Sir The Baptist • Saint Or Sinner

Sir The Baptist releases Saint or Sinner, his debut album with Atlantic Records. A full length LP  features the singles, “What We Got”, “Movin’”, and the 2016 Impact Track of The Year nominated “Raise Hell”. Although Sir is responsible for the vast majority of composition, the project features work from a tracklist of musicians and vocalists like: Killer Mike, Brandy, and her brother Ray J. On his Facebook, there’s a montage showcasing one of Sir’s many festival performances from last year (from the inside of a casket no less). Below the video was a caption from him saying, “Preaching from the casket this album almost put me in... due to depression. It’s hard seeing nonsense win and get the support of OUR industry and communities. Pouring Dusse on the casket! First Lady said defeat fame. Beat it! I’m here to change the world. Fuck just having fame. Saint or Sinner is a journey to gain support from the world without losing my soul. A Battle only for Knights. Sincerely; Sir”

As the title suggests, the album poses a certain inquisition of duality. What’s so enthralling is how he navigates this circumstance. By airing out his battles with depression, his childhood, racism, he answers the question for us, more importantly for himself. In an exclusive interview with Vibe Magazine, Sir told us what to expect from the album: “We’re here to holistically heal all the wounds that they [the industry] gave us. These [artists] are traumatized, traumatized saints. With the album, you get to see the balance of saint and sinner, and how I went through that same process, but I escaped fame. Fame is hard. I wanna be famous for doing the right thing, and that’s even harder. So many people would just turn away from fame and’ll be like “f**k it.” I wanna be famous for caring about people.”    

As a south side native in Bronzeville, Sir The Baptist was one of twenty-two children raised by  his mother and father. His parents, are prominent Baptist leaders and activists, a fact surely linked to his philanthropic ventures, especially with his brand of music. As this album will attest, Sir The Baptist feels no fear delving into his personal life, particularly so for the betterment of others. If you’re searching for reflection, a chance to understand yourself a little better, give this album a spin.