Please introduce yourself to our GRACE readers?
Hello GRACE readers, I am Ryan Hylton and I am a singer songwriter from London.
A few ice breakers: who is Ryan Hylton in 5 words?
Born Again Christian Loves Jesus.
And if you had to describe yourself in 5 emojis what would they be?
Funny Emoji
The Death Emoji (not because I am dead but when the jokes are so funny).
The Hand Resurrected Emoji
The Prayer Emoji
(Ryan signs this one: 👌🏽) And that’s my favourite one.
This or That
New Testament or Old Testament?
New Testament
Christmas or Easter (think of the food)?
I’m going to say Easter [because of] Fried Fish
And Bami right?
Bami! C’mon.
Stay at home or go out?
I think I am balanced, a bit of both
Instagram, TikTok or Snap?
I don’t actually like any of them
So none of them?
I mean I’ve got Instagram. I do have TikTok but I’d say Instagram
Cook dinner or take out?
Cook dinner.
What is the meal?
It depends because my sister is a really good cook. She can cook jollof, jerk chicken, anything really.
Okay. So what can you cook?
[We both laugh] Erm,
Next question…
1 item you can’t leave the house without:
I’m gonna say my car and house keys.
Last time you cried?
Does it count if I was laughing?
Yes
Okay then 2 weeks ago.
And the Last time you lied?
Oooh the last time. Maybe… hmmm [laughs]
Next question [laughs]
Maybe in this interview because I might have said something that might not have been wasn’t truthfully [true] but not a lie.
[We both laugh]
God knows. Remember it’s GRACE Magazine, there is GRACE.
And last time you prayed?
This morning. Actually no, just before this (the set).
Hence why it was an amazing set.
Thank you.
What does GRACE mean to you?
For me is: I am not deserving but You are graceful (and merciful) towards me.
You’re taking an elevator to the 25th floor and a character from the bible gets in – who would you want it to be and why?
Ooooo, that is a good question. Besides Jesus, I would choose Joseph.
Okay why?
He was a keymaker for Egypt. I’d love to be in his shoes to know what it was like from being down to now being the right hand of Pharaoh. I would love to hear his story.
I would love to hear about how he felt about his brothers betraying him.
And that too. Why did he not just send them away?
Yeah because he had the power to?
He had the power to.
But he had GRACE. Did you get what I did there?
[We both laugh].
If you were asked to write a song about a character in the bible (not Joseph) who would it be about and why?
I think Peter. I would love to write a song from his doubt to the experience of walking on the water. I think I have a lot of material to write about him. Actually no, Paul.
Paul? As in Saul to Paul?
Yes. From a persecutor to…
That would be a good song
[Nods] That’s a good song.
Please think about it.
[Points to the side of his head] It’s locked in.
3 songs that are currently on repeat on your playlist? It can include your own songs.
[Laughs] No I don’t listen to my own music. I’m really loving Limoblaze’s Desire. That’s on my rotation. Number two would definitely be Annatoria ‘Stay With Me’, that’s another banger and Grace Tena – Way Home.
I don’t think I know the last two so I will have a listen.
Yes, you have to listen.
UPDATE: (I checked and I did know the last two songs Ryan shared – I just didn’t know the name of the artists who sang them 😣).
Name your top three artists you’d love to collaborate on a song with?
Jonathan Traylor, Annatoria and Tauren Wells.
What verse of scripture speaks to the season you’re in right now?
It’s a bible story. Again it’s Joseph, Genesis 41. He is locked up in prison and the bible says that the cupbearer says to Pharaoh, that there is a man in prison who can interpret dreams. For me, the reason why I love it so much is because I want my music to be like that. That someone has an answer for someone’s problem. [So] Genesis 41 is my passage at the moment.
And I kind of feel that [your] song ‘Purify’ was an answer to someone’s problem so thank you for that song.
Thank you.
What were you looking forward to the most at BCF 2023?
I am about to run to see Becca Folkes. I am looking forward to that.
Lovely to meet you Ryan. Thank you for your time too. Have a great day.
Thank you so much and you too. Thank you GRACE Magazine, make sure you read, subscribe and like.
Oh wow God bless you, we didn’t ask him to say that. Thank you Ryan!
Interview by Debbie Shasanya
Follow on Instagram: @ryanhylton
