In a time where almost anyone can go to the studio and put two and two together and suddenly it’s a hit, in recent months I myself have been finding being cautious of what I listen to. And in doing so, I found myself listening to a lot of more meaningful content in the genre of Gospel – once you’re sitting down and thinking about the lyrics, you feel uplifted and assured of God’s love. This blog brings four talented musicians I’ve been listening to in recent times for you to check out.
- Joe Mettle
Favourite songs: ‘Bo Noo Ni’ (No One Else) [feat. Luigi Maclean], ‘Onwanwani’ (God of Wonders), ‘My Everything’ & ‘Pentecost’.
The eldest of six children, Joe Mettle was born in Accra, Ghana. In his younger days, he was the lead singer of a group called “Soul Winners”. This later led to doors being opened for him, such as being a backing singer for celebrated Ghanaian gospel musicians such as the late Danny Nettey and Cindy Thompson.
In 2007, Joe Mettle established the ‘Joe Mettle Ministries’. The vision of ‘Joe Mettle Ministries’ was to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ through music to young people. One of the ways this has been done is through Joe Mettle’s annual concert ‘Praiz Reloaded’.
Joe Mettle released his first album in 2011 entitled “My Gratitude”. He has since followed up with ‘Sound of Praise’ (2013), ‘The Encounter’ (2015), ‘God of Miracles’ (2017), and ‘Wind of Revival’ (2019). 2017 was a great year for Joe Mettle as he was the first gospel artist to win the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) in the history of the award scheme. As well as the VGMA’s, Joe Mettle has also won the Africa Gospel Music Awards and 3 Music Awards to name a few. He has also performed with other gospel greats including Don Moen, Israel Houghton and Cece Winans.
I saw Joe Mettle at a crossover night in 2019 and his live performances are second to none. His ability to change the atmosphere in the room through changes in his vocal tone (and of course the Holy Spirit) makes him a top gospel artist, and hopefully he continues to reach many souls around the world through his music.
2. Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Favourite songs: ‘You Know My Name’, ‘Put A Praise On It’ & ‘Break Every Chain’.
I first heard ‘Break Every Chain’ sometime in secondary school one Sunday after church in the car home but did not know it was her singing until it was playing on her ’Essentials playlist on Apple Music – it turns out I actually knew more of her music than I thought!
Tasha Cobbs Leonard is from Jesup, Georgia in the USA. From childhood she has always been involved in church activities through her father’s church (Jesup New Life Ministries). Later on, she moved from Jesup to Atlanta and joined the dReam Center Church. Here, she further developed and nurtured her gifts as she led worship sessions here. In 2010, Tasha Cobbs Leonard released her debut album ‘Smile’. This got attention from EMI records and she released her second album ‘Grace’ in 2013. This album was #1 on the Billboard Gospel Charts and even made into the pop charts at #61. This album also features her signature single ‘Break Every Chain’, which was No.1 on the Hot Gospel Single Charts for 12 weeks. Tasha Cobbs Leonard won a Grammy Award in 2014 for the ‘Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance’ for ‘Break Every Chain’. She also has three Stellar Awards and three Dove Awards to her name.
A way young people may be able to relate to Tasha Cobbs Leonard is through her overcoming of depression, a mental illness/mood disorder that commonly affects young people. In 2016, she told Essence Magazine that growing up, she always had sad feelings, but she came to full realisation of these feelings in 2007. After leading worship and watching people becoming saved and set free, she’d find herself under the covers of her bed in the dark – often for three to four days. She’d also often have negative voices in her head telling her things like: “Nobody wants you; they only want you for your gifts”. It was here Tasha Cobbs Leonard decided to take action.
Combined with prayer, Tasha also decided to see a therapist, and this helped her to conquer depression. Depression, she believes, is an issue that is not spoken about enough within the church and black community although it is a big illness within these communities. She is prepared to be an advocate for raising awareness for mental illness. She is a real example of “faith without works is dead”.
3. Melvillous
Favourite songs: ‘Pray&Pattern’, ‘Break My Heart’, ‘Rocket Man’ and ‘Widdit’.
