Mr Peppa at work in a studio.

Mr Peppa is red hot with Talk

With the tune Talk on the I Rob rhythm making the rounds these days, the question most people have been asking is, just who is Mr Peppa?

The budding deejay, who has been steadily making a name for himself on the local entertainment circuit, has some tough lyrics with which the streets have been identifying.

The 25-year-old, whose real name is Arael Jahzeal Walters, is the ninth of 11 siblings. He attended Excelsior High School and grew up in the Bedward Pastures area of Papine in St Andrew.

During his school years he was quite active in extracurricular activities, including drama, the cadet corps, and track and field.

"Music was what I always wanted to do, so when the opportunity presented itself, I tried to capitalise on it," Mr Peppa said recently.

His elder brother is noted producer Wycliffe 'Steelie' Johnson from the duo Steelie and Cleevie. It was Johnson who motivated Mr Peppa to pursue his musical interests.
His journey began in 1995 when he did his first single titled Mi Sharp on the Trevor Gordon label. In 2000, he recorded Don Cinderella for Steelie & Cleevie on the Bitter Blood rhythm, which opened up doors for him.

It wasn't long after that Mark Pinnock of Natural Bridge Records discovered the talented youngster and decided to sign him to his label. Peppa then recorded on the Bad Weather rhythm for Steelie & Cleevie, and later Peppa Dis Peppa Dat on Natural Bridge's Resilience rhythm.

Among Mr Peppa's more familiar recordings are Good, Good Gone on the Rice and Peas rhythm; Baby Dem on the Beach rhythm; You So Proud on Preston Onfroy's In Time Music label; and All I Need To Know featuring singer Christopher.
His performance credits include the stages at Christmas Extravaganza, Bling Dawg's Summer Jam, Fully Loaded and Teen Fest 2005.

Hotbed of talent square off at first Rising Stars studio finals

The first studio finals in the 2005 Digicel Rising Stars competition took place on Sunday night inside the studios at TVJ. The finalists were 17 year-old Christopher Martin, a Kitson Town, Spanish Town resident; Keisha Clarke from Montego Bay; the male group Touch from Western Jamaica; Chantelle Smith aka Chanti-I, a 17 year-old from Mandeville; Westmoreland native Prince Jay; and Clarendon-born Shanique Wilson aka Lady Face.

Rising Star judge Nadine Sutherland had a field day as her Wild Card choice, 18 year-old Nathaniel Hewitt aka Natel, impressed with his original recording titled Music Is A Healing.

Christopher Martin delivered a nice take on Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home; Clarke attacked Whitney Houston's Saving All My Love; Touch didn't quite hit the punch with their take of the Temptations' Lady Soul; Chanti-I upped the bar with her rendition of John Legend's Ordinary People; while Prince Jay's original piece One Chance earned him a new legion of fans. The sole deejay in the line-up, Lady Face, a very attractive young lady, impressed with her toasting.

The top five finalists, depending on the public's votes, will be revealed this Friday at 8:30 pm on TVJ.

Lemon hopes to overcome

New singer Lemon is hoping to increase his stocks with his latest single Got To Overcome on the BIG label's Book of Rules rhythm. Lemon, whose real name is Clive Burrell, hails from Spanish Town, but these days he resides in Negril, Westmoreland.

A graduate of Green Island Comprehensive High School, Lemon began his tenure in the entertainment field as a member of a local dance outfit called the Hot Boys. He said he was encouraged to pursue a musical career at a penny concert promoted by Studio 5 Youth Club in Green Island, Hanover.

"The response that I got from the crowd was overwhelming, so I decided to pursue singing. I was always performing on school events and community functions," recalled Lemon.

Since relocating from Hanover to Westmoreland, Lemon's recording and performance opportunities have increased. He has to date performed on Negril Salute, the Hague Agricultural Show, Reggae Sumfest 2001 and 2002 and Reggae by the Sea.

Lemon is now working out with the BIG label, which released his first single, Tear It Off, a few years ago. Children Crying and Up And Down are his other efforts for the label.

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Death to the Mullet!