Sir the Baptist

William James Stovall, better known by his stage name Sir the Baptist, is an American artist and songwriter. He has worked as producer and writer on two GRAMMY Award-winning albums, two GMA Dove Awards winners, a BMI Award as songwriter, and is BET Award-nominated artist.

Early life and ancestry Sir the Baptist was born James Haven Stovall and raised in the Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago's South Side as the 20th child of the late family patriarch James Benton Stovall. His father was born in 1924 on the land his family farmed and owned slaves; he later became a traveling pastor and Christian apologist, during the Great Migration, founding the Bright Star Church of God in Christ in Chicago. His mother Patricia Ann Harris, is a transatlantic missionary from roots of Sierra Leone who served communities in 17 countries with Baptist as he toured America and Europe.

Career

Stage name His name, "Baptist" was adopted as a ceremonial name deriving from his father's occupation as a Baptist preacher. His name, Sir, was ascribed during his parochial school years at Leo Catholic High School. Sir practiced ritualistic baptisms at music festivals in America and at 22 shows across Europe.

Baptist worked as Director of Digital Marketing and Media for McDonald's campaigns at Leo Burnett Company, Inc. His work ranged from digital marketing, to writing music scores for a film that featured Meghan Markle, to jingles with Ira Antelis (Be Like Mike). Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard, Killer Mike, Glenfiddich, Samsung, McDonald's, W Hotels, Lyft, WeWork, Toyota, Tidal, Yeti, Converse, Vans, Macy's, The Chicago Bears, The Recording Academy, VH1 Save the Music Foundation,

Discography

Singles

Creflo Almighty Dollar (feat. Twista & ChurchPpl) – 2015 Wake Up – 2015 Raise Hell (feat. ChurchPpl) – 2015 What We Got (feat. Donald Lawrence & ChurchPpl) – 2016 Movin – 2017 He Heard My Cry – 2018 I Still Love You – 2019 Me & God – 2019 Bossa Nova – 2019 Switched Partners – 2019 Kingdom Come – 2019 Can't Help Myself (feat. Saint Ashleey, Estelle, MC Lyte, Syleena Johnson, Ann Nesby, & Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast) – 2020 Scream & Shout – 2020 Jesus In The Ghetto (feat. Anthony Hamilton) – 2021 Adam & Eve'n (feat. Saint Ashleey) – 2021

Albums

Saint or Sinner – 2017, Atlantic Records Godfidence: Kingdom Bae – 2020, tymple The Baptist – 2024, tymple

Awards

Political views Baptist supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States presidential election. In August 2016, Baptist taunted a Donald Trump impersonator on stage for his Afropunk Festival performance in Brooklyn. He has also been quoted saying that Donald Trump is "way out of touch" with the African American community. Baptist has partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, VH1 Save the Music, and Global Citizen.