craig_smith
{audio autostart}CraigSmith-LetYourLightShine{/audio}
Artist: Craig Smith
Featured: Tash
Production: Ansane.com
Album: Let Your Light Shine
Purchase:
Release Date:
Label: Unsigned
Hometown: Stillwater, OK
Website:
Bio/Notes: A quiet kind of guy who grew up in Southern Illinois, Craig Smith didn’t grow up in the hood, he hasn’t been shot, he has never gone to jail or been in a gang.  He was however influenced tremendously by the messages of rappers such as 2pac, Notorious B.I.G., Wu Tang Clan etc.  Growing up in a tight knit Christian family, Craig knew right from wrong.  He knew that the lifestyle of drugs, drinking, sex, and having a foul mouth he was falling into was not one that was pleasing to God.  After struggling for years with a love for Hip-Hop and a love for God, Craig turned his life around and decided to use the abilities and desires God had given him to reach out to the younger generation that would struggle with the same temptations he did.  He worked hard and received his Associates Degree in Recording Arts from Full Sail University in Orlando, FL, married his best friend and supporter, Tashia, began his own family in Stillwater, Oklahoma and did what he had to do to provide for them while he prayed and searched for guidance and direction.  After a long road of ups and downs, Craig Smith released his debut album LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE in August 2010.  In doing this, Craig stepped up to the challenge of creating music that could compare to the attractiveness of the secular realm with the message that could give hope and encouragement rather than lies and disrespect.  This album has something for everyone. Not only does Craig explain to non-believers that filling your life with junk will never satisfy you the way a relationship with Jesus Christ will. But, it also has songs that encourage young believers to be themselves while encouraging all believers, young and mature, to not be scared to share their faith.  His music is smooth and easily understood for those that may not normally listen to this genre.  The title track Let Your Light Shine has become a fan favorite.  This song tells three different testimonies of three young believers and the last being Craig’s.  Taken from Matthew 5:16, the chorus is a powerful encouragement to all Christians that emphasizes what Christianity is all about… Loving others and sharing the grace message with them! (To learn more about Craig’s story visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Craig-Smith/137069689663998 and read his bio or listen to track 5 from his debut Album LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE and pay particularly close attention to verse 3)