Stephen the Levite
Birth nameDarrell Lynn Bell, Jr.
Also known asStephen the Levite (STL)
Born (1981-07-02) July 2, 1981
San Diego County, California
OriginPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
GenresChristian hip hop, Urban contemporary gospel[1]
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)vocals, singer-songwriter
Years active2001–present
LabelsLamp Mode
Websitestephenthelevite.com

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.

Early life

Stephen the Levite was born Darrell Lynn Bell, Jr.,[2] in San Diego County, California on July 2, 1981.[2][3] to Darrell Lynn Bell, Sr. and 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]

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions[5]
US
Chr		 US
Gos		 US
Heat
To Die Is Gain[4]
  • Released: 2007
  • Label: Lamp Mode Recordings
  • CD, digital download
 – – –
The Forerunner[4]
  • Released: 2010
  • Label: Lamp Mode
  • CD, digital download
 – – –
The Last Missionary[1]
  • Released: April 24, 2012
  • Label: Lamp Mode
  • CD, digital download
 45 20 43
Can I Be Honest?
  • Released: November 18, 2014
  • Label: Lamp Mode
  • CD, digital download
 – – –

References

  1. 1 2 3 New Release Tuesday. "The Last Missionary". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  2. 1 2 California Birth Index. "Darrell Lynn Bell, Born 07/02/1981 in California". California Birth Index. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Stephen the Levite (2001). "Stephen the Levite's stream on SoundCloud". SoundCloud. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Cross Rhythms. "Stephen The Levite Artist Profile". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  5. 1 2 AllMusic. "Stephen the Levite Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2015. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  6. ↑ Lacy, Dwayne (June 6, 2012). "Raw Beats Full of Inspiration". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  7. ↑ Peronto, Anthony (November 24, 2014). "Stephen The Levite – Can I Be Honest?". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
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