Meet Nigel "Legin" Anderson, a multifaceted artist, preacher, and family man whose life is a testament to transformation. Known for his dynamic presence in hip-hop, podcasting, and speaking engagements, Legin's journey into music began long before his career took flight.
Growing up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, he found early inspiration in artists like Wyclef Jean and Wu-Tang Clan, shaping his artistic vision from a young age. However, it wasn't until later in life, after dedicating his talents to God, that Legin's path unfolded.
Now, as a husband and father of two, he continues to make waves in the music industry while serving as a leader at CrossRoads Church in Norfolk, Virginia, where his passion for preaching and crafting vision shines through. Join us as we dive into Legin's story, exploring the intersections of faith, art, and community that define his remarkable journey.
You have such a passion for Jesus. How did you come to Christ?
I came to Christ after forgiving my father for a 15-year absence in my life from the ages of five to 20, and right after I forgave him, we passed away by surprise. Despite the life I was living then, God graciously used that moment to show me how important forgiveness is to Him, that He would orchestrate that meeting, and it showed me who He is and how much I needed forgiveness. Since then, my heart has been for the fatherless, the father-wounded, and teaching a message of forgiveness, as stated in Romans 5:8, and reconciliation, as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:18, through music, media, and message.
Tell us about your recent EP, God Is Iconic.
In 2020, the world's divisiveness was on full display. Very real problems and injustices were politicized, and hypocrisies were rampant about what you care about based on how you voted or what culture you were from.
We couldn't tour and see people, so I did a virtual concert to reach people wherever they were. When thinking about a name, I thought, "Everyone is fighting for your attention, but only God is iconic." He's the only one worth listening to. The free virtual show had about 1,000 people tune in, and hoodies and shirts flew like crazy. The message resonated, and four years later, it seems more prevalent than ever, especially during election season.
So, I released this project to continue to proactively proclaim that even though "Everyone is fighting for your attention, only God is iconic." My favorite song is the anthemic "Keep Going High" because it gets me moving, addresses inaccuracies in entertainment, politics, and religious leaders, and calls people to keep going high toward Christ.
Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
I’m a fan of hip-hop artist Nobigdyl; I enjoy what he’s doing and what he is clearly saying. I’ve also been a fan of hip-hop veterans Propaganda and Sho Baraka; their blend of challenging gospel thought, social engagement, and reality poetry has always inspired me. Fellow hip-hopper Derek Minor and I have been discussing doing something. Also, cross-genre collaborations are something I’m interested in, like international sounds blended with hip-hop and poetry and collaborations nobody sees coming. I’ve been blessed to make a few new friends lately, so we’ll see what happens.
Do you have any takeaway messages for our readers?
Forgiveness is not a suggestion from our Lord. It’s literally what He came, what He uses to reconcile us to Himself, what He commands us to heal ourselves and others by His grace, and the embodiment of bringing His kingdom to this earth. But we treat it like a suggestion, hold grudges, hate political parties and politicians we don’t support, and do it in Jesus’ name—of all the hypocrisies—while ignoring the imago Dei [image of God] in them and don’t forgive (because we don’t understand what it is). I encourage all, myself included, to seek God to forgive our debts as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us and take that seriously, as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:18.
Could you describe your writing process for your music?
I’d say I begin with the end in mind. When I hear some music, I know instantly where I want to go and what I’m inspired by at a 30,000-foot level. I also start at the beginning and jotting lines; it just flows. As I begin to write the first line, the ending point of what I want to say as a building block point and lyric comes to mind, so I skip ahead a few lines, jot that down, and then backfill the other lines to get to it. I hear the melodies match the lyrics and play with different layers to emphasize certain parts. I just brain vomit initially and then go back and chisel a bit after I finish.
What’s next?
I’m working on a God is Iconic Deluxe Version to drop soon, along with some new songs to keep the life and energy in the album. I’m also working on fresh ways to connect with my audience more directly, utilizing streaming for listening but giving straightforward engagement. I want to connect with my listeners more directly than just socials, you know? I also have several other singles I’m finishing that are ready to go, and I’m also working to get my music synced for TV and Film.
I was ordained recently, and I thought I’d been actively preaching for 15 years (once a month at my church for the last ten plus other churches, conferences, camps, and so on). I’m working to create more speaking videos to serve people wherever they are, post my sermons, and create a curriculum that I can take into schools that have gospel principles but aren’t directly religious so I can serve various crowds.
Lastly, we’re working on a documentary film called Legindary that tells my story of forgiving my dad and how that turned into coming to Christ, my music and ministry career, launching the anti-trafficking non-profit Safe House Project, fighting for racial reconciliation, and more. We’re praying for major distribution of that film from a network.
How can we be praying for you?
Please pray for the music, message, and media to reach people. I’ve got albums coming, the new The Legin Podcast season in a few weeks, the Legindary documentary, sermons, and more content on the way.
Pray that I connect with my audience authentically and serve them well and regularly.
Pray for funding for my non-profit, which I support through, for wisdom for my Board, which helps me make the initiative and ministry decisions, and for more partners at login.tv/donate.
Pray for a healthy balance of rest (first), family time, and then production for what I’m called to do. I also pray for growth in spiritual practices in the way of Christ to be authentically lived into in my family.
OpenAI's ChatGPT provided some assistance with this article. Paul Phillips is a Canadian journalist with 20 years of experience writing and editing digital and print content. He specializes in health, fitness, nutrition, and travel. He loves music, movies, and, of course, living for Jesus.
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