“No Plan B” by Manafest ft. Kanta Koie of Crossfaith, Friday, December 29, 2023

December 29, 2023

Ontario-based Christian rapper Manafest signed to BEC Recordings and Tooth & Nail’s Hip-Hop imprint Uprok Records in 2005. In 2008, Mananfest released his third album, Citizens Activ, which was surprisingly successful in Japan. His fifth album, 2010’s The Chase, saw the rapper fully embracing rap-rock. The album was preceded by Avalanche - No Plan B EP. The two songs “Avalanche” and “No Plan B” contained remixes and alternate versions, including a version of “No Plan B” featuring Japanese metal vocalist of Crossfaith, Kenta Koie contributing a verse to the song. The video for the song also features Koie.

FACE MYSELF OR GET TAKEN OUT. Christopher Scott Greenwood, the future Christian rapper Manafest suffered many setbacks in his early life. When he was five, his father committed suicide. He became a Christian after attending a summer camp. When he was about 14, he dreamed of becoming a professional skateboarder, but in 1998, he suffered an injury that stopped that dream. After the injury, Greenwood turned to music, forming a rap duo Under One King with fellow rapper Jusachyl. Greenwood used the moniker Speedy until he began producing his own music independently in 2000 as Manafest. After gaining some attention from the Canadian Gospel Music Association and from Thousand Foot Krutch’s Trevor McNevan who heard his first independent album, Manafest signed to Uprok and BEC Recordings. Manafest continues to skate, though not professionally. “No Plan B” is a concept from the rapper’s skating days, when he talked about executing tricks--being fully committed to the trick. It became a metaphor for life. There was no alternative but to follow through with the original plan. Some experts say that having no backup plans makes you more committed to your goals. Of course, Manafest had to make a “Plan B” when his skating career ended. Maybe, the answer is making a Plan B when Plan A is completely unfeasible.

SPIN 180 FOR THE WIN. Crossfaith was formed in Osaka, Japan, in 2006 as a Linkin Park cover band. Their aggressive rap-rock featured Kenta Koie developing unclean vocals, which are heard on the EP version of Manafest’s “No Plan B” and presumably he contributes the scream to the end of the chorus on the album cut as well as he is showing screaming the vocals in the video and the voice sounds similar enough to Koi. Crossfaith opened for several bands on Japanese legs of international tours, such as The Used, Hatebreed, Machine Head, Memphis May Fire, and August Burns Red. In 2011, Crossfaith released their debut album, The Dream, the Space, in America, which led to international fame. The band has toured with Underoath in Japan and performed in Japan’s iteration of Ozz Fest. They were part of The Van’s Warped Tour in America and opened for bands like Bring Me the Horizon and Of Mice and Men on their international tours in Europe and Australia.