We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Preacher Bishop. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Preacher below.

Preacher , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was born and raised in the Bronx New York by a single mother who was present at the inception of Hip Hop. My first musical influence was Michael Jackson in the early 1980’s. My first love was dancing and then I began rapping at the age of five.The first talent show that I did in my neighborhood let me know this is what I want to do from the feeling and crown reaction.

Preacher , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am Preacher Bishop. Born and raised in the Bronx New York via Baychester Houses North East Bronx. Raised by a single mother with routes deeply intrenched in the Hip Hop culture as her friends are the Pioneers of the genre we love today. She also took part but never took the music serious but lived the culture everyday. The sound of my neighborhood was Hip Hop in the 80’s so I naturally fell in love with the sound, music and culture. I started to do music with the older guys from my block. At the age of 5 I performed my first song titled The Youngest In Charge. I was rapping with the teenagers while being an adolescent (Full Pledge Pose). After doing talent shows locally in the NYC area my cousins Cahiem, Rich Mo and I auditioned for a manager looking for a kid rap group and formed the group Bookworms. In 1993 we landed a major record with Mowtown/Arista records. Learning the tricks of the trade in the music industry at such a young age taught me a lot. The deal happened not to work out and by 1996 I turned to the streets. Being a rebellious teen I left home at 16 and went to Massachusetts attended Job Corps and graduated. Still in the streets I met a young woman and got pretty serious. The woman I am with today my wife. We moved to NYC and things went sour. We separated and she took my kids back to Massachusetts. I was offered an opportunity to go to Pennsylvania and I joined the US ARMY where I acquired an endless amount of skills that I could apply to my life. Being deployed to Iraq and fighting the global war on terrorism gave me a new prospective on life. I gave my country ten years of my life, now it’s time for me to give my family and self time back that was sacrificed for a bigger cause. But do to injuries sustained while serving I could no longer serve. It was a Higher power putting me where I need to be when I needed to be. I was able to gain custody of my son and put my family in a better position. Which also gave me the fuel and fire to pursue what I always loved which is music and artistry. Since 2014 I have been pushing my music that you can find on all digital platforms (Preacher Bishop) and doing all that I can to engage in the industry. Which includes opening an independent record label and giving artist opportunities, to acting, being a radio personality on (Black Ink Radio) and running a party bus company in Atlanta (Flamingopartybus.com) I stay busy. My mission wether it is a fan of my music or a customer on our bus I aim to please, and give you a unique and genuine experience . I am most proud of beating the odds being from the environment that I’m from and some of the wrong choices that I made. As long as you want it and focus you can turn your life around and be successful according to the standards that you set.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I want people to know that we are all like flowers. Some bloom earlier than others but we all bloom. It is never too late to pursue what you love and make a career out of it. There are aspects that you must recognize within yourself that you can capitalize off of but you have to know your value and recognize your talent/worth.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being a creative/artist is the independence and freedom to express yourself. Knowing that the world can hear your voice is the most exhilarating feeling. Once your voice is heard and your message is convayed the question is did they get it? If not it makes you want to make sure the message impacts those who it’s meant to impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6WAcWcAHqsp4gqKpQGTls2
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preacherbishop/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preacherbishop
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preacher-bishop-9a3556221/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PREACHERBISHOP
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=preacher%20bishop
• Other: www.flamingopartybus.com
  www.blackinradio.com

Image Credits

Christopher Bishop