Flame (rapper)

Flame
Flame at the airport in Zurich, Switzerland
Background information
Birth name	Marcus Tyrone Gray
Born	September 16, 1981 (1981-09-16)
Origin	St. Louis, Missouri U.S.
Genres	Christian hip hop
Years active	2003-present
Labels	Clear Sight Music
Website	clearsightmusic.com

Flame (often stylized as FLAME) (born Marcus T. Gray) is a Christian hip hop recording artist with Clear Sight Music. He has released five albums including: Flame, Rewind, Our World: Fallen, Our World: Redeemed, and Captured. Our World: Redeemed was nominated for a Grammy Award. Flame has also been nominated for Dove and Stellar awards throughout his music career. His sixth studio album, The 6th, is set to release March 6, 2012.

Flame graduated with his Bachelor's degree from Boyce College, a school of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He practices biblical counseling and applied theology. Flame is currently working on his Master's degree in Biblical Counseling at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky in the United States. He is married to Crystal Gray and is a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.

Biography

During his personal time, Flame initially wrote raps as devotionals to the Lord. After converting his devotionals to songs, Cross Movement Records took an interest in supporting Flame in publishing his gospel work through rap music. In 2004, Flame released his debut album with Cross Movement Records. Since then, Flame released 3 more albums and launched his own record label, Clear Sight Music.

His self-titled debut album, Flame, was released in October 2004. In December 2005, Flame released his second album titled, Rewind. On April 17, 2007, Flame released his third album entitled Our World: Fallen, which is the first part of a two part series. On August 7, 2007, the sequel, Our World: Redeemed was scheduled to release, but the date was pushed back to March 4, 2008.

Flame has been featured on radio shows in the United States such as Way of the Master, and in local newspapers such as The Pathway (the Missouri Baptist Convention statewide newspaper), and World (Magazine).

Flame has sold over 170,000 albums, and one of his interludes from his first album is played on Busch Stadium's loudspeakers every other time Albert Pujols comes to bat.

On February 20, 2007, it was announced that Flame's track, "Gotta Notice", from the album Rewind was nominated for the 38th Annual GMA Dove Awards in the category Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year. In summer of 2007, Flame joined the rest of Cross Movement for their final tour. Our World Redeemed was nominated for a Stellar Award, Dove Award, and Grammy Award. In 2009, Flame was a special guest on Reach Records 116 Clique's tour Don't Waste Your Life.

In 2010 Flame announced that he was starting his own record label, Clear Sight Records, and a new album titled Captured.

Discography

Albums

Solo

Year	Album
2004	Flame First studio album Sold over 98,000 Released: October 12, 2004
2005	Rewind Second studio album Sold over 74,000 GMA Dove Award Nominee for Best Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year for "Gotta Notice" Released: December 6, 2005
2007	Our World: Fallen Third studio album Released: April 17, 2007 First album in a two-album series. "The album is a passionate, but basic, explanation of God's pursuit for His created people," Flame says. "It's very simple, but it's a very informative appeal for people to run to Christ."
2008	Our World: Redeemed Released: March 4, 2008 Fourth studio album Second album in a two-album series Stellar Award Nominee for Rap Album of the Year GMA Dove Award Nominee for Best Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year for "Joyful Noise" Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album. The last of Flame's albums released with Cross Movement Records.
2010	Captured Fifth studio album Released: December 28, 2010 Single: Surrender featuring V.Rose No. 1 on Billboard Gospel (January 2011) No. 5 on Billboard Christian (January 2011) No. 17 on Billboard Rap (January 2011) No. 152 on Billboard 200 (January 2011) No. 11 on Billboard Independent (January 2011)
2012	The 6th Sixth studio album Release Date: March 6, 2012

Non-album Songs

• "Brand New" (featuring Future)

Singles

Solo

• "Surrender" (featuring V. Rose)
• "All the Way" (featuring Trubble & Lecrae)

Guest appearances

• "Eternal Cypha" (The Cross Movement featuring J-Silas, Todd Bangz, R-Swift, & Da’ T.R.U.T.H.)
• "Who Is That?" (Da’ T.R.U.T.H.)
• "Moments" (Tru-Life)
• "Stand" Da’ T.R.U.T.H. featuring Lecrae
• "The Greatest" (J.R.)
• "Party Music" (Tedashii featuring Lecrae)
• "Who You Rollin Wit" (Trip Lee featuring Json)
• "The King" (Lecrae)
• "Everyday All Day Cypha" (Everyday Process featuring Lecrae, The Ambassador, Phanatik, & R-Swift)
• "Come Close" (Trip Lee featuring Sho Baraka)
• "The Last Cypha" (The Cross Movement featuring Trip Lee, R-Swift, Mac the Doulos, Iz-Real, & Da' T.R.U.T.H.)
• "Rock Star" (J.R.)
• "A YO" (Json)
• "Pleading 4 Ya Soul" (Thi'sl)
• "Move Out" (Json featuring Future)
• "Do Him" (Future)
• "Make War" (Tedashii)
• "I Ain't Turnin Back" (Thi'sl)
• "Show Off" (DJ Official featuring Lecrae)
• "No Worries (Remix)" (Trip Lee featuring Lecrae)
• "God Is Enough" (Lecrae featuring Jai)
• "Leadership" (Lamp Mode Recordings)
• "Oh My Ahh" (V. Rose)
• "Show Off (Guitar Remix)" (DJ Official featuring Lecrae & KJ-52)
• "He Lives" (Tedashii featuring Jai)
• "Battery" (V. Rose)
• "My City" (116 Clique)
• "Greatest Story Ever Told" (Shai Linne)
• "Clear Sight Christmas" (V. Rose & Young Noah)

Music videos

Solo

• "Goodness to Repentance"
• "Joyful Noise" (featuring John Reilly & Lecrae)
• "Surrender" (featuring V. Rose)
• "Move"

External links

• Flame314: Discipling from a Distance
• Cross Movement Records
• Flame Interview with Rapzilla