Manafest

Biography

Christopher Scott Greenwood (born July 19, 1979), known by his stage name Manafest, is a Canadian Christian rapper and rock musician from Pickering, Ontario. He has won multiple awards for the GMA Canada Covenant Awards, GMA Dove Awards, and has been nominated for multiple Juno Awards. Signed for a decade with BEC Recordings, Manafest became independent in 2015.

History

After a skateboarding accident in 1998, Greenwood shifted his focus to musical writing. He and fellow rapper Jusachyl started a hip-hop group, Under One King. During this time, Greenwood used his skater nickname 'Speedy' as his moniker. In 2000, Greenwood shifted to the stage name Manafest and began to produce music independently.
In 2001, Manafest debuted his EP, Misled Youth. The release garnered "Modern Rock/Alternative Song of the Year" for the song "Freedom" at the GMA Canada Covenant Awards in 2002. The following year, Manafest released his first full-length album My Own Thing×My Own Thing9 September 2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks1Intro / What’s Up1:542Down Town3:413My Own Thing3:314What I Got to Say3:545Toronto (interlude)1:036U Don’t Know Me4:007Manafesto3:088My Life3:389Feel It3:3010Coffee Shop (interlude)0:1911Slang Talkin’2:5712Childs of Light3:2413Mana Zone (interlude)0:2714The Ladies4:3415The One3:5316Losing My Mind (interlude)0:4417Stressed Out3:2618The Questions3:1119Changes7:30 and attracted the notice of Trevor McNevan of the Ontario-based rock band Thousand Foot Krutch. This led to his signing with an internationally distributed label, BEC Recordings under the Uprok Records label.
After signing on with BEC, he released his second album Epiphany×Epiphany19 July 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Rodeo3:142Skills3:103What I Got to Say3:594Rockin' Me3:105Not Ready to Die3:156U Don't Know Me3:587Quit Thuggin'1:218Let It Go4:039Changes2:5010Manafesto3:0911Stressed Out3:3912My Life3:3913Be Yourself / Jimmy7:36 in 2005, The release achieved several nominations and awards.
He released his third album, Glory×Glory26 September 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Don't Turn Away3:352Bounce3:103Runaway3:174Impossible3:585Dreams3:336Retro Love3:187Critics3:358Where Are You5:009Wanna Know You2:5810Droppin' Hammers3:2911Glory (You Are)3:39, in 2006,. The album won the Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the 2007 GMA Canada Covenant Awards, as well a nomination for Artist of the Year. The album also marked Manafest's first release to be nominated in the Juno Awards.
In 2008, his fourth album, Citizens Activ×Citizens Activ28 May 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks14-3-2-12:412So Beautiful3:303Steppin’ Out2:374Good Day2:435Free3:576Break Up3:307Top of the World3:208Kick It3:129Lean on Me3:1310Turn It Up4:0011Live On4:13, received many nominations and awards. The album boosted Manafest's fame and reputation in Japan immensely.
In 2010, Manafest debuted his fifth full-length album The Chase×The Chase30 March 2010 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1No Plan B3:232Fire in the Kitchen2:483Supernatural3:564Every Time You Run3:355Bring the Ruckus3:376Avalanche3:117Married in Vegas4:068Renegade3:379The Chase3:0510Better Cause of You4:1011Breaking Down the Walls3:39. The album was well-received with the single "Avalanche" charting on the Billboard Christian Songs, as well as selling over 50,000 copies of the track as of September 2011. The album showcased a directional change for Manafest, moving from a more straight hip hop flare to a heavier rock-based rap style.
In 2011, Manafest released his first live album Live in Concert×Live in Concert7 June 2011 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks · 5 discsDisc 11Avalanche4:1824-3-2-12:573Top of the World3:374No Plan B3:525Bounce3:316Impossible4:317Bring the Ruckus3:438Fear2:059Everytime You Run3:3610Renegade3:3911Fire in the Kitchen3:0112The Chase2:26Disc 21No Plan B3:53Disc 31Bring the Ruckus3:54Disc 41Everytime You Run3:46Disc 51Avalanche3:43. The album won "Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year" at the 33rd GMA Canada Covenant Awards.
In 2012, he released his sixth studio album of Fighter×Fighter3 April 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Fighter2:562Throw It Away3:273Pushover3:144Human3:335Come Alive3:136Never Let You Go3:287Not Alone3:148Prison Break3:239Heart Attack3:1010Will You Catch Me3:0811Never Let You Go (Joel Bruyere acoustic mix)3:26. The album continued the previous release's heavy rock influence and garnered a nomination for Hip-Hop/Rap Album of the Year in the GMA Dove Awards. Because of this album's release, Manafest fans have since become known officially as "Fighters" amongst themselves, as well as Manafest himself.
In late 2013, he released his first Christmas single "California Christmas", featuring Joel Piper.
In 2014, he released his seventh album The Moment×The Moment16 April 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1The Moment (instrumental)3:312Edge of My Life (instrumental)3:323Criminal (instrumental)3:324Cage (instrumental)3:225Love Wide Open (instrumental)3:566Light (instrumental)1:227Diamonds (instrumental)3:598Bull in a China Shop (instrumental)2:539Startup Instrumental3:0510Paradise (instrumental)3:2311Thrill of It All (instrumental)3:2812My Way (instrumental)3:01. The genre of the release deviated from his hard rock style and featured a more electronic hip hop sound.
In late 2014, he released the single "Let Go", featuring Dave Stovall of Wavorly. The track was a song that didn't make the final cut of The Moment and was later released by itself. The song was briefly pulled from iTunes. He also hinted it might make his next album's track listing.
He started a PledgeMusic campaign for Reborn on April 24, 2015. The album released globally on October 2, 2015.
On their 2016 album Hold the Light, Bread of Stone featured Manafest on the track "Battleground×Battleground19 July 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Battleground3:52".
On February 20, 2017, he launched a Kickstarter project for Stones. It was independently released on July 21, 2017. In May 2018, he launched another PledgeMusic campaign to fund Stones Reloaded, a remix album and companion piece to the original album. The release was fully funded and publicly released on September 21, 2018.
On September 17, 2019, after releasing several singles earlier in the year, he announced a new crowdfunding campaign in order to fund his tenth studio album This Is Not The End×This Is Not the End13 December 2019 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1This Is Not the End3:352All Time High2:543Kamikaze3:484Wake Me Up3:265Plan for Me3:196Born for This2:197Come Back Home2:588Grenades3:369Insomnia3:2110I Made It2:50. The album was released on December 13, 2019.
Manafest released his eleventh album I Run With Wolves×I Run With Wolves6 May 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Dead Man1:102I Run With Wolves3:233Forever2:574Ups and Downs3:275Gravity Falls3:056Nemesis2:477Break the Habbit3:048Brain Dead3:129Save You3:1910Doomsday3:1311Blackout3:3312Light It Up3:20 on May 6, 2022, featuring Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D. on the track "Nemesis".

