Vessel spreads the gospel in any genre

A Christian for most of his life, gospel artiste Vessel is unapologetic about his admiration for all genres of music. Whatever it takes to win souls over to God, he is prepared to do it. Vessel rocks the mic on Truly Bless and Doing it Big, his latest songs, which are produced by long-time collaborator Craig McDonald.

Both have techno-type beats, on which the South Florida-based artiste throws down lyrics praising the Almighty. Whether recording to hip-hop, dancehall or R&B beats, his message is the same.

"I don't limit myself to a particular demographic. I do me and make God do the rest," said the Clarendon-born singjay. For several years, Vessel has established a strong musical bond with McDonald, with whom he worked on Christwalker and His Steps, his two albums to date. The key for him is staying fresh and having an open mind.

"All of my songs are different. I don't put myself in a box in terms of dancehall, hip-hop, reggae, and so forth. I have been exposed to a whole lot of music, so it's dependent on the beats I get from the producer," said Vessel, who started his music career in 2002 as a member of DNC, a harmony trio.

While he is into traditional gospel, Vessel is also drawn to the gritty sounds of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., as well as dancehall kingpins Beenie Man and Bounty Killer.