SOAR Youth Voices Interview with God’s Prodigy
On SOAR, we want to represent the voices of not only people who are older, who can give wisdom to youth, but also young people whom are experiencing the world each day and can share their testimonies. Samuel Glass is a 14-year-old student who decided a few years ago to begin using his passion for rapping to be a role model to other kids, and to glorify God. He goes by the stage name God’s Prodigy, and in this interview he tells us how he addresses the hardships young people are facing today, especially in the inner-city:
SOAR: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and where you’re from.
Samuel (God’s Prodigy): I would describe myself as a humble down to earth type of guy. I am outgoing and like to have fun. This year I am entering into the ninth grade. Where I grew up wasn’t the best city to grow up in, which was Montgomery, Alabama it had quite a bit of crime and I would have to say some of the friends I had there weren’t the best and did not have the greatest influences on my life.
SOAR: When did you begin getting passionate about God, and how has that journey been?
GP: I would have to say around the end of my seventh grade year when I was transferred to Christian Fellowship Academy. Since then my journey has been quite hard. For instance people who I thought were good friends have now turned their back on me. They expected me to be the same person I was before and to do the same things. I have to resist the temptations of turning to the ways of the world again and participate in the things my peers are often doing.
SOAR: When did you begin rapping and why did you decide to use your passion for God?
GP: I began in the 3rd or 4th grade. It was at the end of my seventh grade year, I decided rapping for God would be a way to glorify him. It would also allow me to reach out and interact with the youth, and show them that rap does not have to always be about sex, gangs, drugs, violence and degrading females. I have always been passionate about rapping and music in general and I knew that God would be pleased because I was uplifting Him and not me.
SOAR: What are some of the things you see urban youth facing today, or you yourself have faced? What type of message do you want to bring to the youth of today?
GP: I see a lot of people dealing with lust, anger, depression and heartache, because if you look at the latest research conducted, it shows that teen pregnancy is on the rise again, the use of drugs, as well as teenage suicides. It is because of this my message to the youth is basically to just come to God and let Him solve all of your problems of depression and anger. Let Him cast the lustful spirits out of you, because there is nothing too big for God to handle, and that we should not let the devil take this nation to hell in a hand basket.
SOAR: You said before it’s not about being cool because your friends aren’t your judge. Tell us a little bit about that motto, how have you faced peer pressure?
GP: The way that motto came about was because people started trying to pick on me and call me a church boy and telling me I need to start back doing my old things. So I had to resist the temptation by remembering that they don’t have a heaven or hell to put me in. That motto has helped me face peer pressure because it has allowed me to remember that I can’t let my friends dictate my decisions. The things they define as cool are the same things that kept me in trouble. Things I knew GOD was not pleased with.