EXCLUSIVE + GOSPEL GREAT :: Meet & Listen to Papa San, The Highly-Revered International Gospel Reggae/Dancehall Sensation

Papa San is a big and respected name in gospel reggae/dancehall. He is one man whom a lot of reggae acts have as a light bearer in gospel 'reggaedom'.

His tracks are beautiful sonic pieces that reverberates God's presence

Today, in line with our #GospelReggaeWeekend theme, we are getting you familiar with this gospel reggae phenomenon and preparing you for a couple of tracks we will be dropping from him right here on Gospel City Naija.

He is an ex secular artiste that went gospel and has stayed and thrilled with the gospel. Get to know about him right here!

Papa San is a former reggae/dancehall artist turned gospel singer, from Jamaica but based in Weston, Florida, USA.

Born in 1966, he was raised by his Rastafarian grandmother and turned to Christianity in 1997.[3] This is also reflected in his style, as he started off as a true dancehall deejay, later adopting traits of Gospel and Christian music.

He is the brother of Dirtsman, who was murdered in 1993. He has six children and lives in Weston, Florida with five of them and his wife, Debbie Thompson.

Papa San sponsors a concert known as Papa San and friends, to raise funds for orphanages in rural Jamaica. Since becoming a Christian over ten years ago, he has continued to produce his roots reggae sound, but with the message of Christ to the beat instead of his previously popular secular music.

In 2011, Papa San and his wife, having been ordained ministers of the Gospel, were launched into pastoral ministry and started "Our Fathers Kingdom International Ministries." O.F.K. is dedicated to the expansion of the Kingdom of God.

He spent most of his early years in Spanish Town, and began his career with the Small Axe and Creation sound systems. He is one of the most creative DJs in the world and probably the fastest. "Animal Party" on Black Solidarity and "Talking Parrot" for Rosie's Uprising were two of his earliest releases, and were characterized by imaginative lyrics and a quick-fire delivery partly inspired by UK MCs on the Saxon sound system. 

He recorded cultural material and many accounts of ghetto life and descriptions of local characters during the next two years for Isiah Laing's Supreme label, Bunny Lee, Prince Jazzbo, Harmodio, King Jammy and King Tubby, among others. "DJ Business" was an eight-minute tour de force telling the history of reggae DJs that was recorded for Fashion Records in London, after a brief but successful period in New York with the African Love and Papa Mike sets. It was supposedly recorded in one take and is still a demonstration of his unique ability. Fashion later paired him with Tippa Irie for their JA To UK MC Clash (Volume 2) . He spent the next two years recording in Jamaica.

 Having had his first smash while still just a teenager in the mid-80s, Papa San’s phenomenal, ongoing reign on international music charts earned him the nickname Marathon Man, as it was not uncommon for him to simultaneously hold down several positions in the Top 10 at any given time, as well as to long runs at No.1 that still no reggae or Dancehall artist to date has surpassed.

In 1994 he filled dance floors around the world with The Programme, which also hit the top of the Billboard dance chart. Smash hits like I Will Survive, Legal Rights, Strange and Maddy Maddy Cry, among many others, brought Papa San a huge audience in all the Caribbean Islands and around the world in Japan, Europe, Africa, the U.S. and more throughout the 80s and 90s. In fact, before giving his life to the Lord and being baptized in the faith in 1997, Papa San was a popular figure in American rap circles, being credited as a pioneer by a host of rap superstars.

Later connecting with fans of American hip-hop, Papa San landed numerous videos in heavy rotation on MTV. More recently, he has made guest appearances and shared stages with Gospel Titans, the likes of Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Trin-t-ee 5:7, Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, and BeBe & CeCe Winans.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD "Maddy Mad Cry" by PAPA SAN

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD " Hail Him" by Papa San 

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