Details:
Join D-Life as he sit down with Reggae's newset sensation Christopher Martin On Tuesday May 12th at 8PM EST. Ladies this one's for you so be sure to tune in LIVE only on www.FranchiseRecordPool.com/frptv.
Bio:
Ten years ago an extraordinarily gifted teenaged singer named Christopher Martin catapulted to fame across Jamaica with his victory on Television Jamaica’s (TVJ’s) popular talent competition Rising Stars, sponsored by telecommunications giant, Digicel. Since that celebrated triumph Christopher has established a thriving recording career that commenced with the single “Love Is All We Need” (a part of Digicel’s 2005 Christmas campaign) and annually yields several self-penned hit songs. Balancing sweetness, swagger and sex appeal on such massive singles as “Change Me Plans” and “Cheaters Prayer”, Christopher has emerged as arguably the finest lovers rock crooner of his generation while “Jah Is In It” and “Look on My Face” convey the plight of the sufferers, further securing his stature as one of reggae’s most well-rounded and sought after artists.
Versatility and vocal excellence characterize Chris’s debut EP for VP Records, “Steppin Razor”, due on April 21, 2015. The title track, produced by Frankie Music, isn’t the 1977 Peter Tosh classic (written by the late Joe Higgs, a mentor to Tosh and the legendary reggae group The Wailers) although it champions a kindred spirit of invincibility, in this case Martin’s unrivaled appeal to the ladies. “Tosh’s song had a militancy, cutting down inequality but I am saying a steppin razor is sharper than the rest, it is having so much confidence in yourself that whatever you are doing you are going to be sharp in it, whether it is with women, school work or how you dress,” Chris explains. “It has nothing to do with money, it all boils down to the belief in yourself, confidence and high self esteem.”
Even as a child Christopher Martin possessed unshakable confidence in his vocal abilities. Born on February 14th (Valentine's Day) in 1987 in the tiny rural community of Back Pasture, St. Catherine, and raised in a devoutly Christian family, Chris’s talent was initially recognized when he was just 5 years old, singing in the church choir. He continued to refine his vocal skills, first at Watermount All-Age School and then at St. Jago High School, winning numerous awards along the way. As his high school years came to a close, Chris was certain of his career path and his friends convinced him that Rising Stars was the appropriate vehicle for beginning that journey.
Martin attributes his smooth transition from TV talent competition winner to successful recording artist (a feat that has eluded other talented contest victors in the Caribbean and beyond) to determination and basic hard work. “Talent is overrated, it is all about your work ethic,” Chris declares. “The very first time I saw a change in my life was with music, that is when I realized it could become my source of survival, a means of helping my family and friends and there was no way I was going to let it pass me. So I went out there, found people to work with me and put everything I have into it, 150%. I think that is what separates people who really want something from people who just think they deserve it.”
In 2006 Chris joined forces with Kingston based Big Yard Music Group, Ltd, the record/production/management company founded by Shaggy, his longstanding manager Robert Livingston and producer Sting International (Shaggy and Livingston parted ways in 2011). At the time Livingston was too busy handle Chris’s career so that responsibility went to Big Yard’s Lydon ''Kingy" Lettman (Kingyard Productions) who has managed the singer for the past nine years. Observing the professionalism that Big Yard personnel applied to their various interactions provided a significant education for Martin in the fledgling stages of his career. “I watched how they would put their music together, or I would see Shaggy come off a tour, go to the studio to work on a song, then run to catch a plane to another show, all of that prepped me for the hard work involved before you reach the glory stage and made me look forward to touring and the experience of performing in front of a crowd that doesn’t speak your language,” Martin said.
Chris has since toured several countries including Japan were he released his self-titled debut album in 2011 on the Rockers Island imprint and maintains a large, loyal fan base. He has also toured North America and all over Europe including an eight-nation tour with platinum selling German Reggae superstar Gentleman, his collaborator on the hit “To The Top”. “That tour opened so many doors for me and made me realize the level reggae music can reach,” Chris remarked. “We were with acts that perform on rock festivals, not just reggae acts, so when I came back to Jamaica it gave me the added determination to go out of the boundaries so from then I just started firing.”
Chris fires with formidable skill on each of Steppin Razor’s songs. The upbeat “We A Di Vibes”, produced by TJ Records, gets the party started. On the sultry “Secret Love (Creep)”, produced by ZJ Dymond, Chris, while not encouraging cheating, nonetheless concedes, “nah tell you fi sneak, but if you a go sneak, girl, sneak, come love me…and if your man find out and waan walk out, girl be with me”, his passionate vocals bringing a renewed urgency to this well worn, and (he admits) somewhat self-centered plea.
“Hide Away”, written and produced by the legendary Clive Hunt (whose credits include Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, Grace Jones, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff and VP Records’ Etana), is the first song Chris has recorded that he didn’t write. However he makes it all his own, incomparably delivering a swell of tender emotions over an irresistible, shuffling reggae beat. “Hide Away” is also featured on the soundtrack to the romantic drama “Destiny”, released in late 2013, starring Chris as an aspiring singer attempting to navigate the music industry. “Destiny” made history as the longest continually running movie in Jamaica, surpassing box office records set by Hollywood blockbusters and the Jamaica made uber-violent gangster tales that have unfortunately become nearly synonymous with the island’s cinema. “Destiny showed that Jamaicans were ready for something different because it’s a film about us really loving each other so I am happy I was a part of it,” Chris notes. “Hide Away is the kind of song that will last for a lifetime so my children can grow up and say daddy did this and I am all about leaving a legacy and making lasting music.”
