Mista Big Tymer "M.V.P."

M.V.P. was born and raised in South Carolina by his mother Evelyn until he was eleven years of age. At that time his mother remarried and they moved to Tucson, Arizona. This was his step-father's final military duty station. M.V.P. has loved rap for as far as he could remember. At the age of 14, he joined a Christian rap group called the Underground Shadows of Wisdom after committing his life to Christ. M.V.P.'s tenure with the group was short lived though due to his failing grades in school. After performing in the group for a year, and with no more positive friends around him when he departed the rap group, M.V.P. found new friends who were involved in gang related activities. By the age of sixteen, he was hanging with members of a crip gang called the Eastside Hoova Crips. They accepted him into the gang, and due to him always keeping his head bald they named him lil' nugget.

 By the age of eighteen, M.V.P. was already arrested for crimes varying from grand theft auto, to grand theft larceny. His grades in school never got better, and his parents feared the worst for him. The gang life took its toll on M.V.P. when he was arrested for burglary and facing time in prison. M.V.P. was fortunate though when he managed to enlist in the military before his court date was scheduled. In 1998, upon leaving the military after four years, M.V.P. found himself at another crossroad in his life. Feeling empty inside and wanting peace in his life, he found himself in a church service one Sunday afternoon. After the sermon the pastor gave an altar call that M.V.P. just couldn’t pass up.

Two months after recommitting his life to Christ, M.V.P. began writing and performing Christian rhymes again. He gave himself the name M.V.P., which means Messiah's Valuable Property, based on the scripture, James 1:18. He also chose that name because he wanted to be an M.V.P. in the Gospel rap industry as well.

In May of 2000, MVP started Divine Flava Records and began working on his debut album entitled "Fired Up". This would also become Divine Flava Records’ first release for the independent label. He is married to Jessica Nieman, and they are the proud parents of three healthy children, Tyshon, Tevin, and Aubrey. MVP is now on a mission to impact the streets, the church, and the music industry; as told on his sophomore album "Triple Impact". MVP would feel another calling from the Lord in 2005 when he started a non-profit youth organization called G-L.I.F.E. Outreach (Gods Love Is For Everyone). This organization would reach out to urban at-risk youth who were gang involved, drug addicted, incarcerated, and dealing with juvenile delinquency issues. M.V.P. went on to release his third album in 2009 "The Great Hustle".

 After 10 years in the music business and seeing all the changes, some good and some bad, M.V.P would close the doors of Divine Flava Records and focus solely on G-L.I.F.E. Outreach, its programs & ministries, and the youth who were being serviced by it. M.V.P. continues to do music under the G-L.I.F.E. umbrella, but this time without all the politics and red tape that come along with running a record label and being highly involved with the day-to-day business aspects of it. He is currently working on his 4th LP to date along with his long time friend and ministry partner for almost 15 years “Rollah”. They will be releasing their next LP’s together as a double disc. So keep an eye and ear open to the ministry of G-L.I.F.E. Outreach and the music that is still very much Divine Flava.