Stephen Wiley
Encyclopedia
Stephen Wiley is recognized as the first artist to have recorded a full-length Christian rap album with his 1985 release on the Brentwood Records label, Bible Break, a fact which was acknowledged by T-Bone (rapper)
in his song "Our History" on his own album entitled GospelAlphaMegaFunkyBoogieDiscoMusic in 2002. At the time of this recording, Wiley was a member of the crusade team at Kenneth Hagin’s Rhema Bible Church in Broken Arrow, OK.
. A University of Oklahoma graduate, Wiley began a career as a jazz drummer in 1979 and wrote a song called "Basketball
". This tune would later go on to be recorded by mainstream rapper Kurtis Blow
and become a #71 hit (in 1985). By 1982, Wiley was performing rap music with Christian lyrics at a time when Run DMC's breakthrough to the mainstream was still a year away. In 1984, Wiley took a job as chaplain at a juvenile detention center.
In 1985, Wiley released Bible Break and saw its title track reach the #14 spot in 1986 on Christian radio. " That slap from the CCM world was balanced by a 1988 article in Spin magazine nicknaming the young chaplain the "Grand Master of Rap".
Wiley would later serve as assistant pastor/youth minister at the predominantly-black Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles CA under televangelist Frederick K.C. Price. He then released two more albums for the Star Song label which were better received garnering a #13 hit with "Peace", a duet with Renee Garcia from the 1990 album Rhythm and Poetry and #14 "Attitude" from 1991's Rhapsody. The latter album sought to bring in fans of more traditional gospel by including harmonies from gospel group Witness
on the song "Real".
Wiley is the Founder and Pastor of Praise Center Family Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma
and Tulsa, Oklahoma
. He is also the Assistant Director of Christian Ministries at Bacone College
in Muskogee, Oklahoma where he teaches full time.
T-Bone (rapper)
T-Bone is a Christian rapper. His father is Nicaraguan and his mother is Salvadoran. His name came from being called 'Bones' as a youngster because he was very skinny...
in his song "Our History" on his own album entitled GospelAlphaMegaFunkyBoogieDiscoMusic in 2002. At the time of this recording, Wiley was a member of the crusade team at Kenneth Hagin’s Rhema Bible Church in Broken Arrow, OK.
Biography
Wiley was born in 1956 and grew up in Muskogee, OklahomaMuskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
. A University of Oklahoma graduate, Wiley began a career as a jazz drummer in 1979 and wrote a song called "Basketball
Basketball (song)
Basketball is a single by written by Stephen Wiley and recorded by Kurtis Blow released in 1984 from his album Ego Trip. It was later covered by Lil' Bow Wow in 2002, featuring Jermaine Dupri, Fabolous and Fundisha for the Like Mike soundtrack....
". This tune would later go on to be recorded by mainstream rapper Kurtis Blow
Kurtis Blow
Kurt Walker , better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label...
and become a #71 hit (in 1985). By 1982, Wiley was performing rap music with Christian lyrics at a time when Run DMC's breakthrough to the mainstream was still a year away. In 1984, Wiley took a job as chaplain at a juvenile detention center.
In 1985, Wiley released Bible Break and saw its title track reach the #14 spot in 1986 on Christian radio. " That slap from the CCM world was balanced by a 1988 article in Spin magazine nicknaming the young chaplain the "Grand Master of Rap".
Wiley would later serve as assistant pastor/youth minister at the predominantly-black Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles CA under televangelist Frederick K.C. Price. He then released two more albums for the Star Song label which were better received garnering a #13 hit with "Peace", a duet with Renee Garcia from the 1990 album Rhythm and Poetry and #14 "Attitude" from 1991's Rhapsody. The latter album sought to bring in fans of more traditional gospel by including harmonies from gospel group Witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
on the song "Real".
Wiley is the Founder and Pastor of Praise Center Family Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
and Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. He is also the Assistant Director of Christian Ministries at Bacone College
Bacone College
Bacone College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Founded in 1880 as the Indian University by Almon C. Bacone, Bacone College is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher education in Oklahoma...
in Muskogee, Oklahoma where he teaches full time.
Discography
- Bible Break (Brentwood Music, 1985)
- Rappin For Jesus (Brentwood Music, 1986)
- Rap it Up (Brentwood Music, 1987)
- Get Real (Brentwood Music, 1989)
- Rhythm and Poetry (StarSong Records, 1990)
- Rhapsody (StarSong Records, 1991)