INTERVIEW SPECIAL: Iman Williams

Iman Williams is a talented individual who has been doing her own thing within music for quite some time now, last year providing easily one of the best albums of the year, quality music from beginning to finish.

I finally got a chance to interview the lady herself, who gave us an amazing insight into her work. Hopefully it will lead you to check out this talented artist’s work and her amazing album, which for me was one of the best releases of last year.

When were you first introduced to music?

I was first introduced to music when I was very little, maybe 4 years old little.

Did you ever want to do anything else when you were younger?

Actually, I was a natural born artist (I draw) and I always wanted to be and still do want to be a cartoonist.

Did you know back then that this is what you wanted to do?

I did! I started out playing piano around the age of 7 and I continued playing for about 3 years. I didn’t know at the time what type of music I was going to do but I knew I wanted to do it.

What approach do you take towards your music?

Well, as far as the creating process, I try to take current events in my life and incorporate that into the writing. I also like to go and reference music that I grew up listening to such as Chaka Khan; Mary Jane Girls; Aretha Franklin; ATCQ; D’Angelo; Lauryn Hill; Erykah Badu; etc. Once that’s done, it’s all up to the producer I decide to work with at the time to help that song come to life. It’s a frustrating process, but I love it.

What has been the response so far to your work?

So far, with ‘Stupid Human Trick’, people have given me so much love even if it isn’t one of excitement; they at least say ‘Good Work’. My fans and others who have doubted are seeing the potential and the hard work and that means more to me than anything else.

Do you have any plans to tour your music?

Absolutely! I am planning a mini UK tour which I hope to take off by August or September of this year. The last thing I want is to be trapped in snow in the UK during the winter. I think that because of my biggest fan base being in the UK, it’s necessary to start there first. It’s going to be the Stupid Human Trick tour. Hopefully BusCrates will be accompanying me since he knows the composition of the album better than anyone; he produced it.

Are there any artists within music that you would love to work with?

Yes! I want to work with Fatima and Funkineven; The Pharcyde; Roy Ayers; my family FSS: Futuristic Soul Society; Masta Ace; Herbie Hancock; DTMD; Georgia Anne Muldrow; Kaidi Tatham; Lady Alma; 4Hero and lots more!

What do you feel that the future holds for you, as an artist?

I think, since the release of my album and the re-release that I plan to drop this year, I think the future is VERY promising. You will see more collaboration from me and lot more changes within my music. I’m open to new sounds and I’m looking to get back to more instrumentation and less computerized sounds. Makes my head hurt thinking about how much music has scurried away from the jam sessions and musical side. We need that right now... especially the new generation.

In three words, how would you describe your sound to people who haven’t heard your music?

Intergalactic; Funk and Soul.

I would like to thank Iman for actually taking the time to answer the questions I set her, I wish her all the success in the world and I’m sure you guys do as well. If you would like to find out more on Iman Williams, then you can visit her Bandcamp page, where you will be able to hear (also I’ve posted an audio feature below to listen to Iman’s amazing album) more of her work and order her album, ‘Stupid Human Tricks’. You can also chat to the lady herself by visiting her Twitter page.

ORANGE TREE RECORDS HERE TO SUPPORT REAL TALENT

Isn’t it about time we had a label out there whose thoughts are solely with the artists they have signed? I for one think so, especially in a time when so many labels out there are pushing very talented artists to change who they are, in order to make them money. Well it seems that Orange Tree Records have been hearing fans of real music’s cries and launched a label (in December of 2010) and promotion service for talented artists who are screaming out for someone to support their gifts in music.

Here is a little information about the label itself:

Just so you know a bit about us, Orange Tree Records is a new record
label and music promotion service aimed at promoting original UK Soul and Hip Hop music and we launched on 6th December 2010 with the release of 'Fresh Fruit, Vol. 1', a compilation EP of some of the most talented underground Soul and Hip Hop acts in the UK. Tracks on the EP have already received support and airplay from DJs such as Giles Peterson, Shortie Blitz and Ras Kwame.

