DANVILLE — Teen REACH of Vermilion County/Project Success and the Boys and Girls Club of Danville will present nationally known Christian hip hop rap artist Flame at the Danville High School Auditorium on March 21.

In effort to reach local churches and teen groups, Teen REACH staffers thought it would be a great opportunity to have a concert.

“We wanted someone with a positive message.” said Kimberly David, Teen REACH coordinator. “A committee reviewed several choices and was impressed with Flame and his music.”

Flame grew up in St. Louis where he was influenced by the hip-hop and rap culture and performed secular rap for several years.

“I was always interested in music and the performing arts,” he said in a telephone interview. “I had heard about gospel rap, but dismissed it at first.”

His grandmother, whom he considered his best friend, had often talked to him about life and Christianity. When he was 16 years old, his grandmother died, an event that saw him start regularly attending church. The Holy Spirit converted him there, and he began to actively seek Christ and be heavily involved in ministry at his church.

Still interested in music, Flame curiously looked into the gospel rap section of a Christian bookstore.

“I wondered what happened to that Christian rap,” he said.

He purchased a CD by Cross Movement and was intrigued and impressed by the music’s artistic quality and was encouraged by the scripture-driven lyrics.

“I started doing Christian rap immediately after rediscovering Cross Movement.”

While attending a Cross Movement concert, Flame had an opportunity to meet the group. He gave them a demo CD of his own songs he had recorded. They were impressed and gave him a call back. Eventually Flame found himself performing on their Platinum Souls Tour.

He released his first, self-titled CD nationwide in October 2004. Since then he has released three more CDs — “Rewind,” “Our World Fallen” and his latest, “Our World Redeemed.” “Our World Redeemed” peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard charts and has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album category.

Playing Danville High School is not a usual setting for a Flame concert since it is at a school. That fact, however, makes the concert more special to Flame.

“I was saved when I was in high school.” he said. “My high school will always have a special place in my heart.”

Flame enjoys the opportunity to play for young teens.

“The biggest reward of performing is the opportunity to talk to the people after the show, people that have been impacted by the music or content.”

This summer, Flame will be out on the Don’t Waste Your Life Tour with other Christian rap and hip hop artists. He is currently studying biblical counseling at Boyce College and hopes to graduate in a year. After that he will begin work on a new CD.

Opening for Flame will be Hostyle Gospel from Champaign and REAP Records artist Joy Oliver.

Oliver was a choice made by some of the Teen REACH kids themselves.

“Several kids at the Teen REACH program sites voted on who they wanted to use as an opening act.” said David. Joy, a gospel hip hop artist, has released four CDs, her most recent is “Call It All Joy.”

IF YOU GO

Tickets for Flame’s March 21 concert in the Danville High School auditorium are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the Boys and Girls Club, 850 N. Griffin St., or at Danville Family YMCA, 1111 N. Vermilion St. There is a group discount available. For every 25 tickets purchased, the group receives two free tickets. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m.

Project Success is looking for about 10 volunteers to help at the concert. For more information, please contact Kimberly David at 822-2580, e-mail her at kdavid@vcprojectsuccess.org; or Rickey Williams at 446-4315, e-mail: rwilliams@bgcdnv.org.