Dusty Marshall

After a year and a half on the road with the Irregular4Christ Music Ministry, Hip-Hop artist and ministry founder Dusty Marshall has released a brand new EP entitled Return of the Wordsmith. The collection celebrates the joy found in victory and confronts the struggles associated with addiction using lyricism, storytelling and complex wordplay. The goal of the ministry is to connect with people on a personal level and expose the hope available through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Engineered by Kwon Five-Nine of Guerilla Cross Studio, the 5-track EP covers a lot of ground. The track “Falling Off” is jam-packed with raw lyrics and exposes the realities of placing faith in things of this world rather than in the One who created all things. The track is rounded out by Krystal Marshall’s angelic voice. The song "Kings and Queens" follows a couple along their life-long journey toward finding and maintaining true love. Other tracks deal with issues as diverse as the growing sense of isolation experienced by many as a result of the continuing encroachment of the digital age as well as remaining passionate about serving God. Every song but one from the EP employs samples from popular songs as well as special guest appearances.

The Las Vegas, Nevada-based ministry is dedicated to providing hope to the hopeless through the message of God’s grace. The husband and wife duo of Dusty and Krystal Marshall combine music and art to reach those struggling with various forms of addiction. Having been delivered from the vices of drug addiction, both Dusty and Krystal are able to connect directly with those struggling with similar issues. Dusty’s rapping skills combine with Krystal’s musical talent as a singer and visual illustrator to create a unique performance-based presentation.

The ministry's tagline is "Giving hope to the hopelss by spreading testimonies of God's grace." According to the SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 23.5 million people aged 12 years or older required treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug abuse problem in 2009. Comprising only four percent of the global population, Americans account for two-thirds of the illegal drug consumption worldwide. Make no mistake – addiction is an American epidemic. Dusty states, “the reason we started the ministry is because I personally know what it feels like to be hopelessly trapped by addiction and past regrets. God used my past problems to mold my future potential and gave me a passion to help others with their own hurts, habits, and hang-ups. My music is merely a tool for reaching people that need to know there is a way to overcome the issues they are facing.” He concludes, “we use our musical and artistic gifts to speak about direct recovery through the Celebrate Recovery program – a Christ-centered 12 Step program.” Irregular4Christ also runs a local chapter of Celebrate Recovery in Las Vegas.

In 2013, the award-winning music ministry visited thirteen states and over ninety locations including Creation Fest in Pennsylvania and Hope Fest in Prescott, Arizona. In 2014, the duo performed at the Elevate Music Festival, also in Prescott, Arizona. They have shared the stage with big name acts like Lecrae, Switchfoot, Family Force 5, Kutless, Chris Tomlin, Jeremy Camp and other prominent Christian artists. - Z180radio.com

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (November 20, 2014) – After a year and a half on the road with the Irregular4Christ Music Ministry, Hip-Hop artist and ministry founder Dusty Marshall has released a brand new EP entitled Return of the Wordsmith. The collection celebrates the joy found in victory and confronts the struggles associated with addiction using lyricism, storytelling and complex wordplay. The goal of the ministry is to connect with people on a personal level and expose the hope available through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. - David Coleman

Dusty Marshall is a young man celebrating his recovery spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ through Christian rap. Dusty is the artist known as Irregular. His music is focused on giving hope to the hopeless by spreading testimonies of God’s grace.

Irregular's new CD drops soon. Check out his website for more on Merely a Glimpse
Dusty Marshall
Irregular shares a victorious message of gaining strength while overcoming hurts, habits and hang ups through submission to Jesus Christ. His mission is to show others God is bigger than any problems they face. Irregular says “Through His will power we are provided the strength to overcome any of our issues.”

Dusty has overcome 15 years of drug addiction. He attributes his victory to Celebrate Recover; a 12 Step Christ centered recovery program and the power of Jesus Christ. Dusty says God’s grace pulled him from a life of addiction, insanity and hopelessness. He is now a devoted, hope filled follower of Christ.

