ABOUT M.I.A.3 Minister • Husband • Father • Hip Hop Artist Born in 1977 on the south side of Chicago, Isaac T. Akins III, known to the Holy Hip Hop scene as M.I.A.3, grew up in the glory days of Hip Hop music and culture. “The first tape I ever owned was L.L. Cool J’s Bigger and Deffer. I’ve been hooked ever since.” His family moved to Atlanta, GA in the early 80’s, where he spent all of his adolescent years, and where he began rhyming and embracing the culture of Hip Hop as his way of life. This 28 year old hip hop head/pastor/husband/father started emceeing in the lunchroom with his middle school crew in the early 90's, ran off the bus to sit in front of the TV to watch Ed Lover and Dr. Dre on Yo MTV Raps with his N.I.C. crew everyday, and never left the crib without a pen and a pad all of his high school years. "I've come to the conclusion that I've always been in love with Hip Hop, but I never really understood how much it influenced every area of my life until I fell in love with Christ. I had to make a choice whether I was going to love God more and let Him show me how to love Hip Hop the right way, or keep loving it my way and watch it slowly die. Man, God doesn't have a problem with the culture of Hip Hop any more than He does with any other culture in this world. He just wants the culture to know, love, and glorify Him, and therefore live and give others life. That's why I write, why I still emcee, and I'm telling you I've never been as cold as dedicated and skilled at the art of rhyming as I have been since I gave the gift over to the Lord." Now more seasoned and mature in the faith and in the art of rhyming, M.I.A.3 looks to demolish the stereotype that Christian MCs can’t be taken seriously, and prove that not only can he hold his own with the best artists out there in Hip Hop today, but also feed the world a message that will turn their hearts and minds to their Creator and the Savior who died for them. His lyrical gift and ability to switch styles and emotions from track to track proves that this man of faith is a true star and destined to change the world through his music. This June 2007, M.I.A.3 continues his quest to reach fellow heads in Hip Hop culture with the message of Christ through the release of his first full-length project, entitled Renewal 101. Based on the passage Romans 12:1-3, this project shows what Hip Hop culture could look and sounds like with a new, Godly perspective on life and spirituality. With production by well-known Holy Hip Hop producer Tony Stone, responsible for such hits as Lecrae's "Jesus Muzik" , and up and coming producers Judah the LyricalRev, AG that Future and Solstar this is a banging and ministry-filled album!