thing to separate from. About 5 years ago, in the church but still going to the club, still making music that didn’t glorify God, Tye Tribbett was coming to WillStomp’s church, but he had a heavily promoted concert to perform in, but he was led to stop by the church before getting on the highway and while sitting way in the back Tye Tribbett preaches a word, directly to his spirit, speaking about life and death in the power of the tongue. And ministered to the crowd about building the Kingdom of God and faith and how many artists in the world are not building faith. In a demonstration, Tye Tribbett asking them which artists where singing words of Life & Death. He was immediately convicted as the word hits him. He realized that he was not glorifying God and was speaking death in his lyrical content. He declared that night would be his last show. He heard God say, “Your last show was your last show”.

LITO Magazine: Who is WillStomp and where did you get the name as an artist?

WillStomp: The name came from my history as being a battle rap artist when I was a secular artist. I enjoyed battle rapping that was one of my recreations that I did every Monday here in Indianapolis called the Melody Inn, and they would have hip hop battles 8-Mile style. That was one the name I developed in that circuit. Rising up through the ranks, it came up as “I WillStomp through competition, I WillStomp my opponent” and when God changed my heart, he didn’t change my name, it still fits. If anybody hears my music is definitely high-energy, it’s victorious and so “I WillStomp on the devil, through opposition in the same way, but now thinking that it’s through me and my own strength, I know now through Christ I WillStomp through any problem I may have.”

LITO Magazine: Was it hard making the transition from the secular to Christian rap genre?

Will Stomp: Yes it was definitely hard for me. I wouldn’t say physically hard, but spiritually – I had never had been submitted to God before so it was a long journey. Music was my heart and all I knew. I never set out to be a Christian rap artist, it was when my heart changed, I said Lord I submit everything to you. I knew that I didn’t want to keep leading people astray, like before. I just wanted to be submitted to God, so nothing else mattered. It was difficult to communicate my heart change to my label and group mates, as they had recently had a contract on the table with Jive Records. Fully submitted to God, he told them about his life and heart change and spoke to them about changing over. He thought because he transformed everyone would. The same producer agreed to produce his first EP. Its funny how it happened, I was driving listening to instrumentals and the Lord began to give me bars, words as I was driving. It all came to me at once; I just pulled over and broke down.

My brother in-law gave me a Christian mix CD, never listened to Christian rap, totally ignorant to the culture, but then I heard LeCrae, I heard Jesus music, This was banging I let the boys in the hood hear it, and I heard the song it was hot. It was a few other artists on there, it fit me to go search out and I began to get exposed. I had been sleeping on a whole genre of music that I never knew was banging.

My church has definitely received it. Pastor is with it. My Pastor and first Lady also is heavy in the music industry as well, the gospel side. Emmaus Church, Henzy...I work with the teen ministry and I work with the hip-hop church service that we do once a month. I help out with security and wherever else I am needed.”

I’m always rapping at the church for different events. It’s really a blessing to see the youth support it and get it. Where I was from it was African American culture to go to church, your mom or grandmother made us go. Even the gangsters were going to church. But there is a difference between going to church and being the church. I going to church and I never saw what I wanted to be as a young man in the church that looked like or represented me or what I wanted to be in life as a young man. It blesses me to be able to be an authentic young dude and be an inspiration to the young men. I am following Christ; I’m trying my best to be submitted unto God. I’m trying to walk like God; I want talk like God and look like Jesus.

Victory Iz Certain - It’s a 2012 joint, it’s available on iTunes, Amazon, Sound Doctrine Muzik...

I wanted to encourage the body of Christ… a pivotal point. Romans 8:28 when I got a hold of that scripture, when I grasped the context and meaning… I was going through some things at the time, home in foreclosure, just lost a good job, had twins on the way, it was a point In my life when things were going crazy, that all things… the good the bad – every thing in the world that’s happening PERIOD…works together… What is his purpose? – It is to ultimately change me into the image of Jesus Christ. I wanted to put that into music, so I definitely think I accomplished that with this project.

"I can celebrate through pain, praise god through victories and ultimately even in my death Victory Iz Certain, We already won."

Sound Doctrine Muzik ..Definitely a vision that God gave me to keep the doctrine in the music and keep the music sound. I’m not giving you my ideas, I’m giving God credit for all the lyrics and that’s what it is.

Our Hip Hop service is hosted as if it’s an event.

God is going to make room for his work to get done, it’s not about me having a bunch of money or none of that. Whether I have a lot of money or no money at all, I have God and I have a mission as I get his mission accomplished that’s all I’m concerned about and that’s what he’s concerned about, so I know he’s gonna get it done.

I work with ERI, I did a service term to Public Allies program started by Barack and Michelle Obama, this leadership program takes young people within diff non-profits orgs in their city, give them development skills shows them how it works – through that I got introduced to ERI

Iran, Ethiopia, Berma, persecuted in their own country – My role Is to make sure they have their housing set up before they come here. I spend days at goodwill Walmart, shopping buying household goods, making sure they have their necessities, when they get off the plane, they can move right in.

Full time ministry, its awesome to work with people they are culture shock when they get here. We work with different housing complexes that house the refugees. It’s like a different world, many of them have church in their house. The apt complex is like you have to tell people they cant have full blown church services in their apts. They packing their apartments out just praising and worshipping. They serve each other. Total strangers, they help, once they talk and learn they are from the same country, they come out the woodwork. I love their heart. Even a little kid helped me move in a family once. 10-15 kids helping me move a family in one day. It feels good it checks my heart “They are really a good example of the body of Christ the way the y live and serve each other.

Working on a project with Da Messenger, with Holy Soldier records and we have a single out called Bow Down, Da Messenger he partnered with Rescue Missions, they are non-profit that fights sex slavery. This album called Life Line all proceeds will go out to help fight sex slavery.

"Life outreach ministries, the living water project; people in villages across the world $4000 to build one pump where people have to walk miles and miles just to get dirty water, I want to put a water pump right there in the middle of the villages. I’m trying to raise a million dollars towards that project."