Papa San was one of dancehall music’s leading hitmakers from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. Songs such as I Will Survive, Style and Fashion, Maddy Maddy Cry, Strange Things, Round Table Talk, and Legal Rights
(both with Lady G) were chart-toppers, and he received the coveted DJ of The Year title on multiple occasions.

However, in 1997, he took an about-turn, giving up secular music and committing his life to the Lord.

The veteran entertainer shared the influence of his personal experiences on his past life and music, underlining the impact of his faith on his overall growth.

“I was born in Kingston and lived at Tower Street and then moved to Thompson Pen in Spanish Town and later Dela Vega City, and I saw so much violence, so much dead men on the ground, so much people died by either stab wounds or gunshot and different things. So you live in an environment that’s filled with violence and political wars, and your mind has been trained to live a certain way, where the gun is your protection and your friend is your security,” he said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

“Music stepped into play and it helped me to elevate, and then when you elevate, you have the fame, the girls, the popularity, and you’re travelling all over the world, that was my life. And when I achieved all of that, I was still depressed. I felt like a lonely man in a room. Eventually, you’re just going to hit a dead-end road. There’s a void,” he added.

Papa San was in Jamaica last week to support his long-time friend Junior Tucker, who launched his album, Journey: The Best of Junior Tucker, on September 28 at Swallowfield Chapel in Kingston.

“God and only God could fill that void. It was in 1997 and I went on a tour in Africa with Third World, and when I got back, the conviction got really great in my heart to know Jesus. My wife and I went to a Baptist church and that’s when I surrendered my life to Christ. My appetite for the past was erased, I never want to go back to that lifestyle. That is my salvation, my experience with Christ. I’m glad I gave my heart to Christ,” Papa San shared.

Now residing in Florida, Papa San and his wife, Debbie, are ordained ministers and started Our Father’s Kingdom International Ministries there 11 years ago.

“We’ve done a lot for the community, and right now we are still doing outreach three times a month. We feed the homeless, I teach Bible studies, we have prayer days, we do free health fairs, and we also distribute food and packages to the community. We also keep events where we win souls for Christ,” he said.

Still, his music remains a major part of his ministry and he continues to create and spread the message with a new project on the horizon.

My Worship, Papa San’s ninth gospel album, is scheduled to be released next year. It is preceded by the song Who Love Like This, which was released last week.

Who Love Like This is co-produced by Dwayne “Supa Dups” Chin-Quee and Papa San’s son BEAM, who is also a recording artiste. He has collaborated with Beyonce, Justin Bieber, and several other major acts.

BEAM produced One Blood, Papa San’s only number one on Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart.

The artiste is looking ahead to the album and has promised international collaborations and uplifting music.

“My Worship is coming out in the first quarter of next year, and we have collaborations with African artistes as well as international artistes. I’m looking forward to that album, and we’ll be releasing several singles leading up to the release of the project. BEAM and Supa Dups are among the producers on the new album,” Papa San disclosed.

“You can expect songs that will uplift you, inspire you, songs that will bring you joy and peace to remind you who Jesus is, songs to help you walk in the ways of God.”