Viktory
Upon first glance at Sherrod Shackelford, one might easily assume that he is a carefree late teen. He could pass as a young college student, fresh to life and about to begin his dreams. These statements, however are not parallel to the man you are about to discover. This wide eyed 24 year old has lived lifetimes and is using his experiences and love for Christ to reach the masses through his music.
His appeal to rap began at the age of 10 when his father, Kirk Shackleford, (a former emcee himself) wrote Sherrod's first rap. Sherrod fell in love with rap. It was how he expressed himself. He mainly held true to its origins and wrote about positive things. He was mainly influenced by underground rap. It wasn't until later that Sherrod was exposed to mainstream rap.
However, as his life began to change and become more unstable, his writing reflected a more worldly side of his life. He found himself involved in more negativity as the years progressed. However, his mother, Lisa had instilled a sense of greatness and drive in him and Sherrod persevered. Before graduating high school, Sherrod had lived in Illinois, Minnesota and California and had attended 12 different schools.
After his graduation, Sherrod's mother intervened with a decision he calls "instrumental" in changing his life. He enrolled at Alabama A & M University, majoring in Marketing. College life did offer the experience and freedom of independent learning and offered vast opportunities in developing this budding entrepreneur. However, college life does not oft demand excellence in morality and Sherrod found himself immersed in a life void of God.
One fateful day in 2000, his life changed when Jesus Christ became very real to him. "I was able to clearly see the deception in the world. I recognized things that I had once seen as fun to be traps and pitfalls. I knew that following God was the only thing that would ensure peace and strength" he says. Though he continued to persevere in the endeavor to becoming a disciple of Christ, life continued to go on. He found that his desire to rap had not died. Sherrod was once prophesied to and was told that he would continue in music, but it would be unto the Lord.
As the Lord continued to show favor in his life, Sherrod blossomed. He married his sweetheart, in 2002 and witnessed the birth of his first son in 2003. He began to fulfill his entrepreneurial call and began his own small business and became an ordained minister in 2003. Before the end of that year, Viktory or Vik was born.
The Lord continued to show favor in Sherrod's life. As he led out in a Bible study, the group grew from 4 to over 80 regular attendees - one of the largest Bible study groups on Alabama A & M's campus.
Viktory has ministered and performed in various settings, world wide and has shared the stage with the likes of Vicki Winans, Marvin Winans, Jr., KJ52, William Murphy and Smokie Norful.
Viktory released his first independent project in 2003, called "First of Many", and it was the only album to ever get a 5 star rating from www.hiphopgateway.com and was acclaimed by www.gospelflava.com. He also appeared on Beatmart Presents: The Best of the Submissions Compilation album and DJ Maj Presents Speckled Goats.
In early 2004, Viktory was presented a deal with EMI/BEC records, but after much prayer, he turned down the offer to follow the Lord's leading exclusively. This decision has proved to be a great blessing.
Though he has been quite successful in his endeavors, he is insistent that it was his mother's constant support and love, intertwined with the Divine hand of God that helps him pursue the unknown.The Lord is free to move and do the miraculous, because Viktory is an avid student of the Word and when the Lord uses Viktory as He sees fit the very essence of John 8:31 comes to life. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, "If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;" John 8:31 Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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