Losing his only means of support after the death of his mother led the rap artist, Divine, straight to a homeless shelter. The place were he pondered the words of his late mother and began to believe and live by them. Guided by her words, “you can do anything in life,” the soon to be rap star steps to the scene with a sound filled with knowledge and wisdom. All of which he demonstrates in his new release, For The Mother In You, along side A. Mathematics, the producer of all three tracks. Inspired by the artists of the Old-School, Divine began his artistry writing poetry for the young ladies. He later moved-on to write rap lyrics and perform. Some of his performances include opening concerts for Shyheim-The Rugged Child, Helltah Skeltah, Smif-N-Wessun, Black Moon and Wu-Tang Clan. Divine has also performed in such family day events as the Umoja Festival in Springfield, the Cultural Arts Festival in Middletown, and recently performed tracks from For The Mother In You at WQTQ’s Street Festival in Hartford. In addition, Divine hosted WRTC’s Hip Hop Count Down radio program in Hartford.
Divine describes his addition to the rap world as a style that is of a simple rhyme and beat that the young and old are yearning for and will ultimately identify with. He believes that rap is an art that requires the artist to maintain the ultimate confidence and to stand by their product. When asking Shakiem Beach, Divine’s Manager and CEO of NuBorn Records, what’s his take on the artist Divine and rap? He described Divine as… “an artist who’s professionalism he respects and… an artist who is articulate in the way he represents himself in song and conversation.” Overall, Divine believes the content of his lyrics are just as important as making sure that they are clean, positive and come straight from the heart. He defines rap as a powerful vehicle that is used to communicate to listeners throughout the world.
Divine’s three new tracks on the For The Mother In You release incorporate what he refers to as good and evil–the two forces that meet and create balance in society. The single dedicated to his mother and all mothers is filled with various levels of emotions. For The Mother In You, featured in instrumental and a’cappella versions, send a message and sound of peace, love and respect among mothers, sons and daughters. A message many suppress. A message of feelings difficult to express.
Prayer For The Dying, the second track, communicates a lyrical description of the forces encountered by many in our society while it moves the R&B hip hop rap lover to its powerful beat. Put Me On the bonus track, relates a lyrical reality of a rap artist’s journey and dreams to rap Kingdom. For The Mother In You’s universal and relevant sound, encourages the listener to battle everyday evil with good intent. Divine’s sound is one of a positive balance in its pursuit to empower.
Along with building his rap career, Divine works as a conflict resolver at a homeless shelter. There, he encourages residents to center their inner strength and focus on the positive aspects of their lives.
by Theresa Leary