The multiple lives of FRESH I.E.

By Shara Lee

He is not your average rapper. Like Jay-Z and Kanye West, his resume includes a couple of Grammy nods. But while those artists may be performing to accumulate money for million-dollar mansions, Fresh performs so that youth gone astray can come to know Christ. Today, evangelism is his life’s work. Through his music, Fresh is able to reach out and connect with young people. Perhaps the reason he does this so well is because of his rough upbringing – one not too different from those he is most passionate about helping.

As a child, Fresh was no stranger to fear. “My sister and I lived in terror,” he said. “My mother was caught up in the hustle of life, and I saw a lot of bad things happen to her. She was beaten and abused.”

With a single mother and no father figure in his life, Fresh often felt something was missing. “I didn’t have anyone to teach me how to be a man,” he said. The future he saw was the life that the streets provided. “My only view of success was watching my uncle; he was a hustler. Whenever he came to town, all problems seemed to go away,” said Fresh.

By age 12, Fresh was already into drugs, smoking and drinking. The pain he felt in his childhood caused him to “grow up real fast.” In his teens, he dabbled in pimping and drug dealing. “I was on my way to prison and was drinking myself to death,” said Fresh.

One night, on his way back from the liquor store, Fresh pulled a blind man out of harm’s way. Later that night, Fresh saw this same blind man sleeping on his doorstep.

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At first, his mind was filled with questions. How had this blind man found his house? As he paced his apartment, he said to God, “I need to hear from you.” Fresh spent a week reading and reflecting on the Bible until the day he said he felt an earthquake. As he recalls it, God said to him, “That blind man was me. If you don’t turn from this lifestyle, you are going to die.” At that moment Fresh began to feel the fear of God. “In a matter of two weeks, all my desires in life, the drinking, smoking and swearing, disappeared.”

Despite the lack of a musical background, Fresh began to make music. He purchased a simple drum machine and made his Grammy-nominated album in his living room.

Today the Winnipeg-based Fresh is still making music. Inside is to be released this spring. “It’s a concept album about a man who lives in a box. He wants to break free but doesn’t know God,” said Fresh. “You hear the journey of this young man and how he gets saved.”

Fresh’s life has been a testament to God’s power. “No matter where you come from, God is able,” said Fresh. Today, the most important things in his life are God, his family and evangelism.

His heart is especially drawn to aboriginal teens on reserves where the suicide rates are high. He has five workshops designed to evangelize youth, and he has no fear of going into places where others don’t want to go. Schools can contact him to request a workshop at reachfresh@gmail.com.

“I want to see youth rally up and march for the Lord,” said Fresh. “Everybody’s preaching something. I want youth to get in contact with who created them.” freshmusic.ca

Options - Spring 2010