Marvin Sapp - Be Exalted

By Rene Williams

Verity Records/Zomba Gospel

Marvin Sapp often calls himself a preacher who sings, not a singer who preaches. Although that may be true, Sapp has delivered some memorable songs during his singing career. Not The Time, Not The Place, One Thing, You Are God Alone and the ever popular I Believe have defined his music ministry. A former member of Commissioned, joining after the departure of Keith Staten, Sapp has released a number of solo projects including Grace & Mercy, Nothing Else Matters and Diary Of A Psalmist.

But it’s not just his singing career that has grown tremendously. He’s recently moved from the role of preacher to pastor. He is now the pastor of the Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It seems that pastoring hasn’t slowed his music career down a bit as he just released his sixth project, Be Exalted.

Veering a bit from the expected, Sapp makes the majority of this album a high-energy praise project. He himself says, “I kept it churchy…but funky. It was a different recording process for me this time around. I am used to being able to draw from the energy of the people in live settings, but the producers on the album were able to recreate and capture that same energy and spirit that I’m used to.” That being said, this is Sapp’s first all-studio project.

He introduces us to Be Exalted with the lively cut, Be It Unto Me. The recurring theme of God’s faithfulness and His unfailing ability to keep His promises permeates Sapp’s music. Be It Unto Me is no exception. This song finds the Christian calling those things that aren’t as though they are. The horn‑powered, energetic track, penned by Aaron Lindsey and produced by Lindsey and Israel Houghton, is a strong one.

Do You Know Him? (Trendsetters Mix) is one of the best tracks on this project. It’s a feel-good, funk‑filled song. This is a definite one for the gospel workout tape. With The Trendsetters sitting in the production room, it’s certainly to be expected. The song is so good Sapp includes another remix, The TommyGunn 1965 Mix, at the end of the project.