Jahiem

With his smooth, sonorous tone, Jaheim is the forerunner and torch-carrier of today’s soul-originated R&B. A vocalist in the tradition of such greats as Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross, he signed with former Naughty By Nature beat man Kay Gee’s Devine Mill record label in 2000. Jaheim released three albums over five years: his 2001 debut, Ghetto Love; 2002’s sophomore set, Still Ghetto - both of which reached RIAA platinum status; and 2006’s Ghetto Classics. During that time, he also scored nominations for the BET and Soul Train Music Awards. In 2007, the chart-topping artist returns with his Atlantic Records debut, The Makings of a Man.

After taking time off following the release of Ghetto Classics, Jaheim returns with a renewed focus on the direction in which he wants to take his career. As he says, “I’ve been working in the studio over the past year on my milestone project, one that reflects the change and transition I’ve gone through.” The past 12 months have been full of revelations. Jaheim has adopted a new lifestyle through healthy eating and exercise habits. He’s purchased his first home. And for the first time in his life, he finds himself truly in love. That experience is documented on the album’s first single, “Never.” The track is a nod to the age-old adage, “You should never say never,” he explains. “It’s about that relationship you thought you would never find.” It’s also the perfect record to reintroduce the originator of the genre dubbed “thug R&B.” Jaheim recalls, “After we did the song, it was incredible. As a singer, I really felt it, and to come back in the ballad mode, I’m filling that gap” left by departed pioneers like Luther Vandross, Gerald Levert, and Barry White.

A personal near-tragedy helped put things in very clear perspective for the performer, who miraculously emerged virtually unscathed from a recent car accident. “You have to evaluate yourself, and that’s what I did. Being a man means to walk like Christ. You have to want that change. If you sacrifice, he’ll give you everything you are looking for. When you’re taken through the storm, the only thing you can do is write about it… get your pain off. So I’m going to take this story and change somebody’s life. There’s a song on here for everybody.”

Just as his personal life has seen major changes, The Makings of a Man also marks a new phase of Jaheim’s professional career. In addition to a new label home, it is notably his first project without the use of the word “ghetto” in the title. It also marks his departure from Devine Mill and is released via his own Ghetto Hoodz imprint. “We took that word and turned it around to be something colorful and positive… there is a lot of talent in the ghetto and giving back to people who never thought they would have a chance is important.” Of his former musical mentor he says, “The relationship is still there and I’m still working with Kay Gee… I learned a lot from him, and I think he’s one of the greatest producers.” They reunite for the new disc’s up-tempo “Roster.”

The Makings of a Man includes tracks with some of music’s heaviest hitters. Keyshia Cole turns up on “I’ve Changed,” a ballad that also speaks to the theme of the things we do for new-found love… and to create a winning record. Jaheim explains, “We had two different opinions of how the song should go. It had already been written and normally you stick to the script. She didn’t stick to the script, but I changed it because you can’t always have your way.”

Jaheim honors classic R&B by paying homage to two of the genre’s favorites. He puts an updated spin on the Bobby Womack classic “If You Think You’re Lonely” and teams with Nat Adderley Jr., long-time producer for Luther Vandross, for a cover of a surprise Vandross classic. Jaheim cites the late velvet-voiced vocalist as his sole musical inspiration. “If it wasn’t for Luther’s voice, I would probably be in the hood right now. That’s when I first realized God was using this man to get to me. I was a troublesome child. Who would have thought that I would be a singer, but listening to his voice saved my life.” The project also sees collaborations with R. Kelly on “Hush,” and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds contributes “You Don’t Have a Clue.”

While Jaheim’s talent has taken him far, he’s never forgotten where he comes from. The New Brunswick, New Jersey native was raised in the city’s Memorial Parkway Homes public housing project. Orphaned at 16, he was left to care for his two younger brothers. The gifted singer would also see prison time before choosing a different path and going on to achieve success in the music industry. In 2005, he established the Urban Dreams Foundation, a youth outreach initiative that also builds affordable housing in the Newark, New Jersey area. A former amateur boxer, Jaheim is also constructing a local training gym and sponsors a promising, up-and-coming adolescent fighter from the area. “Whatever the kids are into, we just try and show them they can do it. I ain’t the only one. You’re the future.”

Tamia

Imagine a friendship breathed into life by music. Imagine a message of love unheard of. Now awake to Between Friends, the newest album by Tamia.

