New Joint: Keith Sweat "Test Drive" featuring Joe

Keith Sweat "Test Drive" featuring Joe

Nothing like two r&b veterans (possibly even legends) coming together and making some solid music. Equally exciting is the fact that he has joined Kedar Entertainment who is slowly establishing a very solid roster of 90's r&b artists like Dru Hill, Joe and Chico DeBarge. Although it's not known, this is probably a project from his first project on the label.



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New Joint: Kelly Rowland "Smooches" (Produced by Bangledesh)

Kelly Rowland "Smooches" (Produced by Bangledesh)

Sorry, just not feeling this song at all. I really liked some songs from her debut album "Simply Deep," she really brought some soul at times on this album, but this is nowhere close to that. Maybe she's just going for more of a pop radio friendly sound. Her third album currently doesn't have a release date but is due for some time in 2010.



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An Interview With Rell

YouKnowIGotSoul caught up with Rell to talk about his transition from singing to writing, his years on Roc-A-Fella, how he expresses his feeling on his songs, and Kanye West making a fool of himself over the "Real Love" video shoot.



Rell Interview Part 1 (Signing with Roc-A-Fella, Unreleased albums, "The Remedy" album)



Rell Interview Part 2 (Writing for Usher, Issues Men Face, Respecting the Industry)



Rell Interview Part 3 (Working with Static Major, The Breakup of Roc-A-Fella)



Rell Interview Part 4 (Talks about some of his songs, Shooting the video for "Real Love")

Songs Referenced in Interview

Rell"Let Me Show You"

Rell "Real Love" featuring Kanye West & Consequence

Rell "It's Obvious" featuring Jay-Z


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Classic Vibe: Cameo "Candy" (1987)

"Candy" was a hit single by Cameo that reached number one on the Billboard r&b charts back in 1987. The song has been sampled numerous times over the years, including: Will Smith "Candy," 2Pac "All About U," and Mariah Carey "Loverboy." What's interesting about the group is, they initially started out as a 13 man group which is pretty much unheard of in this day and age. Believe it or not, the group still actively tours with at least five of their original members.


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New Joint: Monica "Mirror" (Produced by Jim Jonsin)

Monica "Mirror"

This is rumored to be the second single from her upcoming "Still Standing" album.



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New Joint: Babyface "Flashback" (Produced by Stargate)

Babyface "Flashback" (Produced by Stargate)

I'm just going to go out on a limb and predict this is a demo song for someone else. I just don't feel like this Stargate produced track is really the type of song we would expect from Babyface at this point in his career. Additionally, with no scheduled album in site, that just further increases the odds that he wrote it for another singer.



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New Video: Robin Thicke "RollaCoasta" featuring Estelle

Well, this surely wouldn't have been my first choice as the next single ("2 Luv Birds"), but it also wouldn't have been my last ("Shakin' It for Daddy"), so I will say this is a safe choice for a release. However, since the album hasn't even reached gold yet, I don't think this is the type of song needed to push it in the right direction, but I've been wrong before. As you may have read in my review of the album, I wasn't very happy with the direction he chose to go in. The fact that he was trying for more of a pop sound doesn't mean I have to praise him for achieving that.


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New Joint: Tank "Do U Remember" (Produced by Tim & Bob)

Tank "Do U Remember" (Produced by Tim & Bob)

As a singer, songwriter, and producer, Tank is one of those artists who is always hard at work on somebody's project; which most of the time these days is probably not his own. I'm not sure where this new song is meant to end up, but I'm loving this on, it's soooo smooth. In my opinion, this could be single material for his new album. His upcoming album has been renamed "Now or Never" from "Sex, Love and Pain II: The All Night Experience" and currently still has a tentative release date for later this year.


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Classic Vibe: Tweet "Oops (Oh My)" featuring Missy Elliot (2001)

Man, I hadn't listened to this song in awhile, and I just remembered how sick Timbaland's production was on track(And how sick his production USED to be for that matter)!! Even though the lyrics to the song were very risky for a debut single, the song ended up being very successful, reaching number one on the Billboard Hip Hop/R&B charts, her most successful single to date. The rest of her career hasn't quite lived up to the results she achieved early on, but I've always felt she was one of the more underrated singers out there. Her new album "Love, Tweet" will be released sometime later this year.


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Classic Vibe: R. Kelly "(You To Be) Be Happy" featuring the Notorious B.I.G. (1995)

I was wondering where that beat sounded familiar from; it's the exact same beat that Faith Evans used in her "You Used to Love Me" single. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but a user on Youtube made comments basically saying that R. