Flame (rapper)

Flame (often stylized as FLAME) (born Marcus T. Gray) is an American Christian hip hop recording artist with Clear Sight Music. He has released seven albums including: Flame, Rewind, Our World: Fallen, Our World: Redeemed, Captured, The 6th, and Royal Flush. Flame has been nominated for four Dove, three Stellar awards throughout his music career and Our World: Redeemed was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Flame graduated with his Bachelor's degree from Boyce College, a school of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky in the United States. He practices biblical counseling and applied theology. Flame is currently working on his Master's degree in Biblical Counseling at Southern Seminary. 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 God. 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.^[1]

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.^[2] In mid-2007, Flame joined the rest of Cross Movement for their final tour.^[3] 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.^[4]

In 2010, Flame announced that he was starting his own record label, Clear Sight Records,^[5] and a new album titled Captured.^[6][7]

Discography

Albums

Solo

Non-album Songs

• "Brand New" (featuring Future)

Singles

Solo

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

Guest appearances

• "Start Over" featuring NF
• "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)
• "Aw Snap" (Born2Di)
• "Greatest Story Ever Told" (Shai Linne)
• "Clear Sight Christmas" (V. Rose & Young Noah)
• "Angels" (KB)
• "Darkest Valley" (Group 1 Crew featuring Thomas Ware)