Jamaican gospel deejay Minister Blessed says his new single is bound to keep listeners clapping, praising, and dancing 'Non-Stop'.
"The track has that old-school, dancehall vibe fused with some modern sounds and can be played in any environment," the Guernsey-based artiste told Jamaica Observer.
"The song reflects the notion that the blessing of the Lord makes one rich, as when God is ready to bless you He does it exceeding abundantly. Hence, when we praise, we are going to praise Him non-stop, dance non-stop, lift Him up full hundred," he continued.
Guernsey is a self-governing British dependency in the English Channel near the French coast.
Non-Stop was pre-released Friday, July 30 with a lyric video that also features scenes of Minister Blessed performing to a full house crowd at one of his latest events before migrating, which takes fans down memory lane. The song was officially released via Newlyfe Records on all digital platforms on August 10. Since the song's release the artiste also initiated the Non-stop challenge on his social media pages.
Having relocated in Guernsey in 2017, Minister Blessed (given name Matthew Blake) finds it challenging to keep up-to-date and connected with his Jamaican audience. However, he has been able to keep on the radar by making appearances at local events such as Genesis, Gospel Tenacity and his own concert series We A Come From Far with Sean Lypher. His last performance in Jamaica was at the launch of Set Me Free, his fourth studio album, in 2019.
He told the Observer that he continues to make appearances at virtual events live streamed in Jamaica, including Hope Rocks on Love 101 FM due to the pandemic. His music video Hot was also nominated in the category video of the year for the 2020 Sterling Music Gospel Awards - Jamaica.
A husband and father of two children, Minister Blessed also works full-time as a marketing manager and admits that juggling work, family and music has its challenges. However, he noted that there are also some opportunities in living overseas.
Despite living in a country not familiar with dancehall gospel, Minister Blessed shared that his songs have received good rotation on UK-based stations. By introducing his music to Guernsey, the artiste believes he is providing a platform for the wider exposure of African and Caribbean culture which, he said, is rather limited on the island.
"My music video Keep Pressing On featuring Garfield Reid was shortlisted for the UK Christian Charts. In 2020, I put the focus on launching out in Guernsey and began receiving airplay on their local radio stations," he said.
He also made his debut performance at the inaugural staging of Afro-Caribbean Fusion in October followed by the Christmas edition in December, both of which he said were well received and supported.
Minister Blessed is next slated to perform in Guernsey during October, which is celebrated as Black History Month in the UK. But he mostly relished making an appearance on Jamaican soil in the not-so-distant future.
Minister Blessed has four studio albums namely Purpose, Keep Pressing On, God Is Faithful, and Set Me Free.
