N.U.B.O.R.N. the FIREWALKER

 

N.U.B.O.R.N. the FIREWALKER is no stranger to the world of Holy Hip Hop. In fact, he has been actively involved of some aspect of it for more than a decade, dating back to 1994. He has rubbed elbows, shared stages, meals, given and received advice from some of the biggest names in Holy Hip Hop, yet has remained pretty much under the radar, but not unnoticed.

So, who is N.U.B.O.R.N. the FIREWALKER? Born as Triawn Bankston, on January 6, 1975 in Dayton, Ohio to Tyrone and LaCinda Bankston. He is the eldest of 7 children from blended relationships. Like many urban youth, his parents were young and ill prepared when he was born. His dad was in and out of his life, so he had to be the man of the house. He started working at an early age, and developed his "hustle". He discovered his gift for wordplay at the age of 7,  when he would write short stories and poetry that awed his teachers and classmates, and his freestyle raps that were well received in the different hoods in Dayton where he was born, raised, battled and competed in talent shows.

When FIREWALKER was about 13 years old, his parents decided to try to work things out and get married, that meant he and the family were moving to Columbus, Ohio. In Columbus, N.U.B.O.R.N. met lifelong friend and then partner in rhyme Jason Smith. Though they both rapped secular at the time, Jason eventually introduced FIREWALKER to Holy Hip Hop in 1992. Even though, he thought most of it to be corny or unoriginal, this introduction helped to plant seeds in his life, to make a change from the downhill slump he was in with drinking, weed smoking, shoot outs, violence, sex, etc...In 1994, the year after he graduated from Northland High School, N.U.B.O.R.N. was tired of the negative direction his life, tired of running from God, and of seeing people lead astray by his actions and words, so he started to truly seek and dedicate himself to God and got baptized.

After turning to Christ, he found that most of the things that had him bound fell away, and he had no desire for them. The one struggle that he did have was what to do about rap. He had been exposed to Christian Rap, but the church he attended was certain that, "Christian Rap is not of God", and if they didn't accept what was already out there, there was no way that the style and vernacular he used would be allowed in the church. For months he tried to leave rap alone, but it kept calling to him, in dreams and his daily routine. He prayed fervently for direction from God on how to handle his rap issue, and rather than unveiling a way to leave it alone, God showed him more and more ways that it could be used to draw people to Him. During this same time, FIREWALKER found flaws and inconsistencies in the church where he had been baptized and he decide to move on.

He reconnected with his friend Jason and they formed a group with 3 other members. The group was called T.H.U.G. Ministries and it stood for Talking Holy Unto God. The groups mission was to take the gospel and the word of God to the streets, and breakdown the misconception that you have to look, dress, or sound a certain way to be saved. The group was a success and got invited to do engagements at churches, block parties and community events throughout Ohio, parts of Indiana, and even as far as Boston, MA. T.H.U.G. was active from 1994 to 1997, and they recorded 3 studio songs, but they were never released. Before the group disbanded, they were at a conference and just as FIREWALKER had given an offering, the guest prophetess pulled him out of line prayed over him, and said that God has placed message in him that he was to take it to the streets and give it to them. After the group dissolved, FIREWALKER lent his skills to other ministries, he began ghostwriting and doing graphics for groups and solo artists, as well as becoming a backup dancer/ fill in emcee, speaker and promoter for local ministries.

N.U.B.O.R.N. the FIREWALKER had a passion for serving, he loved what he was doing, and being a part of something, but he wanted to do more, especially with his music. In 1999 he started ministering as a solo artist again, this time with a lot more experience. The raps he delivered were no longer milk, but meat. He had an evident relationship with God, with straightforward rhymes that were meaningful, yet easy to grasp. With a good following, and great demand for his music FIREWALKER released MANIFESTATION independently in 2003.

Since releasing MANIFESTATION, N.U.B.O.R.N. has traveled to both coasts, down South, and throughout the MidWest, and has been featured on many projects and compilations, including [T&T: Triumph and Truth, Iron Sharpens Iron, Vol.1], that he released himself. He plans to release an ep entitled [Freewill: The eL*7 Project] and [M&M: Milk and Meat, Iron Sharpens Iron, Vol.2] later this year. He also plans to create new opportunities to share the gospel in any and every facet of the culture. FIREWALKER totes himself as a solo artist, but he's still 1/3 of the group Thundaground (from Ohio), as well as a core member of the supergroup CIA Muzik Ministry in Indianapolis, where he currently resides with his wife and children.

In addition to the groups that he is a member of, he has worked with and has strong affiliations with eL*7 Productions, 5th Eye Music, Bailey Records, Kingdom Way Central, CosSound Productions, Indy Good Beats, Bloodwashed Productions, Levitical Productions, Holy Soldier Records, and Renaissance Movement just to name a few. Outside of his artistic talents, FIREWALKER has given time as a volunteer to many organizations, from tutoring and mentorship programs, to helping to raise money for the MDA, to working on beautification projects and anti-violence campaigns in poverty stricken and less than desirable neighborhoods in the Midwest and down South. N.U.B.O.R.N. the FIREWALKER has devoted himself to making a difference, not only in the realm of Christian Rap, but in the world as a whole.