About The From Pain To Purpose Series
I started this series to show how God can use anyone and turn their lives around. I also want to show how everything that we go through is for a higher purpose.
About James "Jayreed" Fleetwood
James "Jayreed" Fleetwood also known as Jayreed or Jayeed4Jesus is a Christian Rapper, a model, and an actor.
How Did James "Jayreed" Fleetwood Go From Pain To Purpose?
While growing up, James struggled with his self esteem. James felt that he wasn't getting enough attention from his father and that feeling eventually lead him to feeling like he didn't have a voice. James began feeling like nobody listened or even cared about what he had to say. At the age of 13, James was inspired by Hip Hop Legend LL Cool J, in which there would be no coincidence that his real name happens to be James as well right? While I do not believe in coincidences, I do believe that everything happens for a reason, for a God-given reason. Hip hop music gave a James a voice, he paid attention to how music was a form of communication, how many people could relate to music, and most importantly how many people actually listened to the message that was being sent through certain music.
It was then that James decided that he would make music as well. He felt like everything that he wanted to say could be said through music and so that's exactly what he did. James began to develop a local fan base as he started to perform in local clubs and venues. As you may notice, I mentioned that James is a Christian rapper, but at that point in his life, he was not. James made what some call secular music. During my interview with James, he recalled a time when he had just finished performing at a club and he was drunk and high. James was 24 at the time and this same night, James had to be a work and despite the condition that he was in, he still went. It was that night at work, that would be the start of something new.
That night at work James was rapping for some of his co-workers and he began to draw a crowd. It was at that moment that one of the janitors there pulled James to the side and began to speak to him about God and how he(James) could use his gift of music to give God glory. James remembered the janitor asking him "why are you working for the devil"? Although James took what the janitor said to heart, he still did not feel it in his heart because he did not see anything wrong with what he was doing. In fact, James said that he thought that he was doing Gods work when he performed his music.
James continued to make the kind of music that he wanted to make , but again there came a time that would lead to a change. James ended up going to church with one of his neighbors and at that church visit, he gave his life to Christ. After giving his life to Christ, James decided that he no longer wanted to make music at all and he put it in the back of his mind until one day, God sent someone to remind him of the music that he should be doing.
While James was in the navy, one of the shift yard workers asked him where something was on the ship and James directed him on where to go. James thought nothing of his interaction with the man, but the man ended up coming back and telling James that God told him to tell him to not forgot about his music. It was then that James began to write again. At first James struggled with the concept of Christian rap, he thought that it would actually take away from the glory of God because the focus would be on the artist.
James would turn to a page in the Bible and write a rap based off what he read. As James reflected back on that, he remembers that rap as the worst that he had ever wrote. It was then that he started to doubt that Christian rap was for him, but God spoke to him and told him that when he reads and writes from his heart then things would start to come together. It was then that James wrote his first song entitled "Everlasting Life". He started letting people hear what he wrote and was given the opportunity to perform on the ship. During his performance, a man ran out of the crowd, crying, asking how he could be saved and James began to pray for him. Once he turned around, he saw a line of people waiting to speak with him. It was then that James knew what his calling was and that God would use his music to minister to people.
Since then, James has had the opportunity to meet and share the stage with some phenomenal Christian artist and God is definitely using him to inspire others.
What is James Message To The World?
While interviewing James, I asked him if he had a message to share with those who may be going through a similar experience or experiences such as the ones that he went through and what that message would be. James said that his message to the world would be:
'With all the struggles, problems, and issues that people have, it all comes with being an human being. All of that in one particular point in life can cease if there is hope and that hope is something that can only come from Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He walked the earth so that we could live. He carried all of our faults and pains on his shoulders to the cross. God had a problem with us and we have to realize that there is an issue with us. God is good and we are not and in God's eyes we do evil. The good thing is that Jesus died for our sins, He paid the price for us so that we can live . We no longer have to pay the price of death if we believe in Jesus and we have hope. God says that his burden is light and his yoke is easy(Matthew 11:30). Believing in God does not mean that everything will be easy. Our situations may not change, but our perspective will. If we continue to hold on to our pains and all of the things that we have done wrong, then we will always feel like the world is crashing on us. Instead of living life thinking you are going to die anyway, live life to go to Heaven. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life(Proverbs 13:12). "
What Can You Expect Next From James "Jayreed" Fleetwood?
Well James will certainlty continue to make music, in fact he is working on an album that is expected to be released before this year is over. James is also doing some modeling and acting, so be on the look out for him! If you have never heard any of James music, then I would suggest you visit his website http://www.jayreed4jesus.com/, you can also download one or all of his mixtapes on datpiff.com, I have embedded one of his mixtapes 'Less of Me, More of You" so that you can listen.
You can also find James on these sites:
http://www.twitter.com/Jayreed4Jesus
http://www.facebook.com/OfficialJayreedfb
http://www.youtube.com/Jayreed4Jesus
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