Thi’sl addresses the persecution of Christians around the world in the new music video for “Take My Life,” featuring fellow St. Louis artists Flame and Json.
The DeeOnTheTrack-produced song comes from Thi’sl’s forthcoming album, Fallen King, which Full Ride Music Group will release May 6.
“Take My Life” was inspired in part by two deadly attacks in September 2013. Suicide bombers killed at least 85 people following a service at All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan. The following day, militants attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, beginning a multiday siege that left 67 people dead.
Thi’sl said the reports made him want to create something that would encourage Christians facing violence while reminding listeners elsewhere not to ignore what was happening.
“I wanted to make a rally song that would communicate to believers around the globe,” Thi’sl said. “I wanted to encourage Christians to be courageous in times of persecution, and to send a message to our brothers and sisters far away letting them know that we see what’s happening and we are praying and standing with them.”
The video places Thi’sl, Flame and Json inside a narrative shaped by armed conflict, imprisonment and the cost of openly professing faith. Its imagery is deliberately severe, but the song’s emphasis remains on courage rather than spectacle.
Flame and Json bring personal history to the collaboration. All three rappers emerged from St. Louis and have worked together since the early years of their careers. Here, their separate verses function less like competitive guest appearances and more like a unified declaration.
“Take My Life” is also an early look at the themes Thi’sl plans to explore on Fallen King, his fifth studio album. The project examines identity, culture and faith through the perspective of someone who understands that believing something is easier than accepting what it may cost.
Watch the official music video for “Take My Life” below.