It all sounds rather interesting, don’t you think? Well there is more, as mentioned in the above statement from Orange Tree Records, they currently have an EP out on iTunes at the moment, which I might add is well worth checking out. They have also kindly given me permission to highlight a couple of videos and audio from artists they have taken under their wing, which you can check out for yourselves below. If you would like to hear more on this rather promising project, then you can visit their Myspace or maybe add them on Twitter. Enjoy!



Chima Anya - New Day (feat. Soweto Kinch)



Louise Golbey - Same Old Same Old

Adele Shows How Singing Should Really Be Done

Adele is an artist I truly admire in the music industry at the moment, not only because she can truly sing, but also because she always puts out the best material she knows she’s capable of. Her latest album, ‘21’, which looks set to take the number one spot in the album charts here this weekend is amazing and showcases why Adele is one of the best artists within the British music scene.

Well, anyone who knows me knows that I am not a Cheryl Cole fan, cannot stand her music whatsoever and I don’t rate her as an artist either. But today, Adele has done the impossible and made me rate a song that was originally done by the dreaded Cheryl, just mentioning her name gives me the shivers (lol). Adele turned such a forgettable Pop song into a Bluesy Soul number that you just wouldn’t associate to the original artist, you can judge for yourselves, here is Adele’s version below. Enjoy!

Adele – Promise This (Radio 1 Live Lounge)

INTERVIEW SPECIAL: Baby Sol

A few weeks ago, I introduced you to another amazing talent to come from the UK music scene, Baby Sol, who has been doing her own thing within music for quite some time now. Well, I finally got a chance to interview the lady herself, with an amazing insight into her work and how she started, where she plans to take her music, etc. It’s definitely a great read and hopefully will lead you to check out this talented artists work, which I have to add, is perfect. Enjoy!

When were you first introduced to music?

My parents were in a band together. I think I was introduced to it in the womb.

Did you ever want to do anything else when you were younger?

Yes! I wanted to be a doctor, just imagine! Then I wanted to be a journalist, I don't think I ever wanted to be a solo artist when I was little. When I hit 16 or so, I started thinking I might want to be a singer, but the idea has only recently set in that I might want to do my own thing. I'm on a journey!

Did you know back then that this is what you wanted to do?

No! I actually sort of fell into it because singing is something that I always did. A joy before it was a chore, you know? I love it. I love music.

What approach do you take towards your music?

It's very organic. I didn't sit and intend to write songs, they just happened over time, my form of expressing pent up emotions. But saying that, my approach is changing because I have changed, that is part of what my current work is about. This is ‘Before I Begin’, I haven't even started yet!

What has been the response so far to your work?

So far, I have had no negatives which is nice. It's very grass roots in the sense that no one outside of my network has really heard it yet, no the complete work at least. So yes, I would say the response has been good.

Do you have any plans to tour your music?

Well, to tour my music would mean to have a budget which I don't have. This is a completely independent project. Like I say, I see this as a pre-cursor to the me that is yet to come. A put to bed project or a sneak preview into me, the artist and songwriter, depending on how you look at it. I will be doing a series of gigs in London around the release, but after that I plan to go back to the day job until I get an offer worth going for.

Are there any artists within music that you would love to work with?

There are loads! But to be honest no, not enough to name them, cause you never know what will or won't work when it comes to creativity and I've already worked with some amazing artists! There are plenty of artists I would love to meet though, just to sit with them and absorb, to learn from them.

What do you feel that the future holds for you, as an artist?

I really don't know! I want to write songs and sing. As long as I get to do that and maintain a living, I will be very happy.

In three words, how would you describe your sound to people who haven’t heard your music?

Jazz; Reggae and Soul, I used to say Rock, but that part hasn't been seen yet.

I would like to thank Baby Sol for actually taking the time to answer the questions I set her and taking the time to answer them so honestly, I wish her all the success in the world and I’m sure you guys do as well. If you would like to find out more on Baby Sol, then you can visit her website, where you will be able to hear more of her work and order her debut EP. You can also chat to the lady herself by visiting her Twitter page.

Emily King Blessing Us With New Album?

Jennifer from Audio Diva highlighted the other week what I had been wondering to myself around a week or so before, as if she had been reading my mind, if Emily King who had one of the most amazing, yet underrated debut albums would finally bless us with a second album? As if by pure magic, Jennifer pointed me in the direction (well featured on her site, but same thing) of new songs which I had not heard of from Emily, leaving us both wondering if a new album is on the way sooner than we first thought.

