Grapetree CEO Knolly Williams was selected to write TDDM's (Teen Daily Devotional Ministries) very first celebrity devotional. "It was truly an honor being selected to do something I love—encouraging the saints!," said Knolly, "I look forward to working with TDDM on other projects in the future." Check out Knolly's Bio below

Born in Brooklyn, NY, CEO Knolly "Rubadub" Williams and his family moved to Los Angeles, CA when he was 10 years old. His mom and dad had separated when he was 5 years old, so he grew up with his mom and older sister Felicia. Shortly after their move to L.A., Knolly's mom began taking him to church regularly, and later that year, he accepted Christ as Savior.

When he was just 13 years old Knolly dreamed about becoming a rap superstar. He wrote rhymes daily and performed wherever he could, becoming a local favorite in his neighborhood. His mom bought him two turntables, and a mixer, and Knolly caught hip-hop fever, in a major way! Knolly became the bomb at mixing, cutting and scratching, and later donned the name "Rubadub." "The name 'Rubadub'", he explains, "means just that, to rub a dub. 12 inch vinyl singles are called 'dubs' and when I'm cutting and scratching, I am rubbing a Dub."

A few years later, however, Knolly began getting into trouble. By the age of 16, he was expelled from the L.A. Unified School District and arrested for drug dealing on campus, and charged with 4 felony counts. As a first time offender, he was sentenced to 6 weeks in Juvenile Hall, and two years probation.

After his release from Juvy, Knolly was sent to live with his father in Xenia, Ohio. His mother hoped that his father could help straighten him out and get him on the right track. The plan failed. Within 6 months, Knolly was expelled from the Greene County School District as an "Unruly Student." Frustrated, Knolly's dad shipped him back to California.

By now, Knolly was drinking, smoking weed, and had dropped out of school. By his 17th birthday, Knolly had moved out of the house and in with a friend.

During those dark days, he spent most of his time selling dope, smoking weed and drinking 40 oz's of ever gave up his love for hip hop music. By this time, Eazy E and N.W.A. were poppin' in the hood and Knolly began performing his own brand of hard core gangsta rap.

"After so many brushes with death, I guess I was just ready to give up," Knolly admits. I knew that I couldn't continue to live this fast paced life and stay alive much longer.

In 1988, Knolly renewed his commitment to the Lord, and became a Christian, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord of his life.

"After I accepted Christ, I wanted to give up doing rap music altogether," Knolly recalls. "I didn't think you could do rap music for the Lord. I guess I thought rap music was sinful and worldly. But the Lord kept putting songs in my head. Finally I began to write them down, and gradually, I began to realize that the Lord could work through rap music, using it as a tool to reach millions."

A few weeks after his conversion, he moved to Austin, TX to work at his Uncle's Christian broadcasting company. By the age of 19, Knolly had gotten his G.E.D. and begun attending college, maintaining a 3.9 grade average on a 4.0 scale. "Financially, it was tight." Knolly remembers. "I would live on a food budget of $25 every two weeks. For meals I had very few choices: peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, beans & rice, hot dogs or spaghetti. I was thin as a rail, but always in high spirits. The Lord took good care of me."

It was in 1989, at the age of 19 that Knolly decided that he wanted to have his own record company. "The Lord gave me the name 'Grapetree.'" Knolly says. "At first I didn't know what it meant, but later God revealed to me its meaning. The grapes represent peoples who are about to be destroyed (Isaiah 5:1-7, Revelation 14:17), while the trees represent the fully restored state of man˜in Christ (Psalm 1:1-3, Matthew 7:17). Our job as a label would be to take those grapes headed for destruction and plant them on the tree of life!"

In 1991 Knolly fell in love with a South Texas girl named Josie Saldana. Knolly and Josie met while attending the same church in Austin, TX. In 1992, the two were married and later that year, Knolly began working for a Texas based law firm as a Graphic Designer. In late 1992, he got his business license and opened a bank account under the name Grapetree Records.

In late 1993, with $250 in start up capital, he quit his job at the firm, and went to work for himself full time. The label was officially born!

Combing his desktop publishing skills with his love for hip-hop, Knolly created Christian rap's first magazine, "Heaven's Hip-Hop Magazine." In 1994 the magazine was picked up for distribution by Diamante Music Group, and grew >from 1,000 copies to 20,000 copies per issue.

Meanwhile, in '93, Knolly released his first EP "Time We Stop," and the label's first album by "Rubadub" entitled "Reflections Of An Ex-Criminal."

Distributed by New Jersey based CMN Distributors in 1994, Grapetree Records began to make a little noise, with product popping up in a few select stores nationwide. As duties became overwhelming, Josie left her teaching career and began working at the label full time.

In 1995, Knolly signed his first major distribution deal with California based Diamante Music Group, and began releasing albums to a much broader market. "Man those days were rough," Williams readily admits, "I was trying something new˜an all Christian rap label. It was truly a pioneering move although I didn't understand it as such. I just wanted to do God's will."

By 1997, the label began to really catch on, and in 1998, Knolly adopted the slogan "World's #1 Christian Rap Label," having sold well over 500,000 units, with a roster of over 20 artists.

"The past several years have gone so fast," Knolly ponders. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store as we move closer to his eminent return."

Today, Grapetree Music Group is made of three record companies: Grapetree Records (Rap), Phat Boy Recordings (Urban) and GT Latin (Spanish), and is a strong presence in the music marketplace, filling a much needed niche. Knolly's accomplishments stand as a testiment that all things truly are possible to them that believe. Knolly keeps it a little more simple than that, "I just wanna see souls saved and in heaven. That's what Jesus died for. That's what it's all about"