Demo
Born in Greenwood to finally move to St. Louis he discovered rap at the age of fourteen and when he was sixteen years old he made his first demo.
But Uncle Y as he was called then got involved in crime and the hardships of a streetlife.
Battle
His rap career got a boost by winning a battle from a famous local rapper called L.O.S. of Bullet Proof Records. By that time he started making more contacts in the industry and even doing concerts, this kept him off the streets.
Shocked
When he lost his cousin and long time friend "Tank" Thi'sl was shocked and asked God why? Taking this route he met Flame on an evangelizing event in his neighbourhood.
Friend
Flame would become his friend and collegue in holyhiphop. Thi'sl took a year and a half to study the bible and made the choice to rap the gospel and be an instrument of God himself by doing concerts at churches, high schools, colleges and prisons.
Ezekiel Project
In 2006 Thi'sl started the Ezekiel Project and released a CD with the same title. Thi'sl sees rap music as an effective ministry tool to reach the youth with the gospel. Churches can buy the CD and hand them out. The vision of the project is based upon Ezekiel 37:4-5.
Release
In 2007 the rapper re-released his 2004 debut album This house I shall Live, with additional new tracks.
New project
The rapper is currently working on his next project "The Chronicles of an X-Hustler".
Thi'sl, on X Hustler music, is from St. Louis. He is a Christian rapper with style influenced by Flame, Cross movement, and Lecrae.
Signed Up To Die
Thi'sl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They pulled that boy up out the shed, now he walkin' down the road
Beatin' gettin' more intense every other step he go
They whipped him punched him kicked him slapped him, ripped that boy up out his clothes
Couple punches to the face, second one broke his nose
They laughin' at him, they spittin' at him
They kickin' at him, dog barkin' at him
He thinkin' to his self, how could this happen?
A week ago he was sittin' up playin' with his kids
Wife and family all around in the comfort of his crib
Birthday party passing gifts
Last thing that he remember: packing for a mission trip
Now it's about to go down
That's what he was thinkin' as he sit there knelt to the ground
His killa walked up on him rollin' and looked him in the eye
He said "aren't you gonna beg?" he said NO …
[Hook]
I signed up to die
Death don't have a hold on me
So death don't put no fear in me
I don't think that you hearin' me
I signed up to die
When I lay down on that bed
I'm gon' open up my eyes
And my Lord gon' be there
I signed up to die
Death don't have a hold on me
So death don't put no fear in me
I don't think that you hearin' me
I signed up to die … die …
Die … die …
I signed up to die
[Verse 2]
She was only twelve when she heard about the name of Christ
Saw the beauty of his love, instantly it changed her life
Secret meetings in the late night
Pulled her out the dark, now she 'bout to go and be a light
She don't know nothin' about no Bible teachers
'Cause where she from there ain't no Bible teachin'
Matter of fact it is forbidden
But she done found a treasure that she couldn't keep hidden
Now she standin' in a circle
A hundred people yellin' out "convert or we gon' hurt you"
I know she had to be scared
But she thought about that preacher and the words that he said
He told 'em all about Stephen
How he was 'bout to die, he looked up and saw Jesus
And her killer walked up on her, he looked her in the eye
He said "are you gon' convert?" she said NO …
[Hook]
[Verse 3]
He picked his family up and he moved 'em to the inner city
Not to get a job but to go and be a missionary
His family told him "boy, you insane
You gon' get yourself killed, get a bullet to the brain"
But he still went to do the work
He still went to plant a church
'Cause God gave him a vision
And he gon' use that vision to help go rebuild the city
But now he starin' down the barrel
They tossin' up his office yellin' and they cursin' at him
You think that he would be scared
But he thought about the Bible and the words Jesus said
And now he prayin' for the killers
Like even if they kill me Lord bring these boys to repentance
Then his killer walked up on him, he looked him in the eye
He said "aren't you even scared?" he said NO …
[Hook]
Thi'sl's "Signed Up To Die" is a song about conviction and faith. The lyrics tell stories of people who have committed themselves to God's work and are willing to die for it. The first verse tells the story of a man who was abducted and tortured, but still refused to beg for his life. The second verse is about a young girl who was threatened with death unless she gave up on her faith, but she remained steadfast. The final verse is about a man who moved his family to the inner city to fulfill his calling as a missionary and was faced with a life-threatening situation.
These stories all share a common theme of sacrificing one's life for the sake of their faith. The people in the song have "signed up to die" and are not afraid of death because they believe it is not the end. They have a strong conviction that God is with them and will be waiting for them when they open their eyes after death.
Thi'sl's "Signed Up To Die" is a powerful song that conveys a message of unwavering faith and courage in the face of adversity. It celebrates the lives of those who have committed themselves to God's work and shows that their faith is not something to be taken lightly. The lyrics remind us that there are people in the world who are willing to give up everything for their beliefs, and we should aspire to be like them.
Line by Line Meaning
They pulled that boy up out the shed, now he walkin' down the road
They brought the boy out from the shed and now he's being forced to walk down the road.
