Manafest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manafest
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Manafest performing in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christopher Scott Greenwood |
| Born | July 19, 1979 |
| Origin | Pickering, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Singer, rapper, songwriter |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | BEC |
Christopher Scott Greenwood (born July 19, 1979), known as Manafest, is a Canadian singer and rapper. He creates Christian hip hop and rap rock music. Manafest is from Pickering, Ontario, Canada.
He has won many awards, including the GMA Canada Covenant Awards and GMA Dove Awards. He has also been nominated for several Juno Awards. Manafest was with BEC Recordings for ten years. In 2015, he started releasing music independently.
Contents
Manafest's Musical Journey
Early Days and First Album
After a skateboarding accident in 1998, Chris Greenwood started focusing on writing music. He first formed a hip-hop group called Under One King. During this time, he used his skater nickname 'Speedy'. In 2000, Chris changed his stage name to Manafest. He then began making music on his own.
In 2001, Manafest released his first collection of songs, an EP called Misled Youth. A song from it, "Freedom", won "Modern Rock/Alternative Song of the Year" in 2002. The next year, Manafest released his first full album, My Own Thing. This album caught the attention of Trevor McNevan from the band Thousand Foot Krutch. This led Manafest to sign with BEC Recordings, a big music label.
Growing Success and New Sounds
After joining BEC, Manafest released his second album, Epiphany, in 2005. This album received several awards and nominations. His third album, Glory, came out in 2006. It won "Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year" in 2007. This album was also Manafest's first to be nominated for a Juno Award.
In 2008, his fourth album, Citizens Activ, earned many awards and nominations. This album also made Manafest very popular in Japan.
In 2010, Manafest released his fifth album, The Chase. The song "Avalanche" from this album became very popular. It sold over 50,000 copies by September 2011. This album showed a change in Manafest's music. He started mixing more rap rock into his hip hop style.
Live Music and Fan Connection
Manafest released his first live album, Live in Concert, in 2011. It won "Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year". In 2012, he released his sixth studio album, Fighter. This album continued his rock-influenced sound. It was nominated for "Hip-Hop/Rap Album of the Year". Because of this album, Manafest's fans started calling themselves "Fighters".
In late 2013, he released a Christmas song called "California Christmas". It featured another artist named Joel Piper. In 2014, his seventh album, The Moment, came out. This album had more electronic hip hop sounds, different from his usual hard rock style.
Independent Music and Recent Releases
In late 2014, Manafest released a song called "Let Go". This song was originally planned for The Moment album. In 2015, he started a crowdfunding campaign for his album Reborn. The album was released worldwide on October 2, 2015.
In 2017, Manafest launched a Kickstarter project for his album Stones. It was released independently on July 21, 2017. In 2018, he funded Stones Reloaded, a remix album. It was released on September 21, 2018.
On September 17, 2019, Manafest announced a new crowdfunding campaign. This was to fund his tenth studio album, This Is Not The End. The album was released on December 13, 2019. Manafest released his eleventh album, I Run With Wolves, on May 6, 2022. It included a song with Sonny Sandoval from the band P.O.D..
Musical Style
Manafest's music style has changed over time. He started with a classic hip hop sound for his first few albums. Then, he began adding alternative rock and rap rock elements. This mix became more noticeable with Citizens Activ and fully developed by The Chase. By 2014, with The Moment, his style became a blend of rap rock and electronic hip-hop.
Albums
- My Own Thing (2003)
- Epiphany (2005)
- Glory (2006)
- Citizens Activ (2008)
- The Chase (2010)
- Fighter (2012)
- The Moment (2014)
- Reborn (2015)
- Stones (2017)
- This Is Not The End (2019)
- I Run with Wolves (2022)
- Learning How to Be Human (2024)
- Silent Beast (2024)
- Walking into Fire (2025)
Awards and Nominations
Manafest has received many awards and nominations throughout his career.
GMA Canada Covenant Awards
- 2002: "Freedom" won Modern Rock/Alternative Song of the Year.
- 2005: Epiphany won Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year.
- 2007: Glory won Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year.
- 2010: The Chase won Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year.
- 2011: Live In Concert won Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year.
GMA Dove Awards
- 2007: Nominated for Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Album of the Year for Glory.
- 2009: Nominated for Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Album of the Year for Citizens Activ.
- 2012: Nominated for Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Album of the Year for Fighter.
Juno Awards
- 2007: Nominated for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for Glory.
- 2011: Nominated for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for The Chase.
- 2015: Nominated for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for The Moment.
- 2017: Nominated for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for Reborn.
- 2018: Nominated for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for Stones.
About Manafest's Life
Chris Greenwood faced a very sad time when his father passed away when Chris was five years old. A few years later, at a Bible camp, he became a Christian. At the same camp, he met Melanie, who would later become his wife. Around age fourteen, Chris loved skateboarding and hoped to become a professional skater. However, a skateboarding accident in 1998 changed his plans. After this, he started writing songs and began his career as a Christian artist.
In 2003, Chris Greenwood married Melanie Cardoza. They have a daughter together. In 2012, Chris and his family moved to Los Angeles, California. In October 2015, they moved back to Toronto, Canada.