Musical style and influences

Manafest's genre has developed and changed over his career. After starting with a classic urban hip hop style for his first four releases, Manafest developed a style of alternative rock and rap rock by lightly mixing it into Citizens Activ, and integrating it by the time of The Chase. In 2014, with the release of The Moment, Manafest's style changed to a mixture of rap rock and electronic-based hip-hop.

Touring band

Though a solo artist himself, Manafest travels with a touring band. Adam Messinger has provided the majority of instrumentation for Manafest's studio releases throughout the years, while the band supplies the music live on tour and at shows:
Current

Josh Macintosh — lead guitar (2010–present)
John Panzer – rhythm guitar (2016–present)
Ian Hough – bass (2015–present)
Tyler Armenta – drums (2016–present)
Former

Mike Crofts – bass (2010–2015)
Joe Rickard – drums (2014–2016)
Travis Blackmore – drums (2010–2013)

Personal life

In 1984, at the age of five, Chris Greenwood lost his father to suicide, leaving only him, his sister Virginia, and his mother. A few years after, at a Bible camp, he accepted Christ and became a Christian. At the same camp, he also met his future wife, Melanie. Around the age of fourteen, Greenwood invested himself into skateboarding and aspired to make it a career. He however experienced an accident in 1998 which crippled his dreams to become a professional skater. Greenwood later began songwriting and started his career as a Christian artist.
In 2003, Greenwood married his wife Melanie Cardoza. They have a daughter.
In 2012, Greenwood and his wife moved to Los Angeles, California. In October 2015, he and his family moved back to Toronto, Canada.