Name: DC3

Where He’s From: Northampton via Zimbabwe

When He Started: “I started rapping in 2016. I think I was about 8 or 9, I can’t remember; definitely before 10, though.”

Genre: Christian Rap

Files Next To: Guvna B, namesbliss, Little Simz

Sounds Like: “My biggest inspirations are Kendrick Lamar, JID, Gucci Mane and Little Simz. This is where I get most of my musical sounds from.”

First Music That Inspired Him: “Marvin Sapp and a lot of underground musicians from where I’m from in Zimbabwe.”

Amongst the rapidly changing and trendy terrains of the music business, viral youth spring forth with platforms in the slit time of a millisecond. Artists who were once unknown now bathe in the vanity and self-glorification that comes with overnight success, accumulating streaming numbers beyond belief and a level of recognition that wasn’t as readily available before the pandemic. But for faith-based Christian artists like DC3, such pride is subject to protest.

Biblical scripture emphasises in Proverbs 16‬:‭18 that “pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall,” and Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭5 emphasises that “everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.” With such scriptures sounding the trumpet against pride seeping into the heart, artists like DC3 are continuously grappling with its snares. “It is tempting to fall into that trap of doing things how the world does it, but I have to keep reminding myself that when I signed up to do Christian music, pride wasn’t the purpose, and every day it’s me reminding myself that I’m only doing this for God,” DC3 explains over zoom on a Thursday evening after his educational commitments as a college student in Northampton.

A proud pastor’s son with roots in Zimbabwe, DC3 has shifted from secular music to being bold in the faith. With his current Spotify monthly listeners at over 330,000 and his latest song, “I Know”, on track to reach 1 million views on YouTube at the time of writing, he is coming in strong in the rap game with his commitment to Christ and a lyrical talent that surpasses the norm, holding tight a level of moral integrity currently missing in the rap space at large. Interpersonally, globally and as a community, times and seasons change in life. But what is ravishing about the faith for DC3 is the little intricate things you don’t consider but are the fuelling source of your waking life—something he’s learnt to acknowledge and continually gives thanks for daily.

“God wakes me up every morning, and tomorrow is not promised,” he says. “As humans, we even overlook making it back home safe. I feel like if God has woken you up, he still wants you enough—and for a reason—and we need to remember that.” DC3’s chirpy tone changes as he somberly shares the extent of Jesus’ glory: “He’s my provider, man... I can’t say one thing because it’s just not enough.” Through his walk with Christ, DC3 has learnt a key strategy for overcoming, and that is perseverance. “Whenever I feel lost, I read a Bible verse and it pulls me back into reality,” he says. “Trials and tribulations will happen, but it doesn’t mean you have to give up. Turning to God in times of trouble is very important.”

2022 was the year DC3 officially gave his life to Christ—alongside his brother, whom he got baptised with at the same time. His initial belief was that a soft, silky and satin life awaited once his head emerged out of the water, only for the flipside of the coin to be his reality. “The misconception with baptism is that when you get baptised, everything is good; you’re more spiritual and you’re more focused. But it’s the opposite, to be honest: the spiritual side of things becomes more intense and you’re easily distracted.” But through his baptism process, he found purpose through the content of his music: “After the baptism, I went through a phase where I felt that I didn’t have that much purpose. The music I was making wasn’t Christian music; it was last year, towards summer, when I started making Christian rap.”

For those who are young and trying to be fervent followers of Christ, what often floats at the back of our minds is choices. What are the consequences of our choices in this ever-so-fleeting life? And what does that mean for what awaits us in eternity? For DC3, he chose to use his music to be a real-life testament about his faith, and making the conscious effort to sprint away from what would be considered as insincere and hypocritical as a Christian. “I kind of figured that there’s no point in me making music that has nothing to do with God,” he admits. “When the end times are happening, I feel like my music could still be there for people to hold on to and find out about God, even people that don’t know about God. Me trying to do Christian music was very important for me to make sure everything revolves around God, and he gets the praise.”

Despite his Godly choices, DC3 has had times when he has mentally tussled with his external perceptions: “For my age, especially with what I’m doing, I get fooled into thinking I’m supposed to act a certain way. I had to get over that I can’t please everyone; I just have to represent God to a point where I don’t care about what people think and take accountability for when I’m wrong. I don’t want it to be too preachy, though. If someone can listen to my music and get something from it, God can impress on their heart some sort of positivity.” With DC3 not even scraping his 20s yet, he has many more years of trials, tribulations, growth and pruning in life that will help to ascend his art beyond the measure of faith he currently holds. But if God is for him, who can be against him? [Romans 8:31]