It might not be Sunday, but Marvin Sapp is taking NPR’s Tiny Desk to church. To close out the platform‘s Black History Month programming, the gospel artist showcased a medley of his gospel songs in an intimate performance released on Friday (Feb. 28). With a four-piece band and a six-piece choir, Bishop Marvin Sapp delivered an inspirational moment with strong vocals and religious messages.
When speaking with NPR, the 58-year-old shared how his children encouraged him to take on the Tiny Desk Concert, sharing, “They told me, ‘Dad, Tiny Desk is for the culture.’”
Dressed in a Louis Vuitton sweatshirt, Sapp took the lead, guiding his denim-clad band and choir through each track. The performance kicked off with a rendition of his 2002 single “I Believe.”
Marvin Sapp attends the 38th annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards at the Orleans Arena on July 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images
With decades in the gospel music industry, Marvin Sapp was able to perform intergenerational praise songs from the ’90s and beyond.
“What’s funny is, I saw some of y’all singing these songs, and y’all weren’t even born when I recorded them,” he remarked, per NPR. The Tiny Desk concert ended with cheerful applause, with Sapp jokingly declaring, “I’m too old for this.”
Watch Marvin Sapp’s NPR Tiny Desk performance above and see the full setlist. NPR notes that Sapp took time to meet and speak with audience members and prayed once the performance element ended.
MARVIN SAPP’S NPR ‘TINY DESK’ SET LIST
- “I Believe”
- “Not the Time, Not the Place”
- “Grace and Mercy”
- “Perfect Peace”
- “Shout Unto God”
- “Here I Am”
- “Praise Him in Advance”
- “You Are God Alone”
- “He Has His Hands on You”
- “My Testimony”
- “The Best in Me”
- “Never Would Have Made It”
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