Irregular freely gives his victorious testimony. Check out his website for free downloads, free music App and a victorious testimony. - Lleslie Johnson- The Examiner

Irregular (real name Dusty Marshall) provided a culture shock to the largely adolescent crowd at the TCMI Center (Truth Christian Ministries International) with rap music that wasn’t laced with profanity. His set, which included songs from his second album, Merely A Glimpse, and beats by DJ 12 and J-Mac, was like a story of his life. He mixed animated rapping and spoken-word poetry, leading up to the show’s climax: Irregular rapped his testimony, using beats from Kanye West’s hits “Power” and “Gold Digger.” The song detailed his past drug addiction and how the program Celebrate Recovery helped him move on. (Now he is a leader there.) Most of the proceeds for the concert went toward scholarships for middle school students to go to summer camp - See more at: http://vegasseven.com/2012/07/05/irregular/#sthash.tvAIQU53.dpuf - Carl Winde (Vegas Seven Magazine)

Irregular is a 28 year old emcee who dares to be different by pushing the creative boundaries of hip hop. He does so by putting out songs of substance that touch on true to life emotions and travel on a whirlwind from pain to praise. His wife Krystal Marie brings a cool calm to his energetic songs and plays a prominent role in his music with her ear pleasing voice. The production he chooses are a melting pot of gritty samples, high energy beats, and the smooth melodic quality sound only live guitar, bass, and drums can give you.

Irregular resides in Las Vegas, Nevada and got his hip hop roots from growing up in Los Angeles during the 90’s gangsta rap era and also from its underground secular scene. At age 14 he started his music career recording albums and performing all across California with his crew The Morgue. Irregular and his crew became the opening act for artist like Too Short, Raekwon, Brooklyn Zoo, CRayz-Walz, Hieroglyphics and Talib Kweli in Los Angeles and Irregular was featured on mixtapes with E-40, Hieroglyphics, and Sean Price to name a few. To support his music career Irregular began dealing drugs at age 14 and soon became addicted to his own supply of pain killers.

Over the next 10 years the Irregular and his crews popularity began to grow but so did Irregulars drug addiction. With his addiction taking control of him his relationship with friends, family, and his music crew soon began to crumble. Finally his addiction got the best of him. He isolated himself from everyone and everything. He fell into a deep depression, lost his passion for life, and stopped doing music all together.

In 2010, after the suicide of a close friend and the overdose of another in the same week, Irregular decided he wanted to start a new life with a friend he barely knew in the city of Las Vegas. He wanted to leave behind to leave behind the pain of his past so he packed up a car and drove out to Las Vegas. Even though he was trying to escape his pain, Irregular arrived in Vegas, still trapped by the insanity of his drug addiction.

Irregular fell further into his drug induced insanity until God came to him one late night while coming down off of drugs. He was provided with the clarity he needed that night while staring at himself in the mirror to finally make a change. It would change his life forever. While staring at himself in the mirror, Irregular realized he hated the person he had become and was tired of the insanity. He made a phone call and reached out to a friend who told him to come to church. When he showed up that morning he felt as if God was speaking to him directly through the Pastors message. His friend then introduced him to a man who was a leader in the Christ centered celebrate recovery program. The man prayed for him and asked him to join the recovery group. Irregular was hesitant but decided to give it a shot.

Over the next year Irregular stayed 100 percent dedicated to the program and because of it he was equipped with the tools he needed to overcome 15 years of drug addiction and reach complete sobriety. He was also able to surrender and devote his life to Jesus Christ, while also finding his true life purpose in serving others. He became a full time missionary bringing others to sobriety through a leadership role in the same celebrate recovery program that helped him get clean. He began working with kids through the churches ministry and through leadership teams. He joined outreach programs and began serving in any area God called him to be.

In his service and sobriety Irregular rediscovered his love for hip hop so he started his own music ministry, called Irregular4Christ. Irregular4Christ is a music ministry which focuses on giving hope to the hopeless by spreading testimonies of God’s grace. He isn’t afraid to speak on the pain and darkness people can experience in life, but he shows them that through Christ’s care we can overcome any hardship we are facing. Irregular’s music is more than just stories of overcoming struggle, they are a celebration of life, love, and joy. His music takes a look at the magnificent beauty in life as well as the horrific evils we struggle to overcome.

