Steve Knight’s Story

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Steve Knight was born in Jamaica, and from an early age he was known to be heading for stardom. Some of his peers—Sugar Minott, Dean Fraser, Pad Anthony, and Tristan Palmer—also knew that Steve would one day share the stage with them, as they all grew up together and went to the same school.

Steve‘s big break came in his early teenage years. He was offered the microphone at a local event being hosted by DJ Ringo, and ever since that performance, the world has been cheering for Steve‘s velvet voice.

His success at local events and stage shows got him attention from many in the industry, and he was quickly snapped up by one of the top music imprints at the time, The Witty Label. Steve Knight‘s first record was called “Bad Company.” That was followed by “Girl, I Love You” and then “A Ladies Man.”

Soon after, the leading record label in Jamaica in the 1980s, Channel One, approached Steve Knight, and this collaboration marked the start of his international career. With them he did the album “Orphan Child,” which had two hit songs and was licensed by Sony Music.

The success of this record as well as his earlier releases resulted in worldwide tours. One of the most memorable shows was in Osaka at Japan Reggae Sunsplash, where Steve performed in front of approximately 60,000 people.

Sadly, everything halted in the mid-1990s when he had a near-death accident. He was run over by a car while riding his motorbike. By the grace of God, Steve survived, and after going through the necessary rehabilitation, he began working again. He spent the next few years recording and performing in various countries.

Now an older, wiser, more experienced Steve Knight would like his fans and supporters to know that he is 100% back and ready to reclaim his former glory. In February 2025, he dropped a brand new album called “Steve Knight Returns” on his own Haul N Pull Up record label, and he’s got new music videos on his YouTube channel.

Steve Knight is now living in Canada. His voice is still silky smooth, he is still making great music, and he is still an exceptional performer. Anyone wanting to work with him in any capacity should send an email to musicbysteveknight@gmail.com.

Lee Vasi’s Story

Posted on March 2, 2025 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Lee Vasi is an Atlanta-based Christian R&B artist with a soulful, contemporary sound and an empowering message. She found mainstream success in 2024 with the release of the Billboard-charting single “Teach Me. “Vasi‘s Puerto Rican-Dominican and African American heritage provided her with an expansive set of musical blueprints to work from, and by the age of ten, she was writing her own songs and appearing in the Broadway production of The Lion King in the role of Young Nala.

In 2018, Vasi was a contestant on the 16th season of American Idol, making it into the Top 50 but unable to advance to the final 24. The experience led to a period of personal evaluation that found the young singer-songwriter embracing her Christian faith. 2023 saw the release of “My Bad,” which gained social media traction after her bilingual rendition of the song went viral. “Teach Me” appeared the following year and proved Vasi‘s first chart success, reaching number two on the Billboard Gospel Digital Song Sales chart and number 21 on the Hot Gospel Songs list.

^{Written by James Christopher Monger}

Jahman’s Story

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Passionate about music, life, and his country, reggae singer Jahman is easily one of the most recognizable names on the St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, reggae scene. Known for his message-laced lyrics, Jahman has shared the stage with such luminaries as Ky-Mani Marley, Sizzla Kalonji, Jr. Reid, former Born Jamerican member Notch, and others.

With five albums released to date, he scored his most successful effort with the 14-track Altitude. Published in the summer of 2018, Altitude was produced by John “Jon FX” Crawford and Splatterhouse Records. It entered the prestigious American Billboard Reggae Albums Chart at number seven. Herbs, Altitude, Call on Jah Mercy, One Day, She Never Wait, and This Girl are just some of the songs that made the album’s track list. She Never Wait was a hit on the Foundation Radio Network Top 30 Music chart in New York, USA.

Very active in the community, Jahman often gives back and contributes to a non-profit organization called Grow Food Inc. by donating funds and performing at their annual festival. The organization promotes the teachings of The Most High, healthy diets, entertainment, and arts and crafts.

In 2023, Jahman released another smashing album called A Purpose. It features his longtime friend Sizzla, Jr. Reid, and his fellow Virgin Islands artists Ras Batch and Pressure. Presently working on his 8th studio album, Jahman‘s music is set to revive and rejuvenate the world with good vibes and positive vibrations.

Trip Lee’s Story

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Atlanta-based Christian rapper, author, and pastor William Lee Barefield III is best known to music fans as Trip Lee, modernizing messages of faith with sleekly produced commercial rap tracks. Lee‘s energetic and spiritually driven albums have regularly found their way onto various Billboard charts, with 2012’s The Good Life cross-pollinating gospel and rap charts, and the subsequent 2014 effort Rise even breaking into the top 20 of the Billboard 200. In 2022, Lee released his sixth studio album, The End, and followed the next year with the mixtape The Epilogue.

Lee was born in Dallas, Texas, where in his teenage years he was a founding member of the Southern Christian rap collective 116 Clique. Lee moved from Dallas to attend various Christian universities, first in Philadelphia, then in Louisville, Kentucky. He made his full-length album debut in 2006 with If They Only Knew. His second album, 2008’s 20/20, featured guests and Reach Records labelmates Lecrae, Tedashii, and Sho Baraka. Not only did it break into the Billboard Top 200, but it also broke into the Top Ten of the Christian albums chart.

His success continued with Between Two Worlds in 2010, his first to top the Billboard Christian charts. His second chart-topper, The Good Life, arrived two years later and also broke onto the rap charts. Lee published a book of the same name months later before announcing his intention to focus his message on ministry. He continued writing and became a pastor. In 2014, he released his fifth album, Rise, his highest-charting Billboard 200 entry (number 16) and his third Top Three Christian chart entry. A second book, Rise: Get Up and Live in God’s Great Story, was released in 2015. Lee‘s mixtape, The Waiting Room, appeared near the end of 2016. In 2022, the sixth album, The End, was released, featuring guest appearances from Taylor Hill, KB, Wande, and others. The next year, a companion mixtape entitled The Epilogue came out, this time with contributions from Madison Ryann Ward and Kirk Franklin.

