Grits (stylized as GRITS) is an American Christian hip hop group from Nashville. Their name is an acronym, which stands for "Grammatical Revolution In the Spirit".Hoffmann, Frank W. Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop (2005), Page 112 (0816069808): "A Nashville-based Christian rap act, Grits (standing for "Grammatical Revolution in the Spirit") have shown steady artistic growth, eschewing the P-Funk vogue of the present day in favor of plainspoken rhymes, propulsive bounce, and stylistic adventurism." GRITS is made up of Stacey "Coffee" Jones and Teron "Bonafide" Carter, both of whom were DC Talk dancers.
Their song "Ooh Ahh" has appeared on the MTV show My Super Sweet 16. It is also used as the theme song of The Buried Life and on the soundtracks to The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Big Momma's House 2. Their song "Tennessee Bwoys" was used on the popular television show Pimp My Ride. They were also involved in making !Hero The Rock Opera. GRITS recorded a remix of professional wrestler A.J. Styles' entrance music and performed it on the May 28, 2009, episode of TNA Impact!.
Background The Christian hip hop duo began as dancers for DC Talk and then formed the group in 1995, with Teron David "Bonafide" Carter (born January 17, 1971) and Stacy Bernhard "Coffee" Jones (born September 8, 1972), forming the group together in Nashville. GRITS is an acronym meaning "Grammatical Revolution in the Spirit". They credited the inspiration for their rap to hearing DC Talk, when the two first encountered each other in 1990. It is also the reason the duo signed with Gotee Records, a label founded by DC Talk member, tobyMac, where they were one of his first signees. GRITS are also considered to be one of the pioneering groups in the Christian hip hop movement, while they eventually started their own record label, Revolution Art, in 2007, where it was first known as 5E Entertainment. They said that leaving Gotee Records and beginning their own label was like graduating from school.
Style Mainly, their style is alternative hip-hop and Southern rap, while several of their songs have pop influences, thus an occasional pop-rap sound. Their song "We Don't Play" has a Jamaican influence complete with steel drums. They were among the first acts signed to Gotee Records. GRITS have released seven albums with Gotee, with an eighth one released by Gotee and AudioGoat. In 2014, Gotee Records announced that the GRITS song "Ooh Ahh" was RIAA Digital Gold Certified, having surpassed 500,000 downloads. They have appeared at Cornerstone Festival in Illinois and Rock the Universe in Orlando, Florida. In addition their song "Bobbin Bouncin'" was added to the track list in Project Gotham Racing 4, a video game.
Discography
Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positionsUSChrist.USGospelUSHeat.Mental Releases Released: August 1, 1995
Formats: CD, digital download — — —Factors of the Seven Released: November 3, 1998
Formats: CD, digital download — — —Grammatical Revolution Released: May 16, 1999
Formats: CD, digital download 39 — —The Art of Translation Released: August 13, 2002
Formats: CD, digital download 16Search for "The Art of Translation" on Christian Albums at billboard.com/biz — —Dichotomy A Released: June 29, 2004
Formats: CD, digital download 12 — 14Dichotomy B Released: November 2, 2004
Formats: CD, digital download 24 — 387 (Seven) Released: March 7, 2006
Formats: CD, digital download 49 17 —Redemption Released: November 21, 2006
Formats: CD, digital download — 13 —Reiterate Released: September 30, 2008
Formats:CD, digital download — 16 —Quarantine Released: August 10, 2010
Formats: CD, digital download — 37 —Saints & Sinners Released: July 2017
Formats: CD, digital download — — —
EPs
Album informationOoh Ahh EP Released: 2003 Label: Gotee single: four versions of one songHeeyy EP Released: 2006 Label: Gotee Three tracks: two remixes and one preview
Remix albums
Album informationThe Art of Transformation Released: January 1, 2004 Label: Gotee/AudioGoat
Singles