Anyway, going by what I heard of the new songs, around four to be exact. The new album is shaping up pretty nicely and should definitely not leave us underwhelmed. It was almost a travesty how underrated Emily was with her first album; in fact I’m almost sure it was. It leaves me baffled how such talented artists are pushed aside for the more commercial friendly, yet disposable people within music.

I shall let the music speak for itself, if you haven’t already heard Emily King’s debut album ‘East Side Story’, then you have been missing out and I would certainly recommend it to fans of real music. In the meantime, here are a couple of the songs that blessed my ears recently, fingers crossed for a new project soon from Emily, we need it.

Emily King – Georgia

Emily King – Down

Five Days & Counting Until Adele’s Masterpiece

Adele is an artist who has continuously satisfied my musical appetite for amazing music, especially as she seems to produce so much of it, like she’s some sort of magical being, which she probably is seeing as she has yet to give us one bad song. So with all of that said, I am definitely very excited for the new album, ‘21’, which hits UK music stores this coming Monday and will no doubt be number one album by next weekend, just like the single ‘Rolling In The Deep’, is looking to snatch the top spot in this weekend’s charts. Finally something decent will be at the top of the charts, if Adele continues selling her single the way she is now.

Now I know that for us in the UK the album is out next week, but spare a thought for fellow Adele fans who have to wait until next month to claim their copy of the masterpiece. So with all of that said, here is another song from the album (thanks to PinBoard) for you to listen to, which should definitely highlight what an amazing project this is going to be. Enjoy!

Adele – Set Fire To The Rain

Terri Walker Hits Industry Hard With New Song

Terri Walker pleased all of her fans, myself included, when she showcased elements of her upcoming album ‘Mz Walker’ the other day, which I documented here on this site.

After two weeks of fermenting over the news that the incredibly underrated Terri Walker is going to bless real music fans with a new album, the lady has kindly given us an exclusive listen of the very first single from the project, obviously with the help of BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Ronnie Herel. Now going by what I and a fellow fan have heard, we have come to the conclusion that this song is hot and should definitely highlight Terri as one of the leading talents on the British music scene and with this being her fourth album, hardly any love within the industry and bags of underrated talent, Terri finally being recognised for the talent that she is can only be a good thing.

You can check out Terri’s new single below, which is only a radio rip from Ronnie Herel’s latest show, but it’s better than nothing. This single will hit the shops on February 22nd and the album will be out on May 3rd of this year, so ink of those dates on your calendars. Real music is coming!

Terri Walker – So Hard (Radio Rip)

SITE UPDATE

I apologise for the lack of posts over the past week, but as you can imagine, things have been rather hectic and therefore I have been out of the loop, so to speak. Posts will go back to normal from now on, depending on how busy things get, they will continue on a regular basis. But if you do not see a post for a couple of days, do not fret, be assured that posting will pick up as normal after any break.

2011 Will Be Another Great Year For Music

Jennifer from Audio Diva got me thinking about albums I am looking forward to this year, I definitely had some sort of a weird field trip thinking through which artists I am looking forward to albums from. Obviously some are names people know there are albums coming, but others are from artists who haven’t made any official announcement, but who I would still very much like to see a new album from. After a pretty good year for music last year, it looks like 2011 could be just as good, if not better.

Albums I am looking forward to are from artists such as:

Jill Scott

Terri Walker

Nate James

SugaSmak!

Syleena Johnson

India.Arie

Adele

Tweet

Ginuwine

Baby Sol

Marsha Ambrosius

Raphael Saadiq

Lupe Fiasco

Rahsaan Patterson

Anthony David

Other artists I would love to see releases from would include the following:

Tawiah

Van Hunt

Joy Jones

Amy Winehouse
Saunders Sermons

Maxwell

Stephanie McKay

Algebra Blessett

Who would you love to see albums from this year?

Tweet Teases Us With New Project

There are talks that Tweet may finally bless us real music fans with a new album this year and I for one am more than ready for something new from the soulful lady, the lady herself has even said there will be an album this year, all being well.

"Ok this year I will be releasing LOVE, TWEET my 3rd album. No date yet ....still ironing out the business part of things!!!!"

