How Can a Christian Rapper Get Started?

Meet Ashley “Rayne” Moore

One AMTC Contestant’s Story!

“I met Ian Burke at the 2008 Winter AMTC Convention. I had completely bombed my one opportunity during the talent competition, and I needed a miracle. When the time came for speed networking, my agent, Marion Webb of Marion Model & Talent Agency (M.M.T. Agency), handed me my envelope and enclosed was a list full of agents that I could meet with in the given time frame, but she had only one name highlighted for me to see, Ian Burke of Launch Pad Entertainment. When I got to his booth and told him that I was a Christian rapper, his first response was, “What makes you think that I am interested in a Christian rapper?”

I told him that I assumed he was interested due to the fact that on the speed networking sheet, his interest read “…gospel singers and rappers” along with some others. However, I did not know that the two were totally separate. I played a little of one of my songs for him, and he said he would listen to the rest when he got back to his office in Atlanta. I sent him a message on myspace a few weeks later asking him what he thought of it, and he replied that he love my music. He just needed to know what he was going to do with me. So, I told him to call me. When he called, he told me that he liked my style and that it sounded better than most Christian rappers that he had heard. After a month or so, I had a meeting with Ian at his Drift City Records office. At the beginning of the meeting, I was completely lost. I had no idea as to how to answer any questions that he threw at me. He was up front and very honest, however. He said that I was a double negative, one I am a Chrisian rapper and two I am a female, neither of which sell that often on the Hip Hop charts.

I told him that I had a different sound that the world needed to hear and that I would not compromise. He said that he was not asking me to compromise. He said that he was interested in making money, his relationship with God was between him and God. I made it clear that my heart was focused on saving lives and making a difference. I respected his position and insight and he respected mine. Afterwards, he had me perform for him. After I finished, he asked me one simple question, “Are you willing to allow me to do whatever it takes to get you out there as long as I don’t cause you to have to compromise your values, beliefs, or morals?” With the favor of God on my side and God’s plan for my life in my heart, I gladly answered, ‘YES!’ “ To hear Rayne’s Music, visit Rayne’s myspace page