Hip-hop artist Manafest rocks hard for God
DETROIT, MI—Having just finished the Maple Noise Tour of 10 bands in 10 cities, Chris Greenwood, aka 'Manafest,' finds a little piece of home in a Detroit-area Tim Horton's.
The 32-year-old hip-hop and hard rock artist is taking a quick break before another concert and his upcoming Awake and Alive tour.
The Pickering native has been writing music for about 13 years, going full time after about four years in the industry.
"It wasn't easy at all," he says. "I thought I'd be a rock star and ended up $30,000 in debt in the first year. I reprioritized and got right with God."
Greenwood began using the Manafest moniker when he went solo about seven years ago.
"It means being light in a dark place, being salt and light," he says. "I use the music to give me that platform, to share my story about what Jesus did in my life."
He also got noticed by Thousand Foot Krutch singer Trevor McNevan, which led to being signed by BEC Recordings under the Uprok Records label. Since then, he's been nominated for several GMA Canada Covenant awards (winning five), as well as Dove and Juno awards. His fourth, and latest, CD, The Chase, has sold 30,000 copies and videos have been featured on MuchMusic and given heavy rotation on MuchLoud.
"Bring the Ruckus" from The Chase garnered Greenwood his first career number one radio single in the U.S. Another track from the same CD, "Every Time You Run," landed him a spot as Artist of the Month on Toronto's CHUM FM.
"In an industry where thousands and thousands of bands [try to make it] I'm blessed be one of the artists moving up," he says.
He is also mindful of the need to keep his priorities straight. Inspirational books, podcast sermons and connecting with accountability partners help. So does a phone conversation with his pastor during a two-hour drive between concert stops.
"It's important to stay plugged into God," Greenwood says. "If someone wants something to be important, they have to make it a priority. You have to take time to make God a priority."
The success has allowed Greenwood to both pick and choose what he wants to do career-wise. Next year he only plans to do about 100 shows.
"I could do more but is God going to be in them?" he asks. "I don't have to grind the road so hard—not do things just because they're handed to [me] but because God wants [me] to."
Greenwood has also been able to fulfill his lifelong dream of moving to California—a move that will also benefit his career as he prepares to release a new record next year.
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