Stephen the Levite
Darrell Lynn Bell, Jr. (born July 2, 1981), who goes by the stage name Stephen the Levite or STL abbreviation, is an American Christian hip hop musician. The Last Missionary was released by Lamp Mode Recordings in 2012.[1] This album would be his breakthrough release on the Billboard charts. He is a member of Christian hip hop collective, The Collective, with Timothy Brindle and Zae da Blacksmith. He is known for his complex flow patterns, and multi-syllable rhyme schemes.
Stephen the Levite | |
---|---|
Birth name | Darrell Lynn Bell, Jr. |
Also known as | Stephen the Levite (STL) |
Born | San Diego County, California | July 2, 1981
Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Genres | Christian hip hop, Urban contemporary gospel[1] |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Instruments | vocals, singer-songwriter |
Years active | 2001–present |
Labels | Lamp Mode |
Associated acts | The Collective, Timothy Brindle |
Website | stephenthelevite |
Early life
Stephen the Levite was born Darrell Lynn Bell, Jr.,[2] in San Diego County, California on July 2, 1981.[2][3] Stephen the Levite's father is Darrell Lynn Bell, Sr. and his mother is Cheryl Bell (nee, Goodrum).
Music career
Stephen the Levite started making music in 2001.[3] He became signed to Lamp Mode Recordings in 2007. To Die Is Gain was his debut album and the second album was 2010's The Forerunner.[4] However, it took until 2012's The Last Missionary for the artist to crack the Billboard charts.[5] New Release Tuesday rated the album four stars out of five.[6] He is a member of Christian hip hop collective, The Collective, with Timothy Brindle and Zae da Blacksmith. Can I Be Honest? was rated four out of five by Indie Vision Music.[7]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions[5] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
US Chr |
US Gos |
US Heat | ||
To Die Is Gain[4] |
|
– | – | – |
The Forerunner[4] |
|
– | – | – |
The Last Missionary[1] |
|
45 | 20 | 43 |
Can I Be Honest? |
|
– | – | – |
References
- New Release Tuesday. "The Last Missionary". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- California Birth Index. "Darrell Lynn Bell, Born 07/02/1981 in California". California Birth Index. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- Stephen the Levite (2001). "Stephen the Levite's stream on SoundCloud". SoundCloud. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- Cross Rhythms. "Stephen The Levite Artist Profile". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- AllMusic. "Stephen the Levite Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- Lacy, Dwayne (June 6, 2012). "Raw Beats Full of Inspiration". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
- Peronto, Anthony (November 24, 2014). "Stephen The Levite – Can I Be Honest?". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved March 5, 2015.