We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Scotty Praise a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Scotty thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I knew I wanted to be a singer since I was a lil’ kid; like, way back, before I even knew what it really meant. But when I realized I wanted to be a gospel singer, I was 16 years old, locked up in uptown Charlotte, sittin’ in the hole.
One day I just started singing to myself “Oh Lord… oh Lord… fix me, Lord.” I kept singing it over and over ‘til it started sounding like a song. That’s when it hit me… this wasn’t just something I liked doing. This was healing. This was purpose.
I was going through hell at the time, but I was also starting to come out of it. That whole process; the pain, the lessons, the growth; it turned into a song. And from there, I knew… this is what I’m meant to do.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Well First off I wanna say I’m Scotty Praise. I’m a gospel singer and musician. I play acoustic and lead guitar, and I create what I call epic gospel music. It’s not just something you hear, it’s something you feel in your spirit and your body. It lifts you, shakes you, and moves you literally and spiritually.

I was raised in a middle-class home, brought up in the church, doing good until about age 15. That’s when I started using drugs, getting into trouble, and going through real-life trials, pain, loneliness, even homelessness. But over time, all of that? It created a song. It gave me a message.

My mission is to bring positive energy in the spirit and in the flesh and to draw people closer to Jesus Christ through music and whatever other gifts God gave me. I’m not perfect, and I never pretend to be. But God is perfect and He doesn’t make mistakes. I thank Him every day for using me as a vessel. A major vessel.

What sets me apart? I’ve been through it the darkness, the streets, the struggle and I didn’t let it kill my light. That’s what makes my music hit different. It’s real. It’s raw. And it’s redeemed. I want people to hear my sound and feel hope, structure, and a desire to be better not just emotionally, but spiritually.
We all got obstacles. I’m no exception. But God’s will is greater than my flaws. And as long as I’m here, I’ll keep doing His work through this music.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Yeah… I was 25 years old, locked up in the state penitentiary on a felony armed robbery charge, doing 7 to 9 years. I was still deep in addiction — struggling with drugs, stuck in the same cycle — but even in all that, I still had this pull toward music. I just didn’t know how to fully surrender to it.

After serving my time, I got out… but to be real, I went right back to the streets. First day out — I was using again, drinking, smoking, running wild, chasing women, just chasing trouble. One night, while out hustling, I almost got robbed. That moment hit different. It shook me enough to start shifting. I picked up my guitar and started playing in public. That brought some peace — for a while.

But the streets still had a grip on me. I ended up getting locked up again — this time for a gun charge. My whole world came crashing down. After two months, I bonded out. I was staying in a motel with nothing but a guitar and a strong urge to finally chase what I should’ve been chasing all along — my purpose.

About six months later, I found out I had a federal warrant and needed to turn myself in ASAP. So I did. While locked up again, I met a few folks, did some soul-searching, and when I got out, I moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina. I made some connections, some meaningful, some not so much. I ended up in a relationship that didn’t work out, and eventually moved back to Charlotte.

That’s when I started talking with my manager, Sunny St. James. She saw something in me — and I saw something in her. We recognized the ambition in each other, so we locked in, let God take the lead, and it’s been blessing after blessing ever since.

What changed? I made a conscious decision to stop letting my past define me. I stopped letting my trials and tribulations control the narrative. God had something greater in store — and once I surrendered to that, doors started opening. Music started flowing. And now I know why I went through what I went through… so I could testify through the music and help somebody else find their way out too.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Well, actually, I built my audience by going out in the public and sitting on curves in front of buildings and all street corners where ever I can find a moving crowd I didn’t care if it was rain sleeting Or snowing All I know is, I had a message to give. I can make me an extra couple of dollars at the same time to help support my lifestyle and what I had to do at home and that was the beginning of what I never realized that I had For me. Then I realized There is this thing thing called social media. so I started taking advantage of that and start a recording myself on social media. I had a few followers here a few followers there feel like a few likes there, but I noticed those few people was constant although I didn’t know a lot of people so I didn’t just accept friend request because I didn’t really know if it was a sc*m or what but the the few that I did have they were constant and they always gave me. Compliments told me to keep striving. Some people knew my story some people didn’t went to the ones that didn’t know my story into the ones that even do everyone eventually tell you that hey that man had went through a major storm, but he came out victorious and he didn’t let his obstacles dictate his ending for God promised us an Expected end. So my advice to everyone else out there trying to make it in this business of what we call entertainment music whatever it may be faith is the number one thing hope and love and God to do the rest.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: ScottyPraiseOfficial
• Facebook: Scott Davis
• Youtube: ScottyPraiseOfficial
• Other: TikTok ScottyPraiseOfficial

Image Credits

Willette Dupree &