Many people talk about manifesting their dreams. Charlotte DJ Fannie Mae put it into practice.
In early 2020, the Raleigh native got together with longtime friend and creative collaborator Dennis Reed to discuss a new idea.
Both were raised in the church, which they credit for their early musical development. And while they still had an appreciation for that environment, they wanted to explore that intersection through what they knew best — music.
Their concept was simple: take the hallmarks of Black Southern gospel, from sound to movement, and blend it with the tropes of trap music, which involve familiar rhythmic patterns, vocal riffs and a DJ. Bring a version of church to the people, but outside of the sanctuary.
There was one challenge. No one had done it before. But over the next four years, their work on Sainted Trap Choir would take them to unexpected heights, including performing at the Super Bowl.
As a DJ (Fannie Mae is the official DJ of Charlotte FC) and musician (Reed is also The Gantt Center’s musical artist-in-residence), they loved and played everything, including variants of Southern hip-hop like trap. While those worlds may seem incongruent, the duo was sure they could make a connection and that there was an audience for what they were dreaming up.
Speaking their goals into the world
DJ Fannie Mae, who adopted the moniker as her performance name after entering the industry, is also recognizable in the community by simply Fannie. And thanks to Fannie’s experience as a DJ at events around Charlotte, she was tapped into the nightlife scene.
She used her contacts to secure a venue. Once they confirmed a date, she and Reed put together a vocal ensemble made up of their friends and a setlist. And on Feb. 7, 2020, they presented Sainted, a Trap Choir Party at The Fillmore. It was a hit.
There were no program, but Fannie distributed church fans with their name on one side and a list of upcoming tour dates on the other.
And even as COVID would shut everything down just one week later, there really were no tour dates scheduled... yet.
But Fannie and Reed knew there would be, even if their dream would be deferred. Publicly laying claim to a potential tour schedule was an aspirational act.
“It truly was one of those things that was a manifestation. It’s the ability to speak on those things that are not yet, as though they are,” Fannie said. “I put ‘Tour’ and I put the dates that we would do because I felt this was something we can take on the road. Then COVID hit. So we had to wait.”
Taking familiar elements to make something new
On the surface the name Sainted Trap Choir may seem contradictory.
Gospel has flourished in the church; trap music in the proverbial streets. But Fannie and Reed point out there’s more that unites the genres than one might initially think.
“Sainted is a place where all those former church kids who loved the community of the church, loved the sound of the church, but also knew that Jesus had a heart for those outside of the church can come together and worship in a new way,” Fannie said.
Reed agreed.
“We are that bridge that the world needs to see, especially those people who long for the community that the church has lost now,” he said. “We provide them with a space, even if it’s just for a night, so that they can come and feel God, feel happy, feel free, all in the same moment.
“And that realness is the most authentic way that we can go to God. That’s what we do.”
After all, Reed said, sacred and secular genres organically cross-pollinate and coexist from playlists to backyard barbecues. When asked to name a favorite song, Fannie Mae cited her fondness for Christian singer-songwriter Brooke Fraser’s record Albertine while Reed mentioned Mark Morrison’s party classic, Return of the Mack.
“If you’ve ever been to a Black cookout, you’ll understand what Sainted Trap Choir is,” laughed Reed. “Because you’re going to get the full spectrum of what it is to be in our culture. Your grandma and them have a playlist. Your cousin and them have a playlist.
“So grandma is going to be playing the gospel, the aunties will play the electric slide or start the line dance, and your cousins and their friends are going to twerk. So this is what you get when you come see us.”
A dream worth the wait
In November 2022, the choir took the stage with Rick Ross at Atlanta’s Symphony Hall. Courtney Harrell, a producer on TV’s “America’s Got Talent” happened to see Sainted perform and was captivated.
When she reached out via an Instagram DM, Fannie wasn’t sure if it was legit.
“I was like, is this a scam?,” she laughed. “This can’t be real.” Before she responded, she checked in with Reed. He was initially skeptical, despite having appeared on the show 11 years earlier, but encouraged her to at least have the conversation.
Though they didn’t win the competition, the increased exposure from AGT meant they were now on the radar of other producers, including people with the Super Bowl. At the big game this past February, the choir sang backup for R&B artist Andra Day, who belted out “Lift Every Voice.”
Then In mid-June Sainted honored Black Music Month with an appearance at Nashville’s Blavity House Party. They performed a medley of religious and radio favorites, including Travis Porter’s “Make It Rain,” Victoria Monét’s “On My Mama,” Tyla’s “Water” and Kirk Franklin’s “Melodies from Heaven.”
Franklin, a gospel star, was at Charlotte’s Knight Theater the next day to host Sainted’s sold-out performance at Liberation & Inspiration: A Juneteenth Celebratory Concert, part of The Gantt Center’s Golden Year Celebration.
What’s next for Sainted Trap Choir?
As for what’s next, the group hopes to record original music, do a Vegas residency some day, go international and maybe even have satellite Sainted Trap Choirs in multiple cities. Fannie and Reed’s excitement for where they can take their creative vision shows no signs of stopping.
When asked about their future, Reed recited a Bible verse from I Corinthians: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard/Nor have entered into the heart of man/The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Fannie paused, then said, “When you ask what’s next, there are things that we can imagine but we’re believing that He ‘s gonna do some things that we can’t even imagine.”
In addition to innovating, they also emphasized that a core part of their success is how they are intentional about positive reinforcement through their own mantras.
They also seek inspiration from a myriad of sources outside of the church, including poetry (like Jasmine Mans’ “Black Girl, Call Home”) and the philosophy of prosperity (Reed touted the Napoleon Hill classic, “Think and Grow Rich”).
“Ultimately, it’s cool to be able to affirm yourself,” said Fannie. “I think we all need more things that promote positivity and more ways in which we can speak positively to ourselves to encourage our growth.”
Reed agreed. “And at the end of the day, Sainted Trap Choir is about the people.”
Amen.
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