Sir the Baptist

William James Stokes, who performs under the name Sir the Baptist, fuses hip-hop, gospel, and R&B into a distinctive style of holistic music intended to promote healing through faith and sound. Raised in Bronzeville, Chicago, as one of 22 siblings, he began piano lessons at age six and added drums by ten. Regular performances at his local church followed, where his father served as a leading Baptist figure and his mother worked as a missionary. After taking an initial position at the advertising firm Leo Burnett, Stokes resigned to focus entirely on music, supporting himself through part-time cab driving and nights spent in his vehicle. His debut single, "Raise Hell," appeared in 2015 and secured a contract with Atlantic Records. The track earned a nomination for Impact Track of the Year at the 2016 BET Awards, drawing widespread attention to his holistic hip-hop approach and resulting in multiple 2016 engagements. One highlight was his Lollapalooza set, delivered from within a coffin as a symbol of Chicago’s persistent gun violence. Jay-Z offered encouragement backstage afterward and arranged an opening slot for Beyoncé at the Tidal X 1015 concert that October. Stokes issued his first full-length project, Saint or Sinner, in 2017, which included contributions from Ray J, Killer Mike, and Brandy—the latter an artist he had met and begun a relationship with the year before.