Interviewed by Peggy Menard
Written by Doug Wade

       

“Accelerate Your Life” is the slogan advertised by the United States Navy to win over new recruits, offering them hope and opportunity for a better future. For some, the phrase is an axiom that many officers and sailors can attest to. But for R&B singer LeMarvin Harris, his former stint in the maritime branch of the military was less rewarding than what he originally intended.

Prior to his time in the Navy, LeMarvin had always been interested in music, with hopes of one day landing a record deal. But like some parents whose children have musical aspirations, his mother thought that he should find a more stable line of work in case his music career didn’t pan out. After spending two and a half years as an E3 level Seaman, in which LeMarvin spent many nights drinking and quarreling with Petty Officers (despite LeMarvin’s feuds with his commanders, the term refers to their rank, not their behavior), life at sea began to take its toll on the Inglewood, Ca. native, influencing his decision to go AWOL (he was discharged from the military for his actions, but not before serving two months in military jail and time at a halfway house).

During the stretch of abandoning his military duties, LeMarvin revisited the place where he knew he would find the most comfort: the studio. He used the songs he recorded at those sessions to shop himself as an artist, eventually leading to deals with Tracey Edmonds’ Edmonds Record Group, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis’ Flyte Tyme Records. Although nothing ever materialized from those deals, it didn’t hinder LeMarvin from pursuing his dream of becoming a professional singer. Instead of letting the setback deter him, he brushed himself off, recorded new material, and proceeded to solicit labels with his music again, resulting in him signing with Universal Motown.

Unfortunately, LeMarvin’s time at the label was just like the previous others—a big letdown. “Oh I gave up, but kept finding myself in the studio,” says the singer. “I went through depression and all; I don’t know what kept me at it.” Luckily, LeMarvin got another chance when Eric Nicks, the former Senior VP of A&R that originally signed him to Universal Motown, acquired a distribution deal with Universal Republic to form his own imprint, Brookland Entertainment, which LeMarvin is currently signed to.

Gearing up for the release of his debut album, Confusion, scheduled to drop sometime in the spring, the West Coast representative decided to tap into his past to build upon his future. “It’s a mix of a lot of experiences: relationships, growing up in Inglewood. Basically trials and tribulations within my crazy life,” says LeMarvin. The lead single off the album, “Too Many Patrons,” is a testimonial song about the results of overindulging in Tequila, while “Around My Way,” which features The Game and Dr. Dre’s classic “California Love” sample, capture the everyday occurrences of life in the ‘hood for LeMarvin.

Indirectly, maybe the Navy lived up to its mantra and actually “accelerated” LeMarvin’s life, forcing him to choose the career path that he was supposed to pursue: music. With a sultry voice, a story to tell, a never give up attitude, and an executive behind him that continues to support his talent, LeMarvin is beginning to look more like the captain of his own ship, as opposed to being just another sailor.

 

      

Long gone are the days when hip-hop was strictly regarded as a domestic experience. The cultural art form that originated at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx is now a global phenomenon, swaying numerous people from various countries throughout the world. One particular individual affected by the widespread expansion of hip-hop is the Stockholm, Sweden rapper Henok “Achido” Meharena.

Born in Eritrea, East Africa (he moved with his family to Sweden around the age of 4-years old), the 26-year old emcee, who’s rap moniker is a combination of his birth name (Henok) and the name of a relative who is a known warrior in his homeland (Achido)— which also means acid in his native language—was introduced to rap music by an uncle who grew up listening to ‘80’s hip-hop music, especially the seminal rap group N.W.A. Henok Achido soon found himself seduced by the powerful aura of the music and its creators, stating: “This was the mid-‘80’s and hip-hop was still very new and fresh to the general public, and it still had its mystique and instantly had its influence on me. I wanted to be just like them cause they carried themselves with such swagger.”  

In May of 2007, Henok enhanced his international profile after he dropped  That F—king Guy: The EP online. “The release of my EP opened a lot of doors for me,” he says. “My approach was to start a buzz, create a name and a market for myself which I did. I got fans all over the world now.” Anchored by the soulful production of Sakis, who Henok refers to as his Just Blaze, and bolstered by Henok’s cocky rhymes and acrobatic flows, as heard on songs like “That F—king Guy,” “Rockstar Rollin’,” and “Million Dollar Baby,”  That F—king Guy: The EP immediately commands the attention of any fan of hip-hop. 