As lead artist Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications Album USChrist.Streaming USChrist.DigitalSales USGospelStreaming1995 "Set Ya Mind At Ease"——— Mental Releases1998 "What Be Goin' Down"——— Factors of the Seven "Alcoholic Plagiarism"——— "Hopes & Dreams" (featuring Joy Danille Kimmey and Knowdaverbs)———1999 "They All Fall Down"——— Grammatical Revolution2002 "Here We Go"——— The Art of Translation "Ooh Ahh" (featuring TobyMac)513 RIAA: 2× Platinum BPI: Silver RMNZ: Platinum 2004 "Hittin' Curves"——— Dichotomy A "High"———2004 "We Don't Play" (featuring Manchild)——— Dichotomy B2006 "If I..."——— GRITS 72006 "We Workin"——— Redemption "Heeyy"——— "Ambitions" (featuring Canibus)——— "You Said" (featuring Pigeon John and Btwice)——— "Open Bar" (featuring Pigeon John)———2008 "Fly Away" (featuring Mac Powell)——— Reiterate "Beautiful Morning" (featuring Pigeon John)——— "Say Goodbye" (featuring TobyMac and Jade)———2010 "Different Drum" (featuring Verbs)——— Quarantine
Other songs With or Without You - In The Name Of Love: Artists United For Africa Wedding Celebration - !Hero
Vinyl The Art of Translation (Single) (2002) They All Fall Down (Redneck Remix) (Single) (2002) They Al Fall Down (Ruff Nation Remix) (Single) (2002) Ima Showem (Single) (1999) Instrumentals 1 (1999) Instrumentals 2 (1999) Instrumentals 3 (1999) They All Fall Down (Original) (Single) (1999) Factors of the Seven (song) (1997)
Guest Artists
Manchild - "We Don't Play" Jennifer Knapp- "Believe" (Dove Award winning Rap/Hip Hop song of the year) TobyMac- "Ooh Ahh"; "Say Goodbye"; "Don't Bring Me Down"; "Hey Now" Stefan the Scientist- "Hittin Curves" Pettidee- "I Be" Jason Eskridge- "I Try" Antonio Phelon- "Love Child" Lisa Kimmey- "It Takes Love"; "Shawty"; "Time To Pray" Iz- "Jay Mumbles Mega Mix" "Dusk Till Dawn" Pigeon John - "Open Bar"; "You Said"; "Beautiful Morning" Canibus - "Ambitions" KJ-52 - "Integrity" Mac Powell - "Fly Away" Michael Tait - "Fly Away (Remix)" Verbs - "U.S. Open"; "Hopes and Dreams"; "Gospel Rap; Parables"; "Strugglin'"; "C2K"; "Video Girl"; "Different Drum" Dan Haseltine - "Sky May Fall" Jade Harrell-"Turn it Up"; "Say Goodbye"; "Neverland" Brittany Waddell (Better known as Britt Nicole) "Rainy Days" "Soul Cry" "Right Back" "Dusk Till Dawn"
Awards
GMA Dove Awards
They have received several Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. Their first award was for a song about plagiarism ("Plagiarism" from their album Factors of the Seven). For the song, they received the best "Rap/Hip Hop Song" award."Dove Award Recipients for 1999 ". Published by the Gospel Music Association. Retrieved February 5, 2007."N.W.A Twitter Updates". Published by Peso_3Stackz. Retrieved December 27, 2010. The next year they won the same award for "They All Fall Down", from Grammatical Revolution."Dove Award Recipients for 2000 ". Published by the Gospel Music Association. Retrieved February 5, 2007. In 2003 The Art Of Translation won a Dove Award for "Rap/Hip Hop Album","Dove Award Recipients for 2003 ". Published by the Gospel Music Association. Retrieved February 5, 2007. and in 2004 their song "Believe" from the same album took "Rap/Hip Hop Song". GRITS also shared in the win for "Special Event Album" that year, for their contribution to !Hero The Rock Opera."Dove Award Recipients for 2004 ". Published by the Gospel Music Association. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
Year Award Result 2005 Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year ("Hittin' Curves") 2006 Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year ("We Don't Play") Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (Dichotomy B) 2008 Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year ("Open Bar") Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (Redemption) 2009 Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year ("Beautiful Morning") Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (Reiterate) 2010 Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (Reiterate)
Other Awards
They were nominated for Rap/Hip Hop Performer of the Year at the 2009 Visionary Awards Show (held at the First Baptist Church in Frisco, Texas). However, the award went to the Christian rap duo "Word of Mouth"""
References
External links Grits on MySpace