Photo Courtesy of Manwell

Jen G’s Music View: Manwell

The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life. Proverbs 10:11

One thing most people know about wells is that the deeper you dig, the more water the well can hold. And that, my friend, is who Manwell revealed himself to be in my interview with him. He has been empty, but God has filled him with life. There is something to be said about an artist who gives God his life and steps up to the plate in order to continue in the mold of his Heavenly Father’s hands.

Manwell has risen from a life of poverty, abuse, and hardships to a Christ-centered life filled with hope and expectation. In a life filled with negatives, Manwell has found positives that he has used to keep his music real and appealing to a broad audience.

Manwell has brought a whole new flavor to hip-hop by projecting who God has created him to be as an artist. By respecting the talents of influences such as Lauryn Hill and Musiq, he has perfected his skills as he spreads a Christ-centered message with style and originality.

To me, Manwell’s newest release, The Transition… Concert to Car, describes our life beyond the show we put on in front of our friends, family, and strangers. When we are alone in our car, we are alone with our inward thoughts. During that ride, we have to deal with who we are. The show has ended, and the only eyes we have to look into are our own in the rearview mirror.

Right there are our deepest thoughts, our worst fears, and the pain we deal with every day. This album gives us strength in knowing that we’re not alone on that ride home, but that God is there to help us make that transition every day.

Blessings,  

Jen Gault

Following Jesus

Jen G: How did you know you wanted to live for Jesus, what opened up your heart to him?

Manwell: Honestly, when my first love broke up with me because of the dirt I was doing. I realized that my life had taken a bad turn. All my homies were getting locked up or in trouble and I was one of the few still untouched. Deep down I knew the whole thug life wasn’t  for me because for some odd reason I’d rather make people laugh than beat them up.

So after she broke up with me, I went to church camp because someone paid my way and the first service on the first night He introduced Himself to me literally. I saw Him walking amongst us that night, literally, I didn’t see His face but I saw His feet, and all I could remember saying was, “I’m not worthy, I’m dirty..”. That’s when I knew He was real.

JEN G: Is prayer an important part of your life?

Manwell: Yes, ma’am! It’s something that just stuck with me from the beginning, and I can thank my church and their leaders for that. Fortunately, I hung out with some praying women of the church when I first got saved, and as we all know, there’s nothing more powerful than a praying woman of God. Most men don’t do the prayer thing. At least from my experiences going to prayer meetings, it’s usually riddled with women, but to me, I couldn’t get away from wanting to talk to God, especially because of all the confessions! I mean, if you messed up as much as I did and do, you can’t help but have a prayer life, even if most of it is asking for forgiveness!

JEN G: How does your relationship with God affect your choices on and off stage?

Manwell: Well, the obvious, I guess. I live according to the convicting Holy Spirit in me. I try my best to hear Him on and off the stage and act accordingly to what He says. The Word of God does the rest.

This is My Hard Life…

Jen G. Who was your positive force growing up?

Manwell: Didn’t have one, didn’t grow up positive.

Jen G: When you talk about your hard life in your songs what are you referring to?

Manwell: The struggles that I face on the daily walk of life. Not having enough money, debt surrounding my entire family, father being drunk, abuse, watching my mom cry because of my father, sisters fiance dying the month after their baby was born and me being the only man in their life now. I’m sure other people have worse stories , but to me this is my hard life.

“Hope drives me into the unknown with the bravery of my Christ pushing me along the way,”

The Transition…Concert to Car

Jen G: You have some hot beats on your songs. Do you create the beats yourself?

Manwel: I have a team of producers I work with. Sky Michaels, who is in Atlanta. Young Lion, who is here in Orlando. Pablo, who is in Kansas City, and I do some beats as well.

Jen G: Why did you name your recent album, “The Transition…Concert to Car”?

