Rapzilla Freshmen Red Tips has Seen God’s Power in Brazil, in Tibet, & Even for an Avenger

Red Tips has experienced some highs and lows. He’s discovered Letitia Wright, a Guyanese-British actress who played Shuri in Black Panther, is a fan of his music. He’s witnessed believers in Tibet hiding for their lives because of their faith. In our 30 minute conversation, however, the 2021 Rapzilla Freshmen demonstrated, either consciously or unconsciously, the dichotomies of the Christian faith.

The highs in this world don’t matter that much in the grand scheme of God, and being in low places is sometimes where God wants you to be. Despite what happens in your life though, sharing the gospel is always imperative.

Red Tips’ Music Background

Before diving into more specifics though, let’s go back to Tips’ childhood in Florida. His dad was an artist and DJ. For the worship part of their church’s services, Tips’ father would bring his turntables and run most of the service with them. Tips eventually learned everything his father knew, manning the turntables for church services and events where his dad rapped. Eventually, he DJ’d at events for organizations such as Taking the City, DJ Marathon, and Launch Radio.

As for his own music, Tips explained that he always has made music. Creating music was not consistent when he was around his dad’s turntables. His transition from DJ to artist occurred when he moved to California for college.

“I was away from my system, turntables, and my music stuff for the longest time, like nine months,” Tips said. “When I went back during the summer,  I just cranked out a whole bunch of music and then released it over the course of the following year.”

“Main Line” and “Up,” two of his most popular songs, are from that batch.

Missionary Lessons

Red TipsBeing a missionary was Red Tips’ original career path. He attended Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry for the full three years and has partnered with Iris Global, a Christian interdenominational missionary organization. Through mission trips with Iris, Tips learned from other missionaries and life outside the United States.

His first trip took him to Tibet. Known for being the home of Mt. Everest, Tibet is also a region of China. There are believers and churches in the region, but they must hide their faith from the Chinese government, including Red Tips when he visited.

“To see believers believe when it actually costs them something…” Tips said. “For them, it’s not like ‘oh I got to go to church on Sundays’. For them, it’s like ‘I could die for believing in Jesus’.”

At another trip with Iris, Red Tips spent a week and a half in Brazil. There, he found missionaries with perspectives that shocked him. They wanted to be where Christ wasn’t. For example, in Brazil, some people live in trash dumps. So, some missionaries chose to live in trash dumps.

“We pray for things here [in America] like ‘Lord, bless my day, please give me blessings’. They’re like ‘Lord, I pray that you bless me with the opportunity to be a martyr. I want to go to the lowest of lows. I want to go to the most dangerous places’.”

Compared to Brazil and Tibet, the Christian life in America is different. The poverty in Brazil and the tyrannical government in Tibet have oppressed Christians there to lows that are not felt by most Christians in America. However, their faith is at a “whole new level,” Red Tips said.

“The insight to privilege we have in America, I feel like sometimes will only be adequately seen when you go somewhere else where you don’t necessarily have that privilege.”

This is a reason why Red Tips believes every Christian should take at least one mission trip outside the United States.

Red Tips

Meeting Shuri, Sister of the Black Panther

Apparently, Letitia Wright is a fan of Christian Rap. She made an appearance at indie tribe.’s Holy Smoke Fest and at the Rapzilla Freshmen 2021: BBQ & Concert. At the BBQ, Red Tips and Wright ran into each other, and Wright divulged that she was a fan of his. While the moment still blows his mind, Red Tips said it hasn’t changed how he perceives himself or his purpose for his music.

“It doesn’t make or break me if that makes sense. It’s dope to see, dope to get it, and super encouraging. But at the same time, if I didn’t get all this attention I’d still be doing what I’m doing. I’d still be as dope and cranking out good music,” Tips said.

Respect for The Christian OG’s Work

Perhaps Red Tips’ experiences are why he is so appreciative of the Christian Rap pioneers.

“I’m a big proponent of realizing that you didn’t get here by yourself. So it’s realizing, not only with my dad but hearing stories from different CHH groups back in the day of how they were actually persecuted for making Christian Rap music.”

If you listen to Red Tips’ Rapzilla Freshmen cypher verse, you can hear Tips paying homage to S.F.C. To Tips, being a part of something dozens of people grew is not something to take for granted. The torch is in our hands now.

Watch Red Tips Below:

“They treated this like a baby essentially, and they’re like ‘here’s our baby. We nurtured it and grew it up. We get to give it to you ‘. The responsibility of it I feel is big, and it’s realizing that you got something valuable and you have something people fought for. I get the opportunity to carry it well.”

The Mission

Whether on mission trips or performing at a concert, Red Tips aims to always spread the love and name of Jesus. To him, it’s a lifestyle. Also, with all the many people who have impacted him and invested themselves into him, either directly like his father, or indirectly like S.F.C., Red Tips has no excuse not to share Jesus with anyone.

“If I’m an apple, if I’m a believer in Christ, when I get squeezed, I should get apple juice. So that’s my example in life, if I get squeezed in life, people don’t get something that’s not me. They don’t get orange juice, they don’t get grape juice, they get apple juice, they get Jesus. So I’m trying to live my life where everywhere I go, I’m just consistent in my faith and people can’t be like ‘I don’t know Jesus, you don’t demonstrate Him’.”

So despite how high the praise for you is, or how low your emotional status is, the message is always Jesus saves. How consistent can you be?

Edward Boice
Edward Boice
Edward Boice is a freelance journalist who, like every other writer without a fortune, is grinding hourly to keep a writing career in a video-obsessed world. Mostly known for his role of copy editor at Rapzilla.com, he also writes for local newspapers and press releases for music artists. Whenever he's not hunched over a computer typing methodically, Boice is playing a board or card game with his wife and friends or jamming to Christian Rap and Post-Hardcore.
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