Between Friends is an R&B guide to the beauty and dynamics of relationships. Mixing the writing styles of Shep Crawford, the producing finesse of Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Tamia’s maturity as an artist and woman resonates in all 12 songs.

For the love-starved man who craves the warmth of a good one, Tamia’s songs ignite flames of hope that romance and love still blooms. Songs like “The Way I Love You”, “Too Grown For That” and “Can’t Get Enough Of You” fuse Tamia’s sinfully smothering vocal abilities with Darkchild’s signature bounce to every beat.

Since her last album, More, Tamia is trying to do it all- being supportive of her husband Grant Hill and his career, mother of four year-old Myla Grace (Myla means merciful taken from the Bible ‘mercy and grace’), and working with charities like Prevent Child Abuse America; Habitat For Humanity; Multiple Sclerosis (MS) awareness in Canada; and, an African American art collection currently touring the US.

Yet, completion of the last album left Tamia wanting, wanting to do more songs, but feeling restricted by record label obligations. Tamia wished to make the decisions about songs - if she felt strongly about it, then it would make the album. As Tamia notes,

“Shep Crawford, who produced “Stranger In My House,” and I, always said that if we ever had time and wanted to have fun, we’d just go into studio and make the music that we wanted to make. We both loved the creative process and creating songs. We loved just hanging out talking about life and having a good time. We went into the studio not thinking that we’d create an album. It came organically. Literally, it was going to be a CD just for us.”

Investing her own money without waiting for anyone to propose a new album, Tamia tinkered and toyed with music she wanted to make. She involved herself in every aspect of this project putting forth an album that truly is, soul.

“I’m always going to be that little 6 year-old singing into her brush with her mom yelling, “Tamia, please stop!” Music is just a part of me-everything that I do, every step that I take. I am still thankful and amazed, because I still see myself as that little girl with a brush.”

Tamia’s big break came when she was featured on Q’s Jook Joint album, with her own solo effort following a few years later. During that time frame, this previously unknown singing sensation received three Grammy nominations: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “You’ve Put A Move On My Heart;” Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocal for “Slow Jams,” which she performed with Babyface and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for her work with Brandy, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan on the single “Missing You” from the Set It Off soundtrack. To top it all off, the amazing Tamia was also nominated for her fourth Grammy in 1999 for her duet with Eric Benet, the #1 “Spend My Life With You.”

In 2005, Tamia traveled with a full band to South Africa to perform. “It was amazing from the start to finish. “It made everything so much more fun; we went to do a 45-minute show, but ended up doing almost 2 hours. I had a band that loved to play and we just went over there to have one big jam session.

There’s nothing like being on stage and having the crowd singing every word of your song. After 10 years as a recording artist, the experience was still very touching. You never know how your music touches people. This experience rejuvenated me. It energized me to get this new album done.”

Between Friends is the birth of Tamia’s second child. With her growing wisdom in life, love and the music industry, she believes that “there’s a time and place for music like “Drop it like it’s hot!” But, there are also people who want to hear about love and relationships. A lot of songs I do aren’t from personal experience, but the subject matter is universal.”

The future remains a mystery. But from wake to sleep, Tamia is driven by the music box within.

Source: http://tamiaworld.com/about_details.php?page_type=bio

Brian McKnight

Embracing an effortless eloquence and cocoa butter smooth persona, the music of Brian McKnight has defined the true meaning of American soul man since 1991. Like his spiritual Motown godfathers, this upstate New York native has a velvety voice and silky style that captures the vibe of vintage soul without being old fashion. On his latest disc Ten, that blend can be clearly heard.

“It’s always been my goal to try and bring back real R&B music,” Brian says. “When I was growing-up it was all about the seventies soul men. From the first time I ever stepped into a studio, my daydream was to pick-up where Marvin Gaye left off.” While Brian’s aspirations might have seemed like a lofty ambition, the longevity of his career is a testament to the purity of his vision.

In an industry that has a fast turnaround of acts vying to be the next “quiet storm” king or crooner on Soul Train, it’s unbelievable that Brian McKnight is still creating beautiful music fifteen years after releasing his self-titled debut. Like the late Luther Vandross before him, the secret of Brian McKnight’s rhythmic endurance comes down to his ability to create eternal music.

With the release of Ten, McKnight’s first disc for his new label Warner Bros Records, the Grammy-nominated singer could not be more pleased with the outcome. “I wasn’t very happy with the situation at my former label and perhaps that attitude was reflected in the material,” Brian confesses. Having penned and completed about thirty-three new songs before signing on the dotted line, McKnight was more than ready. “Right now, I am optimistic of what I can do in my new situation.”

Without a doubt, the landscape of soul music has gotten younger, but that fact did not hinder McKnight’s creative process. “It would be a mistake for me to try and compete with Chris Brown or Ne-Yo,” Brian laughs. “I’m not going to be dancing on BET, but at the same time I believe my material will appeal to everyone from teenagers to older folks.”

After 16 million albums sold since his self-titled debut, it would have been too easy for McKnight to simply follow the R&B template of rote romanticism. But on Ten, the artist in him felt the need to be more revealing. “As a songwriter my biggest challenge has always been finding new ways to say old things,” Brian says. “For me, it was all about being honest and exploring who I am right now. Like everyone else, I am a much different man than I was ten years ago.”

On Ten’s stellar first single “Used to Be My Girl,” McKnight detours from the usual R&B slant of spreading charm like butter while serenading some unspecified honey. Swaggering like big dawg player antagonizing a former girlfriend’s new man, B. McKnight (as he refers to himself in the intro) and producers Tim & Bob have constructed the perfect ex-boyfriend, ex-husband and baby daddy anthem. “Go ahead playboy, do your thing,” McKnight teases nastily. “I must admit that she’s a ten/bet she didn’t tell you about way back when/when she was my girl.”

Spiked with lyrical vigor and vinegar “Used to Be My Girl” is the realest R&B track released in a long time. “This might be the first song dealing with the issue of a man confronting his ex’s new boyfriend,” Brian states. “Talking mess to your former girl’s latest man is a common scenario, but I’ve never heard it on a song.”

Refusing to sugarcoat his feelings of superiority and slight jealousy, “Used to Be My Girl” manages to make public many men’s private pathos. “I’m not trying to dis the woman, but at the same time I want this dude to understand if I wanted her back it be no problem.”

Though McKnight has been friends with producers Tim & Bob for over ten years, this is the trio’s first collaboration. “We just worked so well together,” Brian says of the duo that produced “Thong Song” as well as tracks for TLC, Boys II Men and Earth, Wind & Fire. “I prefer working with producers who can play instruments, and those guys can do their thing,” he says. In addition, the duo also constructed a danceable soundscape for the lyrically scathing “Unhappy Without You.”

Yet, while Brian may come across as cocky on “Used to Be My Girl,” the complexity of his personality reveals itself on the superb “Should Have Been Loving You.” With funky music stark as a gritty street after midnight (Shaft and Super Fly be shootin’ dice in the alleyway), Brian has crafted a song that honestly details his own weakness in the love game.

From infidelity to aloofness to just not being that into a certain woman, Brian takes the blame for the failings of most of his relationships on the “Should Have Been Loving You.” Like Here My Dear in reverse (brother Marvin Gaye never took the responsibility for anything), one feels all goose bumpy when Brian McKnight wails, “Instead of running around I should have been loving you/instead of breaking your heart.”

Using simple words to express complex feelings, Brian once again proves that not only is he a wonderful singer, but his skills as a songwriter is impeccable. “Whenever I sit down to write I think it’s important to be honest,” Brian says. “When I started working on ‘Should Have Been Loving You,’ I realized that most times I’m my own worst enemy. All the relationships I’ve been in including my ex-wife ended because of my own selfishness. Writing that song was a way of dealing with a personal issue.”

Back in love again, at least on record, Brian teams-up with singer Jill Scott on the sweet “More Than Just A Thang.” With a duo this talented, one expects greatness, and Scott and McKnight do not disappoint. “When you work with talented people, good things are bound to happen,” Brian says. “Jill and I have a respect for each others work, so it was just a pleasure having her in the studio. I think the outcome was amazing.”

Though Brian has never been the kind of singer/songwriter that one would call political that didn’t stop him from penning “Red, White & Blue,” a heart wrenching ode for the men and women currently at war. Teaming up with country star Rascal Flatts on the track, Brian recalls, “My best friend and frequent co-writer (Brandon Barnes) called me on July 4th, and told me to watch this special about soldiers calling home. It was such a moving experience that five minutes later I we had written the song together over the phone.

“No matter what one feels about the war, those kids overseas are putting the lives on the line everyday. I don’t think I would have what it takes to be a soldier, bit at the same time I wanted to create a song that spoke of the situation from their perspective.”

Currently working on a variety of projects including a talk show and soundtracks for two upcoming Tyler Perry projects, the veteran soul singer could not be happier with the outcome of Ten. “When I finish a record, I listen to it from beginning to end,” McKnight says. “Truthfully, I think this is the best record I’ve done in years.” For fans of real music, Ten is the perfect addition to the soul cannon.

Jill Scott

Born in 1972 in North Philadelphia, Jill Scott grew up in the ghetto with her mom and grandmother. A deeply loved and gifted child, she learned to talk at only eight months and was reading by age four. Always the center of attention, her principal in elementary school described her as a little butterfly.

After running from Jill’s abusive stepfather, mother and child moved in with Jill’s grandmother, with whom she had a very close bond. After a rough but memorable childhood, Scott attended Temple University, studying secondary education. She was planning on becoming a high-school English teacher.

When she was placed at a school as a student-teacher, her fellow professors disapproved of her unique method of teaching the kids: she often incorporated singing and melody in order to help with memorization. Due to the negative comments she was receiving, she quit.

Shortly thereafter, a friend helped her in joining a local theater troop. After some hard work, she earned a spot on the Canadian cast of Rent, began to do poetry readings and befriended some big names in the Philly artistic community, included Jeffrey A. Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff). It was here that Scott’s musical career took off.

Encouraged by Jazzy Jeff and Ahmir-Khalib Thompson (Ahmir “Questolove” Thompson) of the hip-hop group The Roots, Scott wrote several songs in only three days during the summer of 1999. One of them, entitled “You Got Me,” was performed by Erykah Badu and The Roots, and won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance (Duo or Group). A few months later, after Jeff burned 100 demo CDs and marketed the soul singer, Jill Scott signed with the new label Hidden Beach. During this whole process and since then, she collaborated with Will Smith and Common, and worked on soundtracks for Down to Earth (2001), Wild Wild West (1999) and In Too Deep (1999)

Amazingly, she made 50 songs for her debut album and had a lot of trouble trimming it down. Finally, after much deliberation, “Who Is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. I” was released in July 2000. It featured music that was youthful enough for the younger generation and soulful enough for those above 40.

Accolades came pouring in for her unique contribution to hip-hop: “Who Is Jill Scott?” was certified platinum, and she received three Grammy nominations (including one for Best New Artist), three NAACP Image rewards and one Soul Train Award for Best Female R&B Album. Her fame carried her on stage as she performed on VH1’s Divas Live with Aretha Franklin; speaking of Aretha, Jill Scott was the 2001 recipient of the Aretha Franklin Award as “Entertainer of the Year” at the Lady of Soul Awards.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0779325/bio

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

Much can be said about Amy Winehouse, one of the U.K.’s flagship vocalists during the 2000s. The British press and tabloids seemed to focus on her rowdy behavior and heavy consumption of alcohol, but fans and critics alike embraced her rugged charm, brash sense of humor, and distinctively soulful and jazzy vocals. Her platinum-selling breakthrough album, Frank (2003), elicited comparisons ranging from Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan to Macy Gray and Lauryn Hill. Interestingly enough, despite her strong cockney accent and vernacular, one can often hear aspects of each of those singers’ vocal repertoire in Winehouse’s own voice. Nonetheless, her allure has been her songwriting — almost always deeply personal, but best known for its profanity and brutal candor.

Born to a taxi-driving father and pharmacist mother, Winehouse grew up in the Southgate area of northern London. Her upbringing was surrounded by jazz. Many of the uncles on her mother’s side were professional jazz musicians, and even her paternal grandmother was romantically involved with British jazz legend Ronnie Scott at one time. While at home, she listened to and absorbed her parents’ selection of greats: Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra among others. However, in her teens, she was drawn to the rebellious spirit of TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and other American R&B and hip-hop acts of the time.

At the age of 16, after she had been expelled from London’s Sylvia Young Theatre School, she caught her first break when pop singer Tyler James, a schoolmate and close friend, passed on her demo tape to his A&R, who was searching for a jazz vocalist. That opportunity led to her recording contract with Island Records. By the end of 2003, when she was 20 years old, Island had released her debut album, Frank. With contributions from hip-hop producer/keyboardist Salaam Remi, Winehouse’s amalgam of jazz, pop, soul, and hip-hop received rave reviews. The album was nominated for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize as well as two Brit awards, and its lead single, “Stronger Than Me,” won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song.

Following Winehouse’s debut, the accolades and inquiring interviews appeared concurrently in the press with her tempestuous public life. Several times she showed up to her club or TV performances too drunk to sing a whole set. In 2006, her management company finally suggested that she enter rehab for alcohol abuse, but instead, she dumped the company and transcribed the ordeal into the U.K. Top Ten hit “Rehab,” the lead single for her second, critically acclaimed album, Back to Black. Containing evocative productions from Salaam Remi and British DJ/multi-instrumentalist Mark Ronson, the album somewhat abandoned jazz, delving into the sounds of ’50s/’60s-era girl group harmonies, rock & roll, and soul. The fanfare over the release was so great that it started to spill over onto U.S. shores; several rappers and DJs made their own remixes of various songs — not to mention covers by Prince and the Arctic Monkeys.

One month after Winehouse won Best Female Artist at the Brit Awards in February 2007, Universal released Back to Black in the U.S. The LP charted higher than any other American debut by a British female recording artist before it, and it remained in the Top Ten for several months, selling a million copies by the end of that summer. Just as in the U.K., she became the talk of the town, landing on the covers of Rolling Stone and Spin magazines. Not long afterward, though, Winehouse canceled her North American tour. Early reports revealed that she was entering rehab for alcohol and drug addiction, but her new management denied the claims, stating it was due to severe exhaustion. Her erratic behavior kept her and her new husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, constantly in the tabloids and on and off stages on both sides of the Atlantic, but in late 2007 American fans were finally given a chance to hear Winehouse’s early work, with a slightly abbreviated (two songs removed and one added) version of Frank. Cyril Cordor, All Music Guide

Source: http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Winehouse,_Amy/Biography/

Keyshia Cole

Prince

Few artists have created a body of work as rich and varied as Prince. During the ’80s, he emerged as one of the most singular talents of the rock & roll era, capable of seamlessly tying together pop, funk, folk, and rock. Not only did he release a series of groundbreaking albums; he toured frequently, produced albums and wrote songs for many other artists, and recorded hundreds of songs that still lie unreleased in his vaults. With each album he released, Prince has shown remarkable stylistic growth and musical diversity, constantly experimenting with different sounds, textures, and genres. Occasionally, his music can be maddeningly inconsistent because of this eclecticism, but his experiments frequently succeed; no other contemporary artist can blend so many diverse styles into a cohesive whole.

Prince’s first two albums were solid, if unremarkable, late-’70s funk-pop. With 1980’s Dirty Mind, he recorded his first masterpiece, a one-man tour de force of sex and music; it was hard funk, catchy Beatlesque melodies, sweet soul ballads, and rocking guitar pop, all at once. The follow-up, Controversy, was more of the same, but 1999 was brilliant. The album was a monster hit, selling over three million copies, but it was nothing compared to 1984’s Purple Rain.

Purple Rain made Prince a superstar; it eventually sold over ten million copies in the U.S. and spent 24 weeks at number one. Partially recorded with his touring band, the Revolution, the record featured the most pop-oriented music he has ever made. Instead of continuing in this accessible direction, he veered off into the bizarre psycho-psychedelia of Around the World in a Day, which nevertheless sold over two million copies. In 1986, he released the even stranger Parade, which was in its own way as ambitious and intricate as any art rock of the ’60s; however, no art rock was ever grounded with a hit as brilliant as the spare funk of “Kiss.”

By 1987, Prince’s ambitions were growing by leaps and bounds, resulting in the sprawling masterpiece Sign ‘O’ the Times. Prince was set to release the hard funk of The Black Album by the end of the year, yet he withdrew it just before its release, deciding it was too dark and immoral. Instead, he released the confused Lovesexy in 1988, which was a commercial disaster. With the soundtrack to 1989’s Batman he returned to the top of the charts, even if the album was essentially a recap of everything he had done before. The following year he released Graffiti Bridge, the sequel to Purple Rain, which turned out to be a considerable commercial disappointment.