Constantly working to further his goal of becoming a household name, Henok Achido just released his ambitious debut album Almaz Charming Child. Led by the Astma & Rocwell produced single “Pusher,” which features Sophia Somajo, Almaz Charming Child is a musical odyssey of Henok’s personal perspectives on a host of topics, including: family (“Almaz Charming Child”), romance (“Heartbreak Hotel”), struggle (“High on Life [When The Drugs Don’t Work]”), and hip-hop (“Mirror Performance”). 

If all you had was Henok Achido’s music and no bio to provide you with background information as to what region of the world he comes from, it’s quite possible that you would think of him as the next up-and-coming rapper from the States worth taking notice of. Like most other top-notch emcees, Henok possesses that all-so important characteristic called “confidence” that propels his art from ordinary to engaging. “My motto in life is to be better than yourself … cause you’re the only one that can make you better,” says self-assured rapper.

One of the major stumbling blocks for new artists is the concept of identity, and R&B singer Lee Carr was no exception. Back in 2005, the 21-year old Mt. Vernon native signed his first deal with Def Jam Records as an artist on Russell Simmons’ RSMG imprint. Despite Carr’s obvious talent, he never got the support from the label that he anticipated, resulting in a debut project that never saw the light of day. Reflecting back on those years, Carr now understands why he wasn’t a priority at the label, attributing it to not fully knowing who he was as an artist: “To be honest, I probably wasn’t ready. I was just a good songwriter and a good singer, but I didn’t have any identity.” 

After being released from his Def Jam contract, Carr used his shortcomings as an opportunity to mature professionally and develop his repertoire as an artist, stating: “It was like the best thing in the world that happened to me because I added a third dimension to my game, which was producing.” A few months into his free agency, labels started courting Carr again, initiating a bidding war that led to his current deal with Jive Records (he originally intended on signing with Universal Records twenty-four hours prior to signing with Jive). 

In the process of developing his musical talents, Carr gained valuable insight into his strength as an artist, claiming: “I realized that I make strong love songs.” This past summer, Carr used his skill as a songwriter to charm and win over the ladies, playing to their sensibilities for shoes on his promotional single “Stilettos.” While the song garnered a mild buzz early in its release, it wasn’t until the addition of his Westchester county brethren, Jadakiss, on the remix that the record generated national attention. 

Now that he is taking complete ownership of his career (he formed his own company 3rd Lane Music Group, which he’s signed to as an artist), Carr decided to exercise his newly added production chops in preparation for his self-titled debut album, as can be heard on his lead single “Breathe.” During Carr’s period of reinventing himself, the self-reliant, triple-threat (singer/songwriter/producer) even went as far as creating his own genre, which he’s dubbed “ghetto-euro pop.” The first song to embody his new sound is the power ballad, “Lost It All.” On the song, Carr faces the lonesome reality of life after losing his lover, pouring his heart and soul out with the lyrics: “Baby you got me wishing on a star/and I just wanna be where you are/baby it’s not fair/my heart can’t take it.” 

Finally comfortable in his artistic skin, Carr now believes that he is ready to achieve great success. “I understand there’s a lot of guys out there doing it, but it’s three guys that I can think of that songwrite, produce and sing—that’s Akon, R. Kelly and T-Pain—so why can’t I be the fourth,” says Carr. Fortunately for him, Jive is home to the latter two artists, so hopefully that is a sign of extraordinary things to come. 

Lee Carr is tentatively due out early this year. In addition to Lee Carr, the album includes production from L.O.S. Da Maestro: J. Holiday (“Bed”) and Dream (“Shorty Is A Ten”); and Warren “Oak” Felder: Chris Brown (“Superhuman” featuring Keri Hilson).

 

As many new artists have experienced on their journey to success in the music business, the road to the top is no easy task. Beyond talent, it takes some out-the-box thinking, work ethic, and a daring attitude to get consumers and music executives alike to pay attention. Emerging from the underground rap scene to become one of Web 2.0’s most blogged about new artist is Mickey Williams, better known as Mickey Factz.