In 2011 Irregular put out his first gospel hip hop Mixtape, which was self-titled the Irregular4Christ Mixtape. This album introduced who Irregular really was. It took a raw look inside his life, giving his testimony and showing how Christ carried him through his own struggles. It also introduced listener to a prominent and melodic singing voice in his wife Krystal, who brings a cool calm to the gritty lyrics Irregular inflicts in his music. The Mixtape was an instant success and Irregular began his missionary work traveling from place to place giving his testimony and performing throughout the Western States.

In 2012 Irregular put out his second album titled the, Merely A Glimpse EP. The Merely A Glimpse EP is a mixture of urban and soulful hip hop infused with a lyricists twist over every beat. The album features raw real life topics that few artists dare to talk about in their music by taking an emotional look inside the struggles of family life and drug abuse. It shows how through God’s grace we can overcome any obstacle. It features production from acclaimed producer Vherbal from Anno Domini Records and also incorporates smooth studio quality sounds only live instruments can give you with musician Tommy Cameron on guitar, Duane Murray on bass, and Greg Hall Jr. on drums. This 7 track EP is Merely A Glimpse of things to come.

Irregular’s music ministry continues to grow and is always looking to help those who are looking to overcome their addictions and struggles. He hopes to uplift people through music ministry and love, by bring the good news of Jesus Christ wherever God calls him to be.



How you got started in the music scene?

I grew up in the inner city of Long Beach in the 90’s during the golden era of hip hop when gangsta rap was booming and the East and West Coast beef was blowing up the media. Living right in the heart of the west coast where 2 Pac, Snoop, Dr. Dre, and many other West Coast artists were representing, I was instantly sucked in by the sound. I also loved a lot of the East Coast artist that were coming out of Def Jam, Rockafella, and of course the Puff Daddy camp with notorious BIG.

Into my high school years I began listening to underground hip hop. I followed underground artist such as Del, Hieroglyphics, Copywrite, Cage, CRayz-Walz and many others. I realized these artists songs had a lot of substance and spoke on things they believed in. It was more than just entertainment, there was an emotion in their music that you could feel. At age 14 my parents moved me out of the city and into a rural area in Antelope Valley CA, where I had no close friends to hang out with. In my new found loneliness, I decided to start writing my own lyrics to put my emotions and frustrations on paper. I discovered I had a talent and a passion for writing and soon linked up with a crew of guys at my high school who did the same. We would get together at school and have rap psyfers to display are writing and freestyle talents.



What’s the meaning behind your artist’s name?

I gave myself the name Irregular because I knew I wanted to be different than other artists. I knew I wanted to make music that stood for something. I wanted to be more than a rapper I wanted to be an artist that made music with a purpose. My music would touch listeners and inspired them to change their lives for the better. Irregular would be an artist who challenge listeners to dare to be different from the common pop culture in society.



What’s the method at the time of writing a song?

Usually when I write a song I search for a beat that really inspires me. The beats I choose are more on the gritty side, having raw samples, live instruments, and an underground feel. I usually use the beat to inspire a topic to write on. Some of the times however I have a certain topic I want to write on and then search for beats that fit with the topic.

The length of time it takes to write a song differs. Some of the times a beat will inspire me to write a complete song in less than 30 minutes. Other times I get stuck on a topic for a couple weeks at a time. Usually the song that take longer for me to write tell a story and I have to make sure every detail of the story lines up from beginning to end. These are my favorite songs because of how much time and effort they take to write. When I hear a story in a song, I know the amount of effort it took to write it.



What’s the message you are looking to spread with your music?

In my new found life I discovered my purpose in serving others wherever God calls me to be. God inspired me to start my own music ministry called Irregular4Christ which is dedicated to uplifting and inspiring listeners by spreading testimonies of God’s grace. I want my music to give hope to people who are feeling hopelessly trapped by their addictions by telling them my own story of how Christ helped me overcome my addictions and gave me a new purpose filled life. I was once in that same place and want to show them there is a beautiful life out there to be lived. They do not have to stay trapped by their own pains and addictions.

With this vision in mind I am planning to travel across the US telling my story and performing in as many venues, churches, and festivals as possible.



What are your music influences?

My musical influences include 2 Pac, Biggie, Nas, Wu Tang, Copywrite, Cage, Del, Linkin Park, Citizen Cope, and Shinedown



Merely A Glimpse EP. How was the recording and writing process? How you came out with the album’s title?

