Biography
Mark James (a.k.a Bumps) was born on February 10th, 1985 in Cleveland Ohio. Mark didn't grow up in a Christian home, and like most kids he spent most of his teenage life hanging out with friends, making up random lyrics and playing basketball. As he got older, he quietly grew tired with the life he was living and progressivley moved further away from reality, and drew closer to depression. Yet there were glimpses of hope, In 2004 Mark married a beautiful woman named Rachel, and soon after they gave birth to their first daughter Nevaeh. What ensued the next couple years of marriage was far from the pretty picture he thought it would be. His life was on a steady decline, heading straight for disparity, but little did Bumps know God was using these circumstances to call him unto Himself. In February of 2005 his wife's sister committed suicide. Her death hit home really hard for both of them and they found it hard to comfort one another through this terrible trial. To make matters worse, a good friend/label mate Reggie "ThankGod" Brown was brutally gunned down & killed the following month in March. Mark was devastated emotionally, psychologically and physically.
He started finding his comfort in pills and drinking. The drug abuse took a huge toll on his marriage. And soon the floor bottomed out.
This would be the turning point where God began to work on Marks heart, humbling him to the point where he had no choice but to open up to the truth. It was in those dark hours Mark heard the Gospel for the first time. He realized he really did have something to live for and it had nothing to do with him. God saved Mark in 2005, and since then he has truly been a new creation, bearing witness to what the Word of God that says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV) Initially Mark decided to discontinue music in his relentless pursuit to know God, but as he grew and matured in his faith he realized the gift that God had given him in music. When asked why he loves music so much he said "I feel as if its my duty, kind of like Im obligated to give back to people what God has given me, Hope." Mark and his wife Rachel have two beautiful little girls, Nevaeh and A'mya and son, Braylon.
Bumps mission is to see the lives of people transformed by the message of the gospel through the vehicle of Hip Hop. He will tell you his main influences are God, who purposed the plan of salvation, Jesus the Christ, the only advocate between God and man who carried the plan out even unto death, and the Holy Bible and all of the great men and woman of God who set the standards within its text. The Gospel is real, its relevant for every man, woman and child that walks this earth. Most of all its relational, whether heard through contemporary, southern gospel, jazz or Christian Hip Hop, the hearts of the people will be met.
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