5ive

Craig James was 3 years old when his father, a crack addict, walked out. He smoked marijuana for the first time at age 10. By the time he was 16, he was fully addicted to cocaine. At 21, he turned to meth. In and out of jail until he was 27, Craig was spiraling out of control at such an alarming rate, one couldn’t help but wonder if he would make it to his 30th birthday. The rapper himself admits he shouldn’t even be here. Yet, thanks to a praying aunt, a faithful grandmother and the grace of God, Craig—now known as 5ive—lives to tell a different story.


In November 2010, he walked into a church in his hometown of Earth, Texas and was instantly delivered from an 11 year cocaine and meth addiction.

His stage name is symbolic of the biblical number for grace and favor, and his music is a testament to the fact that God is still in the business of working miracles. “If you’ve never witnessed a miracle, you’re looking at one,” 5ive says. “I’m just so thankful to be alive and to be in His service. I’m a little radical, but I tell people all the time, ‘If God did it for me, He’ll do it for anybody.’”