The writing and recording process of the album was awesome. I wanted to put out an EP to first have hype songs to perform at shows, events, and churches, and second act as a prequel to my full length album The Return of the Wordsmith that I will be working on in the Winter of this year.

Writing the album was not difficult as the lyrics seemed to jump onto the page with the inspiring beats I used on the project. This EP was the first time I used live instruments in what I feel is my best single in Daddies Dreams. Having live instruments and musicians come into the studio and display their talents was an amazing experience and since I want to go that direction with my next project it served as a great learning experience.

The engineer and studio I used is owned by Duane Murray who is an awesome Bass player, he had the space for and the experience with live instruments and recording to bring a smooth and melodic feel to the album.

The album itself took 4 months to write, record, and master and I could not be happier with the product than I am, Duane and his studio The Watah Fountain took care of me better than I could have ever imagined being an independent artist lacking proper funding.

I came up with the album title, Merely A Glimpse because it is a short EP that is Merely A Glimpse of things to come. I wanted the album to be a short trailer of who I am as an artist and what type of music I will be putting out in my next album, and in the future. I wanted the album to introduce not only good music, but songs that had lyrics that spoke on positive change and inspiration sound.



So what has been the funniest moment you have been or took part while touring or playing a show?

In 2005 myself and a crew of 6 other artists I worked with were invited to do a show in a small town named Lompoc in Northern California. The event was 3 hours away but we were told that we would have our own hotel room and food paid for when we got there. Also, we were told that we would be performing at the most popular bar in town, so the crowd should be a good size.

We decided to be a part of the event so 7 of us artists along with our girlfriends packed up 3 cars and drove out. When we arrived we learned just how small the town really was we drove down the one main street in the farm town that had 3 mexican food restaurants all at the same intersection called Taco #1, Taco #2, and Taco #3. They were all a part of the same food franchise and location on 3 different sides of the streets intersection. That was only the introduction to the weirdness of the event.

When we arrived at the most popular bar in town, we soon realized it was the most popular because it was the only bar in town. We spoke to the owner who then directed us to the hotel where the promoter told us we had a place to stay.

We reached the hotel only to find out that we did not have a place to stay at all because there was a dog show in town and the promoter had not called early enough to book us a room. We had been beaten to the punch by a miniature dog show and our promoter failed to tell us so the 12 of us with no room had to decide what to do. We went back to the bar and spoke to the owner telling him what had happened. He bribed us with some extra money to stick around and do the event and because we had already driven out we decided to stay and do it.

Wait it gets worse. After a trip to taco #1 and taco #2 right across the street from one another we had our show to do. We showed up for sound check and realized there was no sound man or set up. We did it all ourselves. At show time we came out of the party room in the bar from getting ready and saw that no one had shown up for the show. We ended up playing to a crowd of ourselves and our girlfriends. This event was a nightmare upon nightmares. After the so called event, which was no event at all it was around midnight. The rest of my crew members and their girlfriends decided to stay the night in their cars and I decided to drive all the way home.

I found out the next day that not only had the other artists I came with stayed up the whole night because they couldn’t sleep with so many people packed into their cars, but they had actually bought tickets to watch the dog show and stayed for the whole thing.



Are there any plans for the future we should be aware of?

I have my next full length album The Return of the Wordsmith written, and am just waiting for the funding to record the 14-16 track album. The Return of the Wordsmith album will feature tons of live instruments and my wife bringing a smooth Keltic feel to my gritty lyrics with here beautiful singing voice. The album will be a mixture of underground hip hop along with a citizen cope/linkin park feel infused with an ear pleasing Keltic voice to accompany my heavier sound.



Where can we find more about your music?

Blog- www.irregular4christ.blogspot.com
Music Streaming and Downloads- www.irregular4christ.bandcamp.com
Artist Page- www.reverbnation.com/irregular
Facebook Page- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Irregular/205695786122160
Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/Iregular4Christ
Radio Station- http://www.jango.com/music/Irregular?l=0
SonicBids EPK- http://www.sonicbids.com/2/EPK/?epk_id=371293



Do you feel you are moving on the right direction?

I do feel that I am going in the right direction. As long as I remain humble and pray for direction, I know God will guide me and keep me moving in the right direction. He has opened so many opportunities for me after he completely changed my life around from being a hopeless addict to now being a purpose filled Christ follower and serving others in helping them overcome their own addictions and pains. I know as long as I stay focused, live by the principles I’ve committed to, and put those principles into my music I will be doing more than just trying to fill my own pockets with my songs, I will be working to inspire my listeners with songs of substance.

There is a real lack of care for anything in our youth today, there is no drive to stand for anything at all and I hope that my music will be an inspiration to stand for a purpose filled, principle based life, where people stand up for the positive things they believe in and are dedicated in doing so. - RJ Frometa (Vents Magazine)

Hope Music and Vegas based artist, Dusty Marshall, releases his second single of the year titled, “Remember When”, featuring singer Brendan Hollis. “Remember When” fits the Christian hip-hop artist and recovery minister’s vision for reaching the broken, lost, and addicted by sharing personal testimony through music.  This track takes a past to present perspective in the artist’s perception of his short lived success within the underground secular hip hop scene before coming to Christ.  The song features singer Brendan Hollis, most notably known for his feature on “Break the Picture”, from The Rep’s album, The 13th Floor.  This track builds on the momentum created by Dusty Marshall’s single, “The Irony of Me”, featuring Beleaf and Ruslan of the Dream Junkies released last February. - Gospelcentric.net

Las Vegas-based artist Dusty Marshall l releases "The Irony of Me" featuring Beleaf and Ruslan over production by Anthony Cruz and Ray Alexis.

Dusty shares, "The Irony of Me is a personal parody of what my music career might look like if I implemented all the advice I'd been given over the years by those around me. In it, I am making fun of myself in a third person perspective, while giving an inside look at what living out my fallacy life might look like if I made it in the "rap game". It features Beleaf and Ruslan from the Dream Junkies rapping on the track, as well as the amazing production of Anthony Cruz and Ray Alexis." - Steven Solis- Rapzilla.com

Watch Dusty Marshall's music video "Wordsmith," featuring JP Dutton, from his Return Of The Wordsmith album out now.

Purchase the album on iTunes or Amazon

Follow @DMarshall535 on Twitter - Steven Solis- Rapzilla.com

Rapzilla.com is sponsoring the Kingdom Festival Tour which features (on various dates) MC Jin, Heesun Lee, Alex Faith, V. Rose, HillaryJane, Saylah Flowz, Uncommon Culture, and Young Disciples.

Sept 19th - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Asian Cultural Center
MC Jin, Heesun Lee, Saylah Flowz
Free show, Doors open at 6pm show starts at 7

Sept 20th - Phoenix, AZ @ Monte Vista Church of the Nazarene
MC Jin, Heesun Lee, Uncommon Culture
$12 at the door, $10 pre-order, Doors open at 6pm show starts at 7
For tickets contact: kingdomfest2014@yahoo.com

September 21st - Prescott, AZ @ SG3 Skate Church
MC Jin, Heesun Lee, Uncommon Culture, Dusty Marshall
$10 at the door, Show starts at 3:30pm
For tickets contact: robbray316@gmail.com

October 3rd - Chandler, AZ @ Gospel 4 Life
Alex Faith, The Rep, Uncommon Culture
$10 at the door, Doors open at 6pm show starts at 7
For tickets contact: kingdomfest2014@yahoo.com

October 4th - Bakersfield, CA @ Valley Bible Church
Alex Faith, HillaryJane, Uncommon Culture, Young Disciples
$5 at the door, Doors open at 6pm show starts at 7
For tickets contact: yungdesciples3@gmail.com

October 18th - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Judah
V. Rose, SPEC, Saylah Flowz, Uncommon Culture
Free show, Doors open at 6pm show starts at 7 - Chad Horton- Rapzilla.com

Hope Music and Vegas based artist, Dusty Marshall, releases his second single of the year titled, "Remember When", featuring singer Brendan Hollis. "Remember When" fits the Christian hip-hop artist and recovery minister's vision for reaching the broken, lost, and addicted by sharing personal testimony through music. This track takes a past to present perspective in the artist's perception of his short lived success within the underground secular hip hop scene before coming to Christ. The song features singer Brendan Hollis, most notably known for his feature on "Break the Picture", from The Rep's album, The 13th Floor. This track builds on the momentum created by Dusty Marshall's single, "The Irony of Me", featuring Beleaf and Ruslan of the Dream Junkies released last February.

