Tune in to my Instagram Live @LightMusick tonight at 8PM to hear the debut of my new album The Night is Young
Friday July 3, 2020 streaming worldwide on all platforms.
My 6th studio album.
Session was a success. Praise God! Watch the replay here.
Hope to see you there and I hope you like it. As always be safe, be blessed, and be happy.
Peace,
David Gift
Tuesday April 23, 2019 5:00 – 6:30 PM
Ponce de Leon Public Library Atlanta
FREE Event
You’re invited to the first author talk and book signing for my debut novel A Hot Day In December by David Gift. It’s a story about a young Black artist named Jordan with a paintbrush and a dream of breaking into the fashion world only to find life’s harsh realities of heartbreak and betrayal awaiting him as his Auntie Ruth helps him figure things out in a very loving way.
At its core it’s a story about how faith can help one endure through pain and hardship to accomplish the goals God put in your heart. It has a strong Christian theme and is filled with many applicable life lessons.
The novel is currently available on Amazon, Apple Books, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other bookstores. There’s also a free audiobook version on YouTube. Get your copy today!
When I self-published this book last summer and started selling copies out my bookbag a lot of people wanted me to sign their copy. I was surprised. I felt the same way when people asked me to sign copies of my albums. Yea, this was all new to me.
I learned that being a young Black man selling my own book, which was also on Amazon, encourged a lot of people I came across. Even a lot of people that didn’t make a purchase would give a donation or a genuine congratulations. I hadn’t heard congratulations this much even when I graduated from FSU lol. It’s truly a blessing.
And it must be noted that the majority of my supporters and patrons were African American Black men. I hadn’t realized my brothers liked to read so much.
I guess me doing something positive right in my community, even on a small scale, seemed to make people proud and give them some kind of hope of writing their own book, which some people told me they were in the process of working on. We’d talk and I’d give the best advice I could give about my process and obstacles I had to overcome to hopefully help them in some way.
And it was within those conversations that different suggestions were given to me to help me reach more people with my novel. One of those ideas was to have a book signing event. Something that really never crossed my mind. So that’s when my wheels started turning as to how this could be done.
A few months later I was at a kite festival and one of the vendors/volunteers was from the Atlanta Fulton Public Library System. They had a table set up and the ladies were very polite and informative about how I could host an author talk, as they call it, at one of the local libraries. They said all I needed was a library card and I had to be a Fulton County resident. Check and check.
Around the holidays I started communicating with a couple people whithin the local library system to secure a date, time, and location for my autor talk and also to donate a paperback copy of my novel for anyone to be able to check-out. Well about 5 months and 48 emails later along with a few phone calls I got a date and my book should be cataloged soon. Amen.
To everyone I met or spoke to that supported my novel in any way I sincerely thank you for your kindness, feedback, and generosity. It is very much appreciated. More importantly I hope you read it, get something helpful out of it, and share it with someone else.
If anyone knows Oprah, pass my book to her lol. I think she’ll like it. I tweeted her but no retweet from her. Yet.
As always be safe, be blessed, and be happy. Keep the faith.
Peace,
David Gift
God is Good in all ways. Always. Amen!
This video was shot on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day in downtown Atlanta, G.A. USA. The late Rev. Dr. King would have been 90 years old this year. May he rest in peace and go towards the light of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Although I knew of the occasion and of the march, I didn’t know the route of the march, and that it would travel directly towards the first scene. This turned out to be a nice highlight in the shoot.
On top of that, I had gathered various B-roll footage previously, some of which was of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
All I wanted was a sunny day lol. But God did something wonderful again as usual. I got a chance to march with the people while recording my 5th music video.
And, in the march scene I have a line that says: “… Division, never helped anything livin’ so I stay in the kitchen, servin’ food for thought …” which relates directly to the non-violent civil rights legacy of Rev. Dr. King and why people are still marching for different things now. Especially at a time when our government is at an impasse, which Rev. Dr. King’s daughter, Rev. Bernice King, spoke of on this day. I couldn’t have planned this if I tried.
With this piece I really wanted to capture the essence and texture of the heart of metro Atlanta from my perspective to show some of the great street art, landmark architecture, and graffiti in a way that I haven’t seen displayed in full. I also wanted it to be vivid and colorful.
Many of the locations and shots you’ll see are places I’ve been passing through for the last decade. And one of the things that’s great about this city, as I’m sure with any big city, is that there’s always more to see, do, and explore because it’s always growing and developing.
