Deitrick Haddon Celebrates 25 Years of Chain Breaker With Star-Studded Reimagining
Grammy Nominated Artist Marks Silver Anniversary With Chain Breaker 2.5
Three-time Grammy Award–nominated recording artist and producer Deitrick Haddon and Voices of Unity are celebrating the silver anniversary of their groundbreaking album Chain Breaker, a project that helped reshape the sound of contemporary gospel music at the turn of the millennium.
Originally released as a 19-track double-disc set before Billboard introduced its Gospel Airplay chart, Chain Breaker nonetheless produced multiple radio favorites. Songs like “Anybody Here,” “We Worship You,” and the title track “Chain Breaker” boldly fused urban rhythms with traditional choir harmonies, becoming a defining soundtrack for inner-city youth choirs and worship teams across the country.
“It was really exciting because nobody was making gospel like this when I 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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Continuing that spirit of innovation, Haddon releases Chain Breaker 2.5 (ManHaddon Ministries / Tyscot Records) this Friday. The anniversary project features modern reworks of six original songs, trading the rock-driven edge of the original for a sleek urban groove. The album includes guest appearances from gospel legends Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, and John P. Kee, alongside contributions from hip hop hitmaker Zaytoven on keys and rapper T. Church.
The album’s biggest hit, “Anybody Here,” receives two fresh treatments. Rising gospel star Jekalyn Carr joins Haddon for a quartet-style Southern Soul Mix, while DJ Malaski and Angel Chisholm appear on a street-inspired version. New additions to the project include the acoustic pop track “Find Jesus” and the forward-leaning “Back to Life.”
Chain Breaker 2.5 also revisits an early Voices of Unity classic, “Hold on 2 Your Faith,” featuring original soloist Damita, alongside powerhouse vocalist Tasha Page Lockhart, who was once a member of the choir.
Throughout his career, Haddon has placed more than two dozen songs on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart, including four No. 1 hits: “A Billion People,” “Open Door Season,” “Here Comes the Joy,” and “Never Be the Same.” His catalog also includes enduring favorites such as “Sinner’s Prayer,” “Well Done,” “Heaven Knows,” and “He’s Able.” The Top Ten single “Love Him Like I Do” paired him with Ruben Studdard and Mary Mary, while other notable collaborations include Moby, Usher, Q Parker, and Faith Evans.
In addition to his three Grammy nominations, Haddon has earned multiple Stellar Gospel Music Awards and a Dove Award for Urban Album of the Year for Church on the Moon. His creative reach also extends into film, with acting roles in Blessed and Cursed (2010) and The Fallen (2022).