SIFA NA IBADA

[ARTIST BIO OF THE WEEK] UNCLE REECE (MAURICE HICKS)

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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For a young African-American male
growing up on the streets of Jacksonville, Florida it was hard to hear God’s
message. Raised in a Christian household Uncle Reece’s parents gave him a
choice at the age of 13, not wanting to force his hand and make him go to
Church. “I got a chance to see what real Christianity was, and then I got to
see the fake. What my parents had was real, and that’s why they asked me to do
what I believe,” he says. He decided not to go. It would be a few years before
he rediscovered his faith.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As he tried to stay out of trouble
and avoid the vices of the inner city streets that were swallowing his peers,
Uncle Reece struggled through high school. But at 19 years old, arrived at a
crossroads in his life. “I met some Christians, some people my age that loved
me for no reason. It was kinda crazy. They were so cool, so kind and nice that
it forced me to look at myself. It was the first time I saw myself for who I
really was.” He goes into depth about his misguided teenage years on the
personal “My Mess.” Says Uncle Reece, “The song talks about where God really
found me, being stupid, cutting class, instead of getting my lessons.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMc-h4ph4fJRQqoBqmlKqzYsF49olBOpAgOPbIyL35vUGdYEoyrZmzux1FX7Q8F941eC-iC5nKcq8RAyYd4dFCmceBJB2NH4hetCJvCN93qwnhygM7NJeVnB7YI8atxmHTBmC5FKBdRjU/s1600/422.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMc-h4ph4fJRQqoBqmlKqzYsF49olBOpAgOPbIyL35vUGdYEoyrZmzux1FX7Q8F941eC-iC5nKcq8RAyYd4dFCmceBJB2NH4hetCJvCN93qwnhygM7NJeVnB7YI8atxmHTBmC5FKBdRjU/s1600/422.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But while he initially looked to be
saved at a Church, Uncle Reece says he was almost turned away. “Statistically,
the most Un-churched population in the U.S. is the African American male from
19-30, because when we show up, we aren’t always welcomed,” Uncle Reece
explains, before recalling a story that has stuck with him through the years.
“The first time I went to church on my own, I was 19, and into some
foolishness. I pulled into a church and I was looking for God for real.” Uncle
Reece says that a woman at the door questioned his dress code. “This lady was
like, ‘Son, you didn’t have no pants?’ So I left. I could have died that
weekend. You say you represent God, but I wanted God, and because I met you first,
I didn’t get him.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fortunately, on <i>Bold</i>, Uncle
Reece isn’t confined to a Church, and there are no boundaries when it comes to
his praise. To put it bluntly, this ain’t your grandmother’s Gospel music. On
his first single, “Until I Pass Out,” Uncle Reece belts out heartfelt vocals
over an uptempo, drum-heavy beat, produced by the Grammy Award winning Jon Jon
Traxx (Beyonce, Brandy, and Sugarland). “I’m aggressive, athletic and
energetic, even when I worship God,” says Reece, whose musical persona isn’t much
different from his worship style. “When I would go to Church, I would go to the
front and start jumping around like I’m at a concert, and everybody would be
looking at me like I’m crazy,” he says. “We should all be able to express the
way we love God. I lift my hands, I like to scream. That’s the way I experience
God.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Musically, Uncle Reece teamed up
with his childhood friends, the Trump Boys, who have worked with T-Pain, Bobby
Valentino and others for <i>Bold</i>. With an energetic vocal presence and an
undeniable Hip-Hop swag—not to mention, a head full of dreads, Uncle Reece
resembles more of a rapper than a Gospel artist. “I’m not a Churchy person. I’m
not a religious person,” he admits. “I’m probably going to get swallowed up in
Gospel.” But Uncle Reece is helping to usher in a new breed of Gospel artists,
one that grew up on Hip-Hop and speaks to a younger generation, but one that
also happens to be Christian.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Uncle Reece’s story is a testament
to how God’s presence can change someone’s life. After he got saved, he
enrolled in Florida State, and became a VP in the student government. He earned
a 3.8 GPA and graduated with an Associates’ Degree in Mathematics. “At that
time in my life, I had just given my life to God, and music represented a lot
of stuff I wanted to get away from. I associated music with the things I had
left behind,” he reveals. Taking a hiatus from even listening to music, Uncle
Reece started the T-shirt company, “Without Jesus I Suck!” that has over
292,000 Facebook fans, was featured on CNN, FOX News, and has been endorsed by
the likes of Mary-Mary, Donnie McClurkin and Tye Tribbett. Eventually, Uncle
Reese figured out that he didn’t have to leave the music alone—in fact, he
could make his own music, on his own terms. Now, having already broken through
the Gospel Billboard charts (the independently released “Until I Pass Out”
reached #21), Uncle Reece message is bold enough to go where many other
artists, especially rappers, have been afraid to go. “A lot of people who
listen to Rap can’t accept a positive message through that art form. I come
rapping bout Jesus, and they not even gonna listen. But as time progresses,
gospel rap is going to get bigger.” You better believe.</span></div>
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[ARTIST BIO OF THE WEEK] UNCLE REECE (MAURICE HICKS)

Uncle Reece has a plan. He also has a message. And even more so, he has a purpose. Though it would be easy for most music listeners to class...

PEACE MULU HAD A GRISLY ACCIDENT ON MONDAY 05, 2015

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0lRsnssQw1lYTTIN4NnQ5KQi0p7_fGad4Rx8zjHnQGXDIsh5XsrOvhsuFe9svKjTWIK5witbJFbgqO2k3ZY1OvvuLxVf7TpN2oJon2jsSZVHyTeVDsYXxVK8DltfATkhDvVRr4qUPQ4/s1600/waimbaji+watatu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0lRsnssQw1lYTTIN4NnQ5KQi0p7_fGad4Rx8zjHnQGXDIsh5XsrOvhsuFe9svKjTWIK5witbJFbgqO2k3ZY1OvvuLxVf7TpN2oJon2jsSZVHyTeVDsYXxVK8DltfATkhDvVRr4qUPQ4/s1600/waimbaji+watatu.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bahati Bukuku, Rose Muhando and Peace Mulu (Left)<br />
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A wife and pastor with more than 14 albums under her cap,
the Ombea adui yako and Ninayo sababu singer Peace Mulu was admitted at the
Kenyatta National Hospital following a grisly accident that occured on Monday
on Kangundo Road.</div>
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Peace was part of a team that was in a hired matatu from a video 
shoot that collided head on with a personal car leaving three occupants 
of the matatu injured.<br />
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Two of her colleagues who were injured during the accident were treated while she remained in hospital for surgery that was scheduled on Friday.<br />
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PEACE MULU HAD A GRISLY ACCIDENT ON MONDAY 05, 2015

Bahati Bukuku, Rose Muhando and Peace Mulu (Left) A wife and pastor with more than 14 albums under her cap, the Ombea adui yako ...