Manwell: Well, I wanted to make a dual disc cd at first, but then I realized how hard it would be to sell that in the street because I’d have to charge more for it, so the original theme was to make one cd the “concert” cd and the other “car”. The meaning is this: you know how you go to a concert and the music played is usually mainly up-tempo hard hitting music thank gets you amped and entertains you, well that’s what all my first 9 tracks do, get you amped and entertained. The second half of songs are like the car after the concert. Every time I would get out of a concert, the people would tell me, “whatever music you put on, make sure its soft and mellow because I have a headache.” So that’s the second half of my cd, it’s the songs that you can just sit back and want to hear the words. those are my story telling songs and emotional ones, hence the title “The Transition…Concert to Car”.

“HARD HITTING MUSIC… GETS YOU AMPED”

JEN G: What did you enjoy most about putting “The Transition…Concert to Car” together?

Manwell: I loved the fact that most of the songs were just crazy personal. I loved the different sound throughout the album and the fact that it was my 3rd solo project and last before getting signed just made all songs more real. Every song about the struggles and making the dream were so real because here I am about to get a fair shot at my dreams. I could get signed and straight flop and there goes my dreams, but at least I got a chance, or me and my crew could blow up and I can see every single thing I wrote come to life, and in a way fulfilling Gods promises in my life recorded on cd’s beforehand.

“THEY’RE DIFFERENT SOUNDING

FOR SURE BECAUSE OF THE PLACES I WAS IN LIFE”

JEN G: How does this album differ Hottees World and Collective Thoughts?

Manwell: Well its just more mature mostly. I’ve grown up a lot since both those albums. I feel they’re all great. They are different sounding for sure because of the places I was in life when writing each one, but all great. This one just tops it off because its the most personal.

JEN G: Do you freestyle?

Manwell: Ya, I do freestyle, that’s important to do. I usually don’t battle kats because that just brings the worst out of me, so I had to stop, but still do it on the occasion to keep sharp.

JEN G: When I listened to ‘Dreamgirl Pt. III’, it made me wonder what parts 1 and II sounds like! Are you envisioning your future wife through your lyrics?

Manwell: Ya man…or more like I’m envisioning how I want to be for her. I want the fire to be there and never die. I mean it may come to a slow heat, but I pray that I can pop one of those songs in and just rekindle the fire at any time. Now if I get to a s.o.d. part 10, then you can just come and shoot me, cuz that just wouldn’t be cool lol!

As for Silhouette of a Dreamgirl III, you’ll def wanna check part I and II. They’re amazing! This recent one is probably the most commercial of the three.

Manwell’s Reasons Behind His Season…

JEN G: In your song ‘Reasons’, you talk about making it for your family, can you tell me what will drive you after God has met all of your needs through your calling? What will keep your heart stirred to spread the positive message that God has given you?

Manwell: Well, after God provides for my immediate family, there’s still the family of God that we all are responsible for. It never ends with just us. I have plans for starting a record company that’s just a front for discipleship so I can teach other men and women how to be Godly in our industry and take care of their family and those around them. People drive me! Knowing that my pains and struggles connect with theirs and that maybe one of my words could inspire them to dream bigger or hope with more intensity, keeps me forever writing. No one writes without the hope of being heard, no one!

JEN G: Does your faith inspire you to be free on stage?

Manwell: Ya, I’m crazy on stage man! I don’t care about anything, I’m the goofiest kat you’ll see. I just don’t try to be someone I’m not. I don’t try to be hard and jank like that, I just try hard to be me. Sometimes that comes with some aggressive lyrics and sometimes it comes with a song about how dumb I am, but whatever comes, it comes from my heart, you know.

JEN G: In closing, is there anything you would like to say to your fans?

Manwell: Stay with me on this journey to wherever I’m going. There is no happiness and worth in achieving your dreams and not having someone to share it with. Even if I never get to meet everyone of you, we both know that you were the reason why I got to where I’m at. There’s no one more important than you are. I don’t only consider you fans but fellow workers and friends who have helped me advance God’s dream for my life to this world. I owe you guys everything.

“There is no happiness and worth in achieving your dreams and not having someone to share it with.”

Manwell Reyes Music