With new found purpose in Christ, Dusty Marshall set his sights on redeveloping himself as a Christian artist. He recorded 2 EP's in late of 2012, including the Irregular4Christ mixtape, and the Merely A Glimpse EP. The two projects were an instant success, allowing for a national tour in 2013. On his tour, Dusty Marshall was invited to perform at a some of the largest Christian festivals in the country, including Creation Fest in Pennsylvania, and Hope Fest in Prescott. Creation Fest was a huge festival, that featured attendance numbers topping 60,000 fans. He was able to share the stage with artists like: Lecrae, Skillet, Jeremy Camp, Switchfoot, Chris Tomlin, Family Force Five, and many other major names. His early success also brought about a nomination from Vision Entertainment, for best Christian artist in Las Vegas.

In 2014 Dusty Marshall recorded his second solo EP titled, The Return of the Wordsmith. The albums single, 'Kings and Queens' received National airplay, which I followed up with my third National tour, hitting over 20 states, included performances at Elevate Music Festival and Hope Fest in Prescott, as well as the Summer Alive Festival in Idaho. These festival's included artists like Kutless, Newsboys, Phil Wickham, NF, Sanctus Real, Mercy Me, and Building 429. Dusty Marshall was also picked up to join Bizzle and No Malice's West Coast Invasion Tour in 2015.

This year, Dusty Marshall joined the NF Intro tour. He also plans on releasing his first full-length Christian album. It will include some notable guest appearances from major CHH artists. Dusty released a single called 'The Irony of me featuring Beleaf and Ruslan of the Dream Junkies' to prepare fans for the up and coming album. - Timothy Yap- hallels.com

Indie Christian Rapper Dusty Marshall releases his new album, Beauty in the Struggle, today.

He shares, "Since coming to the Lord in 2010, I've had to face the toughest struggles of my life: overcoming a 15 year drug addiction, being locked up in a mental institution, having a daughter born with life threatening disabilities, and facing the suicide and overdose of two close friends. Out of these struggles God has demonstrated His faithfulness by being present with me in the eye of the storm and by placing people in my life to help me carry the burden. I was never alone.

Now, today, I can truly tell you that everything I've been through has been used for my good. My struggles have given me a passion and a hope that God will carry me through, regardless of what the future holds. This album is a representation of that hope passed on; a representation of the beauty I've found in every struggle and the hope, strength, and peace I've found in trusting Jesus through each of them. Being saved by God's grace doesn't mean life is going to be easy. My struggles aren't over, but the rewards ahead are rich in value. God uses the storms. Don't miss out on the Beauty in the Struggle." - Rapzilla

He shares, "Since coming to the Lord in 2010, I've had to face the toughest struggles of my life: overcoming a 15 year drug addiction, being locked up in a mental institution, having a daughter born with life threatening disabilities, and facing the suicide and overdose of two close friends. Out of these struggles God has demonstrated His faithfulness by being present with me in the eye of the storm and by placing people in my life to help me carry the burden. I was never alone.

Now, today, I can truly tell you that everything I've been through has been used for my good. My struggles have given me a passion and a hope that God will carry me through, regardless of what the future holds. This album is a representation of that hope passed on; a representation of the beauty I've found in every struggle and the hope, strength, and peace I've found in trusting Jesus through each of them. Being saved by God's grace doesn't mean life is going to be easy. My struggles aren't over, but the rewards ahead are rich in value. God uses the storms. Don't miss out on the Beauty in the Struggle."

Beauty in the Struggle track list
1. B.I.T.S. Intro (prod.by Tellingbeatzz)
2. The Light (feat. Krystal Marshall) [prod. By Ray Wonder]
3. My God (feat. Illuminate & Jenisis Praise) [prod. By Vinay]
4. B.I.T.S. (Skit)
5. Beauty in the Struggle (prod. By Tellingbeatzz)
6. Deep Blue (feat. Krystal Marshall) [prod. By Ray Wonder]
7. Soul Glow (feat. Hope Shorter) [prod. By Ear2thabeat]
8. Rest My Soul (feat. Krystal Marshall) [prod. By Blacklightmusiconline.com]
9. Forever You're Loved (prod. By Tellingbeatzz)
10.Fallen (feat. Scott Armstrong) [prod. By Tellingbeatzz] - Hallels

On his new album, Christian hip-hop artist and recovery minister Dusty Marshall speaks about the challenges he and his wife faced with the birth of their special-needs daughter.

