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.

 

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).