I keep saying I don't have to write much, but this time I mean it. RN said it all:
Rain's voice is able to comfort, excite, chastise, and coax with every coo and hum. She has a unique soulful, jazzy vocal style. Part R&B, part hip-hop, part classic soul, in equal measure. Her music is a unique blend of solid RnB melodies, classic soul harmonies, and clever hip-hop lyrics, offering something fresh, interesting, and compelling to music-lovers everywhere!
I couldn't have said it better myself. Her name is simply Rain. Enjoy.
You know I like to give you guys something a little different every now and then right? Well, I couldn't leave this guy's page without posting something. I heard "My Heart Is Yours" and decided not to pass up the opportunity to share. In my opinion, I feel like you can hear his spirit through his songs. With that being said, I think his spirit is beautiful. The soulful elements conveyed through his songs are amazing. I'd definitely see him in concert. Another one of my favorites is "Supposed To Grow Old." I'm sure he gets a lot of comparisons to Justin Timberlake, vocally, but I can't say that's a bad thing, right? I decided that I couldn't post just one song, so here are them all. Check him out... Enjoy.
I've been trying to write this post for 3 weeks now, but between working, trying to find work and sitting on my behind after getting off from work, I get slackerish. But I'm back and I have someone to introduce to you. Meet Ricky Raw. This dope cat hails out of Decatur, GA and let me tell you, he's a hustler when it comes to music. I've probably been following Ricky Raw's career for a good 6 to 7 years. We lost contact after awhile, but the dude is still dope from the first time I spoke to him. He has produced several albums, a few being White 'N Nerdy, The Green Album, and The Good Fight, all of which can be found on iTunes and Bandcamp.
Two of my favorite songs from Ricky Raw are "It's True" and "East Atlanta Love." What's so great about "East Atlanta Love" is that it uses Pac's "California Love," and is done well. So few artist can take an old track and remake it to fit them. So that in and of itself is dope. If you're from Atlanta, or have visited long enough, you'll definitely get a kick out of this track. "It's True" off of White 'N Nerdy is particularly one of my favorites because of the style of the track. It's laid back and it makes you just wanna nod your head. You know what I'm talking about too! His flow is nice and he's not gimmicky. I hate gimmicks, ie thugs, barbies, idiots, etc... With Ricky Raw, that's the last thing you'll find here. Just hot, southern Atlanta music to keep you rocking.
I got a chance to get a preview of Ricky Raw's latest album, Mighty High Coup, which is set to drop this coming Tuesday, October 12th. The intro is absolutely hilarious. They took it back to those BB King days. Be sure to look out for "To The Stage" featuring DJ Scizzahandz and "Here Forever" featuring Wes Green (which you'll be able to to get a little taste of today before MHC drops). I haven't gotten a chance to get through all of Mighty High Coup but it's definitely awesome so far. And "Here Forever" is definitely on repeat.
For those who are in the Atlanta area, feel free to stop by the East Side Lounge to attend the listening party. ESL is located at 485 Flat Shoals Rd, Atlanta, GA 30316. They make a mean Long Island too!
Look who showed up! Classic Eric Benét. I don't think there's been a time when I've ever been disappointed with Eric. I remember when I saw him at Chastain Amphitheater here in Atlanta. It was a ridiculous line up too: Dwele, Jon B, Eric Benét and Brian McKnight. That night, he introduced "Chocolate Legs" which is another one of my favorites. Eric has always been one of the best in the game... highly underrated. How can you not love this man and his vocals? His new song "Sometimes I Cry" is beautiful. It tells a story of a hurting man because he's not with his love anymore. Sure, this story has been told a million times before, but with this particular track, I actually feel for a brotha... He hits this one note around the 3:20 mark. Chills. All I want to do is close my eyes and listen.
I love it when people give us the gift of real music. You can't ask for anything more than that. Enjoy
Y'all know I stick mainly with the R&B as far as blogging goes, but I've been wanting to write about Rockwell Knuckles for weeks. I'm a big fan of Hip Hop and the first time I heard Rockwell, I absolutely fell in love. There are very few times I openly admit to "stanning" for an artist, but his music is worth it. When I listen to Hip Hop, just like I do with R&B, I listen for certain elements of the track and the artist, i.e. cadence, lyrical content, track quality, etc. Rockwell did it all. What I first picked up on was his cadence and how he delivered his flow. He has such a distinctive voice, that if you heard any of his songs you would immediately know it was him. He has a deeper tone to his voice with a bit of an edge and a splash of grittiness. One song in particular that I was actually turned on to by a friend was "Government Name (Spontaneous Lover)." At first, I didn't know what to expect from the track especially since I hear a lot of tom foolery, but "Government Name" is a well thought out and structured track from the production on down to the lyrical content.
"Messages" is my second favorite song. Who doesn't love an intelligent, conscious lyricist? I know I do, and this song reflects what kind of Hip-Hop I love to support: the kind that has meaning and tells a story. The kind of Hip-Hop that truly keeps it real.
"Universes are connected. Mother Earth's been disrespected. How do you think we are not affected? It's... messages sent from God."
Hailing out of St. Louis, Missouri, Rockwell Knuckles is one of those talented artists that don't come around often and that you definitely don't want to sleep on. He has a unique sound that can easily compete and win out against artist we hear in mainstream Hip-Hop. I, personally, will be keeping up with Rockwell for new projects and any other features he may make. Stay up with him.
I was forwarded this email from none other than the man himself, Q, and when I listened to Joonie, also known as Calvin Gary, Jr. I found myself bobbing my head to his track "Fresh". I have to say the song as whole is a really good, however I would've liked to hear Sir Calvin do more with his voice. Toward the end of the song, you start seeing signs of his vocal ability. He's got a GREAT tone and I look forward to his future projects. He's a talented artist and musician and he has had music featured in the BET film I Do I Did (which is actually a pretty good movie, by the way)...
Other great songs of many are "Sunshine" (one of my favorites) and "Love You More" (also one of my favorites). I've previewed his album Acoustic Love and I have to say it's simply marvelous. I say go buy it. It's one of the NICEST R&B albums I've heard in a long time. I'm sitting here at my computer in awe, actually. I'm a sucker for a good R&B album though.
I was put on to this cat by one of the homies @OCSupreme and from the time I pressed play to the end of the song, I was just grooving to CJ Hilton's newest joint "We Can Get It In." The song in and of itself has a nice little vibe to it. His vocals fit perfectly on top of the track. He's not doing too much, not doing too little. Sometimes simplicity speaks louder than vocal tricks and CJ is definitely speaking loudly here. Listen for yourself. Enjoy.
So I got a little treat in my inbox the other day! I didn't even get through the first 30 seconds and I loved it. It's the newest song "Sugar-Coated Lip Gloss" by artist Stephanie Guzman. She has some great melodic vocals and a dope track to match. The song as a whole is smooth and very reminiscent of R&B around the early 2000s. I dig it. Take a listen for yourself. Enjoy.
So I log onto Facebook one day and I see this guy's name in my news stream. There were a few comments under the status update so I figured I'd look into him and see what kind of music he did. When I found his Myspace Music page, I thought dude was awesome. The song I loved in particular was "I'm Beautiful" because of its message. He is a singer/songwriter/producer and was formerly the emcee in the rap group Emanon. His newest song is called "I Need A Dollar" and serves as the intro for the HBO show How To Make It In America. Enjoy the music.
I don't even really have a lot of words for this songstress. Her voice is amazing. Her music is unique and fresh. She's young. She's doing it. Just listen. I couldn't find an mp3 to embed, so a video of the track I absolutely adore will suffice. I love every single song on her Myspace Music page but when I heard "Fall In" that's when I knew I had to share. "I Adore You" and "I Know You Know" are two other fantastic songs you should check out as well. Enjoy.
I rarely get anything in my email that should be shared with the masses, but I was pleasantly surprised when I heard "Journey" by Lola Bleu. The track in and of itself is dope, but when I listen to a song, I listen to the components of it, i.e. the vocals (obviously), how the vocals fit on top of the track, how each of the elements in the track were put together, etc. I have to say that this is a well built, solid body of work. I've already listened to it about five times already. What struck me the most were the harmonies in the chorus and the clarity of her voice. But don't take my word for it. You'll just have to listen.
Lola Bleu, born Janell McCracken, has a strong history in music, particularly in the choir. She is currently working with producer David Sanders II on her debut album Love Will Find A Way. I definitely look forward to hearing more from her in the coming months.
To check out what else Lola Bleu is getting into, you can find her on Myspace Music and Reverb Nation. Enjoy.
Who is one the most prolific cats to hold a pair of drum sticks? Emrah Kotan. As one of the nicest people you'll ever meet he is also one of the most gifted percussionist you'll ever hear. Emrah is the Director of the Jazz and World Percussion Ensembles at Agnes Scott College as well as a member of the renowned jazz trioInternational Groove Conspiracy with bassist Matt Stallard and pianist Jose Manuel Garcia. With them, Emrah has traveled across the world performing at some of the most prominent jazz venues around.
As one of his former students, I can honestly say that watching him play is not only a treat but an experience. Simply put by Joseph Patrick Moore, owner of Blue Kanoe Records, "Emrah Kotan is a superb musician with dazzling technique [...] The bottom line is that Emrah Kotan is a great artist with wonderful gifts to offer." With that said, I will leave you with a video of Emrah performing "Tanya" with International Groove Conspiracy at The Blue Note in New York City. Enjoy.
To find out more about what Emrah is doing and where he'll be performing visit his website www.emrahkotan.com. Also, check out more of his videos at YouTube.
I apologize for my lateness, as this was supposed to be done yesterday, but I promise you won't be disappointed. I've been tooling through the Atlanta music scene here lately because in the South, sometimes our music can be a hit or miss. Right? I think I know some people who can attest to that. So, that's why you should definitely check out Laura Reed & Deep Pocket! You know how people say music saves the soul? Well, Laura is surely doing that for me personally right now. After first hearing her single "Happy" I instantly fell in love. Listening to the song is giving me a sense of joy. Laura Reed's music has a deep, strong soulful influence that records just don't have anymore; and her band is outrageously dope. So if you're looking for someone to "put a smile on your face," go ahead and take a listen.
My other favorite song is "Don't Go." It expresses a gritty, heartfelt story that I'm sure all of us have experienced at some point in our lives. As stated in her bio, Reed's music is without a doubt reflective and her songs maintain a lyrical depth that a music connoisseur can appreciate. Enjoy.
Bottom line: this dude is dope. DJ Morpheus, better known as The Acid Jazz Guitarist, has a knack for creating euphonious lines of music over jazz records. I've been in contact with this guy over the last week or so and he tells me he's anticipating his reemergence into the music scene. His story is similar to others who have dealt with the bureaucracy of the music business, but luckily he made it out fairly unscathed. As a result, DJ Morpheus has ditched the over indulged 'Big Guys' and instead uses the internet to share his music. Dope, right?
A comment left on his artist page says, "Great sounds Morpheus. Your artistry on the guitar is on par to the greats that you admire. Your sound is electrically charged and blended with ethereal riffs that sedates yet awakens brain activity in terms of intellectual thought processes, creativity and mellow vibes for the spirit." - Bluelaser
Now that's not something worth passing up, is it? Exactly.
A particular favorite of mine is "Lemme Put That Tip In" and two others I really enjoy are "Cosmic Triggers" and "Nuit's Love Ritual."
Check out his artist page and available downloads at Reverb Nation and support his music when he reintroduces himself to the game.
I'm not exactly sure what rock I was under to be able to miss this cat but Anthony David is not to be slept on. I was tooling through the internets to see if there were any artists worth their salt and boy did I find a little gem. He's a singer/songwriter right out of my hometown Atlanta, GA and his music has a GREAT vibe. There are three songs I want to share with you guys today: "Spittin Game" and "Words" featuring India.Arie (both live cuts) and "Cheatin Man" (a studio cut). Side note: I was going to try to get away with not including "Words" in the post, but it's too good of a song not to share.