Beauty in the Struggle, a 10-track album, features Marshall accompanied on three songs by his wife, Krystal. The songs tell the journey of how their first-born had the odds stacked against her just weeks after being conceived.

Dusty and Krystal Marshall’s oldest daughter, Amnesty Noel, was diagnosed with a severe form of spina bifida while still in the womb. She was born, just before Christmas 2014, with part of her spine exposed.

Amnesty had also been diagnosed with a heart defect. But when she arrived, doctors were stumped to discover that the condition they had confirmed week after week during her mother’s pregnancy had suddenly disappeared. They had even initially suggested the Marshalls terminate the pregnancy due to the severe challenges and possible short lifespan that Amnesty would face.

The Marshalls, however, knew before they even conceived her that God had Amnesty on His mind.

“We named her Amnesty because my wife was given that name by God in a dream,” Marshall, 32, explained via email. “In the dream, God was peering over my wife’s shoulder, pointing out the word ‘amnesty’ in a book. He then told my wife that ’amnesty’ was not only a word, but also a girl’s name.”

Dusty and Krystal had not planned to have children until years down the road, so the revealing dream stayed parked far back in their minds.

As the Yiddish proverb states: Man plans, God laughs.

Six months later, Krystal was pregnant.

The dream all but forgotten, the couple almost named their daughter Noel. But God reminded them during prayer the night before her delivery that He had already given her a name, Marshall said.

Although Amnesty no longer needed heart surgery after she was born, doctors had to operate on her spine and brain, where they implanted a device to prevent excess fluid build-up.

Amnesty was finally discharged from the hospital into the frozen landscape of a Denver, Colorado, winter. Her terrified parents took her home and conveniently parked just a few steps away from the front door of their motorhome.

“In fact, we lived in the parking lot of the hospital for a couple of months until God told us to go,” Marshall said. “We were scared to take her too far from the hospital because she was so fragile to us. It was 20 degrees outside, barely any insulation, and I had never even ridden in a motorhome, let alone lived in one.”

For the first nine months of her life, Amnesty traveled with her parents around the country while her story was told.

Those were “scary” times and the “challenges were frequent,” Marshall said.

“Doctors said she would never have use of her legs,” he said, “and right now she is defying the odds by walking with a walker and leg braces.”

Amnesty, whose name points to God’s immeasurable grace and willingness to forgive and forget sins, is now two years old and enjoying life with her little sister—named Noel.

Dusty and Krystal Marshall with their daughters, Amnesty and Noel.
Dusty and Krystal Marshall with their daughters, Amnesty and Noel. (Photo: courtesy Dusty Marshall)
The Album
Beauty in the Struggle, which Marshall worked on for six years, opens with a skit about a doctor’s dire diagnosis. The title track is the centerpiece of the album due to the story it tells and how it was crafted.

“I wrote the first verse before she was born, I wrote the second verse after she was born, and I wrote the third verse when we finally got her home,” Marshall said of the song, “Beauty in the Struggle.” He wanted verses to authentically reflect his emotions from seeing Amnesty in the womb, witnessing her birth, and finally holding her in his arms.

But Beauty in the Struggle, Marshall’s second album after the 2014 EP Return of the Wordsmith, also tells of his own journey from being a drug addict, dope dealer and womanizer to becoming a follower of Christ, a family man and ministry leader. His story is specifically on “The Light” featuring his wife, Krystal.

On the melodic “Forever You’re Loved,” Marshall raps about his dedication to his wife, whom he met through a dating website. When confronted during a moment of clarity with the reality that he needed help getting free of his vices, it was Krystal he called on for help. They married in 2010—the same year Marshall decided to follow Jesus.

“Fallen,” featuring Scott Armstrong, is a reflection about the suicides and overdoses of two of Marshall’s friends. The track concludes with a somber eulogy about a missed older brother.

The first song from the album to get a video release, “My God,” features Illuminate & Jenisis Praise. It is certainly the praise track of the album, closely followed by “Soul Glow” featuring Hope Shorter, another song showcasing Marshall’s distinct delivery, wordplay, and sold-out-for-God sensibilities.

