Details:
Join FRP TV as we chop it up with Jamaica's own Voicemail and Mr Peppa LIVE on Thursday June 23rd at 8:45 PM. Don't miss their live perormance of their new music only on FRP TV.
About Voicemail:
Voicemail is a dancehall, reggae group that hails from the heart of Kingston and who is synonymous with producing a sound unlike any other in the island.
It was at a talent show in the late 90's that five young men with a similar interest became acquainted and decided to form the boy band "Voicemail". However as time passed by and the road to success seemed to stretch out, two of the members ran out of patience and decided to leave the group. This left only Kevin Blair, Craig Jackson and O'Neil Edwards to continue on under the name Voicemail. The group committed to practicing at least once a week, and this determination led them to hold on to their dreams of success.
It was in 2003 that the trio began recording, and their first recording was with radio personality Arif Cooper, on "Never Really Want To Let You Go". Their first local hit however was with "Weh Di Time" and riding on this success, they went on to produce a string of singles with accompanying videos such as "Gal Hunt", "She Want It Harder", "Ready To Party", and "Wacky Dip". They also began performing at various events locally, featuring at Spring Fest 2004, Fully Loaded and at Reggae Sumfest in 2004 and 2005. Their popularity steadily grew as they were the group to watch with their ever-evolving dance routines and permissive lyrics.
On July 18th, 2006, the group released their first album "Hey" with VP Records which was an overwhelming success as it sold heavily both locally and internationally. They quickly released a second album titled "Let's Go", which was distributed by Japan's Pony Canon Label. With their third album "Jump Off", the band tried to go in a different direction as this album which was released in July 2008, contained no dance songs, for which the group had become synonymous. This did nothing to decrease their popularity however as they grew in popularity in Japan and this is how they went on to perform at Japan's largest reggae festival "Yokohama Reggae SAI". The group took the festival by storm and solidified their international status as dancehall and style icons.
Since then, Voicemail has gone on to perform extensively in the Caribbean, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas. They have also amassed a large following in the US and Europe.
The group was dealt a hard hand in May 2010 as O'Neil Edwards was shot at his home in Duhaney Park and even after undergoing immediate surgery, he succumbed to his injures after two weeks and passed away on May 26th. The remaining two members of the group however, are committed to continue producing music and keeping the memory of their fallen brother alive.
About Mr Peppa:
On February 29, 1980 in Kingston Jamaica, Arael Jahzeel Walters, a.k.a. Mr. Peppa was born. The ninth of eleven children, Mr. Peppa grew up in Bedward Pastures, Papine under the love, guidance and positive nurturing of his father Dennis Walters and his mother Alice Johnson.Although he had a strong love and passion for music, particularly performing, education was foremost on his mind as his aspirations were either to join the army to study civil aviation or to enter into the real estate business. His honing at Hope Valley Experimental Primary and Excelsior High School only served to cement his foundation in both career paths.
While in High School, his passion for music intensified and he began to focus more on perfecting his talent, additional confirmation came in the form of encouragement from friends who drummed up beats on blackboards and desks in the classroom, as Mr. Peppa rode the rhythms. Spurred on by his mother, a natural singer, and oldest brother Steelie from the Steelie & Cleevie famed duo, Mr. Peppa was further compelled to pursue a career as an entertainer; and from henceforth music became his only desire.
Mr. Peppa started recording professionally in 1995 while still in school. Ambition driven, the aspiring DJ embarked on his first induction into the realities of Reggae music. A persistent Mr. Peppa would walk from stage show to stage show, performing whenever he could and sleeping at various studios. Adamant that he would be given the opportunity to be voiced and taken seriously as an artist, he recalls “It was tough building a name, and getting to work with a good producer and label”. A year later Mr. Peppa recorded his first single entitled ‘Mi Sharp’ on the Trevor Gordon label. Although not attracting much airplay, the taste of what could be was overwhelming. Determined to take his place in the music business, Mr. Peppa fueled his passion in the studio and continued to dedicate his time to his art-form.
In 2000 the youngster recorded ‘Don Cinderella’ for Steelie & Cleevie on the Bitter Blood rhythm, which created a buzz. Natural Bridge Records was so impressed by Mr. Peppa’s vocal delivery and unique style that they instantaneously signed the young artist. Mr. Peppa later recorded on the Bad Weather rhythm for Steelie & Cleevie and ‘Peppa Dis Peppa Dat’ on Natural Bridge’s Resilience rhythm.
The year 2003 was a bright one for the DJ, it was in this time that he recorded the ladies anthem, ‘Good, Good Gone’, which led him to perform on numerous events such as Fully Loaded, G.T. Christmas Extravaganza, and Bling Dawg Summer Jam as well as a host of top Jamaican night spots including the world renowned, Asylum and Amnesia.
By 2004, the DJ’s foundations were firmly set and his presence in the business secured his elevation as a budding DJ with high prospects. The studio saw him more often than not; and it was at this time that he recorded his signature tunes, ‘Baby Dem’ on the Beach rhythm, ‘You So Proud’ and ‘All You Need to Know’, which featured Christopher from BYG Family Musik. Mr. Peppa later voiced ‘Gal Journey’ and ‘Guy Ting’ on the Natural Bridge label.
In 2006 Mr. Peppa got his big international break with his mega hits ‘Talk’ and ‘Gangsta Guerilla’ both night club anthems, with heavy radio rotation and the most requested video plays across the globe. The acquisition of Dancehall music’s seal of approval ensured that Mr. Peppa became a household name and legend in the Dancehall’s musical fraternity. The versatile Mr. Peppa pens lyrics from various scenarios of everyday life – e.g. street politics, ladies anthems and social commentary and attributes that to planning, “The challenge is to keep current, to always be able to renew your concepts”, he explains. Mr. Peppa became a driving force among Dancehall artists and will be for some time to come.
He and his long time friend DJ Smurf, who was at Hot 102 FM at the time, teamed up, produced and released the 80-track mix CD, ‘DJ Smurf Introducing Mr. Peppa’. The mix CD, which featured 12 hot tracks from Mr. Peppa on 10 of the hottest beats, was a hot item. The mix CD, which also featured some of Jamaica’s top entertainers, has been distributed across the globe including in Japan, London, The Caribbean, Europe and the USA.
Mr. Peppa has collaborated with some of the most talented artists currently on the Dancehall scene to include, Mavado, Erupt, Wayne Marshall, Tony Curtis, Ward 21, Tony Matterhorn, Bounty Killer amongst others, and has worked with a plethora of producers over the past few years to include, Akiliboy of BYG Family, Shams, Red Rat, DIA, Birch, Hawkeye, DJ Karim Truck Back Records, VP Records, Green -Sleeve Records and many others. His live tour record boasts of his exploits in the U.S.A., England, Surinam, French Guyana, Bermuda and Grenada. Recently in 2013, the Dj returned from a U.S.A. tour which was successful, and now looks forward to upcoming shows with Bounty Killer, Chonixx, Baby Cham and Sizzla during the year.
Currently, Mr. Peppa has new singles out, ‘My Cologne’ under Fantan Mojah’s Mack Tree label, ‘Plead My Cause’ produced by Ward 21, ‘All Out’ ft. Motion produced by Beat Links, ‘You Can Testify’. In addition, to reinforce this interesting mix of singles, the Dj has currently bubbling in the streets a solo single called, ‘Real Galist’ on the ‘Beach Trip’ rhythm produced through ‘Khaotik Records’, with collaborations including Dj Hustla- ‘Love The Girls Dem’ on the ‘Bell Foot’ rhythm, a ‘Cash Flow’ records production, Paul Elliott- ‘Been a Long Time’ supported on a the ‘Born and Raised In Ghetto’ rhythm, marketed under the ‘Gemtar’ label, another collaboration with Prince Pin called ‘Nuh New Friend’ on the ‘Sunlight Party Rhythm- ‘BlackSpyda’ label the hot single with Bounty Killer called , ‘Grung Gaad Gorilla’ on the ‘Party Spree’ rhythm produced by ‘Payday Music’. In addition, the maestro has added to his arsenal ‘Real Guerilla’ on the ‘Bomba’ rhythm produced by ‘Truck Back Records’, ‘Dolla Sign’ produced by ‘Front-step Records’, a Canadian- Jamaican based label, and ‘Maddest Whine’ on the ‘Bike Ryda’ rhythm produced by ‘Fire-side Entertainment’ and ‘Cris Yard Rock’.
As his career evolves, Mr. Peppa now sees it fit to venture into the acquisition of his own label and the compilation of an album; he states “I think I am at that stage of my career where I can now treat it not just as an art-form, but also as a business” .He adds, “My aim is also to explore other styles to my presentation like singing and recording on more ‘One-drop’ rhythms”. The maestro is one of the most prolific and rounded artiste and will be a force to be reckon with for years to come.
About Voicemail:
Voicemail is a dancehall, reggae group that hails from the heart of Kingston and who is synonymous with producing a sound unlike any other in the island.
It was at a talent show in the late 90's that five young men with a similar interest became acquainted and decided to form the boy band "Voicemail". However as time passed by and the road to success seemed to stretch out, two of the members ran out of patience and decided to leave the group. This left only Kevin Blair, Craig Jackson and O'Neil Edwards to continue on under the name Voicemail. The group committed to practicing at least once a week, and this determination led them to hold on to their dreams of success.
It was in 2003 that the trio began recording, and their first recording was with radio personality Arif Cooper, on "Never Really Want To Let You Go". Their first local hit however was with "Weh Di Time" and riding on this success, they went on to produce a string of singles with accompanying videos such as "Gal Hunt", "She Want It Harder", "Ready To Party", and "Wacky Dip". They also began performing at various events locally, featuring at Spring Fest 2004, Fully Loaded and at Reggae Sumfest in 2004 and 2005. Their popularity steadily grew as they were the group to watch with their ever-evolving dance routines and permissive lyrics.
On July 18th, 2006, the group released their first album "Hey" with VP Records which was an overwhelming success as it sold heavily both locally and internationally. They quickly released a second album titled "Let's Go", which was distributed by Japan's Pony Canon Label. With their third album "Jump Off", the band tried to go in a different direction as this album which was released in July 2008, contained no dance songs, for which the group had become synonymous. This did nothing to decrease their popularity however as they grew in popularity in Japan and this is how they went on to perform at Japan's largest reggae festival "Yokohama Reggae SAI". The group took the festival by storm and solidified their international status as dancehall and style icons.
Since then, Voicemail has gone on to perform extensively in the Caribbean, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas. They have also amassed a large following in the US and Europe.
The group was dealt a hard hand in May 2010 as O'Neil Edwards was shot at his home in Duhaney Park and even after undergoing immediate surgery, he succumbed to his injures after two weeks and passed away on May 26th. The remaining two members of the group however, are committed to continue producing music and keeping the memory of their fallen brother alive.
About Mr Peppa:
On February 29, 1980 in Kingston Jamaica, Arael Jahzeel Walters, a.k.a. Mr. Peppa was born. The ninth of eleven children, Mr. Peppa grew up in Bedward Pastures, Papine under the love, guidance and positive nurturing of his father Dennis Walters and his mother Alice Johnson.Although he had a strong love and passion for music, particularly performing, education was foremost on his mind as his aspirations were either to join the army to study civil aviation or to enter into the real estate business. His honing at Hope Valley Experimental Primary and Excelsior High School only served to cement his foundation in both career paths.
While in High School, his passion for music intensified and he began to focus more on perfecting his talent, additional confirmation came in the form of encouragement from friends who drummed up beats on blackboards and desks in the classroom, as Mr. Peppa rode the rhythms. Spurred on by his mother, a natural singer, and oldest brother Steelie from the Steelie & Cleevie famed duo, Mr. Peppa was further compelled to pursue a career as an entertainer; and from henceforth music became his only desire.
Mr. Peppa started recording professionally in 1995 while still in school. Ambition driven, the aspiring DJ embarked on his first induction into the realities of Reggae music. A persistent Mr. Peppa would walk from stage show to stage show, performing whenever he could and sleeping at various studios. Adamant that he would be given the opportunity to be voiced and taken seriously as an artist, he recalls “It was tough building a name, and getting to work with a good producer and label”. A year later Mr. Peppa recorded his first single entitled ‘Mi Sharp’ on the Trevor Gordon label. Although not attracting much airplay, the taste of what could be was overwhelming. Determined to take his place in the music business, Mr. Peppa fueled his passion in the studio and continued to dedicate his time to his art-form.
In 2000 the youngster recorded ‘Don Cinderella’ for Steelie & Cleevie on the Bitter Blood rhythm, which created a buzz. Natural Bridge Records was so impressed by Mr. Peppa’s vocal delivery and unique style that they instantaneously signed the young artist. Mr. Peppa later recorded on the Bad Weather rhythm for Steelie & Cleevie and ‘Peppa Dis Peppa Dat’ on Natural Bridge’s Resilience rhythm.
