Today we’d like to introduce you to Lawrence Snells.
Hi Lawrence, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always loved music, and growing up, I found myself fascinated with the piano. When I got to high school, I was classically trained on how to play the piano. From there, I started playing the piano at my church, Nazarene Baptist Church. Those skills ended up translating into my hip-hop/rap career. I learned through a good friend by the name of Moodswing who currently goes by the name of SwingThaRealist, how to produce my beats. Once I had a few beats under my belt, I tried to sell beats but didn’t know how, so instead, I decided to rap on my beats.
I started my Christian Rapping career back in September of 2015, where I go by the stage name of CHSN (Chosen). The church I attended at the time, Nazarene Baptist Church had a youth event and I asked my pastor and youth leaders if I could rap. That was the first time I performed songs that I had fully produced myself with the help of a friend. The song that I ministered was “No Compromising” a song that speaks on not compromising my walk with Jesus Christ for the riches of the world and “One Body”. “One Body” was an instant hit because it was a call-and-response song, but also because of the message within the song which spoke on how we need to come together and learn to forgive one another to accomplish our God-given purpose in the body of Christ.
After that, my pastor had put in a word for me with another church called Rock City Church which had been doing block parties in the summer. I became a regular go-to artist for their yearly summer block parties. This was a huge opportunity because it allowed me to meet a lot of great local artists and also reach youth in the inner city of Baltimore, MD. I also partnered up with another ministry called The Cave Inc., which was a sort of Christian nightclub. I became their in-house rapper and continue to work with them to this day.
During this time, I decided to start my indie record label, God Or Nothing Entertainment LLC. I bought studio equipment set up shop in my house and produced my first solo album “Make Jesus Famous”. I’ve helped many artists in the DMV area record and produce their music. I’ve also had the pleasure of having two artists join the label by the name of Quiet Storm and GodWillStrike. They were also the first artists who gave me a chance to produce their music when I first started. This helped me hone my craft by producing, mixing, and mastering. In 2019, my wife Shantel Snells aka Shantel Graces (owner of Life To Your Soul) came out with a single called “All Night (Pentecost)” which was inspired by my love of partying for Christ. In 2022, Quiet Storm and I released a joint album by the name of “God Is Greater Than” which was centered around letting people know that God is greater than any circumstance you come up against.
The main vision of God Or Nothing Entertainment is to be a media company that is solely focused on giving you entertainment that doesn’t compromise the word of God. Our focus is to reach the youth and young adults. Right now, there is so much going on in the world, people are searching for love and acceptance in all the wrong places. People need to know that God already loves and accepts them. We want to reach the youth because, with social media consumption at an all-time high, we want to give them content that is high quality and also empowering spiritually.
There was a time when I had to stop working on projects for a year because my wife, Shantel, and I were led by God to do foster care. That was hard because I never saw myself doing anything like that, but it was one of the most rewarding experiences I ever had.
Once that season was over, I started my music ministry back up along with my clothing line Unbreakable Remnant. Unbreakable Remnant had been in the works for a while, I started with my best-seller black t-shirt “God Is Greater Than My Past” which you can often see me wearing at many of my events. This shirt speaks to so many people because it comes against the mindset that your past determines your future. We’ve released another collection called the “L O V E D Collection” which started as a Limited Time Valentine’s Day shirt but we decided it would be best to keep it all year round because of the success of the line.
Following God has been great, I’ve since met so many awesome artists, and been featured at events with over 1000 people in attendance. I’ve traveled to different states and even recently won an award for Best Male Rap Artist at the 8th Annual Kindred Music Awards Show. Of course, the best part is just being able to produce music that edifies God and also brings hope and love to the youth and the lost. I hope to grow the business and give people the opportunity to make music and more while staying true to our Christian roots and beliefs. We want to show the love of Christ to everyone who hasn’t experienced it and do it through the media.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have had many challenges throughout the journey. As a content creator, I’ve struggled with being consistent, comparing myself to other artists, and even just life! There was a time when I wanted to do this full time but I didn’t have the discipline to do it (something I’m still working on).
I’ve had to learn to surrender my wants to the will of God because He knows what is best. There was a time when I had to stop working on projects for a year because my wife, Shantel, and I were led by God to do foster care. That was hard because I never saw myself doing anything like that, but it was one of the most rewarding experiences I ever had.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a musician, producer, beat maker, audio engineer, and Christian Hip-Hop artist. Publicly, I’m mainly known as a Christian Hip-Hop Artist by the name of CHSN (Chosen). I honestly really enjoy and am most proud of the fact that I can give people clean music that sounds great and edifies Jesus Christ. I’ve won an award for best Male Rap Artists simply because I keep Jesus first in my music.
What sets me apart from others? I don’t honestly know, while I have inspiration from a lot of great artists, I just try to stay true to myself and grow in the process. I’m always trying to see how I can be better with each new project I have. I don’t want to become complacent, I want to always grow.
Any big plans?
As of right now, I’m working on a new solo album with a few features that I have in mind that will be slated to be released in early spring 2024. I also have plans to release a new music video soon.
Changes I would like to make in the coming months include having a dedicated cameraman around when I go to events. This would help tremendously with content creation. Also, I’m making changes as to how people can book me for events. Normally people would call and ask, but now I’m looking to make a booking through my website.
My ultimate goal is to make a multimedia company that focuses on giving people high-quality entertainment that fuels the spirit! I also want to give people the opportunity to grow in their gifts and talents. I feel like so many people want to try to do things but are afraid to step out because of failure. I’d like to help people along the way.
Pricing:
- Booking for an event (negotiable through the website)
- God Is Greater Than My Past (Shirts) $30
- L O V E D Collection Apparel $27.99-34.99)
- God Is Greater Than Album (available on all Major Streaming Platforms)
- Make Jesus Famous Album (available on all Major Streaming Platforms
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chsnmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_chsnmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CHSNMusic1
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-snells-86060976?original_referer=
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chsnmusic
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/chsnmusic
- Other: https://direct.me/chsnmusic
Image Credits
Good Vibez Photos – Leviticus Fletcher and I-Witness Photography
