At 23, this once aspiring chemist turned self-taught producer, engineer and performer has become the stubborn, forward-plodding, secular voice of reason from a country that describes itself as Christian.

Taking major cues from Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, 2Pac, and Nas; Sherwood Rahming has crafted a new sound that echoes the calls of higher consciousness and free love from those that came before him.