The year 2003 was a bright one for the DJ, it was in this time that he recorded the ladies anthem, ‘Good, Good Gone’, which led him to perform on numerous events such as Fully Loaded, G.T. Christmas Extravaganza, and Bling Dawg Summer Jam as well as a host of top Jamaican night spots including the world renowned, Asylum and Amnesia.
By 2004, the DJ’s foundations were firmly set and his presence in the business secured his elevation as a budding DJ with high prospects. The studio saw him more often than not; and it was at this time that he recorded his signature tunes, ‘Baby Dem’ on the Beach rhythm, ‘You So Proud’ and ‘All You Need to Know’, which featured Christopher from BYG Family Musik. Mr. Peppa later voiced ‘Gal Journey’ and ‘Guy Ting’ on the Natural Bridge label.
In 2006 Mr. Peppa got his big international break with his mega hits ‘Talk’ and ‘Gangsta Guerilla’ both night club anthems, with heavy radio rotation and the most requested video plays across the globe. The acquisition of Dancehall music’s seal of approval ensured that Mr. Peppa became a household name and legend in the Dancehall’s musical fraternity. The versatile Mr. Peppa pens lyrics from various scenarios of everyday life – e.g. street politics, ladies anthems and social commentary and attributes that to planning, “The challenge is to keep current, to always be able to renew your concepts”, he explains. Mr. Peppa became a driving force among Dancehall artists and will be for some time to come.
He and his long time friend DJ Smurf, who was at Hot 102 FM at the time, teamed up, produced and released the 80-track mix CD, ‘DJ Smurf Introducing Mr. Peppa’. The mix CD, which featured 12 hot tracks from Mr. Peppa on 10 of the hottest beats, was a hot item. The mix CD, which also featured some of Jamaica’s top entertainers, has been distributed across the globe including in Japan, London, The Caribbean, Europe and the USA.
Mr. Peppa has collaborated with some of the most talented artists currently on the Dancehall scene to include, Mavado, Erupt, Wayne Marshall, Tony Curtis, Ward 21, Tony Matterhorn, Bounty Killer amongst others, and has worked with a plethora of producers over the past few years to include, Akiliboy of BYG Family, Shams, Red Rat, DIA, Birch, Hawkeye, DJ Karim Truck Back Records, VP Records, Green -Sleeve Records and many others. His live tour record boasts of his exploits in the U.S.A., England, Surinam, French Guyana, Bermuda and Grenada. Recently in 2013, the Dj returned from a U.S.A. tour which was successful, and now looks forward to upcoming shows with Bounty Killer, Chonixx, Baby Cham and Sizzla during the year.
Currently, Mr. Peppa has new singles out, ‘My Cologne’ under Fantan Mojah’s Mack Tree label, ‘Plead My Cause’ produced by Ward 21, ‘All Out’ ft. Motion produced by Beat Links, ‘You Can Testify’. In addition, to reinforce this interesting mix of singles, the Dj has currently bubbling in the streets a solo single called, ‘Real Galist’ on the ‘Beach Trip’ rhythm produced through ‘Khaotik Records’, with collaborations including Dj Hustla- ‘Love The Girls Dem’ on the ‘Bell Foot’ rhythm, a ‘Cash Flow’ records production, Paul Elliott- ‘Been a Long Time’ supported on a the ‘Born and Raised In Ghetto’ rhythm, marketed under the ‘Gemtar’ label, another collaboration with Prince Pin called ‘Nuh New Friend’ on the ‘Sunlight Party Rhythm- ‘BlackSpyda’ label the hot single with Bounty Killer called , ‘Grung Gaad Gorilla’ on the ‘Party Spree’ rhythm produced by ‘Payday Music’. In addition, the maestro has added to his arsenal ‘Real Guerilla’ on the ‘Bomba’ rhythm produced by ‘Truck Back Records’, ‘Dolla Sign’ produced by ‘Front-step Records’, a Canadian- Jamaican based label, and ‘Maddest Whine’ on the ‘Bike Ryda’ rhythm produced by ‘Fire-side Entertainment’ and ‘Cris Yard Rock’.
As his career evolves, Mr. Peppa now sees it fit to venture into the acquisition of his own label and the compilation of an album; he states “I think I am at that stage of my career where I can now treat it not just as an art-form, but also as a business” .He adds, “My aim is also to explore other styles to my presentation like singing and recording on more ‘One-drop’ rhythms”. The maestro is one of the most prolific and rounded artiste and will be a force to be reckon with for years to come.
