ALBUM DESCRIPTION

ALBUM REVIEWS

Just the other day I was having a casual phone conversation with one of today's popular gospel reggae artists and I asked him the same question that I consistently ask everyone in the gospel reggae scene; "Are there any new artists or albums that we may be missing here at gospel reggae."

He said, "Yeah, Peninsilyn! He's the hottest new voice in gospel reggae."

"Peninsula?" I inquired.

"No, Peninsilyn", He insisted!

"You mean like the drug Penicillin?" I asked.

"Yeah but it's Peninsilyn," He repeated.

I asked him to spell the name and he was stumped but he insisted that this artist with a confusing name was the hottest thing since sliced bread. This sparked my curiosity. I eventually managed to hunt down the man who calls himself "Stefan Peninsilyn." Born Stavan White in Kingston, Jamaica I assure you that this deejay is one of the most promising new voices on the gospel reggae scene.

When I first popped in the CD I was taken aback by the subdued singing intro to the first track "Rock of Ages". To be honest it's not the strongest way to kick off an album... but then it hit me! Just a little over a minute into the song the music jumps into a soca/dancehall beat and Peninsilyn the deejay grabs the microphone with unparalleled authority. With a comedic flow and unique tone he is a throwback to the golden age of dancehall by artists like Professor Nuts, Admiral Bailey or General Degree. After just three minutes I am already convinced that we have something very original here. This guy is BAAAD!

He manages to step things up a notch with track two when he insists that we "Don't go inna the Devil bedroom!" This is an instant classic. This dancehall has no expiry date! After this Stefan raises the bar once more and blesses us with the title track "The Peninsilyn." If you aren't stuck singing this one for months on end then you need to have your hearing checked! This is such a clever song with brilliant lyrics and an unstoppable hook.

From here, Stefan sings some Caribbean Gospel on "The Dream". His singing voice sounds surprisingly similar to secular sensation Sanchez. After this he is joined by the sweet vocal stylings of Pastor Philip Reid on "Backitive" sung over the traditional "Death in the Arena" riddim. This track is destined to be another timeless gospel reggae tune.

Overall, this is a strong album through and through. Whether you like upbeat culture like "God Army" or Marley covers rewritten inna Christian style like "Lord Come" (One Love) there is something for everyone. Stand out tracks include the comedic yet sobering Dub Poetry">dub poetry of "What a Something" and "Hold My Hand", a contemporary Sean Paul-like dancehall cut produced by Dr. Dizzle that features 2nd Chance.

Stand up and pay attention for there is a new voice in the gospel reggae arena that is sure to take this genre by storm. The raw talent in this cat simply cannot be ignored. With the right producer and song selection he could easily blow up like DJ Nicholas, Mr. Lynx, Sherwin or St. Matthew. It's rare that you hear new talent that is so promising. By your copy today and find out what all the buzz is about!