The 23 year-old Bronx, New York emcee transcends the term “rapper,” eschewing hip-hop norms by challenging its conventions. Rhyming over everything from Portishead to Royksopp’s “Remind Me” (it’s the song used in Geico’s caveman airport commercial), Factz has distinguished himself from his peers with his avant-garde brand of rap (coined “hipster” by some). At the root of Factz’s uniqueness is his zeal to be different, creating music that defies formats: “I wouldn’t call it hip-hop; I wouldn’t call it pop; I wouldn’t call it R&B; I wouldn’t call it house or techno; I’ll just call it global because it’ll reach every living person on the planet,” states Factz.

While Factz’s image and music is cutting-edge and futuristic, his foundation is cemented in the essence of hip-hop and the art of rhyme. He proved with the distribution of his successful online mixtapes “Flashback: Vol. 1,” “In Search of N.E.R.D,” and “Heaven’s Fallout” that he’s lyrically up to par, and that his music is more than a novelty. Far from being one-dimensional, part of Factz’s appeal is his ability to compose songs with diverse subject matter: “I Like Your Supra’s” (fashion); “I’m Sean (50 Shots More)” (police brutality); “Machine Gun” (abuse/rape); and “Wonderful Place” (pregnancy/parenthood).

Good ol’ fashioned hustle and innovative internet marketing paid dividends for Factz in 2008, experiencing glimpses of mainstream notoriety, including the addition of his video “Rockin’ N Rollin’” (featuring the Cool Kids) on MTV, as well as his appearance on the cover of XXL’s “Class of ‘09″ issue. Now that Factz has gotten the ear of the music industry, he hopes that his next musical impact will resonate on a much larger scale. “It’s also about me changing the world. When a dude hits me on Myspace and says, ‘I’m homeless but I listen to your music everyday on my CD player to get me through the day,’ that means more to me than the money.”

    

Imagine if you were a new recording artist trying to establish a career in music and suddenly one day you find yourself performing at the home of a musical genius; an American icon. Well, this was the case for R&B singer James “Jaiden” Roston. The Long Island, NY native had the prestigious honor of showcasing his talent at the residence of the man that brought the world “Thriller”—none other than the venerable Quincy Jones. Following his performance, the legend and newcomer engaged in conversation, in which the famed producer stated that “real music is the cure for the industry,” hence Jaiden’s nickname as “The Cure,” which he’s been dubbed.

Although Jaiden is a newcomer in the eyes of the public, he certainly isn’t a newbie to the music industry. Formerly signed to Rich Harrison (producer for Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” and many other hits) and his Richcraft/Atlantic imprint, the talented singer/songwriter/musician gained hands-on experience working in the shadows on a number of high-profiled projects: he sung background vocals for John Legend (“I Can Change” featuring Snoop); toured as a background vocalist for Jay-Z (“American Gangster” tour) and Puff Daddy (“Press Play” tour); and written records for Case, Carl Thomas, the popular Japanese R&B group Full of Harmony, Jeannie Ortega (Hollywood Records) and a few others.

After accumulating a wealth of knowledge behind the scenes, Jaiden is now stepping out to establish his own recording career, providing the world with his rendition of good R&B music. A tireless live performer, Jaiden has built a reputable name on the independent music scene for his rapturous vocals and exhausting stage show, connecting with fans and garnering a legion of loyal supporters in the process. And his hardworking efforts aren’t going unnoticed either, as music entities are beginning to show an interest in becoming active participants in the growth of his career.

With Jaiden’s fan base steadily increasing, a number of songs have been circulated to satisfy the rising demand for his music. The material he currently has in the marketplace is a contemporary version of classic R&B, where lyrics and subject matter are paramount. A few of the tracks making the rounds are the amorously seductive “Breakfast” and the memory evoking “Flashbacks.”

One of Jaiden’s more popular songs being serviced at various music outlets is the infectious and provocative “Paradise,” which expresses the mental stress caused by some of life’s ills and his yearning of escaping to a place free of such strain. On the song, Jaiden touches on a number of social issues, including racial profiling, as he sings: “Damn I look back in the rearview/fifth time this week stopped by the blue crew/aint no herb in the truck and I sure wasn’t speeding (they still gonna take me down to the precinct). Grew up in the ‘burbs with the same hood problems/single parent home, discrimination constant/ain’t no criminal but they still don’t see/what’s beyond my fitted and my fresh white tee.”