In 1991, Prince formed the New Power Generation, the best and most versatile and talented band he has ever assembled. With their first album, Diamonds and Pearls, Prince reasserted his mastery of contemporary R&B; it was his biggest hit since 1985. The following year, he released his 12th album, which was titled with a cryptic symbol; in 1993, Prince legally changed his name to the symbol. In 1994, after becoming embroiled in contract disagreements with Warner Bros., he independently released the single “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” likely to illustrate what he would be capable of on his own; the song became his biggest hit in years. Later that summer, Warner released the somewhat halfhearted Come under the name of Prince; the record was a moderate success, going gold.

In November 1994, as part of a contractual obligation, Prince agreed to the official release of The Black Album. In early 1995, he immersed himself in another legal battle with Warner, proclaiming himself a slave and refusing to deliver his new record, The Gold Experience, for release. By the end of the summer, a fed-up Warner had negotiated a compromise that guaranteed the album’s release, plus one final record for the label. The Gold Experience was issued in the fall; although it received good reviews and was following a smash single, it failed to catch fire commercially. In the summer of 1996, Prince released Chaos & Disorder, which freed him to become an independent artist. Setting up his own label, NPG (which was distributed by EMI), he resurfaced later that same year with the three-disc Emancipation, which was designed as a magnum opus that would spin off singles for several years and be supported with several tours.
However, even his devoted cult following needed considerable time to digest such an enormous compilation of songs. Once it was clear that Emancipation wasn’t the commercial blockbuster he hoped it would be, Prince assembled a long-awaited collection of outtakes and unreleased material called Crystal Ball in 1998. With Crystal Ball, Prince discovered that it’s much more difficult to get records to an audience than it seems; some fans who pre-ordered their copies through Prince’s website (from which a bonus fifth disc was included) didn’t receive them until months after the set began appearing in stores. Prince then released a new one-man album, New Power Soul, just three months after Crystal Ball; even though it was his most straightforward album since Diamonds and Pearls, it didn’t do well on the charts, partly because many listeners didn’t realize it had been released.

A year later, with “1999″ predictably an end-of-the-millennium anthem, Prince issued the remix collection 1999 (The New Master). A collection of Warner Bros.-era leftovers, Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale, followed that summer, and in the fall Prince returned on Arista with the all-star Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic.

In the fall of 2001 he released the controversial Rainbow Children, a jazz-infused circus of sound trumpeting his conversion to the Jehovah’s Witnesses that left many longtime fans out in the cold. He further isolated himself with 2003’s N.E.W.S., a four-song set of instrumental jams that sounded a lot more fun to play than to listen to. Prince rebounded in 2003 with the chart-topping Musicology, a return to form that found the artist back in the Top Ten, even garnering a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2005. In early 2006 he was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing two songs with a new protégée, R&B singer Tamar. A four-song appearance at the Brit Awards with Wendy, Lisa, and Sheila E. followed. Both appearances previewed tracks from 3121, which hit number one on the album charts soon after its release in March 2006. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Kameron Corvet

Kameron Corvet’s trajectory from vocalist, to acoustic and electric guitarist, to producer and songwriter is not mirrored by many. This well-rounded perspective gives his musical approach a depth that is experienced when listening to any of his work. He’s a breath of fresh artistic air and talent in a day and age when a cookie cutter approach has been applied to those who are considered to be the artists with the most potential to sell platinum records and fill the largest arenas. Corvet, a native of both Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Cincinnati, Ohio, has been singing since the age of five. He admits however, that he was probably more like seven when his singing actually started to sound good and his dream of being a rock star was born. As a child in the 80’s, Corvet listened primarily to top 40 pop. Considering that and his private school education one might regard his upbringing a far cry from one which, by all outward appearances, could spawn the angst that is prevalent in artists of the rock music genre.

By the time he was 17, he was teaching himself to play the guitar between being recruited to play Division I college football and singing in the classical ensemble. As a guitarist he burnishes, picking up his guitar everyday and building a necessity to play, as being the most critical step in his development. Upon finishing high school his influence by artists such as: Elvis Presley, Prince and Lenny Kravitz made him sure that he wanted to seriously pursue a career in music. Through talent shows and collegiate track meets he found himself at Morehouse College pursuing a BA in French while cutting his teeth on Atlanta’s local music scene.

