Reggae Artist Debuts At # 5 iTunes Reggae Charts Just Below Bob Marley

M.O.A.M. (Man on a Mission), the new album by Jamaican vocalist, songwriter and producer Hezron Clarke debuted at Number 5 on ITunes Reggae chart, just below albums by Bob Marley and Stick Figure. The album released on on August 19 via Tad's Record (Ernie Ranglin, Tanya Stephens).

Ahead of the album, Hezron has released three singles. Title track "Man on a Mission" is a song about his personal journey as a goal oriented person but also offers encouragement to anyone in pursuit of their dreams, despite the inevitable challenges, while also honoring the heroes all around us.

"Tik Tok I'm Coming" appeals to his more sensual side and the most recent single "Save The Children", released on June 24th, is a heartfelt commentary on the alarming number of brutal acts committed against the youth, including physical and sexual abuse.

Recorded in Reggae's birthplace, Kingston Jamaica, M.O.A.M. features some of Jamaica's greatest musicians including Dean Fraser (saxophone), Kirk "Kirkle Dove" Bennett (drums), Donald "Danny Bassie" Dennis (bass), Mitchum Khan (guitar), Carol "Bowie" McLaughlin (keyboards) and Robbie Lyn (keyboards). On a lyrical front, the album embodies feel-good vibes with motivational and inspirational concepts that encourage patience and resilience.

With inspiration from classic soul artists such as Luther Vandross, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, 90's favorites KC and Jojo and Dave Hollister and iconic Jamaican singers Beres Hammond and Dennis Brown, Hezron has embodied his own classic vocal and musical style while taking notes from some of the greats.

While he dabbles in traditional romance and love songs, his music inspires real change. "Reggae was always in me," he reveals. "R&B doesn't accommodate expressing social issues, but Rastafari, reggae gave us music to sing about those things; it's my culture and my responsibility to write those kinds of songs to authentically represent the music."

Watch the "Man on a Mission" video here: