A Mississippi-based creator has found himself at the center of a new debate in the Gospel world—one that blends technology, tradition, and a whole lot of chart success.
Solomon Ray, an AI-generated Gospel act, just pulled off something no artificial artist has done before: he snagged the No. 1 Christian album and the top two spots on the iTunes Christian Music chart, per The Grio.
Over on Billboard, Ray holds both the No. 1 and No. 5 slots on the Gospel Digital Song Sales chart (with "Find Your Rest" and "Goodbye Temptation," respectively), signaling that listeners are embracing the music—even as many remain uneasy about how it’s made.
The push behind Solomon Ray comes from Christopher Jermaine Townsend, a conservative rapper and content creator from Mississippi known by his stage name Topher.
Townsend previously made headlines in 2024 after suing the government over a potential TikTok ban, and his experience online helped give his AI Gospel project immediate visibility. His stance is that Solomon Ray isn’t a shortcut, but an extension of his creativity.
“It’s really more of a preference,” Townsend said on Instagram, responding to early criticism. He added that listeners can’t always judge whether a piece of music's emotional impact is “authentic or fake/fraudulent.”
In his view, the question of whether AI can deliver a spiritual message isn’t for any one person to decide. “Who am I to say what God will or won’t use to get the message His people need to them?”
Not everyone agrees. Gospel singer Forrest Frank raised concerns in a video shared with his followers, saying, “At minimum, AI does not have the Holy Spirit inside of it. So I think that’s really weird to be opening up your spirit to something that has no spirit.”
The debate echoes another recent flashpoint in the genre. Xania Monet—an AI R&B artist also tied to Mississippi—has climbed to No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart with “Let Go, Let God,” drawing pushback from Victoria Monét, SZA, Kehlani, and others.
Telisha “Nikki” Jones, the creator behind Monet, echoed Townsend’s stance in an interview with Gayle King, calling AI “a tool” and part of the era music is entering.