Beatin' gettin' more intense every other step he go
The beating is getting worse with every step he takes.
They whipped him punched him kicked him slapped him, ripped that boy up out his clothes
He was whipped, punched, kicked, and slapped, and they even tore his clothes off.
Couple punches to the face, second one broke his nose
He was hit in the face a few times, with the second punch breaking his nose.
They laughin' at him, they spittin' at him
The people doing this are laughing and spitting on him.
They kickin' at him, dog barkin' at him
They're kicking him while a dog barks at him.
He thinkin' to his self, how could this happen?
He's wondering how this could have happened to him.
He black out for a minute, they throw water at him
He briefly lost consciousness, and they threw water on him to wake him up.
A week ago he was sittin' up playin' with his kids
Just a week ago he was safe and sound playing with his children.
Wife and family all around in the comfort of his crib
His wife and family were all with him, comfortable at home.
Birthday party passing gifts
They were even celebrating a birthday with gifts.
Last thing that he remember: packing for a mission trip
The last thing he remembers is packing for a mission trip.
Now it's about to go down
He knows that something terrible is about to happen to him.
That's what he was thinkin' as he sit there knelt to the ground
As he kneels on the ground, he's thinking about what's about to happen to him.
His killa walked up on him rollin' and looked him in the eye
His killer approached him and looked him in the eye.
He said "aren't you gonna beg?" he said NO …
The killer asks if he's going to beg for mercy, and he defiantly says no.
I signed up to die
The artist is saying that they willingly accepted the possibility of death.
Death don't have a hold on me
The singer is not afraid of death and doesn't let it control them.
So death don't put no fear in me
They refuse to be afraid of death.
I don't think that you hearin' me
The artist is convinced that others aren't truly understanding their position.
When I lay down on that bed
The artist is referring to their death bed.
I'm gon' open up my eyes
The artist believes that they'll open their eyes after death in the afterlife.
And my Lord gon' be there
They believe that they'll be with their Lord after death.
She was only twelve when she heard about the name of Christ
At just 12 years old, she learned about Christianity.
Saw the beauty of his love, instantly it changed her life
She was so moved by the message of Christ that it completely transformed her life.
Secret meetings in the late night
She attended secret meetings about Christianity at night.
Pulled her out the dark, now she 'bout to go and be a light
She was brought out of darkness and is now going to spread the word of Christ as a bright light in the world.
'Cause where she from there ain't no Bible teachin'
There was no one in her area teaching about the Bible or Christianity.
Matter of fact it is forbidden
In fact, it was forbidden to learn about Christianity where she lived.
But she done found a treasure that she couldn't keep hidden
But she found something so valuable that she couldn't keep it a secret.
Now she standin' in a circle
She's now in a circle of people threatening her with violence.
A hundred people yellin' out "convert or we gon' hurt you"
The crowd is telling her to convert to their beliefs or they'll hurt her.
I know she had to be scared
The artist is acknowledging that she must have been very scared in this situation.
But she thought about that preacher and the words that he said
She thought about the teachings of a preacher who inspired her.
He told 'em all about Stephen
The preacher had taught her about the biblical figure Stephen.
How he was 'bout to die, he looked up and saw Jesus
The preacher shared how even in death, Stephen had an experience of seeing Jesus.
And her killer walked up on her, he looked her in the eye
Her killer approached her and looked her in the eye.
He said "are you gon' convert?" she said NO …
He asked her to convert and she refused.
He picked his family up and he moved 'em to the inner city
The singer moved his family to the inner city area.
Not to get a job but to go and be a missionary
He didn't move to get a job, but rather to spread the word of his faith as a missionary.
His family told him "boy, you insane
His family thought he was crazy for moving to such a dangerous area.
You gon' get yourself killed, get a bullet to the brain"
They were worried that he would be killed and didn't think it was worth the risk.
But he still went to do the work
Despite the risks, he continued to pursue his missionary work.
He still went to plant a church
Even in such a dangerous area, he set out to build a church.
'Cause God gave him a vision
The artist felt called to this work by God, who had given him a vision.
And he gon' use that vision to help go rebuild the city
He was using his work as a missionary to help rebuild the community.
But now he starin' down the barrel
He's now in a situation where a gun is pointed at him.
They tossin' up his office yellin' and they cursin' at him
The people attacking him are cursing and throwing things in his office.
You think that he would be scared
Most people would be terrified in his situation.
But he thought about the Bible and the words Jesus said
He's thinking about the teachings in the Bible and the words of Jesus to give himself strength.
And now he prayin' for the killers
He's even praying for his attackers, hoping they can find forgiveness through repentance.
Like even if they kill me Lord bring these boys to repentance
He wants his death to be meaningful, and for his attackers to still find salvation.
Then his killer walked up on him, he looked him in the eye
His killer approaches him and looks him straight in the eye.
He said "aren't you even scared?" he said NO …
The killer is surprised that the singer isn't scared, but he replies that he isn't.
Contributed by Jayce C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.