FAITH CHILD INTERVIEW: The MOBO Award-winning rapper and chart-topping Christian artist Faith Child is a vital voice in UK music, known for his ability to blend lyrical skill with honest, compelling storytelling. Having already achieved significant recognition, his career is marked by a refusal to shy away from the complexities of life and belief. His latest project, ‘WHEN FAITH FEELS FAR’, is his most candid work to date, tackling universal themes like grief, doubt, and resilience.
This powerful body of work, which features the popular track ‘Wildfire’ (with GRAMMY Award winner Erica Campbell), reinforces his status as an artist unafraid to explore the moments when belief is tested. We sit down with Faith Child for VIPER Magazine to discuss his journey, his unique blend of Hip Hop and gospel, and the real-life tension that fuels his profound music.
What five words define your sound?
Energetic, wholesome, witty, uplifting, thought-provoking
Tell me something unique about your creative process.
I rarely write to music. I tend to write in my head, record an a cappella version, and then send it to my producers. We then discuss the direction we are aiming for and the emotion we want to convey, and build from there. Producers are the real MVPs, turning our mess into a masterpiece!
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
I’d probably say ‘Cardio’, which is up-tempo, witty, full of punchlines and clever wordplay, or ‘Holy Place’, which is also witty and full of punchlines and wordplay, but is more feel-good vibes. I’ll say ‘Holy Place’.
What inspired you to make that song?
I randomly started humming the melody and just started putting lyrics to it. I don’t even remember what I was doing at the time, but it got the creative juices flowing. Eventually, the verses came to me, and the possibilities felt endless. I sent the song over to Joe L Barnes, he sent back his vocals, then I brought in the choir, followed by drums, bass, trumpet, and the rest is history
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?
That would have been while writing ‘Good Mourning.’ I wrote the first verse a couple of days after hearing my dad was on life support, and the second verse about six weeks later, after he passed. I had never expressed that level of vulnerability in my music before. Writing my thoughts on grief and reckoning in real-time felt deeply therapeutic.
What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
I was playing a festival in North England, originally scheduled for a smaller venue that held about 500 people. During soundcheck, they moved my performance to the main arena, which held 5,000. The venue was packed, and the crowd was just eager to have a good time. There’s no greater feeling on stage than an energetic crowd ready to give their all.
The worst experience? I played three festivals back-to-back, and on the last night, I accidentally said the wrong festival name while closing my set. Safe to say, they haven’t invited me back!
What is your favourite song to perform?
It changes all the time, but it might have to be ‘Catfish’. The track is so hard-hitting and the band always adds their sauce on top.
Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?
My siblings! They were making music, and being the youngest of five, I naturally wanted to copy them. When they went on tour, my mate and I formed a group and went on tour with them. That got me onto the music circuit and went from performing at youth groups, to schools, colleges, universities, pubs, clubs and now arenas.
What’s the meaning behind your name?
My stage name comes from my birth story. When my mum found out she was pregnant with me, she went to the doctor to have an abortion. While she was there, God spoke to her for the first time and told her to keep the baby. She thought, ‘I’m a single mum, living in poverty, facing domestic violence, with four kids, how can I cope?’ God said, ‘Believe. Have faith in me, and I will show you that I am God.’ So I became a ‘faith child.’ I use my story to inspire people. You might be a ‘mistake’ like I was, but God never makes mistakes and has a plan for every single person.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
Probably acting. I studied Performing Arts at university and still want to get back into it. I also present on TV and at live events, so I’d still be working in the entertainment field.
What’s success to you?
Releasing music and hearing how much it’s impacted people. A million streams are great, but for me, music is really an icebreaker for a bigger conversation.
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
Probably my dad’s passing. It made me question what I was truly living for and reminded me to live life with intention.
Where can people keep in touch with you?
First by following Viper Magazine and then searching Faith Child on social platforms. You can also head over to my website faithchildmusic.com and signing up to my mailing list. Much love!
