Steven Malcolm signs to same label as Switchfoot, Skillet, for KING & COUNTRY

One of the most powerful record labels in Christian music, Word Entertainment, announced its signing of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based artist Steven Malcolm on Friday.

Alongside the news, Word released Malcolm’s label debut single, “Hot Boy”, and revealed the name of its hip-hop imprint, 4 AGAINST 5, which will be run by Grammy Award-winning producer and former Reach Records A&R Joseph Prielozny.

“I’m honored to be a part of such a legacy,” Malcolm said, according to a press release. “What Word has done in the Christian music scene is nothing short of amazing, and I’m grateful to not only be part of it, but to be the first hip-hop artist. 4 AGAINST 5 is definitely here to make its mark in the Christian hip-hop world. I hope the fiery passion I have inside of my heart to glorify Jesus is evident not only in my music, but in my life, and that my song ‘Hot Boy’ inspires others to let the passion inside of them burst out and tell the world what Jesus is doing in their lives.”

“Hot Boy” is the first song from Malcolm’s upcoming, early 2017 full-length album release. The album was produced by a collection of Grammy and Dove Award-winning producers, including Derek Minor, Beam (Tyshane Thompson) of Track or Die, Dirty Rice, Joseph Prielozny and Juice Bangers of COBRA (Lecrae, Andy Mineo, KB, Blanca, Hollyn) and Scootie (Ariana Grande, Tommy Brown, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $).

Malcolm, a member of Rapzilla’s 2016 Freshman class, had never heard of Prielozny when the producer initially contacted him on Twitter.

“I thought he was some fan,” Malcolm, 25, told Rapzilla.

Prielozny had reached out after Dirty Rice, the other half of his production group COBRA, showed him Malcolm’s music video that won Canon’s “Go Off” challenge.

“What do you do?” Malcolm asked Prielozny, who answered that he made beats.

Prielozny had made beats for Lecrae, Andy Mineo and Trip Lee, among other household names in Christian hip hop, so when Malcolm searched for him on Google, the results were a pleasant surprise.

“Oh shoot,” said Malcolm, who was then working 9-5 in Nordstrom’s shoe department, “I’m about to get signed to Reach.”

Instead, Malcolm got signed to Word, which is also home to Switchfoot, Skillet, for KING & COUNTRY, NEEDTOBREATHE and Family Force 5.

Today’s news may not surprise fans of Malcolm, as KB featured him on his COBRA-produced remix of his Tomorrow We Live lead single “Sideways” last year.

After the collaboration, Malcolm waited an hour in near-freezing temperatures to line up for KB’s performance at Winter Jam 2016. This year, Malcolm is in the Winter Jam lineup alongside KB, Tedashii and Crowder.

“Steven is one of the most talented and passionate individuals I have ever known,” Prielozny said. “Releasing his debut project with 4 AGAINST 5, where we exist to spread a passion for Jesus through the universal language of quality hip-hop, is why I do what I do. I can’t wait to start sharing it with the world.”

Buy “Hot Boy” on iTunes.

David Daniels
David Daniels
David Daniels is a columnist at Rapzilla.com and the managing editor of LegacyDisciple.org. He has been published at Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, CCM Magazine, Bleacher Report, The Washington Times and HipHopDX.
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