Derrick Scott is a gospel artist whose mission is to use his music to connect with Christians and lovers of gospel music all over the world.
He is from Jamaica, specifically Linstead, the St. Catherine market town with an impressive reggae history. His older brother was Freddy McKay, a singer best known for the classic song ‘Picture On The Wall‘ and the 1976 festival winning song ‘Dance Dis Ya Festival‘ (Big Heel Boot).
In his youth, Scott was a big dancehall fan and admired singers like John Holt, Freddy McKay and Dennis Brown. However, by the mid 80s, he became a Christian and changed his tune to gospel. His sound, he stressed, is distinctly contemporary mixed with reality gospel lyrics.
While he respects the boundaries of traditional gospel, Scott does not limit his musical style. He has done work with musicians such as Willie Lindo, Robbie Lyn, Robbie Shakespear and Paul Douglas. Scott explains: “Even if I am covering a traditional song, I do it with a beat and melody that everyone can relate to, and once the music appeals to young people, they will get the message in the lyrics.”
He has performed in churches and at functions across South Florida, New York, Georgia, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. To date, he has released four albums, namely: ‘Preachers Nowadays,’ ‘On A Mission,’ ‘Mission Ablaze (Live)‘ and ‘Gospel Truth.’
The latest project, ‘Gospel Truth,’ is a 12 track CD that testifies to the grim living conditions in the world today; the album is similar in message and direction to his prior studio releases. Scott went on to say that “All the albums have original and traditional gospel songs. However, the production of ‘Gospel Truth’ is more on point to where I am heading.”