The first time someone mentioned gospel rap to me, I actually thought it was quite weird/cringey because I always thought gospel couldn’t be rapped, especially on the kind of instrumentals that are typically associated with rap. My view changed when a friend told me to listen to Melvillous. When asked by Guvna B asked him why he writes the way he does, he replied: “ I want my lyrics to be seen as words to live by”. It’s evident why he wants this to be the case. In the same interview, Melvilous was asked: “If you could ask Jesus one question, what would it be?” Melvillous replied: “If he is pleased with me”. His ability to educate and state his views on a track whilst delivering an overall positive message makes him an articulate and thought-provoking rapper.
Melvillous stepped onto the UK Christian rap scene some ten years ago, delivering powerful freestyles such as his Premier Gospel Bars freestyle and his freestyle on Guvna B’s show (‘Hip Hop Sessions’) on Premier Gospel FM, but a conversation with RedBull music revealed he decided to take a break from music. He came back stronger with Komenz in 2015 and in 2017 he released his first EP entitled ‘Local’. This made it into the Top 20 iTunes chart. This EP includes one of his biggest songs, “Pray & Pattern”. Melvillous followed up with his second EP, ‘No Choice’ in 2018, which includes the popular songs ‘Feel No Pain’ and ‘Hungry’, and my favourite off the EP ‘Rocket Man’.
When it comes to writing music, Melvillous draws inspiration from an array of things: from his environment, a death of a close friend, or trips abroad. One trip he took where took inspiration was from a missionary trip to Asia. His musical influences include the UK’s Wretch 32 and the USA’s Chance the Rapper and Kendrick Lamar. This suggests why he describes his flow as ‘ Godly & Greazy’. In his latest EP, ‘Last Born’, Melvillous pays homage to one of the UK greats in the grime scene, Tinchy Stryder, in which Tinchy Stryder also features. It’s no wonder Melvillous’s content is varied. Hopefully we get an album from Melvillous soon!
4. Pastor William McDowell
Favourite Songs: ‘Give Him Praises’, ‘I Won’t Go Back’ &’Touch the Hem’ (feat. Trinity Anderson)
Pastor William McDowell is also another musician that I have known their songs but not their name. It was not until I was looking for different gospel music earlier in the year that I came across his latest album ‘ The Cry: A Live Worship Experience’ and has been one of the albums that I have had on repeat since.
Pastor William McDowell was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and later relocated to Orlando, Florida. From a young age, he had been musically inclined. By the age of 5, he had started to play the piano. By age 13, he was playing drums for his church, and by 18 he was leading worship sessions. When Pastor McDowell relocated to Florida to study Entertainment Business at university, he was under the mentorship of many worship leaders and gospel musicians. One of them was Ron Kenoly, a distinguished gospel musician. Pastor McDowell served as a keyboardist and a music director under his leadership.
Pastor McDowell was ordained as a pastor in 2007 and in 2009 he released his debut album ‘As We Worship’, which charted on three Billboard charts. This includes the classic ‘ I Give Myself Away’. In 2011 he released his second album ‘Arise’ which also charted on 3 billboard charts: Billboard 200, Gospel Albums and Independent Albums. He received a Grammy nomination for ‘Withholding Nothing’ in 2013 and won a Stellar Award for the same album. ‘Sounds of Revival’, his fourth album, won a Dove Award for ‘Urban Worship Album of the Year’ in 2016. He has followed up with these albums with ‘Sounds of Revival II’ and ‘The Cry: A Live Worship Experience’. He has also collaborated with big names within the gospel music scene including Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Travis Greene and several others. I pray he wins a Grammy award soon!
One reason why Pastor McDowell is one of my favourite gospel musicians is because you can feel the sincerity in his singing, especially in the live albums such as ‘The Cry: A Live Worship Experience’. It makes room for the Holy Spirit to move. His live performances have resulted in the healing of many lives, and he is truly a vessel of God.
Stay tuned for the next blog of this series!
#GettingToKnowGospel
perspective of j.k.l. 