Lastly, once again I made an effort to showcase my splatter paint artwork with the “Zip Lock” hoodie and the latest creation in that department, the “Oreo Cookies” backpack. I just tried to put my best fashion foot forward with all the looks and ensembles while representing. More flavors here.
Thanks for watching! A lot of time and hard work went into this project over the course of several months to produce a captivating visual for one of the standout songs on the new “Royal” Album available here. From wardrobe selection, and scouting locations/scenes, to editing, raising funds, and rehearsals, to overcoming new technical challenges.
“Heaven” is a song about focusing on Jesus. Heaven really is the big picture for a believer. Just a friendly reminder that everything here on earth is temporary. But the Word of God is eternal. Forever. This is only a fraction of your life. Prepare diligently for the greater portion.
I’m super excited about this release and so thankful to the Lord Almighty for allowing me to see this day 🙏🏽 I’m just trying to express how good Jesus is… “I don’t do it for awards. I do it for The Lord.” – “Help Us Holy Spirit” Hope you enjoy this and get something positive out of it.
As always, be safe, be blessed, and be happy. Keep the faith.✝
Peace,
David Gift
I don’t publicize my opinion about politics because honestly I don’t really understand much of them outside of the basics. You know, the three branches of government. That’s pretty much the extent of my knowledge. I never understood the voting process. Specifically how a person can win the popular vote, but then there’s something else they have to win with the electoral vote. I’ve asked people, maybe Googled it, and I am still foggy.
But as I was trying to watch the news Friday, to my surprise it was interrupted due to the senate meeting or hearing for testimonies between the lady Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh. Man it was super intense and I only saw about 15 minutes of it.
I started this with the intro the blind leading the blind because that’s what it looks like to me. Dr. Ford comes out of the woodwork along with 2 other accusers ( none of which who were seen at the alleged scene of the crime ) with intentions to stop a man who’s been a judge for decades and already passed 6 FBI background checks from being in the Supreme Court. And they don’t definitively know if his appointment will help or hinder our country in any way. I mean you’d have to be able to see the future. And because none of us can, which includes Dr. Ford, she is blind.
Dr. Ford is leading women ( directly or indirectly ), who probably never even heard of her, to protest in her defense when they may not even know the truth of her accusations or any of the matter. They don’t know if she’s lying. Therefore, all of Dr. Ford’s supporters are blind too.
Yes, all of these accusations and the like are wrong, I don’t condone them, nor support them in any way, shape, form or fashion and I empathize with all true victims of any sort. But I don’t support the whole basis for this case. How can you charge a person for something that they did or didn’t do 20, 30 years ago? When they weren’t even an adult? Based on she said, he said? There’s no statute of limitations? There should be.
Just seeing the emotion from Judge Kavanaugh was so moving. It was gripping and sad. It was extremely intense. And what almost made him cry is when he said his 10 year old daughter told him that his family should pray for Dr. Ford.
God is always in the mix.
This whole thing makes no logical sense at all. How did he pass 6 FBI background checks? So they missed a very big detail 6 times? Do you know how unlikely that is.
But it’s just a hat. I saw clips of Ye wearing the MAGA hat and defending President Trump on Saturday Night Live and people were big mad about it on Twitter. Why? Because they dislike our President. But the President is actually doing a good job when you look at the numbers so I’ve been told. He just talks a lot, says what’s on his mind, and doesn’t care what anyone thinks about it. But that’s nothing new. I’m not saying I agree with everything President Trump did, does, or is doing. I really don’t know anything more than some of the big headlines. But no two people are ever going to agree on everything all the time. We are all individuals.
What makes Ye an even bigger polarizing figure is the deeper meaning within him wearing that MAGA hat – identity.
We Americans are big on status symbols. We gotta have the newest name brand clothes and shoes, drive the best car, have a big house with rare paintings, so on and so forth. I’m no exception. Why though? Because we want to identify with something. Whether it be the upper class or the working class or a collegiate school or football team, we identify more with things we like or are connected to in some way.
So when something comes along that we don’t like we separate ourselves from it and retreat to our comfort zones. We repel it. Well the United States of America can not separate from President Donald Trump for two more years MINIMUM. Nor repel him.
That’s the thing, just because you don’t like something, just because you don’t identify with something doesn’t mean that you can’t co-exist with it. That’s what Ye is saying. Love on the man. Go along, get along. And I’ve said similar in the past: we’re better off praying for our President than making fun of him every single day. Every late night show has jokes about the President lined up for the next two years.
