Coming before the LORD with wild, enthusiastic and triumphal music! (Habakkuk 3:1)

Mark's Bio l Mission l Listen To Mark l Itinerary l Photos l Links l Contact

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The Mark Kidd Experience

Take a moment, if you will, and imagine this. You are sitting on the front row of your church staring at two empty mic stands in the middle of the stage. It seems as though they are patently waiting to be a part of some wonderful experience. Suddenly the lights go low, on the right side of the stage the DJ starts the intro. The crowd rushes to the front of the stage. Two figures emerge from the crowd and approach the mic stands. The first is Mark Kidd followed by a fellow M.C. The tone for the night is set as the intro gracefully blends into the first song titled “this is hip-hop.” As if to say “make no mistake, we came to bring it.” And that’s just what he does for a solid hour unleashing a whirlwind of songs and a barrage of lyrics. Addressing issues like life, love, God and issues that Christian artist often avoid like such as drugs, suicide and depression. Then, in a move that is rarely seen in a concert anymore, Mark Kidd stopped to share his heart with the crowd. A short, power-packed message followed with an alter call. Drawing influence from all styles of music you never hear two songs alike the whole night. Integrating rock, house, pop, classical and even some folk music into one big unpredictable hip-hop experience.

About Mark Kidd

Born in Lafayette IN, Mark Kidd spent most of his younger years in a small town in the hills of southern Kentucky. At 9 years old all that changed when his father decided to pursue a degree in communications. This decision launched Mark, his parents and 4 sisters on a journey that opened their eyes to the world outside small town America. During these formative years Mark and his family moved several times to different states around the south. While his father was completing his education Mark was learning the cultural and ethnic differences that influence us all. Although Mark had experienced the hip-hop culture, it was not until he first heard Christian rap that he was forever changed. “I’ll never forget the first time I heard Christian rap. I never imagined that a Christian could produce rap albums too. I listened to DC Talk’s debut album and immediately decided that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” Since that day Mark has been writing, composing and performing Gospel hip-hop.

In the fall of 1997 Mark moved to the North Georgia area. 3 years later he married his long time girlfriend and fiancée Rhonda. Currently they reside near Gainesville GA. Mark and Rhonda are active members of Free Chapel Worship Center under senior Pastor Jentezen Franklin. Rhonda is a faithful worker in the Free Chapel nursery. Mark has become a familiar face in the music scene of F.C.W.C. Occasionally performing for the choir, youth group and children’s ministry as well as acting roles in several church dramas. While serving under youth pastor Marcus Mecum in 2002 Mark was asked to DJ for youth services. With state of the art Pioneer digital CD turntable equipment provided by the church Mark has been mixing and scratching for the F.C.W.C. youth for more than 2 years under former youth pastors Marcus Mecum and Chad Varga. Early in 2004 Pastor Tracy Page of F.C.W.C. children’s ministries (kidpac) asked Mark to be a part of kidpac services. There Mark DJ’s and sings backup for the kidpac band as well as training interested kids how to be a DJ.

Recently Mark was appointed over “involvement” ministries for the youth by current pastor Eric Abney. Mark will be overseeing groups including a rap team, drama team, dance team and several others. The plan is to encourage growth by getting students plugged into ministries they enjoy and invite their friends to come and watch and/or get plugged in themselves.

W’sup with Mark Kidd

Mark frequently appears all over North Georgia performing for youth groups and camps, detention centers and street ministries. He has had the opportunity to share the stage with other Christian hip-hop acts such as Dirt and Mars Ill. Recently he hooked up with musician and speaker Tim Bach who has spent some time on the road with DC Talk and has shared the stage with several other big names in the Christian music scene. Mark has been invited to travel on selected dates with the Tim Bach Band to schools and conferences across Georgia and South Carolina.

In 2002 Mark and Rhonda joined Pastor Jentezen Franklin on the road as part of a drama team to perform in his popular illustrated sermon “The Spirit of Python.” It was filmed live in front of 22,000 people at “Winterfest” in Knoxville Tennessee. Since then “ The Spirit of Python” has appeared on the F.C.W.C. TV program “Kingdom Connection” and has been aired world wide several times on TBN. Mark announces some of the bands in select scenes and performs a 1 minute rap verse following the Tu Pac scene. A copy of the program can be purchased at the “Kingdom Connection” website.

In the summer of 2001 Mark caught the ear of Country Gospel legend Chuck Day (midnight cry, child of the night, grandma’s comforter). Chuck, who at the time was starting up a new entertainment group in North Georgia, placed Mark on the roster for his alternative label “Histree Records.” In October 2001 they released their first project “raw.” This pre-release features 4 songs in their original format that Mark used for performing. Since 2001 Mark and Chuck have been working on Mark’s album project “Labor Pains.” “It has been a long, slow process to record this album due to scheduling conflicts, financial support and the drive to put out the absolute best product we can possibly produce” says Mark Kidd. Labor Pains is tentatively scheduled to release in early 2005 and will include remakes of the 4 songs on the “raw” project.

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MISSION

To offer an entertaining and positive alternative to hip hop music for today's generation. To inspire and to equip the youth Christian Community with the reality of being a Christian and the motivation of staying strong in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ!

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LISTEN TO MARK KIDD

Click on the link below to hear demos from some of the songs by Mark Kidd.

Mark Kidd Demos