Childlike CiCi’s Story

Posted on July 19, 2024 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Childlike CiCi, though a native of Brooklyn, New York, was raised in North Carolina. She released her first Christian single, “Souls,” in March 2022 and followed it with her first gospel-rap song a few months later, in October. Although music has been her lifelong passion, she initially kept it a secret. It wasn’t until her senior year of high school that people outside of her family started to find out about her talent.

Even though she was raised in a faith-based family, life challenges led Childlike CiCi to temporarily drift away from her beliefs. Her journey took a turn when she attempted to make secular music, a decision that ultimately led her back to Christ. Despite gaining attention from unworldly artists and record labels, in 2019 God intervened and made it clear that her lifestyle and music were doing the enemy’s work. She realized that she could not serve two masters; she then deleted her social media accounts and wholeheartedly surrendered her life to Christ. The following years were spent strengthening her relationship with the Creator. She also reconnected with a high school acquaintance, who she later married.

It wasn’t until January 2022 that she felt the call to return to music, the way God originally intended. Since then she has been actively pursuing music professionally as a gospel-rap artist.

Me’Kayla’s Story

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

At just 19 years old, Me’Kayla is poised to revolutionize the Gospel music landscape with her unique blend of a remarkable voice and soulful melodies from a Gen-Z perspective. Hailing from a small town with big dreams, Me’Kayla’s passion for music ignited at an early age, drawing inspiration from the rich traditions of Gospel, Jazz and Blues, while infusing it with the vibrancy and relatability of her generation.

What sets Me’Kayla’s music apart is how she speaks directly to the experiences, challenges, and triumphs faced by her generation. She seamlessly weaves together timeless messages of hope, love, and redemption with modern rhythms and melodies, creating a sound that’s not only spiritually uplifting but also speaks to the realities of the digital age.

Me’Kayla’s musical inspirations are varied and range from Little Richard, Ray Charles, Luther Vandross, Dawkins & Dawkins, and The Clark Sisters, to Jazmine Sullivan and Kim Burrell. In fact, it was Kim Burrell who discovered her on Instagram, and called Harry Connick, Jr. to rave about her. Connick then reached out to a top executive at Motown Gospel, who promptly signed her while she was still in the 12th grade.

The Tennessee State University co-ed is a majorette dancer in the Aristocrat of Bands, as well as a featured vocalist on the bands’ GRAMMY-award winning LP, The Urban Hymnal, which won Best Roots Gospel Album at the 65th GRAMMYS®.

Produced by Sir The Baptist, Aristocrat of Bands is the first collegiate marching band and the first HBCU marching band to ever win the accolade.

Me’Kayla is a name to remember, a voice to cherish, and a beacon of light for all who seek meaning, purpose, and a deeper connection through the universal language of music.

Zamunda’s Story

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Maria Jackson 27 Magazine

Zamunda, whose birth name is Christopher Gayle, was born in the vibrant hills of Seville Heights, St. Ann, Jamaica. From the tender age of seven, when he penned his very first song, There is Only Love, it became apparent that he was headed for musical greatness, and by the time he turned sixteen, music had become an integral part of his life.

The following statement from Zamunda encapsulates his passion for the art form. “Music has been a part of my life from birth as I have been deejaying from the age of five in my community and other places in Jamaica. I realized that I could sing at the age of 19, and I then decided that I would sing rather than deejay. Music is really what I want and love. I enjoy entertaining people from all over. I want to take reggae to the world.”

Initially starting as a deejay, Zamunda transitioned to singing in his late teens when he realized the gruff toasting style was taking a toll on his voice. He had a stutter, a speech impediment that vanished when he sang. As such, friends urged him to let his voice do the talking, and he took their advice to heart.

Zamunda‘s blend of reggae and R&B, enriched by his resonant baritone, delivered a powerful message of love and justice. His signature song, Jah Love Surround Me, catapulted him to stardom in 2011, and a string of hits followed: One People, Still A Pray fi Dem, Working 9-5, Science Dem A Work, Talk and Stutter, Badda Dan Dem, Forever Loving Jah, and Cyaan Program Me. In 2017, Zamunda digitally released his self-produced debut album, Scripts and Scrolls, setting the stage for a promising career. After the release he didn’t stay idle, he then gave the world Paradise on Earth in 2020, further establishing his artistry.

2021 was a turning point for Zamunda. After losing a sound-clash to Popcaan, he sought collaboration. Together with Dre Island, they remixed Jah Love Surround Me, and it skyrocketed on the international scene. Live On, Running from Love, Valley, and Protection came after, making him a global reggae sensation.

In 2023, Zamunda unveiled his latest masterpiece, Jah Love Surround Me, a live studio album where every instrument resonates in perfect harmony. This album features legendary artists Capleton, Christopher Martin, Popcaan, Anthony B, and Jah Cure. From there he went on to drop a fresh new single called Chill Pill.

Throughout his journey, Zamunda has graced the stages of Island Explosion, Full Clip, Sting, Tivoli Jamboree, and Reggae Sumfest, to name a few, leaving audiences mesmerized with his lyrical prowess and infectious vibes. “Ah just Jah works, I will continue to do the music and feed the souls and minds of the people,” he humbly professes. Indeed, Jah’s love continues to surround him, guiding Zamunda on his mission to bring the heart and soul of reggae to every corner of the globe.