A-zAy

All it takes is one man to stand in the gap with unwavering trust, one heart to give it all you’ve got and never let go, one voice to proclaim loudly those truths that continue to resound in the heart, one hope for a better tomorrow and one mic – all it takes is ONE. Introducing Malachi Records recording artist A-zAy.

Born March 22, 1978 to loving parents in the city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Ezebunwo (pronounced A-zAy-boon-war) Patrick Chike is the fourth son in a family of seven. A child of the chief he grew up being well provided for by loving parents that worked hard to equip their children everything necessary for a better life. However, for this young warrior, a better life was not all there was to achieve. He wanted something more, something to answer that call that continually resounded in his heart – the call for change, the hope for a better place for all of humanity, that fire that continued to burn in his bones that he just couldn’t ignore.

That desire for ‘more’ made him hungry for something, anything and in that pursuit he turned his focus to the western world and embraced the hip hop culture in the hope belonging to this foreign body of street hustlers and gangstas. In his day the rappers were icons for youngsters looking for an exit from the mundane, wanting something more than just good schools, loving household and a simple life. For these youngsters their undying desire to belong drove them to places that exceeded mere imitation but rather they creatively merged hip hop fantasy with their own version of reality in that undying attempt to be counted worthy of a premier spot in the world of street hustlers. The inevitable result was roving street gangs devoted to a life of anarchy.

In November 1994 shortly after A-zAy graduated from high school, he felt once again the hunger pangs for more. This time it was different – he felt the call coming from someone or somewhere much bigger than any street hustlers could ever imagine to be. He traced the call to his creator and in doing so, embraced a new life within God’s kingdom. He found his footsteps being ordered in unfamiliar territory, living a life that contradicted every code from the streets and forcing him to in fact become a ‘new’ man. As he made progressive strides in this new life journey, he began to see flashes of his destiny unfolding a new and different blue print for his life that was very different from all previously acquired ideas. That journey which continued in 1994 continues to this very day.

The winding roads of this new life led him back to his hip hop roots, only this time with a new focus and different inspiration. Rather than making or imitating music that fueled destruction and anarchy, he invested all of himself into music with a strong, positive Christian message. In 1999 he made his public debut in a youth event (Praise Center Youth Day) in Tulsa, Oklahoma and it was a phenomenal success, paving the way for a return that will no doubt set the wheels in motion on the chariots of change.

Now under the upstart record label Malachi Records, A-zAy is set to make his world debut on Malachi Records’ first project: Introducing Malachi Records. The compilation album, tentatively scheduled to be released in the 2nd quarter of 2006 showcases A-zAy along with other ‘soldiers of the cause.’ A-zAy’s delivery on the album showcases a definite maturity in both lyrical style and general wisdom/understanding, carefully impressing that he is clearly just being used as a vessel by God. His trademark remains an evolving style that lacks the predictability of most. On different tracks listeners get to know the different sides of A-zAy. On tracks like Livin’ 4 the listener is exposed to the side of him that understands that he is a warrior and will not back down from pursuing his vision and God given destiny. On other tracks like A Prayer For Me the listener is introduced yet to theother extreme where he seems somewhat vulnerable and calls to his fans to say a prayer for him. He brings excitement with his moving delivery on Bounce, Move, Shake that will cause every downtrodden person to bounce, move and shake with joy, then on Praise Him he shows maturity in his view that we can still praise even when things don’t go as we would like them to. Overall, the one thing that cannot be denied is the passion he possesses for what he does. The sincerity in his words cannot be missed by even the deaf. Malachi Records is proud to be showcasing an artist of this caliber on their debut project.

During a recent interview from the Malachi/E-Trax studios where he was rounding up his recording he said, “So many times I step in the studio without a clue what I’m going to do. I mean I hear the beat, I know the theme for the song, but I just draw a blank. However, once I let go of myself, I can feel myself being held up by God’s hands. For that reason, I find it hard to take too much credit for anything that I do, because it is not I but God who does these things through me.”