Jamaican-American Christian/hip-hop artiste Steven Malcolm signs with Curb Records

Curb Records, an American record label started in 1963, has signed Steven Malcolm, a Jamaican American Christian/hip-hop artiste based in Michigan. The influential record label, which is known for its successes with gospel acts including MercyMe, Natalie Grant, Debby Boone, Nicole C. Mullen and the group Selah, has worked with several pop and R&B acts through the years.

They include Sammy Davis Jr, Four Seasons, Lee Brice, Solomon Burke, Exile, Gloria Gaynor, The Judds, Tim McGraw, Lou Rawls, the Righteous Brothers, Neil Sedaka and country music sensation LeAnn Rimes, whose blockbuster hit for the label How Do I Live, shattered chart records in 1997. Malcolm’s first order of business with the label is the release of his new single Holy Water, which features Soul Rebel Marley, the son of Cedella Marley. In an interview with the Observer Online on Thursday, Malcolm, whose father was Jamaican (now deceased), spoke about the message behind Holy Water and collaborating with Soul Rebel Marley.

“Holy Water really came from the idea of cleansing and renewal. Water is such a powerful symbol spiritually, but it’s also deeply connected to Jamaica and island culture. For me, the song is about God washing away the old, giving you a fresh start, and stepping into who He’s called you to be.

I wanted it to feel spiritual but still feel like something you can turn up to,” Malcolm explained. Malcolm, who has previously collaborated with international recording artiste Shaggy and BEAM, says working with Soul Rebel Marley on Holy Water was organic. “From the first time we connected, the energy was there.

We both have that Jamaican blood, that love for reggae, but we also bring our own sound and perspective to it. Once he got on Holy Water, it just felt right. It didn’t feel like we were forcing a feature—it felt like two worlds that were supposed to connect,” said Malcolm about what makes his sound unique.

I’m hip-hop at the core, but I’m Jamaican too, I’m melodic, I love reggae and dancehall, and my faith is at the centre of everything. So I can give you bars, melodies, worship, reggae, something for the streets—all of it—but it’s still Steven Malcolm. I think that mixture is what makes my sound unique.” Malcolm’s messages of hope and redemption come from personal experience.