Rian Williams admits his entire journey as a record producer in Atlanta has been “a huge test of faith”.

The 34-year-old has discovered that the entertainment industry can often be a superficial one, but no matter how many songs he creates or the number of famous artists he works with, his belief in God remains a priority.

“When I decided to leave Bermuda to pursue my dream, I really looked at it like ‘God, I’m going to put myself in a position of showing you just how much I trust you by taking this step outside my comfort zone’,” he said.

“Over the years, I have been in plenty of positions in the industry where I could have compromised my integrity and who I am as a person, but I never did. I always tried to hold strong to my faith, believe in God and believe in myself.”

It was six years ago that Mr Williams first decided to move to the US to pursue his passion for music. Since then he has been blessed to work with big names in the hip-hop industry such as 2 Chainz and 50 Cent. Yet, no matter how much his résumé has grown, he confesses there are two things that keep him humble: his faith and his family.

“Being in the music industry has taught me that the person I have become through my journey is more important than what I accomplish in the music industry,” he said.

“I have become more outspoken from networking and more confident in myself making music. I have also become more aware of the need to be attentive to things going on around me because in this business there are people who can try to take advantage of you.

“But overall, I look at any tests or challenges that come my way as opportunities for God to develop me as a person. It’s never about what you’re chasing. It’s about the journey and character during the chase.”

Mr Williams keeps his relationship with God strong through regular prayer and daily devotions. For the past 20 odd years, he starts each day by thanking God for waking him up that morning.

“I talk to God like a best friend,” he said. “I’m grateful to have this kind of relationship with Him and it makes me feel like I’ve been selected in a way because I don’t know what brought me close to God to be honest.

“I feel like I’ve been handpicked to have this kind of closeness, but it has to take me to believe as well, and as I’ve gotten older and matured my belief has become stronger.”

He encourages others, no matter what negative influences are in their outside environment, to pursue righteousness and do things with a pure intention.

He also encourages people to cling to the Lord, even when times get tough.

“I’ve never thought of walking away from God,” he said. “That’s so unreal to me. God is the creator. I would be a fool to step away from Him and besides, where would I go?

“At some point at the end of my life I’m still going to have to face God, so why not have a relationship with God and pursue that? Instead of walking away, I just say honestly ‘God, times are hard, I feel like giving up’, but I also give Him the opportunity to help me out.

“I feel like being completely vulnerable and having God in your life through all circumstances will strengthen your relationship. In my opinion God isn’t as complex as people make Him out to be. People let so many outside forces influence their relationship and understanding of who God is, but really it’s something unique and personal. That’s why I’m pretty solid in my faith. Because I know God has a lot of plans for me and whatever influence or impact I can have, I want to use it.”

If he wasn’t pursuing music, Mr Williams said he would want to set up a foundation and use his time volunteering in less fortunate parts of the world.

“I’m not focused on trying to stay relevant and I don’t worry about things that aren’t beneficial. I care about real things and real people and, whatever God wants to show me, I pray my eyes and ears are open for it all,” he added.