A native of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, William James Stokes (better known as Sir The Baptist) was born to a prominent Baptist preacher father and missionary mother. One of 22 children, Stokes was exposed to music at a young age. He started piano at six, took up an interest in the drums, and most influential to his current repertoire, Stokes sang in the choir at his father’s church, where he garnered the nickname Sir. Following high school, Stokes attended Columbia College in Chicago for one day before dropping out to pursue an advertising career. After serving as the Director of Digital Marketing at Chicago’s Leo Burnett firm, Stokes quit his job to pursue a career in music. Adopting his stage name, Sir the Baptist released singles and drove for Lyft to maintain a source of income as he launched his recording career. His debut album, Saint or Sinner, was released in May 2017.