Chicago's on Fire!!

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Enjoy it and share it. But most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the Truth Podcast Network. Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is set for one flaw. Introducing first, from Lithuania, he weighs 123 kilos, the Russian nightmare, Nikita Kolob! Now, The Devil's Nightmare. Welcome back to another episode of It's Time to Man Up.

This interview today is, well, let's just say this. Chris Chicago from Houston, Texas, via Nashville, Tennessee. No, wait, what? What? Chicago? Nashville? What?

Houston? Chris, welcome to the Man Up show. Quite the introduction. It's good to be here, man. Well, I wanted to really kind of pique the interest of our listeners, like, wait a minute, I'm confused. I'm like totally confused.

So here's why I kind of threw that out there, okay? So you are Chris Chicago. You live in Houston, Texas. But we met, I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Would that be accurate? Yeah, it's crazy because, you know, I've been on the radio for 20 plus years, so everybody thinks that Chris Chicago is my radio name, but it's actually my real name from Albuquerque, New Mexico, then moved to Nashville where we met, and then I currently reside in Houston. So I know it's a lot of cities, but yeah, Chicago's my real name.

We met in Nashville, now I'm in H-Town. So the host, Chicago being, you know, like not just a radio name, and we do know, right? A lot of people in radio do have radio names, right? Yeah, they change their name and give themselves fancy radio names. Or maybe doing like an AKA, like also known as, or... Right, right, right.

Or do some, let me ask you, do some, like I legally change my name because of the wrestling world, right? Right, right. Do some do that in radio? I've never thought to ask. I think so.

I think so. I think more in radio, I think people just like to protect their identity. You know, they don't give their government name, you know, those listeners can't talk to them or, you know, look them up. I think that's the main reason people change their name. Also, you know, just like in the wrestling world, you want to have a cool marketing name that's easy to remember, that sounds cool. But the funny thing is, is when I first got into radio, when I was really young, I used to go by Cdub and my general manager pulled me in his office one day and he said, he said, man, you really need to stop going by Cdub on the air. And I said, no, no, that's my name. And he said, he said, Chris, he said, you were born with the perfect radio name. Your name is Chris Chicago.

Perfect for the radio. Why do you insist on being called Cdub? And so then I went on the air and for the next couple of years, I called myself Cdub Chris Chicago to appease my general manager.

But of course, yeah, it was kind of dumb that I did that. I should have been Chris Chicago from the start. So I mean, it's almost like the Lord just like, you know, I'm reminded of one of the prophets who said, you know, you're born for such a time as this writer.

I knew you before you were in your mother's womb and destined you to be a prophet. But sounds like you were destined to be in radio, Chris. Well, let me ask what like so like how young were you at what age were you that you like? This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. How young were you? I was a little kid and I I wanted to be I wanted to be three things. OK, so I remember listening to the radio and mimicking the deejays. I also watched wrestling. Obviously, you know, I watched my boy Nikita.

Come on. And and I liked rap music. So, you know, as but as a kid, I mean, the two things that I wanted to do, I either wanted to be a professional wrestler or I wanted to be on the radio.

And, you know, and like you said, the Lord had a plan. And I really believe that my destiny, the calling in my life would be on radio because I know not only did it change my life, but I know many, many listeners over the years have been impacted by, you know, God using my voice to reach them. Something that I something that I've said, a song that I've played that's really, you know, changed lives over the years and just the the story of life impact has been amazing. And so to go back to your original point, yeah, I really do think that they got destined for me to be on the radio. But yeah, I either wanted to be on the radio as a little kid or I wanted to be like you, a professional wrestler, a professional wrestler. Well, and of course, we've had some we'll talk about it.

We've had some opportunities to tag team, if you will, and and and do a couple of things together. But so how old were you? So how old were you then when you first got into radio? You know, I started I started interning at a radio station when I was around 16, 17 years old and and now I'm 42. And so I've been in radio a long time.

Yeah, long time. And of course, you've got I know you get to tell us tell us about your beautiful family as well. And we'll sure we'll talk more about the radio. But tell us about your family. So I'm celebrating 20 years of marriage coming up here in December, and I've been married to my best friend, beautiful wife. Her name is Jessica. I got four kids, 15 year old boy named Aiden and he loves the Lord. Just got back from Beecher Tree and that was a great time for him and his youth group. Then I got a daughter. She's 10 and she's currently off at church camp right now.