Although he began his career as strictly a vocalist, Corvet understood the power of being a tri-factor artist. The release of his self titled EP, Jonz, while still a student at Morehouse helped him to develop confidence in his ability to write and produce. He acknowledges that, “contributing to a musical piece in more than one way, forces responsibility for the song as a whole.”
As his college career came to a close he was prepared for both corporate America and an extensive career in music. While pencil pushing as an active member of the corporate world he simultaneously released his independent full length album Sayingthings; fading the boundaries between soul and rock. Although he garnered a great deal of local and international success under the name Jonz, Corvet considered himself too refined for that alias and chose to continue his journey under his real name. When asked, he refers to the reasons behind the name change as “spiritual epiphany”. “It was significant for me because I always wanted to have a “stage name” or a secret identity to hide behind. I know now that I’m best represented by my real name.”

Whether opening for Doug E. Fresh or playing at the Apollo the performance has always been the unique deal sealer for Kameron Corvet. Each concert has allowed steadfast supporters to experience a more skillful guitarist and vocalist capable of improv freestyles, soft falsetto and belted refrains. He deems his songwriting a true marriage between the actual written text and the delivery. He credits his intense study of language for helping him become an exceptional lyricist and aims to be revolutionary as a songwriter with his philosophy on how it should be done. “It’s important for my written work to be as intentional, emotional and detailed as any of the most prolific authors, poets and songwriters whose work I’ve ever encountered.

He is an artist who exceeds any monotonous genre in which format, not content, determines heavy rotation. His vocals stretch beyond the expectations placed on rock artists without sugar coating words with elaborate runs. By composing on guitar, his music exposes an edgier side than any represented in soul music. His tracks are meant to come alive and live on when listeners sing them amongst themselves in their own rhythm and key.

What’s most intriguing about artists, whose talents are of his caliber, is that they were never meant to be casually seen. Corvet puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else and he doesn’t run away from that. Instead, the things that separate him from so many other artists are the very same things that bring him closer to his audience. He’s one of them and one of us at the same time. The fact that so many have had the chance to be exposed to the secret that is Kameron Corvet will allow him to start further ahead in his musical endeavors than a new artist traditionally can. This is because his sense of normalcy gives us insight on the rock star in all of us. And as long as real music exists, his kind will continue to inspire us.

Mariah Carey

The best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Mariah Carey rose to superstardom on the strength of her stunning five-octave voice; an elastic talent who moved easily from
glossy ballads to hip-hop-inspired dance-pop, she earned frequent comparison to rivals Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, but did them both one better by composing all of her own material. Born in Long Island, NY, on March 27, 1970, Carey moved to New York City at the age of 17 — just one day after graduating high school — to pursue a music career; there she befriended keyboardist Ben Margulies, with whom she began writing songs. Her big break came as a backing vocalist on a studio session with dance-pop singer Brenda K. Starr, who handed Carey’s demo tape to Columbia Records head Tommy Mottola at a party. According to legend, Mottola listened to the tape in his limo while driving home that same evening, and was so immediately struck by Carey’s talent that he doubled back to the party to track her down.

After signing to Columbia, Carey entered the studio to begin work on her 1990 self-titled debut LP; the heavily promoted album was a chart-topping smash, launching no less than four number one singles: “Vision of Love,” “Love Takes Time,” “Someday,” and “I Don’t Wanna Cry.” Her overnight success earned Grammy awards as Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist, and expectations were high for Carey’s follow-up, 1991’s Emotions. The album did not disappoint, as the title track reached number one — a record fifth consecutive chart-topper — while both “Can’t Let Go” and “Make It Happen” landed in the Top Five. Carey’s next release was 1992’s MTV Unplugged EP, which generated a number one cover of the Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There.” Featured on the track was backup singer Trey Lorenz, whose appearance immediately helped him land a recording contract of his own.

In June 1993, Carey wed Mottola — some two decades her senior — in a headline-grabbing ceremony; months later she released her third full-length effort, Music Box, her best-selling record to date. Two more singles, “Dreamlover” and “Hero,” reached the top spot on the charts. Carey’s first tour followed and was widely panned by critics; undaunted, she resurfaced in 1994 with a holiday release titled Merry Christmas, scoring a seasonal smash with “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” 1995’s Daydream reflected a new artistic maturity; the first single, “Fantasy,” debuted at number one, making Carey the first female artist and just the second performer ever to accomplish the feat. The follow-up, “One Sweet Day” — a collaboration with Boyz II Men — repeated the trick, and remained lodged at the top of the charts for a record 16 weeks.

