I was born, Ricardo Jerome Butler, in Orlando, FL on, December 12th, 1978. I picked up my love for hip-hop around the year of 1985 when my uncle used to play Run DMC and D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince records (that's Will Smith for you youngin's). Being in the south, I grew up around bass music like DJ. Magic Mike before it turned into the booty (then into crunk) movement. Listened to Kurtis Blow who today I've met a few times and ate out with him once because he is now a Christian Hip Hop Artist and operates two Hip Hop styled churches as I am also lead minister (apostle, teacher, pastor) of several Hip Hop ministries called Reason 4 Hip Hop Ministries, MIC Assembly Hip Hop Leadership Equipping Network, and Dead To Flesh Records. I started off in hip-hop as a graffiti artist, then into hip-hop dancing and afterwards a little break dancing. But after I heard the Nas/Illmatic album New Years Eve in 1994-95. I declared myself a rapper and hadn't written one single rhyme.

Earlier on in life I did poetry and won a lot of the contest in middle school. But I had no idea I'd actually like to do it. The Illmatic album captivated me. Around that time Christ had been calling me prior to that, but I didn't understand the going to church thing, why all the division, different denominations, or doctrinal differences, or anything like that. The only place where I saw unity was in the streets among the gang members. I joined Gangsta Disciples (later switched to Black Gangsta Disciples and ran with Folk Nation all the way up to prison.

Anyway, I picked Bishop as my first rap name. The reason why I changed it to Reason is another story. But I started out with a group of three. We called ourselves Physiological Ruckus. It was me, Mygrane (who is now part of Open Campaign), and Skrapie (who is now past away, RIP). Then I and Mygrane became Mental Dizkreshon with DJ Murdoc (which after I went to the army changed into Open Campaign, now do you get that picture?). So I got married had a daughter, served in the Army for 3 years, all the while still doing hip-hop for fun, not looking for a record deal.

Finally my life took a turn for the worst. I caught a domestic battery charge fighting my former wife, and ended up in the system. Then I ended up violating my probation. The judge sentenced me to 18 months in prison. The same day I was sentenced was the same day God showed me without a doubt in my heart and mind that He had been calling me. And I just said to myself I couldn't run from God's call anymore. So actually, I didn't start really following and walking with the Lord until 2004.

In the year of 2001 July 16th, my first offense of 1 count of domestic battery (misdemeanor) and 2 counts aggravated assault with deadly Wesson. Original sentence 3 years probation and completion of AA and batter's intervention. Failure to pay for and complete class due to job loss. Violation of probation brought 18 months prison sentence. Early release after 11.5 months on July 1st 2005. Been clean since.

My life was basically a Jonah story. I missed my mark when I was younger. But now the Lord got me back on track. When I was in prison, I asked the Lord, "How can I still do rap anymore?" My heart was still dirty, and my tongue was full of bad words. I haven't even heard Christian hip-hop before. So I had nothing to like motivate me or something to show me how to do it.

At the time I asked the Lord that question, I was reading the call of Moses. God had asked Moses what was in his hand. And Moses told God he had the staff or rod. And God asked me a similar question. He said "What's in your hand Ricardo." I said a pencil and some paper. He said "Just write, I'll do the rest." In one week I had wrote the entire "God's Armor" album. And after I looked over it, I could not take any credit for it. I fell on my face and cried like Peter did in front of Jesus on Peter's boat concerning the fishing net situation. God asked me, "Did you ever wonder why you know and quote so much of My scriptures, and people come up to you and ask you how did you learn all those scriptures, and you said you didn't know, that they just seemed to pop into your head." I said yea. And God was like, "I did that, so that when you wrote your songs all you would be doing is rapping My Words, the scriptures."

Did a little radio DJ'ing at WPRK 91.5 FM Rollins College Winter Park Radio with DJ Lyv Wyr and Halloway. I have put out about two mixtapes as non-Christian artist and I have put out fifteen mixtapes and albums combine (of two of them I produced all myself and did the album covers and flyers for promotion). I have organized a Christian Hip Hop tour in 2007 called the Seed of Faith State of Florida Christian Music Tour with twelve other artists of different genres of gospel. After that I was invited to give advice and perform on two other tours.

And that was the day when Reason Disciple (now called only ReAsOn) and God's Armor Ministries (now called ReAsOn 4 Hip Hop Ministries) were born. It was January 8th, 2005 when that took place. And God has blessed me with a new godly wife as well and three more children. Now I have 3 beautiful girls and a son in my life that God has placed in my care. And I will continue to follow Christ as He leads, guides, and corrects me.

I decided to take Music Business at Full Sail University, because I felt that I needed the skills and the knowledge to be able to work on a larger scale rather than locally. Being that I still had the Army GI Bill unused, I might as well use it because it expires in 2011. I hope to do a lot for, not only hip hop, but all music genres worldwide. I want to set a new standard for the music industry. I can't say what exactly I want to do, so I will try to do it all. It will all start with establing Dead To Flesh Records as a legal, legit record label rather then a a few guys recording music in our homes and uploading songs on MySpace.

I want to get into a new standard for music magazines, digital distribution, artist networks, new tour standards. What I have planned will surpass and not be fulfilled in my lifetime. So I also want to inspire a passionate vision in all musicians to pass on a legacy, pattern, and standard for the music industry.

So there it is I guess. You can look me up at reason4hiphop@yahoo.com if you ever want a peek at our vision statement just go to our web site at http://micassemblyorl.webs.com!