Ye, similar to President Trump, is just being himself and pushing the envelop as usual. Whenever a person does something on a big platform where a lot of people are watching and it grabs them emotionally and sends the majority of those emotions in one direction, whether happy, sad, or other, they just polarized the masses. Because everybody is now angry or happy or feeling a similar way. Ye did it multiple times throughout his career. He knows how and when to. Kinda dangerous when you think about it. Genius nonetheless. Look at history: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the shuttle to the moon, the Tyson fight with Holyfield, ect. All these people shocked the masses in different instances all at one time during one event(s).
It’s in these times that we as people should use the most restraint and humility instead of voicing our dislike on social media because we’re the most vulnerable emotionally at that point. This is when we should identify with Jesus Christ and all of His teachings from His Holy Word. And “…trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding…” Proverbs 3:5 KJV Amen. And “…Do all things without murmurings and disputings:…” Phillipians 2:14 KJV Amen.
Just my thoughts.
Maybe I’ll do a part 2. I’d like to touch on the young Instagram Influencer and actor Shiggy and comedian Katt Williams.
Oh, stream my new album “Royal” out now everywhere here ! You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for stopping by and my apologies for the long read.
As always be safe, be blessed, and be happy.
Peace and Blessings,
David Gift
The typical single woman in 2018 would prefer or even demand a man be with a house/apartment, job, car, and affection. But what if you are missing 1 or 2 of those?
The answer is it could take a while until you meet a lady who will appreciate you for your finer points. Unfortunately love is missing. Nowadays she only loves what you can do for her. What women fail to realize is it’s still a waiting game for them. Because some of the men with all of those desirables are the worse choices.
I think the more important questions are: can you talk to him, does he care for you, does he have aspirations, is he talented, do y’all have fun together, do y’all have great chemistry, do y’all have the same faith?
So why doesn’t the average woman value a man for some of these intangible qualities? Because they’ve been programmed not to by main stream media and by what was instilled in them. In other words they want a man who is already successful versus building something together. That’s all they see in the media – successful men. It’s not until after a man becomes “successful” that you hear of his story from rags to riches. Same thing with a woman’s upbringing. Their parents told them don’t ever bring a broke man home with no job, or a man still living with his momma, or a man who didn’t finish school.
My thing is – I got a million dollar mindset so I’m always rich. If you can’t see it that’s on you. It’s all good. Everything on earth is temporary anyway i.e. marriage, money, ect. What’s permanent is the Holy Word of God.
Music album covers should be able to be GIFs by now right? We got all this technology and this is the streaming era right? When this happens I only want $1 Million USD.
As always be blessed, be safe, and be happy.
Check out the ‘Still’ EP here.
Peace,
David Gift
Security is something required in any relationship. When you buy a car, rent an apartment, or invest they want a down payment, deposit, or high credit score. Whether business or personal some kind of assurance is expected. But when it’s personal how do you know if you’re expectations are reasonable?
I had a good conversation with a young lady about what women should wear when working out at the gym. We both frequent different gyms and I noticed most of the women wear tight spandex outfits. But one day I saw a lady in baggy sweatpants and a loose fitting t-shirt. I told her I automatically had more respect and appreciation for this lady in the sweats because she wasn’t exposing herself. Her rebutal was: “She probably has low self-esteem.” My response was no I don’t think so, but what if her man was like: “Babe, could you not wear the spandex tight leggings for me when you go to workout?” Her reply was: “No, then she’ll always be changing for him and when will it end? Her man is just insecure.”
When we speak about security whithin heterosexual relationships we must look to the best definition of what a virtuous woman is in the Book of Proverbs Chapter 31 from the Holy Bible.
“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.” Proverbs 31:10-11 K.J.V. Amen.
Virtuous means nobel character; to the point that her husband has full confidence in her and he does not lack anything good from her. She will never let him down and will greatly enrich his life. If she is doing something that causes her man to doubt her or question her intentions, behavior, ect., then he is not insecure he is only a reflection of her in that situation. This brings me to another related point.
It’s all about chemistry between a man and a woman. How well do y’all gel? Do y’all really vibe? Is communication easy and enjoyable? You can’t fake true chemistry. It’s always real. And real recognize real.
The origin of chemistry between man and woman is in the Book of Genesis in the Holy Bible. God brought Eve to Adam. Adam called her Woman, she became his wife, no marriage ceremony is mentioned, and he later called her Eve. It says it here:
“And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.” Genesis 2:22-25, 3:20 K.J.V. Amen.
So, it’s totally reasonable to expect things from your lady or your man that go against the trends of the times. Because a virtuous woman is not trendy.
Happy Mother’s Day to my Moms and all Mother’s!