“I purposefully placed songs of celebration along with songs of struggle in this album to show the light that pierces through the darkness of our lives,” Marshall said. “We walk in the light as He is in the light. That light should be reflected to expose and reveal the darkness that blinds so many still walking in bondage. Our testimony and Christ living in us is that light.”

That is a part of the message the Marshalls share with others through their Irregular4Christ Ministries, the nonprofit that owns Beauty in the Struggle. The couple also leads Celebrate Recovery groups and performs at events year-round in prisons and juvenile detention centers.

“We share our testimonies of overcoming drug and pornography addiction, sexual abuse, mental illness, and choosing life for our child with a disability,” Marshall said.

Reflecting on the six-year process of bringing Beauty in the Struggle to life, Marshall expressed gratitude for his wife’s encouragement and his mother’s financial investment in their work. He also credited fellow rapper JGivens with encouraging him to take his music more seriously, and shouted out Arize Lisea of Rize N Shine Records for his “amazing mixing and mastering skills” and “amazing video work” with Lisea’s media company.

Dusty Marshall's latest album Beauty in the Struggle
Dusty Marshall’s latest album, “Beauty in the Struggle”.
Asked for his parting thoughts, Marshall shared the following via email:

“If someone is reading this and they feel utterly hopeless in their lives, there is a hope I have found and His name is Jesus. If Jesus can take a man like me, who was a drug dealer and drug addict, a full-time criminal, someone struggling with depression and mental illness, and turn him into a man with true hope and peace, then He can do the same for you. He is a Maker of Ways where there seems to be no way. He is a Healer of hearts and brokenness. He is a Restorer of broken families and lives. There is nothing the Creator of the universe isn’t capable of. The greatest restoration He does is in our hearts, when He comes to dwell in them and change us from the inside out.

“So if you don’t know Jesus, I can tell you that you can find out who He is right now by simply asking Him to reveal who He is to you. If you’re ready, you can accept Him into your heart as your Lord and savior and ask for forgiveness of your sins, by praying just that. Pick up a Bible. My recommendation is to start in Matthew, and begin to learn who this Jesus is. There are so many resources out there. If you need recovery you can reach out and find a Celebrate Recovery group near you by going to CelebrateRecovery.com and going to the group finder to search by your zip code. Celebrate Recovery has groups all over the world. You can also reach out and email me at dusty @ irregular4christ.com.”

Krystal responded:

“Our struggles are our own. Each person reading this has very unique and personal struggles. Maybe you can relate to some of the specifics of our story, but the underlying theme is what is most important. We were created by a God Who cares about our struggles. He desires to take our brokenness and make beauty; to make our hurts into healing; to use our testimonies to bring hope. If you are feeling hopeless, lean on Him. Take it to the cross. Find your Beauty in the Struggle and then share it with others. - Faithfully Magazine

“Soul Glow” is the second video released from Dusty Marshall’s new album, Beauty in the Struggle.

Dusty shares, “To put it plainly, this song is a banger with purpose; to encourage believers to walk in the light as God is in the light, so we can be a light to a dark World. That light, is the truth found in community with God, the body of believers, and God’s word. Only the Truth of Christ can expose the lies and bondage of sin. There is a hope and a freedom to be found in Jesus Christ.”

Watch video below; - Gospel Centric

Dusty Marshall releases the single titled “My God” from his forthcoming full length album, Beauty in the Struggle. This song is a high-energy banger, which features HOG MOB and ITW Ministries CHH heavyweight Illuminate, hot off the release of his recent solo album Authenticity.

“My God” sets high expectations of what’s to come from Dusty Marshall’s new album, Beauty in the Struggle, which will be available for pre-order on January 20th at iTunes & DustyMarshall.com. Beauty in the Struggle will be available at all major digital retailers on February 10th.

Being the body of Christ, we are called to move and not remain stagnant in our faith. “My God” motivates believers to take the ministry God has given them into the world. The song is a push for Christians to leave well-known comfort zones and take the message of the Gospel to a world that desperately needs it. We are the movement of God and are challenged not to remain silent or still. When the body moves together, the world can change. “My God” reminds listeners that the obedience of one person activates that change. - The Christian Beat