Biography

VIOLENCE to SALVATION – a STORY of GROWTH

When the pain and loneliness from unresolved abuse becomes too much to suppress, a young man named Darwin lashes out and turns his life toward violence.

The irony is that Darwin’s father, a former district attorney and superior court judge, unwittingly teaches his own son at an early age that problems are best dealt with by force. Corporal punishment with hands, belts, shoes, and rolled magazines had a lasting effect on Darwin, who found music as an outlet to escape with. As an angry and violent youth, Darwin would scream at the world, start a punk band at age 14, and was rapping by the age of 16.

Growing up, Darwin looked to his grandfather as a role model. After watching his grandfather kill a jackrabbit with a rifle, Darwin persuaded his own father to buy him a BB rifle. This would lead to Darwin’s first police contact around age 12 (the same time period when he would write his first song), after shooting a lady walking her dog across the street. Problems severely progressed. Darwin would cut school, experiment with and sell drugs, drink alcohol, get into fights both in high school and while out of school, and was in and out of trouble for years. Darwin hurt people, broke into homes, and engaged in other forms of derelict behavior.

At the age of 19, Darwin bought himself two real handguns off a co-worker. He’d shoot randomly in the air while driving drunk. Then he would up the ante and shoot directly at people. After four or five incidents of gun violence on the streets, some in self-defense, reports on the local news surfaced and he was finally arrested. Darwin became a two-strike felon at a young age. With a .21 blood alcohol level, Darwin had shot a number of rounds at a group of people who had confronted him walking through the projects in San Jose, Calif. The judge trying the case, decided there was something redeemable in Darwin, and instead of a term of 40 years from the nine felonies he was facing, gave him one year’s time, five years’ probation and a five-year joint suspension – a second chance. Darwin’s future songs would reflect these events.

Even though he knew his heart was good, Darwin felt damaged and lost growing up. As time passed, Darwin would begin to learn about and seek God. Researching topics such as the Ark of the Covenant, his research pointed toward Ethiopia. A chance meeting, befriending a dread-locked elder named "Jah Frank" in his apartment complex, led him to study Rastafari (for the next 13 years). Darwin put his focus on the Old Testament and started to write songs with meaning. Frank introduced Darwin (who recorded then under the moniker "B-Rob") to his friend, a Jamaican dancehall singer named Patrick Metric. Darwin and his high school friend Pete B. aka "DJ Madd Scientist", whom Darwin did most of his "dirt" with, formed the bay area underground rap group Probable Cause. In 1994, Probable Cause with Jah Frank and Patrick Metric, recorded and sold in local stores a 12" vinyl EP called War On The Industry, supported by a music video shot in San Francisco on 16mm film. However, as Darwin increasingly wanted to do right, he and Pete would clash severely. He would eventually break off contact with Pete and sell the remaining shotguns he took from his deceased grandfather’s house.

Darwin was married the same year he released his first album. His wife gave birth to a son named Andrew and Darwin enrolled in the Academy of Art University in downtown San Francisco. Since he was already working in the A/V department at the school (with Pete), Darwin was able to take a free class. Inspired by a recent (yet failed) interview at Skywalker Sound where Darwin was being considered for a mixing position, fully determined to find another way to work for Lucas Film, he signed up for the first 3D modeling class ever held at the school. He would find he possessed a natural talent in 3D character animation and excelled at the school, getting hired while still a student by a former ILM art director. Darwin contributed to 3 professional, shipped titles as a student and worked to become one of the top 3D character animators in the video game industry at the time. Darwin was employed by major companies, such as DreamWorks and Crystal Dynamics, and rose to the position of lead animator at Microsoft Game Studios (Digital Anvil) in 2000, working on a number of hit games along the way, such as the original The Sims, Medal of Honor and Brute Force.

An experienced live performer, Darwin began selling tapes in the early days of his music 'career', had his first major radio play on KMEL in 1992 during the popular show "Home Jams", put his vinyl record and video out on his own dime and released his first CD in 2002 under the stage name “Chillious”. Gaining local and some international radio play, Darwin (or Chillious) felt confident enough to pursue his music full time, and left his successful animation career in 2001. He self released and sold a number of CDs on his own between 2002 and 2006. In 2003, Darwin was asked by Chuck D to open for Public Enemy, and Chuck D licensed the use of three Chillious songs. The legendary Chuck D was even watching from the center of the crowd during Darwin’s live performance at the Fillmore, taking photos of Darwin. Chuck apparently saw and heard something special in his music. Unfortunately there was still a noticeable void within Darwin, and the underlying problems continued to brew. The artist named "Chillious" burned his bridges, and ran his course.

After an extremely difficult marriage, this troubled artist soon to be named "Darwin James" filed for divorce in 2007. A prolonged (and still ongoing in 2010) divorce case dealing with "dishonest lawyers, a noncompliant ex-wife, and a biased judge", would become (direct quote from Darwin) a “terrible and nasty experience” that would refuel Darwin’s anger. In 2008, Darwin let his rage get the best of him and he made threats, getting himself arrested again. Facing a third strike with life in prison without parole, out of hope and at rock bottom once again, Darwin decided he had suffered and done enough. During his time in jail and with the help of his friend Jay, through a pane of 2 inch glass, Darwin finally surrendered himself and gave his life over to Jesus Christ.

Everything changed. Everything that had happened this far was meant to be. Darwin dove headlong into the Bible, this time focusing on the New Testament. He learned about salvation and grace. He finally recognized Christ as his Lord and Savior. With a new heart, and the Spirit of God within, Darwin grew inside. Reconciling with his own father, a lifetime of anger would fall off his back in the process, and he was now able to deal with any issue without aggression. Upon his release from County jail in early 2009, Darwin became baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. He completed an album he had started (in late 2007) about his life, called Violent Salvation, which was released in March 2010.

Still (and always will be) an imperfect man, still a lifetime of learning and growth ahead of him, Darwin James is no longer lost. The inner pain felt for so long, removed. God had shown and poured His love and mercy out. Jesus Christ has filled the void.

Today, Darwin uses his music to tell his story and the story of what God has done in his life. Darwin wants to find those who are lost like he was, and help introduce them to Christ.