Stream ‘Still’ here.
As always be safe, be blessed, and be happy.
Peace,
David Gift
In today’s world old slang is flipped and new slang is birthed overnight. But some things just should not be said. Specifically, speaking loosely about God.
The phrases I’m talking about are: “On God,” “God d*m# it,” and the classic “I swear to God.”
It has always bothered me when I heard a person saying these. Whether in a book, movie, show, song, ect. I’ve noticed Kevin Hart, Charlemagne, and T-Pain use one of these regularly. For a person who is considered a “public figure,” especially in the Black community, it’s disappointing.
The Bible says: “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Exodus 20:7 KJV Amen. This is one of the 10 Commandments in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible.
In the New Testament of the Holy Bible the greatest commandments are: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 KJV Amen.
So, when we know the greatest commandments we know the 10 commandments, plus more, and that let’s us know not to speak of God in any vain way.
God can do anything – including kill anyone permanently forever instantly. This is what I think of when I am disrespectful to anyone or anything. But most importantly, to Him – Jesus. I imagine this is similar for people who say they are a “God fearing” person.
So, to mention God in any way that is not loving, respectful, praise worthy, ect. is very dangerous. Yet, society still carelessly uses phrases that have unfortunately become popular.
What ever happened to: “Real talk,” “Straight up,” “For real for real,” “On everything,” or what my Dad used to say, “Right on?” I don’t know. The point I’m trying to make is – speak careful.
As always be blessed, be safe, and be happy.
Stream ‘Still’ in Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon… Here
Peace,
David Gift
I posted a question on Facebook…
I didn’t get any answers.
So, I began to think about it. What I came up with is this: when we consider the topic of love, we must look to the perfect example of it and Who love is – Jesus. And He loves us unconditionally without any limits. Therefore, the answer is no.
Now, I understand there are different types of love and from a spiritual perspective I can only imagine the dimensions and levels to the agape love of Jesus Christ. But, this led me to the sad reality that no one will ever experience real true love from another person, other than Jesus, while here on earth. It’s not possible because we’re not perfect, only God is.
People hurt people, or get hurt, lose trust in one another, then separate. Or, they have situational or predetermined ideas about how much they will invest into their relationship with you. And I don’t know if this is worse, but that’s destine to happen in some capacity with everyone you care about in your entire life. I’ve experienced this like everyone else, I’m no exception. I guess this is one reason why Heaven is so great.
The good news is Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5 K.J.V. Amen.). His love is everlasting. And He is the only One Who will continually love you regardless. It says so here: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor death, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 K.J.V. Amen.
This goes along with another revelation I had regarding marriage or finding a wife. And that’s that Jesus never married. Yet, He still had everything He needed to complete His mission here on earth to save the world.
Furthermore, I’ve been thinking about Luke 14:26 for some time now and this topic of love gave me some clarity once the aforementioned points were realized. That verse says: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26 K.J.V. Amen. It seems only logical to hate one’s life based on knowing that they’ll never experience real true love their whole life here on earth.
Just my thoughts.
As always, be blessed, be safe, and be happy.
Oh, stream our new ‘Still’ EP here. Thank’s for listening!
Peace,
David Gift
By David Gift for LightMusick.com Released 3-4-2018 on LightMusick.com plus our SoundCloud, YouTube, and Facebook platforms. Also in Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Google Play and Tidal. Only by the grace of GOD! Amen.
We wanted to bring a strong Hip Hop vibe basically. And with a title like ‘Still’ it’s only natural that a chill mellow energy accompany this project produced by Yondo.
The theme of the EP is simply JESUS is real!
1. Life
2. For My Pop
3. Figure Out
4. Always Near
5. Faith
Thanks for listening!
As always be blessed, be safe, and be happy.
Peace,
David Gift
Relased Nov. 3, 2017 on our Soundcloud, and YouTube Channels as well as LightMusick.com
There’s no mystery about where all of our help comes from. “I will life up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” PSALM 121:1 KJV
The Holy Spirit is our Helper. He delights in helping us with all our problems and issues.
This song is really a prayer to Him, asking Him to help us. With so much going on in the world today that is bad and seemingly getting worse JESUS is still on the throne. Amen. JESUS is a very able and active GOD to do whatever he pleases to assist us in our trying times. I hope you enjoy the song. Our Still EP is Coming Soon.
Thanks for stopping by. Please Like, Share, ReBlog and/or Comment.
As always be safe, be blessed, and be happy. GOD bless you.
Verve,
David Gift
Light Musick Blog #3 