In these economically depressed times when consumers are being more selective about the music they purchase and record labels continue to grapple with the restructuring of the industry, a mature and experienced talent such as Jaiden is a valued commodity worth serious consideration. Despite the proliferation of manufactured artists entering the music business to obtain celebrity, financial security and other benefits, Jaiden pursues a career in music due to his unyielding enthusiasm for the art form. “There’s other things that I’m good at, but there’s nothing that I’m more passionate about,” says Jaiden. If the music industry intends to restore the faith of the buying public, then music companies need to put a premium on the quality of content being released by investing in talent with a commitment to artistry and longevity, and Jaiden is certainly an artist that meets both of those standards.

   

When most people think of Chicago, they probably associate the city with Michael Jordan, the Chicago Cubs, Oprah Winfrey, Taste of Chicago, or the Sears Tower. But much like the two larger U.S. cities⎯New York and Los Angeles⎯Chicago is identified as much for its crime as it is for its commercial activities. (Chicago is a city with a rich history of high-profiled gangsters: Al Capone, Sam Giancana, Jeff Fort, Larry Hoover, et. al.; and gangs: Vice Lords, Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, et. al.) While fans of urban music have marginally come to know Chicago through the musical efforts of R. Kelly, Kanye West and Common, a diminutive rapper with boyish features intends to provide audiences with a more comprehensive portrait of “the Chi.”

Ralph “Marvo” (short for Marvelous) Metcalf grew up in Harvey, Illinois, and was raised in the streets of Chicago. Living in an environment where gang culture is very prevalent and pretty much customary, Marvo found himself at a young age engrossed in the lifestyle so accustomed to his neighborhood. After being shot and realizing the route he was traveling would eventually lead to a tragic end, he chose to seek salvation in his pen, turning his penchant for creative writing into songwriting.

The song clearly displaying Marvo’s promise in the rap game is the cleverly written “Dreamz of Kidnapping an Industry Exec.” Composed in the tongue-in-cheek style of The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Dreams” and 50 Cent’s “How to Rob,” the Chicagoan’s opus expresses his frustration with the unscrupulous investors he’s encountered throughout his quest for a record deal, and the music industry’s lack of recognition for his talent. The concept of the song describes Marvo’s cunning plot to kidnap Jay-Z (the track was recorded during the rapper’s tenure as President of Island Def Jam), just to get the former label executive to hear his demands as to why signing him would be a wise investment. Upon completing the song’s final verse, Marvo boldly emphasizes his worth by craftily tagging it with the audio of “Hov’s” dialogue from the movie “Backstage,” where Jay-Z mentions: “it’s a n—a right now somewhere, he at the table with a bowl of Apple Jacks, and he’s reading the back of the cereal, and in between eating the Apple Jacks, he’s writing some s—t, and he want my spot.”

While “Dreamz” highlights Marvo’s aptness as an MC, the introspective and pensive “Just Breathe” showcases ‘Vo’s depth, as he reflects on the psychological and internal struggles of trying to escape the pitfalls of life in the slums, rhyming: “puffin’ sticky for stress/only to find out I was better off if I start smoking less.” What distinguishes Marvo as more than a “rapper from the ‘hood” is his keen perspective and ability to articulate the rampant socio-economic problems occurring within his native Chitown. The track “Step Into the Bad Side” offers listeners a detailed account about life in the street of the Windy City via his vivid rhymes and poignant commentary.

Marvo’s “supreme money maker” mentality and distinct understanding of both his value and purpose as an artist set him apart from many of his fellow unsigned contemporaries, as he states: “my main goal is to go down in the books—go down in history as one of the best MCs ever.” Despite being a new artist on the come-up, Marvo possesses the poise and confidence generally associated with veterans, and has an ability to compose songs with the clarity and insight usually exemplified in the material of great artists. If Marvo partner’s with the right producer(s) to streamline his sound, serving as the Puff to his B.I.G., Dre to his Snoop and Eminem, or the Preemo, Just Blaze and Pharrell to his Jay-Z, then he too can be remembered as one of the legends that he so desires to be, enabling music executives to breathe a sigh of relief from the thought of being abducted.