South African rapper Gigi Lamayne has found new meaning in her life after recently getting baptised and dedicating herself to God.
The Bleed Mama hitmaker, whose real name is Genesis Gabriella Tina Manney, spoke to Daily Sun about this powerful decision. Gigi, who is 30 years old and comes from Lenasia, south of Joburg, said her baptism came from a deep desire to find peace and truth.
“This decision came from a place of deep longing for peace, clarity, and truth. I’ve always known I was called for something bigger than myself, and for a long time, I searched for that in many places. I’ve been through the highs and lows of this industry, and through it all, God never left my side,” she told Daily Sun.
Gigi said that turning to God was not something she was forced into but rather something that happened naturally.
“The more I leaned into Him, the clearer everything became. It wasn’t a moment of pressure. It was a moment of surrender. It felt like coming home,” she said.
Since getting baptised, Gigi shared that she has seen big changes in herself.
“Baptism, for me, is a public declaration of an intimate transformation. It’s me saying, ‘I choose light. I choose God. I choose purpose.’ It’s symbolic, yes—but it’s also very real. Since being baptised, I approach my days differently. I speak with more intention. I forgive more easily. I trust more deeply. There’s a softness that’s entered my life, but also a fire. God is guiding every step, and I feel that now more than ever,” she said.
However, she revealed that getting to this point was not easy. Gigi explained that she had to do a lot of emotional and mental work before her baptism.
“This journey broke me open in the best way. Emotionally, I had to sit with myself and ask hard questions. I had to face the pain I hadn’t healed and release people, habits, and beliefs that no longer served who I was becoming,” she said.
She also shared that mentally, the journey was tough because doubt often crept in.
“Mentally, it was a battle. Doubt creeps in, you know? But God kept whispering, ‘Keep going!’ Spiritually, it’s been the most beautiful awakening. I realised that my walk with God isn’t separate from who I am as an African woman. In fact, it’s deeply intertwined,” she said.
Gigi also spoke about her previous spiritual journey. In 2021, she opened up about her journey into ubungoma and even underwent ukuthwasa. But today, she says her focus is fully on her walk with Christ.
“My journey with ubungoma taught me so much about who I am, where I come from, and the power of ancestral wisdom. African spirituality gave me the language to honour my lineage and to understand myself in context. And yet, God was present even in that space,” she said.
She explained that even though she now fully follows Christ, she does not deny the foundation that was laid by her journey through African spirituality.
“Today, I walk fully with Christ, but I don’t deny the foundation that was laid. I believe God speaks to us in ways we can understand through our culture, history, and ancestors. My walk with Christ is enriched by my understanding of ubungoma. There is no contradiction, only completion,” Gigi told Daily Sun.