I have an eight year old boy named Ben and a son who is about to turn four here in just a few days. And his name is Locke. How do you spell that? Loughlin, Loughlin.

L-O-C-H-A-N, Loughlin. Yeah. All right. For a range of four to 15. So four to 15. Yeah.

Wow. And now now do so in your your travels, you know, Albuquerque. It takes you to Nashville, Tennessee. And the family, obviously, you know, when we met. And do you remember exactly like like who like who did Jamie Warden do? Who introduced us to any idea? I was trying to remember and I can't remember.

You know, no one no one introduced us the first time we met. I was I was a part of throwing a showcase during Gospel Music Week in Nashville. You know, GMA week used to be a big thing. And there used to be all these great showcases. There was a venue called 12th and Porter.

I think maybe it's still there. And I was I was throwing a show there with my buddy Seth, big rock show, Christian rock show. And I was out in the parking lot in front of the venue and you walked by and I said, by golly, I think that's Nikita Kolob. And so I tapped you on the shoulder and I was like, Nikita Kolob, I love you. My name is Chris Chicago. And that's how we met. And and I asked to take a picture with you and we took a selfie together. And and then and then we got reconnected because me and your daughter, Tawny, we were youth leaders together at a church in Nashville. That's right.

That's right. I remember I remember both of those now, now that you mentioned it, because I forget why I was down. I don't know. I was I think I was speaking at the GMA that that night or something or just share my testimony or something. Yeah, I think so. I think you were speaking somewhere. And I think that, you know, maybe after you spoke, you came out to enjoy the show or but but you were definitely there to speak. I remember that. So you were destined to be in radio.

We were destined to meet. I think so. Yeah. Yeah.

And I get off off topic for a moment, kind of. Do you have a favorite wrestling moment or favorite wrestling story from your younger days? You know, I think that the wrestling moment that stands out to me, that that just forever lives in my head. So my favorite wrestler is Shawn Michaels.

I love them even when he was, you know, with Marty, when he was with the Rockers. And I will never forget watching it live on TV. But when when when Shawn put Marty through the window on the barbershop, like in any turned heel, that was like my favorite memory and moment in wrestling, because I was like, oh, my boy Shawn's going off on his own. And I was I'll never forget that moment.

So OK, let me ask you this. So did you like the good guys better or the bad guys better? I always loved the heels. I love the bad guys for whatever reason, like if this guy was your favorite wrestler, then I hated him. I loved hating Hulk Hogan because everybody was, you know, Hulkamania. I, you know, when when people loved Hogan, I loved the warrior. So the warrior was the ultimate warrior was a good guy, but I loved him. But Shawn Michaels was my guy. Loved Ric Flair. You know, just the way he did his whole persona, his charisma, the way he talked like I remember one time I was getting bullied really bad in middle school. And this was right around the time that, you know, Roddy Piper was was feuding with Bret Hart. He won the Intercontinental Championship run in the WWE and just just his attitude and the way he he just did not put up with with crap. Like I remember standing up to the bully and just becoming Roddy Piper in my head on that schoolyard and just absolutely destroying the bully that was that had been bullying me my whole life.

Come on. I just I became I became Roddy Piper in that moment and he inspired me and I was never bullied again after that. Yeah, I love that story.

I mean, hey, for those out there saying, oh, you know, wrestling is such a negative. Well, there's one positive story for you right there. Chris Chicago identified himself as as as Hot Rod Roddy Piper. Hey, Chris, did you then develop your own Piper's Pit? Did you ever?

No, but you know what? Like I wanted to you know, I'm still obsessed with with with Scotland today because of it. And I actually did a DNA test through 23andMe. And I was able to I was really excited to find out that that I that a lot of my DNA goes back to Glasgow, Scotland, which is why, you know, Scottish Celtic Irish names are very influenced in, you know, what I've named my kids. And, you know, we talked about my my my young one, Lachlan, you know, it's a very Scottish sounding. So, yeah, I wanted to I wanted to learn how to play the bagpipe when I was in middle school.

You know, I wanted to wear a kilt like I was very heavily influenced by by wrestling. It was crazy. All right. So here's what's even crazier. Well, let me first say this. So Chicago doesn't sound like a very like Scottish or Irish name.

