“Kevi Morse is an influencer of the culture, and he loves Jesus.”
As a kid, Kevi Morse fell in love with hip-hop and the way that he was able to experience the feelings that the artists were expressing. His favorite rappers in his youth were Boosie, Lil Wayne, and Young Jeezy. He wrote his first rhymes around age eight and performed his first rap in his school’s talent show at age thirteen. “I used to be what you call a lunch table rapper. All my friends encouraged me to go to the talent show.”
Growing up in the projects of Indianapolis, Indiana, he was surrounded by people who were making lots of money doing illegal things. “My mom always wanted better for us.” Wanting to make money as a high schooler, Morse spoke to some of his older peers. “They put guns in my hands.” Sometime later, he was introduced to a buyer named Makellow.
“Little did I know, he had a studio. He gave me a little bit of studio time, and a few months later, he started talking about Christ.”
Seeing Makellow change his life for the better inspired Morse to seek change as well. “I gave my life to Christ on January 16th, 2011.” A lot has changed since then. “Now people look up to me like I used to look up to some of my favorite rappers. It’s amazing to me. I love it.”
Last month, Morse released an EP called Reality.
“It brought people closer to who Kevi was and gave people a more in-depth understanding [of me]. It’s more than music for me.”
He recorded the entire EP in a two week period. “I think you have to live out life a bit to have a story to tell. All that already happened.”
Many of his songs share real-life stories, and Morse wants listeners to know that it’s okay to go through hardships, “but Jesus is at the end of everything saying, ‘I’ve got you.'”
The album cover features a selfie that Morse took on his iPhone. “My guy RJ hooked it up, and I said, ‘I want it to be as raw as possible.'” RJ placed what looks like a piece of torn paper across Morse’s face.
In Morse’s experience, he has seen that both leaders and regular people “sugarcoat” their lives. “Everybody is okay when asked the question, ‘Are you okay,’ but in actuality, we are not.'” He believes that the reason people don’t like to share how they really feel is that they are afraid of what could happen if they do so. He knew that he was not innocent in this regard, so he decided to make a change.
“I’m tired of not even giving the whole gist of how I really feel. Last year I just said I’m fed up and wanted to be real about where I’m at.”
Expressing this frustration is essentially the message of the intro track, “Reality.” The second song on the EP is “My 365.” After hearing from fans and friends wanting to know more about his life, Morse decided to start vlogging. “People really wanted to see my walk of life and what I do on the daily.”
“My 365” was written to describe his experience sharing his life, specifically how he is hardworking and placing effort into achieving his goals, music-related and otherwise.
Reality continues with “Pray.” It was inspired by Morse’s experience at the Legacy Conference in Chicago in 2018. At the conference, he attended a workshop about African culture and history. Within the workshop, the speaker shared the story of a South Sudanese woman named Francine. “That story stuck with me, and I took notes.”
Francine was a widow and mother of eight.
“She had to raise these kids by herself, not knowing how she was going to pay for school [or] pay for anything.”
It inspired him to consider what life would be like as a father.
His girlfriend was pregnant at the time, and earlier this week they had their first child, a boy named Kingston.
“It’s one of the experiences that you’ve gotta go through to feel how it actually feels. Looking at somebody who is going to look up to you throughout his life is overwhelming. I cried.”
“Gwan Big Up Yourself” was inspired by Morse’s Jamaican heritage. The term is a Patois, a Jamaican Creole language, for “be proud.”
He wants people to celebrate and be proud of what God has done in their lives. “Pat yourself on the back. Be happy about the things you’ve accomplished in life.”
Reality continues with “Show Me,” a song which Morse describes as “me falling to my knees if I can be honest.” After getting home from Legacy Conference last year, he kept repeating the thoughts of asking God to show him who He is. “My friend Brett, loveaintdoneyet, we went to the studio, and he kept singing it.” As loveaintdoneyet continued writing and singing, he and Morse decided to create a worship song where they asked God to show His power to them. “At that moment it was raining. I just looked outside and started writing: all of it just flowed.”
When people listen to Reality, Morse wants them to keep in mind that every word and verse is strategic. “Be influenced by the message. Take the message and grow.”
So far this year, he has been on two tours and has plans to go on three more. Morse also has a clothing line called iamchristlife. “The clothing line is [about] reflecting Jesus, and it’s more than just a brand. It is about reflecting [Christ] in our daily lives.” It is currently undergoing a rebranding process, and he is excited for people to see the new products when they come out.
Outside of music, Morse enjoys spending time with his family and friends, reading, and being an encouragement to others.
“To the listeners, be unashamed, and be you. When you listen to my music, take a piece of encouragement from it and run with it.”
Follow Kevi Morse on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Get or stream Reality here.
