Things getting 'Betta' for Dancehall artiste Mr. Peppa...more

His name is Mr. Peppa and he's the talk of the town among young and old alike. The teenagers love him, especially the young ladies, not just because he's cute and sexy, but also because he's got some tough lyrics. When asked how they would describe him, "Him hard, him tuff!" was the resonating response from the young men, as they bounced to the lyrics and beat of his latest tunes.

With Peppa's newest recording, 'Talk', now getting heavy rotation on air, in the dancehalls and the video creating havoc on all the music video channels, the talented 25-year-old star is heading places…and fast. He's got the good looks and a wicked smile to match. He's shy, with a body to die for and a voice that thrills the inner being. He's got it all. Indeed, there's nothing stopping this young DJ from achieving ultimate stardom.

Mr. Peppa, born Arael Jahzeal Walters on February 29, 1980 in Kingston, Jamaica, is as unique and rare as his birthdate. The ninth of eleven children, he grew up in Papine at a place called Bedward Pastures with his parents, a brother, and a sister.

Under the guidance of father Dennis Walters and mother Alice Johnson, Peppa grew into a fine young man. As a child they were strict and did not allow him to go out and play like other boys; he was more of a homely child. Life wasn't the best for them, but his parents ensured that they stayed on track.

His honing at Hope Valley Experimental Primary and Excelsior High School only served to cement his foundation.

With education foremost on his mind, the young man also had a strong love for music, particularly deejaying. However, although he started to deejay at the age of 11 as a fun pastime, he focused on school, with the aim of joining the army to study civil aviation or to enter the real estate business.

Peppa was also very active in school, forming part of the drama group and cadet corps, as well as participating in track and field.
It was while in high school that he discovered how good he was at deejaying and started to focus more on it.

His mother, who is a singer, and his biggest brother, Steelie from Steelie & Cleevie fame, inspired and encouraged him to take it further, not to mention encouragement from friends who drummed up beats on blackboard and desks in the classroom, as little Peppa rode the "riddim."

Peppa started to record professionally in 1995 while still in school. The aspiring DJ used to walk from stage show to stage show, and sleep at various studios trying to get a recording.

A year later he did his first single titled, 'Mi Sharp' on the Trevor Gordon label, produced by Trevor Gordon himself. Although not earning much airplay, he was still determined to play his part in the music business.
In 2000, the youngster recorded 'Don Cinderella' for Steelie & Cleevie on the Bitter Blood rhythm, which earned him some popularity.

It wasn't long after that Mark Pinnock of Natural Bridge Records discovered the talented youngster and decided to sign him to his label. Peppa then recorded on the Bad Weather rhythm for Steelie & Cleevie, and later 'Peppa Dis Peppa Dat' on Natural Bridge's Resilience rhythm.

The year 2001 was a bright one for the DJ. He came out with a favourite for the ladies at the time, 'Good, Good Gone', which led him to perform on numerous events, such as Fully Loaded, G.T. Christmas Extravaganza, and Bling Dawg Summer Jam. He also performed at top nightspots like Asylum and Amnesia.

In 2002, the DJ further cemented his presence in the business with recordings, such as 'Baby Dem' on the Beach rhythm, 'You So Proud' for producer Preston on his In time label, and 'All You Need To Know', which featured Christopher for BYG Family Musik. Peppa later did 'Gal Journey' and 'Guy Thing' on the Natural Bridge label.

With his trademark 'Dat's Betta' slang, Mr. Peppa has been working with producers such as Akiliboy of BYG Family, Shams, Red Rat, Dia, Birch, Hawkeye and DJ Karim, Ward 21, to name a few, putting out some "wicked" singles. The music video for the 'Talk' single on Ward 21's I-Rob rhythm recently made it to number one on the Hit list on CVM TV's E-Strip.

In March of this year, Mr. Peppa and long time friend, DJ Smurf of Hot 102 teamed to produce and release the 80-track mix CD, 'DJ Smurf Introducing Mr. Peppa'. The mix CD, which features 12 hot tracks from Mr. Peppa on 10 hot rhythms recorded as dub plates for 10-year mix-master veteran, DJ Smurf, was a hot item, as they didn't have hands to distribute, giving away over 5,000 copies across the island.

The mix CD, which also featured some of Jamaica's top entertainers, has been travelling the globe, kicking up a storm in places like Japan, England, UK, and the USA.
The versatile Mr. Peppa creates lyrics for all types - street lyrics, girls' tunes, social commentary, you name it, he's got it.

Under the management of Mark Pinnock and Natural Bridge Records, and the support of BYG Family Musik and Kingston 6 Records, Mr. Peppa is now a driving force and should be for sometime to come…Dat's Betta!