Any idea before I tell you what I'm going to tell you next? Any idea what like the history behind you got you guys, the family's last name, Chicago? Yeah. So so what I've been told is, is so my dad was his mom was remarried and so he was adopted. And so Chicago is not my blood last name. But when when they came over from Sicily, it was originally Chicago and they spelled it wrong in Ellis Island. It got spelled Chicago.

Ah, so I figured there was some kind of immigration thing had to be tied in there. Yeah. But yeah, so Chicago is not my blood last name. Yeah. But yeah, that's that's how that's how Chicago came about. Ellis Island. They they hey, we can't spell your last name. We're just gonna call you Chicago. So yeah, we're and we're the only Chicago family in America.

In North America, really the world from what I know. That's amazing. Anyway. Well, all right. So let me give you a little side note. So here's something that you and I have in common that you wouldn't know nor would our listeners probably know unless they might be in my like I recently updated my my my biography Nikita, a tale of the ring and redemption but but all that said, here's what's crazy is you said junior high you want to wear a kill to learn to play the bagpipes and all that, right?

Yes. So when I was in high school in ninth grade, one of my one of my mentors, my first mentor was a guy named Bill Burke. He was my first football coach. My second mentor was a guy named Jerry McFarland now that sounds like a pretty good Scottish name, right?

And it does. Well, McFarland played the bagpipes in and I had such an affinity for that. Like I got CDs and like, or, you know, tapes back then whatever I just but I was just drawn to the bagpipe. And like you, I'm like, oh my gosh, these are amazing, especially like, even Amazing Grace.

No, I wouldn't even fall in Jesus back there. I loved Amazing Grace on the bagpipes, right? Well, all that to say, and so fast forward through through life and my mom was actually born on the English Scottish border in a little town called Carlisle or Hayden, excuse me, outside of Carlisle, right on the border. I've actually been to Glasgow because my sister brother and I, when she passed, we went over to honor her and found her birthplace home in this little village called Hayden. And yeah, and just had a little ceremony for her there and the little village church, cemetery.

And she, my grandma brought her over on a boat in 1921 when she was two years old, never got to go back. And so we started some research and found out that we have a lot of Irish, English and Scottish roots. I'm like, well, hello, no wonder I love the bagpipes, right?

And maybe we're cousins. We may be distant cousins, Chris, and I'm telling you, and last side note here, I have a kilt. I have the full regalia hanging in my closet that I bought in Glasgow. The shoes, I mean the whole deal, man, I got it all.

The Russian nightmare has a full-blown Scottish setup. That's a picture I would love to see. Oh my God, is that not something? So you just made me think, anyway, well, that's amazing. So Chris, so let's, all right, let's segue back here.

Let's segue back. If you would like to support Kolah for Christ Ministries for a gift of $25, Nikita will send you his two CDs, Adoration and Declaration. For a gift of $50, Nikita will include his book, Wrestling with Success, and for a gift of $100 or more, Nikita will include a signed copy of his newly updated life story, A Tale of the Ring and Redemption. Go to www.kolah.net and donate today. Would you like to partner with me in supporting Kolah for Christ Ministries and the Man Up Show? Go to www.kolah.net and click the donate button.

You can give monthly, annually, or one time, and make a difference around the world. God bless you. So from wrestling into radio, so this is kind of a little side note, funny story. Now wrestling was related to this, but you were doing an event in, if I remember right, you'll probably help me out, in Florida, where you and you had brought me in to speak at this event, but it was a hip-hop artist event. Is that right? Did I remember that right?

Yeah, yeah. So they, I believe they call it, it's an urban disciple leadership conference, and it's centered around Christian hip-hop, and it's called Flavor Fest. They've actually gone nationwide, and they've actually toured the conference now, and I'm actually speaking at the one in Houston. But yeah, so we brought you in to the main conference in Tampa, Florida, and we brought in a wrestling ring, and I wrestled a Christian hip-hop artist. We had you in as a special guest referee, and then you gave a gospel message at the end of that, and man, I'll never forget that. That was so much fun. I was able to live my childhood dream.

Come on! You got to get in the ring and have an actual match against a hip-hop artist with the Russian Nightmares special referee. What a memory, huh? I just wish I would have been in shape for it, though. I was blown up before I even got into the ring, because I was so nervous. I just remember constantly sliding under that bottom rope and getting out of the ring, because I was so just, it's crazy once you get in the ring without experience how much energy and- It takes, yeah.