After separating from Mottola, Carey returned in 1997 with Butterfly, another staggering success and her most hip-hop-flavored recording to date. #1’s — a collection featuring her 13 previous chart-topping singles as well as “The Prince of Egypt (When You Believe),” a duet with Whitney Houston effectively pairing the two most successful female recording artists in pop history — followed late the next year. With “Heartbreaker,” the first single from her 1999 album Rainbow, Carey became the first artist to top the charts in each year of the 1990s; the record also pushed her ahead of the Beatles as the artist with the most cumulative weeks spent atop the Hot 100 singles chart.

However, the early 2000s weren’t as kind to Carey. After signing an 80-million-dollar deal in 2001 with Virgin — the biggest record contract ever — she experienced a very public personal and professional meltdown that included rambling; suicidal messages on her website; an appearance on TRL where, clad only in a T-shirt, she handed out Popsicles to the audience; and last but not least, the poorly received movie Glitter and its attendant soundtrack (which was also her Virgin Records debut). Both the film and the album did poorly critically as well as commercially, with Glitter making just under four million dollars in its total U.S. gross and the soundtrack struggling to make gold sales. Following these setbacks, Virgin and Carey parted ways early in 2002, with the label paying her 28 million dollars. That spring, she found a new home with Island/Def Jam, where she set up her own label, MonarC Music. In December, she released her ninth album, Charmbracelet, which failed to become a success. Although she took nearly three years for a follow-up, Carey found a hit with 2005’s chart-topping The Emancipation of Mimi, her most successful record in years. Released by Island Records, the album climbed to multi-platinum status and earned Carey a Grammy Award, thus restoring her status as a megastar in the R&B arena. Two weeks before the release of her subsequent album, E=MC², Carey scored her eighteenth number-one hit with “Touch My Body”, a feat that pushed her into second place (past Elvis, no less) amongst all aritsts with the most chart-topping singles. The well-timed accomplished also increased the public’s appetite for E=MC², which arrived in April 2008. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Source: http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/carey_mariah/bio.jhtml

Angie Stone

A singer, a self-taught keyboardist, and a prolific songwriter, Angie Stone’s first claim to fame was being the lead vocalist on Vertical Hold’s smooth urban dance track “Seems You’re Much Too Busy.” An R&B Top 40 hit during the summer of 1993, it eventually led to a solo career, and her debut album Black Diamond was issued in 1999 by Arista. In six years, Stone had definitely gained an old-school, autobiographical vibe, exemplified by her hit ballad “No More Rain (In This Cloud),” which has samples from Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye).” Contributors included Lenny Kravitz and former Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad as producers, and Stone’s ex-boyfriend D’Angelo as a vocal guest on “Everyday.”

Stone, a native of Columbia, SC, began singing gospel music at a young age at First Nazareth Baptist Church. Her father, a member of a local gospel quartet, would take his only child to see performances by gospel artists such as the Singing Angels and the Gospel Keynotes. During her youth, she wrote poetry, played sports, and, after high-school graduation, was offered college basketball scholarships. While working dead-end jobs, Stone began saving money to record her own demos at a local studio called PAW. She joined Gwendolyn Chisolm and Cheryl Cook in the rap trio the Sequence, who recorded hits for Joe and Sylvia Robinson’s Sugarhill label — “Funk You Up,” a remake of Parliament’s hit “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker” called “Funky Sound (Tear the Roof Off),” and “I Don’t Need Your Love (Part One).” Soon after, Stone was working with futuristic rappers Mantronix and rocker Lenny Kravitz and formed the neo-soul trio Vertical Hold, who first charted with the Criminal single “Summertime.” Besides “Seems You’re Much Too Busy,” the group’s self-titled A&M album spawned another charting single, “ASAP.” She moved to J-Records in 2001 for her second record, Mahogany Soul, and the record cracked the Top 40 thanks to the pop/R&B hit “Brotha.” Three years later, her third record Stone Love became her biggest hit, with a number 14 placing. The Art of Love & War, released in 2007, was her first number one album on the R&B/Hip Hop chart. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide

Source: http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/stone_angie/bio.jhtml

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