Posts Tagged ‘Jive Records’

Interview: Travis Porter – Hip-Hop’s Digital Pioneers

Posted: January 26, 2011 in interview, music
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Travis PorterDate of Interview: 01/26/2010

Travis Porter is a hip-hop trio hailing from Atlanta, Georgia. Since October 2008, the group has received more than 60 million views on their YouTube channel, and become digital pioneers on social media outlets, like Twitter, for their personal approach to “meeting” and “greeting” fans. Due to their massive online success, the group signed with Jive Records in November 2010, as they prepared for the release of Porterland, their debut album.

During a promotional campaign for their eighth mixtape, Music, Money and Magnums, Harold “Strap” Duncan, Lakeem “Ali” Mattox and Donquez “Quez” Woods managed to squeeze some time out of their busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on the viral video for “Make It Rain,” their standard Waffle House orders, and the steps they are taking to build the Porter House brand.

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Interview: Miguel Jontel – Singer, Songwriter and Producer

Posted: April 9, 2010 in interview, music
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Miguel Jontel

Date of Interview: 04/09/2010

The music of Miguel Jontel is genre-defying.  And when one considers his ethnic background, as an Afro-Mexican singer, then his penchant for blending and mixing socio-cultural elements is immediately understandable.

Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Miguel’s claim to fame initially came from his songwriting and production talents.  Working behind the scenes, he has placed several tracks on Usher Raymond’s past two albums.  In addition, he contributed to Musiq Soulchild’s GRAMMY-nominated single, “IfULeave,” which featured Mary J. Blige.

Such massive successes led Miguel to release Mischief: The Mixtape, in order to whet the sonic appetite of his long-time followers. Additional singles, like “Sure Thing,” have made their rounds on the Internet as well. To date, the aforementioned single has received over four and a half million MySpace plays – validating his international appeal.

Miguel’s full-length debut will be released in the Fall of 2010 under the Jive imprint.  The album’s name-sake and current buzz single is “All I Want is You” – featuring J. Cole.  Upon the release of All I Want is You, Miguel managed to squeeze some time out his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on the “McDonaldization” of the music industry, his appreciation of musical diversity, and his admiration of Stevie Wonder, John Lennon and Dianne Warren.

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Interview: Raheem DeVaughn – Singer and Songwriter

Posted: December 4, 2009 in interview, music
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Raheem DeVaughn

Date of Interview: 12/04/2009

© 2009 Clayton Perry

The music of Raheem DeVaughn serves as the perfect antidote to the standard commercial fare on contemporary R&B radio.  And by channeling the spirit of Marvin Gaye, the self-proclaimed “R&B hippie neo-soul rock star” has managed to juggle a musical catalog that focuses on the beauty of love as much as the social issues underlying the hardships of daily life.

No stranger to “conscious” music-making, Raheem DeVaughn has never been coy about his intent on educating the masses, so long as a smooth groove stirred enough sugar in his musical medicine.  Such precautions seem unnecessary, however, since his breath-taking falsetto effortlessly draws listeners to his poignant messages of community uplift and self-empowerment.

To date, Raheem DeVaughn has garnered two GRAMMY nominations. “Woman” would bring his first for “Best Male R&B Vocal Performance,” while “Customer” would garner a nod in 2009 for “Best R&B Song.”  Both tracks are represented on DeVaughn’s sophomore effort, Love Behind the Melody.  His third studio album, The Love & War MasterPeace will be released on March 2, 2010, via Jive Records.

Shortly after the digital release of “Bulletproof,” the lead single for the MasterPeace, Raheem DeVaughn managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on “the new cool,” a career-defining conversation with Stevie Wonder, and his advice for independent artists.

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Interview: K. Michelle – Singer, Songwriter and Producer

Posted: October 20, 2009 in interview, music
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K. Michelle

Date of Interview: 10/20/2009

© 2009 Clayton Perry

K. Michelle is raw, honest and refreshingly blunt. Her debut album, Pain Medicine, will be released on Hitz Committee Entertainment in early 2010.

Upon first listen, K. Michelle’s lyrical content may seem “too real for the radio,” but her personal experiences are reflective of countless single mothers whose survival instincts have allowed them to scratch and claw their way to success.

Currently, K. Michelle is touring the U.S. on 36-city trek, as the opening act for R. Kelly’s “Ladies Make Some Noise” Tour.  With a bit of courage, audience members will take a healthy dose of her “pain medicine” and find solace in the lyrics that have been penned from her turbulent life.

As K. Michelle prepared to embark on her national tour, she managed to squeeze some time out of her busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on the inspiration behind Pain Medicine, the provocative buzz single, “Fakin’ It,” and the mentorship she received from R. Kelly and MeMpHiTz.

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Interview: Mullage – R&B/Hip-Hop Duo

Posted: July 31, 2009 in interview, music
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Mullage

Date of Interview: 07/31/2009

© 2009 Clayton Perry

Fate has an interesting way of working its magic, especially in the lives of Braelon “B Town” McMullen and Marquez “B Boi” Hutchinson. Although both men hail from the Southside of Atlanta, they had to travel across the world—by way of the U.S. Navy—for their lives to intersect.  In 2008, the two would form a unique bond while enlisted in the Navy’s ranks, and set the framework for a musical partnership they coined “Mullage.”

