Stellar Award winner and Verity Gospel recording artist Marvin Sapp was in town last week to celebrate his brand new release entitled “Here I Am.” The powerful single has become a favorite and has quickly spiraled to the top of the gospel char
Stellar Award winner and Verity Gospel recording artist Marvin Sapp was in town last week to celebrate his brand new release entitled “Here I Am.” The powerful single has become a favorite and has quickly spiraled to the top of the gospel charts. Sapp’s latest single, The Best in Me, off the album, is enjoying crossover success, being No. 1 on gospel radio rotations and No. 20 on urban radio. “Here I Am is about how I think and how I’ve matured as a believer,” he said. “I think the gist of the entire record is to challenge individuals not to allow people to define them that did not create them.” The song comes on the heels of Sapp’s popular single, Never Would Have Made It, which was the longest running No. 1 record of any genre. “This is my eighth solo record,” Sapp said. “It’s pretty good to enjoy and I’m taking it all in stride.” Sapp is the only gospel artist to have over 1.8 million ringtones, thanks to Never Would Have Made It. The multiple award winner began his professional career with the group Commissioned. “It was some of the greatest and brokest days of my life! It’s the truth. Back then it was all about ministry of Christ. We had many concerts and we would sing and there were 10 people and it seemed like thousands. We had thousands of people and didn’t get paid. We went through some very trying times,” said the pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church. The Michigan native was discovered by gospel great Fred Hammond who went on to help Sapp navigate the business side of the industry, the pastor explained. He also gives much credit to Chicago’s Stellar and Grammy Award-winning producer Percy Bady who wrote songs that helped Sapp find his niche, including Grace and Mercy, This Is Not The Time Or The Place and I Believe. “That song was the key that catapulted my career. That song was two-and-a-half years old when you heard it,” Sapp said of I Believe. “I recorded it on a Friday, they fired my record company on Monday and then they shut the label down on a Tuesday. Two-and-a-half years later, Verity put it on WOW Gospel and it put WOW over the top and they asked where’s the rest of the record.” Condolences to the family and friends of Rev Phillip Sneed of The Chicago Mass Choir…no doubt, he’s singing in the heavenly choir. Happy belated bday blessings to radio personality, Angela Martin. “Remember you are blessed by the Best!” Effie Rolfe is a radio personality and the religion entertainment columnist for the Chicago Defender. E-mail her at effie@theinspirationalcafe.com
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