Yeah. I wish I would have been in more shape and would have been better trained for that match, but it was a lot of fun. People realize how exhausted you can get, especially if you've not done it much, like you said, just the nervous energy. People ask me all the time, Chris, if I wrestled Flair once, I wrestled him, I don't even know how many, over 100 times, whatever, right? Whatever the number is. Quite a number of those times for an hour, like a one-hour draw, Broadway draw, you want to talk about getting exhausted, right?

Get in the ring with Ric Flair for an hour. Well, here's something funny about my memory about this. What an incredible memory. Here's something funny about that for me. So all those artists are like in the building next door, room next door, whatever, are doing their thing, right? They're doing all their songs and all that. So once we were, I think once we were done, I'm like, well, let me slip over and catch some of these hip hop artists. So I'm amazed at all the kids who understand every single word they're saying, where I don't think I understood three words they were saying.

I'm sure it had to do with my age, but I'm like... You're making yourself sound like an old man to get up. I'm amazing myself, I know, but I'm like, I did, I could identify the name Jesus in every one of their songs. So I knew, I knew, I'm like, well, I'm pretty sure they're honoring the Lord at all these songs, but I'm watching these young kids, Chris, and I mean, they're mouthing like every single word verbatim and I'm like, oh my gosh. But here's what I loved about it. I wanna say this, here's what I loved about it. What I loved was that, and I'm not, and I am aging myself, but I'm not one of those prudes that's like, I can't stand that Christian hip hop stuff or whatever. No, no, no, no, no, no.

I was just, I had an interview recently and we were talking about a guy named, I forget Hank's last name now, but he's a very famous fisherman who knows all the right bait in order to catch the right fish, right? And so how I view it is, look, if somebody likes Christian hip hop, so be it, you know, Lecrae or whoever else, if they like hymnals, traditional hymnals, so be it, you know, if they like drums and guitars and whatever it takes. Whatever it takes. If you like bagpipes. If you like bagpipes, amazing grace on bagpipes.

Whatever it takes to win the lost, right? And so your affinity to hip hop, because that's kind of what you specialize, yeah, tell us about your, real quick, tell us about your radio show, your program, and what you do in Houston. Yeah, so, you know, Christian hip hop changed my life.

It's really, it's the thing that got me into Christian radio when I was a teenager. And I, you know, I think you were on my syndicated show in Asheville, I think, right? Yeah, in Asheville.

When you were in Asheville, yeah. So, yeah, so I did this Friday night show in Albuquerque, you know, from the 90s, and then in 2003, we took it syndicated. We were on hundreds of radio stations around the world, and I did that show all the way up until 2019, when I just got too busy to keep doing the show, so I handed it over to someone else. But yeah, you know, Christian hip hop, I moved to Houston in 2016 to help with one of the first Christian hip hop FM stations ever on the air, on a full FM translator. And then in 2021, I started over again and built a new Christian hip hop radio station, which I'm doing now, and it's called Stow Flow Radio.

And you know, we're on iHeart, and we're on, you know, we have a Stow Flow Radio app, and it's a pure, just Christian hip hop radio station. And already, just in the, you know, the little over a year that we've been doing Stow Flow Radio, the stories of life change and souls being impacted is just incredible. This music really is changing lives, and the Lord really is using this music to impact culture.