Like any artistic collage, Mullage’s diverse musical passions have worked together to craft a distinctive debut that finds its beauty in the uniqueness of their individual styles. As B Town and B Boi placed the finishing touches on The Element of Versatility, the duo set aside some time to speak with Clayton Perry and reflect on the origins of Mullage and the musical influence of T.I and Andre 3000.

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Interview: Kevin Cossom – Singer and Songwriter

Posted: July 30, 2009 in interview, music
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Kevin Cossom

Date of Interview: 07/30/2009

© 2009 Clayton Perry

Over the past few years, Kevin Cossom has penned several hits for hip-hop and R&B’s biggest acts, including Young Jeezy, R. Kelly, Rick Ross, Lloyd Banks and Trey Songz.  But after the rapid ascent of Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down” to the top of R&B’s Billboard charts, it became hard for Kevin Cossom, who wrote the track, to escape being dubbed as “the next big thing.”  Even so, Cossom devoted the bulk of his energy to writing for others, although being a talented singer in his own right.

Kevin Cossom’s work behind the scenes did not stop MTV.com from proclaiming the artist as “the man, and you probably don’t even know it yet,” or XXL Magazine from describing his musical style as “Usher meets Justin Timberlake.”  And adding my two cents to the chorus, I believe that if Cossom’s pre-album EP is a small sample of what his debut will hold, then expect him to set the music world ablaze in 2010, just as fellow singer-songwriters Ne-Yo and The-Dream have done in recent years.

While the world patiently awaits Kevin Cossom’s grand debut, the singer-songwriter managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on his recent signing with Nate “Danja” Hills, what it takes to be a “new age rock star,” and his underground hit, “Hang That Over My Head.”

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Interview: RichGirl – R&B Girl Group

Posted: July 6, 2009 in interview, music
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Richgirl

Date of Interview: 07/06/2009

© 2009 Clayton Perry

RichGirl is an R&B girl group that blends the sexy sophistication of En Vogue with the youthful spirit of the Spice Girls.  And for the past few years, under the watchful eye of record producer Rich Harrison, Audra, Brave, Lyndriette and Seven have patiently waited to take the musical world by storm.

Fresh off the road, as the opening act for Beyonce’s I AM… World Tour, Richgirl has performed in front of hundreds of thousands and generated considerable buzz with “He Ain’t Wit’ Me Now (Tho),” the lead single off of their self-titled debut.  In the weeks and months to come, expect young women across America claiming and professing themselves to be “Richgirls” too – young, focused and independent!

Upon the release of RichGirl, Audra, Brave, Lyndriette and Seven managed to squeeze some time out of their busy schedules and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on Beyonce Knowles, “Millionaire,” and their individual backgrounds.

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Interview: Ciara – Singer and Songwriter

Posted: May 12, 2009 in interview, music
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Ciara

Date of Interview: 05/12/2009

© 2009 Clayton Perry

Since 2004, Ciara has amassed 11 top ten singles on Billboard’s R&B charts: “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step,” “Oh,” “Like You,” “Lose Control,” “So What,” “Promise,” “Get Up,” “Like a Boy,” “Can’t Leave ‘Em Alone” and “Never Ever.”  Such plentiful successes tend to overshadow the fact that Ciara has accomplished a great deal in less than five years.  At the age of 23, one thing is for certain: her career is just beginning.

An all-around entertainer, Ciara’s talents are famously known for extending beyond the studio and spilling onto the dance floor.  Although the “First Lady of Crunk & B” is oft-compared to Janet Jackson, her musical icon, Ciara’s music videos are memorable for their high-energy performances, which tend to showcase elaborate displays of her strength and flexibility.  With Ciara’s creativity, music lovers will always be entertained.

In the midst of preparation for Fantasy Ride’s promotional tour, Ciara managed to squeeze some time out of her busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on Missy Elliot, Japan’s embracement of “Go Girl,” and the origins of her “Super C” persona.

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Interview: Charlie Wilson – Singer and Songwriter

Posted: April 13, 2009 in interview, music
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Charlie Wilson

Date of Interview: 04/13/2009

© 2009 Clayton Perry

Charlie Wilson is best-known for being the lead singer of the Gap Band, whose string of platinum and gold albums produced hits like “Outstanding,” “Yearning for Your Love,” and “You Dropped a Bomb on Me.”  The consummate performer, Wilson’s star shined bright on his solo outings as well: You Turn My Life Around (1992), Bridging the Gap (2000), and Charlie, Last Name Wilson (2005).  And on the heels of 2005’s gold-selling LP, “Uncle Charlie” topped Billboard’s Hot Adult R&B Airplay, again, with the release of “There Goes My Baby,” which spent eight weeks at the summit.  During his reign at the top, Wilson scored his highest debut on the Billboard 200, when Uncle Charlie, his fourth solo album, landed in the #2 spot.

As the mentor of Aaron Hall and principal influence on R. Kelly, Charlie Wilson is — without question — “the de-facto father of new jack swing.”  Upon review of Uncle Charlie, his fourth solo album, Charlie Wilson managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on “Homeless,” his public battle with prostate cancer and the absolute power of music.

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