Grammy® Award nominated recording artist/producer, Deitrick Haddon & Voices of Unity, is celebrating the silver anniversary of their groundbreaking 19-track Chainbreaker album that released at the turn of the millennium.
The double-disc set was released before Billboard Magazine had a gospel radio airplay singles chart,but that album sprouted several radio hits. “Anybody Here,” “We Worship You” and “Chain Breaker” were unique fusions of urban rhythms with choir harmonies. Those songs and the project became an influential soundtrack for scores of inner-city youth church groups. “It was really exciting because nobody was making gospel like this when I made did the album,” Haddon recalls. “Chain Breaker was the song that shifted the sound in gospel music. We pushed some boundaries.”
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Haddon is still pushing those boundaries as Chain Breaker 2.5 (ManHaddon Ministries / Tyscot Records) releases this Friday. The new set features reworks of six of the original songs. Chain Breaker 2.5 dumps the rock-edge of the original for a slick urban groove and guest appearances from gospel music legends such as Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker and John P. Kee. Hip Hop producer Zaytoven stopped through to play the keys and rapper T. Church spit some verse.
The original album’s biggest hit “Anybody Here” is given two treatments. Young gospel queen Jekalyn Carr joins Haddon for a quartet-styled Southern Soul Mix of it while DJ Malaski and Angel Chisholm guest on the street version.
Haddon also adds a handful of new tracks such as the Acoustic Pop cut “Find Jesus” and the progressive “Back to Life.” The set also features a new rendition of an early V.O.U. classic “Hold on 2 Your Faith” with the original soloist Damita, and vocal beast Tasha Page Lockhart who was once a member of the choir.
Over the years, Haddon has placed over two dozen songs on Billboard Magazine’s coveted Gospel Airplay chart – including four No. 1 smashes “A Billion People,” “Open Door Season,” “Here Comes the Joy” and “Never Be the Same.” He’s also known for the vintage hits “Sinner’s Prayer,” “Well Done,” “Heaven Knows,” “A Sinner’s Prayer” and “He’s Able.” The Top Ten cut “Love Him Like I Do” featured Haddon alongside Ruben Studdard and Mary Mary.
There have been other classic pairings with electronic king Moby, Usher, Q Parker and Faith Evans. Haddon has earned 3x Grammy ® Award nominations, multiple Stellar Gospel Music Awards and a Dove Award for Urban Album of the Year for Church on the Moon. Haddon has also starred in the independent films such as Blessed and Cursed (2010) and The Fallen (2022).
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