And I love that the Lord still has me a part of it in some way, so yeah, I mean, it really is making a difference. And you've been a part, I mean, I mentioned the name Lecrae, I mean, there's a pretty major hip hop artist that you've had the opportunity to build relationships with and friendships with as well, right? Yeah, I mean, from the 90s, like, I, you know, have been working with and building relationships with pretty much everybody in Christian hip hop, and so the beautiful thing is, is like, I know these guys, I have friendships with a lot of these guys, and I've watched Lord use them from, you know, from their beginnings to now, like, in fact, I also manage, I manage an artist named Ty Brazel, and actually discovered him back in 2015, when he was just, you know, nobody knew of him, he was just a small rapper, he just released a mixtape, and now he's one of the top Christian hip hop artists in the world, he's signed to Word, Curb, you know, a major label in Nashville, he's, you know, one of the top streamed Christian hip hop artists on Spotify and Apple Music, he's toured on Winter Jam, and the Lord is just really using Ty to reach so many people, and his music is just next level, like, he's just such a gifted, gifted artist, and to be able to, one, to be able to discover him and be by his side all the way until now, being on a major label and doing these major tours and big album releases and seeing how God is using him, it's just a blessing for me to be a part of that and to help further this music, to reach more people, to reach a bigger audience, to help impact more souls, I mean, it's just been incredible, the artists and the lives that I've been able to be a part of, you know, for a very long time now. Well, and you, in your own right, are making inroads and making a big impact, now, if people wanted to follow Chris Chicago, learn more about or listen in on, you know, where would they go, where specifically would they go? So, I'm The Chris Chicago, The Chris Chicago on Instagram, on Twitter, on Facebook, and I'm also on, I'm on a big Christian radio station called Way FM from 7pm until 11pm Monday through Saturday, and you can find me there at wayfm.com, I also, I would love for you to check out the Christian hip-hop radio station, which is soflowradio.com, it's S-O-S-L-O-W radio.com, soflowradio.com, and it's the same thing on socials, just at soflowradio, and yeah, I would love to connect and love to meet you. Well, that's awesome, and hopefully you've been inspired today by Chris' story and just a visionary, a man who's walking in his giftings, maybe you're out there trying to still figure it out, you know, what does the Lord have for me, what is it I'm supposed to do, and hey, it may not be a radio DJ or a hip-hop artist, but certainly God has something for you, and so if you're unsure what that is, uncertain of what that is, continue to just press in and pursue that. Chris, we only got just a couple minutes left, what would you say to that person out there that maybe is searching for the, what am I to do, what would you say? Well, I just want to say one thing real quick, because this is, you know, the journey that the Lord has me on right now, it's kind of the most important thing in my life right now, so I don't want to leave the show without saying this, back in August of last year, I was diagnosed with stage four cancer, and I went to MD Anderson, one of the biggest, probably the biggest cancer hospital in the world, and they basically told me there's not much they could do for me, and they sent me home to die, and you know, here I am, almost a year later, I've been battling cancer completely, completely naturally and holistically, and I'm the healthiest I've ever been in my life.

Now, I have not gone back to the doctor since, but I can't tell you that I'm free from cancer right now, but I'll tell you what, I feel amazing, I'm so grateful and thankful for the journey that God has me on, you know, no matter if He takes me home tomorrow, or I live to be 90 years old, God's going to be glorified through the process, but what I've learned through this whole thing is my trust in God, and really how to lean on the Lord, and so if you're going through a dark season in your life, if you're going through a storm, let me tell you, God's got you, God is in control, God has a plan for your life, and really you can trust the Lord, and so I'm on this healing journey right now, I'm helping others heal, when I got diagnosed with cancer I also had type 2 diabetes, I had high blood pressure, I was on all kinds of pharmaceuticals, high cholesterol, since then I've lost 100 pounds, I'm on no pharmaceuticals, my blood work is perfect, and like I said, I feel like I'm the healthiest I've ever been in my life, eventually I'll go back to the doctor and get the all-clear on cancer as well, but I just want to encourage you, if you're sick, if you're going through something, you can heal from it, God has designed our bodies to heal, and God really is in control, so you can lean into God, you can trust God, and if you don't know the Lord, get to know him today baby, because God is good, and so I don't know how much time we have left, but I just wanted to say that before we left. Man, Chris, I appreciate you sharing that, and hope that's an encouragement to somebody out there, keep Chris in your prayers, and he and his family, and we are known by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimony, the book of Revelation says, and Chris, I know what you just said is going to inspire somebody out there to keep pressing in when they were ready to throw in the towel, so I appreciate that. Chris Chicago, Houston, Texas, man, so great to have you, to be able to call you friend, and go check out his radio programs, radio shows, and thank you for tuning in, thank you for being a part of the show today, Chris. Thank you, love you, Nikita.

I love you too as well, my friend. God bless you, hey, go out today and live a God-filled, God-blessed life, thanks for tuning in. This radio show is made possible by the grace of God, your faithful prayers, support, and generous gifts. May God bless you for your continual contributions. Go to Koloff.net and donate today. Are you looking for the perfect gift for your pastor?

Well, look no further. Bless him with a trip to the Holy Land with yours truly, Nikita Koloff, the Russian nightmare. I'll be hosting this once-in-a-lifetime trip December 27, 2023 to January 5, 2024.

Your pastor will never be the same. Go to Koloff.net to get registered today. This is the Truth Network.