Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
Gospel deejay Sherman 'Shadrock' Thomas. - CONTRIBUTED
SHERMAN 'SHADROCK' Thomas believes that "Deejaying is preaching on a rhythm, another form of bringing forth the gospel. Some preach it, some dramatise it, some sing it, but I deejay it."
It is, however, ironic that Shadrock should become such a powerful deejay of the gospel, as he had no love for the art before he became a Christian.
"I didn't like deejay before I got saved. I was more of a hip hop fan but, after I got saved, my cousin used to deejay. He never liked the Christian thing, though, and he turned back, but I got the anointing fi just get up and start write tune and deejay," he said.
The name 'Shadrock' came from group he was a part of named Shadrock, Meshack and Abendigo.
BITTERSWEET JOURNEY
The trio went separate ways to pursue individual careers, but Shadrock has held on to his name.
He has been ministering ever since with his 'hard-core style of deejay', but says it has been a bittersweet journey.
"When mi a perform, people come an testify that the songs really hit them and I know of people who have been saved because of it. They also find my voice to be very powerful, I have a bass voice," Shadrock recalls.
However, when he takes his ministry into the streets, the response is usually not as warm.
"I minister everywhere, on the buses, in my community, at the passport office, all over. A lot of temptations are out there though, because even sometimes when I'm ministering, people will run mi and say Jesus is not real. But Jesus empower me and mi jus press on cause him give mi a deep faith. Many young youts inna di community also look up to me as a deejay and because I'm doing the work of the Lord. Even when people hail mi dem seh Shadrock, and sometimes yuh have people tek it as fun cause dem wi seh 'where is Meshack and Abendigo'?" he said.
BEYOND LOCAL BOUNDARIES
He has to his credit the recordings B66, Build A Better Nation and Run Weh Satan, among others, and has performed at Fun In The Son 2006, Inter-School Christian Fellowship concerts and church services.
Shadrock, who was born in St. Elizabeth, but now resides in Seaview Gardens, St. Andrew, says he wants to expose his ministry beyond the local boundaries.
"Mi want to take the gospel worldwide, I would even want to reach the stage where I can minister it (the gospel) in different languages. Mi just mek God lead and direct. It may seem like a fun thing, but it's not, it's a ministry so once you have the talent, use it," he says.