Christopher Martin has done just that with Steppin Razor and as the late stepping razor Peter Tosh would say, he is consistently “well sharp”.
Bio:
Ten years ago an extraordinarily gifted teenaged singer named Christopher Martin catapulted to fame across Jamaica with his victory on Television Jamaica’s (TVJ’s) popular talent competition Rising Stars, sponsored by telecommunications giant, Digicel. Since that celebrated triumph Christopher has established a thriving recording career that commenced with the single “Love Is All We Need” (a part of Digicel’s 2005 Christmas campaign) and annually yields several self-penned hit songs. Balancing sweetness, swagger and sex appeal on such massive singles as “Change Me Plans” and “Cheaters Prayer”, Christopher has emerged as arguably the finest lovers rock crooner of his generation while “Jah Is In It” and “Look on My Face” convey the plight of the sufferers, further securing his stature as one of reggae’s most well-rounded and sought after artists.
Versatility and vocal excellence characterize Chris’s debut EP for VP Records, “Steppin Razor”, due on April 21, 2015. The title track, produced by Frankie Music, isn’t the 1977 Peter Tosh classic (written by the late Joe Higgs, a mentor to Tosh and the legendary reggae group The Wailers) although it champions a kindred spirit of invincibility, in this case Martin’s unrivaled appeal to the ladies. “Tosh’s song had a militancy, cutting down inequality but I am saying a steppin razor is sharper than the rest, it is having so much confidence in yourself that whatever you are doing you are going to be sharp in it, whether it is with women, school work or how you dress,” Chris explains. “It has nothing to do with money, it all boils down to the belief in yourself, confidence and high self esteem.”
Even as a child Christopher Martin possessed unshakable confidence in his vocal abilities. Born on February 14th (Valentine's Day) in 1987 in the tiny rural community of Back Pasture, St. Catherine, and raised in a devoutly Christian family, Chris’s talent was initially recognized when he was just 5 years old, singing in the church choir. He continued to refine his vocal skills, first at Watermount All-Age School and then at St. Jago High School, winning numerous awards along the way. As his high school years came to a close, Chris was certain of his career path and his friends convinced him that Rising Stars was the appropriate vehicle for beginning that journey.
Martin attributes his smooth transition from TV talent competition winner to successful recording artist (a feat that has eluded other talented contest victors in the Caribbean and beyond) to determination and basic hard work. “Talent is overrated, it is all about your work ethic,” Chris declares. “The very first time I saw a change in my life was with music, that is when I realized it could become my source of survival, a means of helping my family and friends and there was no way I was going to let it pass me. So I went out there, found people to work with me and put everything I have into it, 150%. I think that is what separates people who really want something from people who just think they deserve it.”
In 2006 Chris joined forces with Kingston based Big Yard Music Group, Ltd, the record/production/management company founded by Shaggy, his longstanding manager Robert Livingston and producer Sting International (Shaggy and Livingston parted ways in 2011). At the time Livingston was too busy handle Chris’s career so that responsibility went to Big Yard’s Lydon ''Kingy" Lettman (Kingyard Productions) who has managed the singer for the past nine years. Observing the professionalism that Big Yard personnel applied to their various interactions provided a significant education for Martin in the fledgling stages of his career. “I watched how they would put their music together, or I would see Shaggy come off a tour, go to the studio to work on a song, then run to catch a plane to another show, all of that prepped me for the hard work involved before you reach the glory stage and made me look forward to touring and the experience of performing in front of a crowd that doesn’t speak your language,” Martin said.
Chris has since toured several countries including Japan were he released his self-titled debut album in 2011 on the Rockers Island imprint and maintains a large, loyal fan base. He has also toured North America and all over Europe including an eight-nation tour with platinum selling German Reggae superstar Gentleman, his collaborator on the hit “To The Top”. “That tour opened so many doors for me and made me realize the level reggae music can reach,” Chris remarked. “We were with acts that perform on rock festivals, not just reggae acts, so when I came back to Jamaica it gave me the added determination to go out of the boundaries so from then I just started firing.”
Chris fires with formidable skill on each of Steppin Razor’s songs. The upbeat “We A Di Vibes”, produced by TJ Records, gets the party started. On the sultry “Secret Love (Creep)”, produced by ZJ Dymond, Chris, while not encouraging cheating, nonetheless concedes, “nah tell you fi sneak, but if you a go sneak, girl, sneak, come love me…and if your man find out and waan walk out, girl be with me”, his passionate vocals bringing a renewed urgency to this well worn, and (he admits) somewhat self-centered plea.
“Hide Away”, written and produced by the legendary Clive Hunt (whose credits include Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, Grace Jones, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff and VP Records’ Etana), is the first song Chris has recorded that he didn’t write. However he makes it all his own, incomparably delivering a swell of tender emotions over an irresistible, shuffling reggae beat. “Hide Away” is also featured on the soundtrack to the romantic drama “Destiny”, released in late 2013, starring Chris as an aspiring singer attempting to navigate the music industry. “Destiny” made history as the longest continually running movie in Jamaica, surpassing box office records set by Hollywood blockbusters and the Jamaica made uber-violent gangster tales that have unfortunately become nearly synonymous with the island’s cinema. “Destiny showed that Jamaicans were ready for something different because it’s a film about us really loving each other so I am happy I was a part of it,” Chris notes. “Hide Away is the kind of song that will last for a lifetime so my children can grow up and say daddy did this and I am all about leaving a legacy and making lasting music.”
Christopher Martin has done just that with Steppin Razor and as the late stepping razor Peter Tosh would say, he is consistently “well sharp”.