I am officially excited. Tweet is one artist I always support; she knows how to tear the music industry apart with her sweet soulful vocals, which fans cannot get enough of.

‘Love, Tweet’ will be Tweet’s follow up album to the incredible ‘It’s Me Again’, which was released back in 2005. Now ‘Love, Tweet’ was originally penned in for a 2008 release, but because labels don’t want to support real music and politics surrounding the artist and album, the release date was put on hold. Now it seems that Tweet will finally bless us with this project, as soon as the business side of things is sorted out and boy, are we ready!

In the meantime, you can listen to a little teaser, which should excite you for the new album, if you are somehow not already excited. Enjoy!

SugaSmak! You Right Up Side The Head

SugaSmak! are a duo you certainly need to keep your attention focused on, if only for my man Nate James, who is an artist I have adored since, wow, numerous years ago before his debut album dropped. He certainly knows how to keep me sweet when it comes to his music and I am never left disappointed, never, not once. So it baffles me that he is hardly known within the wider music industry, especially as he possesses so much talent.

SugaSmak! have not long since released their debut single, ‘We Are’, which is currently available on iTunes here in the UK and is well worth checking out. Anyway, I am definitely excited for the upcoming album from these guys (Nate ‘SugaJack’ James and Matt ‘Clyma’ Gooderson are behind the SugaSmak! project), I jumped up and down when I knew that Nate was doing this project a couple or so months ago. Definitely a project worth keeping your eyes on, these guys mean business.

The video for the song is posted for you to check out below and Nate himself has kindly allowed me to direct you to listen to new songs from the guys, which you can do by clicking here. Enjoy!

SugaSmak! – We Are

Terri Walker Gives Insight Into New Album

I have been a huge fan of Terri Walker’s since she released her debut album, so I am easily looking forward to her new project, which I am definitely excited about. So when Terri herself dropped this video giving us a little insight into what to expect, I leapt on it faster than a fly around muck. Haha!

Terri is easily one of the most underrated talents within the British music scene, having released three incredible albums in the past, which I adore.

Now with her fans eagerly anticipating Terri’s next album, she is certainly keeping us sweet by giving us a little insight as what to expect with the new project. I am definitely intrigued and cannot wait to hear more. As of now, I am officially excited!

Here is the teaser video below for you to check out. Enjoy!

Terri Walker New Album Premier! 2011

Marsha Ambrosius Proves She’s Not So Far Away

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Floetry fan and I was due to see them on tour, until their entire UK tour was cancelled and it was announced that they’d parted ways. I absolutely adore that duo and hold out hope of a reunion one day.

Marsha Ambrosius, half of Floetry has released her eagerly awaited music video for her new song ‘Far Away’. I am definitely looking forward to Marsha’s upcoming album, which should easily highlight her as one of the best talents within music. Fans of Marsha have known for quite some time that this is one individual who means business, when it comes to her music.

You can view Marsha’s latest video (which is rather epic) below. Enjoy!

Marsha Ambrosius – Far Away

Jazmine Sullivan Announces Her Break From Music

Jazmine Sullivan has only moments ago taken to her official Twitter page to announce her break from music:

“i'm making an official announcement that i am taking a break from music. i'm trying to figure out who i am... w/out a mike, paper or pen. i promised myself when it wasn't fun anymore i wouldn't do it. and here i am. i'm not saying i wont ever sing again in my life becuz i don’t believe that. but in this moment... rt now... i got some things to figure out.

i love u all and appreciate u soooooo much. u have no idea how much u've inspired me and fed my ego. but the truth is that i have to believe in me whether you all do or not. and thats what i'm lookin for. that belief in myself. me. I. i love us. thanks for being here for me and riding with me on this journey. let us continue.”

I almost didn’t believe my eyes when I saw Jazmine posting this, I’m a huge fan of her music and it definitely caught me off guard. I know we have more than enough music to keep us sweet until she comes back to music and obviously we want to see one of our favourite artists continue in bringing the goods within music, but also, if Jazmine feels that she’s hitting a brick wall within her life, then of course she needs to take some time out. I hope she knows that when she does decide the time is right to bless her fan base and music with her talent, we will continue to show our support100%. Until then Jazmine, stay blessed.