Roni Marsalis’ "If I Could Fly" Turns Setbacks Into a Spiritual Power Anthem

In 2014, Roni Marsalis walked off a stage in New York convinced she had just delivered a winning performance. Instead, the trophy went to someone else. The sting was real, and she knew bias had played a role. Many artists might have sulked and stopped showing up. Roni did the opposite. She went home, opened her laptop, pulled up a beat from producer JurdBeats, and turned her frustration and faith into a new record.

The result was If I Could Fly, a powerful track that blends sharp lyricism with soulful vocals, weaving hip-hop, R&B, and neo-soul into a sound that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. In a twist of fate, the same song that grew out of rejection would later propel her forward, earning her a spot in SXSW through a campaign with AXE and John Legend.

If I Could Fly is more than a motivational track. It is a declaration of divine confidence. Lyrics like “Make ya fears cry, tell ‘em bye-bye” are not just clever rhymes. They are affirmations. Roni reframes rejection through faith, grounding her message in Jehovah’s purpose and Jesus’ example.

Her takeaway is clear: life will be unfair, people will overlook you, and doors will close. But when God is in your corner, the outcome is already secure.

Roni Marsalis is not confined to one medium. Beyond music, she channels her creativity into fashion, architecture, and her Got Rhymes brand. That multidisciplinary spirit bleeds into If I Could Fly, a track that captures the balance of hustle and hope. It is grounded in truth, but designed to soar.

The song hits differently because it avoids extremes. It is rooted in faith without being preachy. It comes from rejection without bitterness. It is the kind of track that can carry you through a morning run, a personal trial, or a moment of doubt.

Roni Marsalis does not demand attention. She earns it with every verse. If I Could Fly is not just a song. It is a reminder that purpose outlives obstacles. In Roni’s world, even fear has to take a step back and watch you rise.

You wrote If I Could Fly right after losing a rap competition. What made you choose to create instead of letting that moment crush you?

There are many reasons why I didn't allow myself to be crushed, and the main one is God. Other reasons, well, I come from a background of performing arts, and at an early age, I was programmed to create in times of disappointment, so I was naturally drawn to doing just that. I am also someone who doesn't blame myself for failure, and I prefer to be honest about why I've been ostracized. Often, losses and wins are more about the season, timing, and people's biases than my actual value. I know I'm a great artist, Jehovah knows, my family and friends know…in hindsight, that loss was a gift; if I hadn't lost, I wouldn't have written one of my most empowering songs. So that's kind of why I prefer to create instead of being crushed…

The song blends hip-hop grit with spiritual affirmations. How do you balance being both an artist and a messenger of faith without losing either edge?

Having a relationship with Jehovah is the most natural relationship you can have because we didn't create ourselves. You have to have faith, regardless of what field you are in; you have to believe in the fruit God chooses you to bear. Jehovah chose me to be an artist, so he will provide the means for me to maintain balance. You know it's like "You can't have the chicken without the egg", & God has an edge, so why wouldn't I? That's how I look at it; it's natural. I just be myself for real. I don't mind not fitting in, & whenever I see or feel myself drifting away from my truth, I pray for God to pull me back into him. The vulnerabilities of being an artist and a child of God become fragile when you seek too much approval from the world, so I keep to myself to maintain my inner balance.

You've called this track a "poem and affirmation." Was there a specific lyric you knew you had to keep in, no matter what?

When I wrote this record, there wasn't a "process of elimination." I wrote what I felt and kept it that way. All of it had to stay, I mean if I had to highlight a verse line it would be the end of the first verse "I just sit in my room hearing the same ole song, tryna stay strong getting my game on in the lame zone cause I'll never fit in, but I guess that's how you gotta win" Sitting in my room has taught me so much about myself. I can hear and create my energy without interruption. It is just you and God…you have to have a space where carrying yourself and your spiritual relationship feels safe so that you can heal and thrive. My room is my shrine; I have room to fly in there.

From SXSW with John Legend to winning a NAACP Image Award, you've had some massive career highs. Which moment made you feel like, "Yeah, I'm really flying now"?

Every moment of success felt surreal; I didn't fully believe anything until I was in the moment and living in the experience. Both moments were equally impactful for me because I never expected these wins. To me, I was expressing myself and hoping to inspire people, and then BOOM. Now, for clarification, I always felt like I was flying, but these moments allowed me to feel my wings expand and grow. They helped me build endurance for the flight.  

For listeners who are facing their setbacks, what's the first thing you want them to do after hearing this song?

I went through a terrible setback recently, and the scriptures that pulled me back into restoration were: 

Jeremiah 29: 11-14

11 'For I well know the thoughts that I am thinking toward you,' declares Jehovah, 'thoughts of peace, and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope. 12  And you will call me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.' 13 "'You will seek me and find me, for you will search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will let you find me,' declares Jehovah. 'And I will gather your captives and collect you together out of all the nations and places to which I have dispersed you,' declares Jehovah. 'And I will bring you back to the place from which I caused you to go into exile.'

Read that, when God approves you, the struggle is not in vain, and it's not forever. God wants to develop your faith and strengthen his army. You have a future, and there is hope no matter what. Create something and go exercise. Allow yourself to see Jehovah's promise for your life.