ALBUM DESCRIPTION

It is an honor to introduce you to the next big thing in gospel reggae, a hardcore dancehall artist that is set to blow up in London City and the rest of the world! Upon first listen, one may think that he is hearing the legendary Spragga Benz or General Degree, but don't be mistaken, this deejay is none other than Mr. Peddie, AKA Shadrach. Hailing from the United Kingdom, this skilled flow master is not to be ignored. With his debut album "Ashes to Ashes," Shadrach is set to turn the gospel dancehall market upside-down--and that's a good thing!

ARTIS BIO:

Born to Jamaican parents and raised with five other siblings in the tough part of London, like his namesake, Shadrach has "been through the fire." He grew up on Kellett Rd., in the heart of Brixton. It is a city filled with Jamaican immigrants where, "you needed to have a so called 'rude boy attitude' just to fit in," said Shadrach. "Most of my friends were like minded, and we were involved in a lot of criminal activities, such as robbery of all sorts, burglary, drugs selling and using. My lifestyle was causing a lot of distress to my family, as they did not raise me in this manner I was the black sheep of the family. My mother always feared for my life and thought every time I left the house this might be the last time she would see me."

In the midst of this madness, Shadrach always had a passion for music. At the age of 15, he started to MC on all the local sound systems and quickly gained a good reputation among the ranks earning him onstage appearances with various popular artists. As he continued in his downward spiral, he eventually found himself associating with notorious gangsters and villains, experiencing far too many close calls that could have easily cut his life short.

"One by one my friends was killed in gang wars," stated Shadrach, "I'm here but by the Grace of God! Every time I left my house I came across someone telling me 'Jesus Loves you'. Even if I was in a large group of people, they seemed to single me out with that message. One day I was walking through my neighborhood and heard some lively music and thought I'd have a closer look, it turned out to be a gospel outreach and before I left, a man named Alex lead me in the sinners prayer."

This is where Shadrach's true story begins. Two months later on August 15th, 1999, he visited his church and truly gave his life to Jesus. He has never looked back since. It was "ashes to ashes and dust to dust." The old man has been replaced by the new. As he boldly stated in his CD insert, DJ Shadrach has become a "New Creation," (II Corinthians 5:17). God gave him the peace that he had always been searching for. The new Shadrach is now a happily married man with three children and an absolutely amazing first album.

SONG BY SONG REVIEW:

After a "Natural Mystic" intro, this pure dancehall album kicks off with the hard-stomping groove of "Born Again," a BIG TUNE that gets its chorus from the ever popular Jamaican church hymn. I simply cannot stop repeating this massive track! On "Zombie," Shadrach puts some more "Yardcore" flavor in his authoritative Jamaican dancehall flex. With his deep voice and thick patois, he commands your attention--and then keeps it throughout the whole album. This track is beyond that of recent recordings by General Degree and Spragga Benz.

A bubbling steppers beat kicks off track four with a classic Barrington Levy bass-line that is sure to get you out of your seat and grooving with the rest of the party. You'd better turn the air conditioner on high in an attempt to cool the blaze as Shadrach spits hotter than red on "Lose Your Soul"--WOE! The pounding club favorites continue with a contemporary dancehall take on the age-old Niyabinghi beat. But be warned, this artist is not singing about "bullfrogs and butterflies" as songs like "Vanity" include some hardcore, yet very relevant rebukes for this day and age.

On "Ashes to Ashes," Shadrach is boasting unapologetic hardcore dancehall tracks such as the militant title track. When it comes to his deejay style, Shadrach's almost effortless technique is to be greatly admired. Next up, Shadrach's hectic pace of toasting is contrasted by the sweet vocals of his wife on "Jesus is the Way." After a short break, the album steps up a notch with another guest appearance, this time from Adrian Joseph. On this raggamuffin hip-hop hit it is clear that we are overcomers through "the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony." By now I have realized that I don��?���¯��?���¿��?���½t think I can clearly express in words how good this album truly is!

After rapidly panting his unwavering message of repentance in a thick patois interlude, Shadrach continues with his hardest of hardcore riddims on "Bogus." But this young deejay doesn't just bring up the problems, he gives you THE Solution. On tracks 13-16 you get the message of salvation courtesy of various pastors and some tight songs. It is awesome to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ presented to the reggae audience in such a unique of way. Take my advice; don't just buy one of these albums, buy two and give one of 'em away to a non-Christian friend that likes reggae. This is a musical tract.

While the album may not come in the best packaging, please ignore the rushed artwork job, this one is all about the music, and this album runs tings! This is undoubtedly one of my top dancehall picks of this year. I can't get enough and you won't be able to either! Produced by the veteran Mikey Spence, "Ashes to Ashes" is not another Jamaican artist trying to sound American or sing gospel. This isn't reggae-lite for all of you diet-reggae lovers. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL. It is hardcore Jamaican dancehall done by a Jamaican in thick Jamaican patios. If you don't want to buy a copy of this mind-blowing album today, grab some Q-tips, clean that wax out of your ears and listen to those Real Audio clips one more time. If you like dancehall, you will love this album, I am willing to stake my entire reputation on this one!

Review by Mark Mohr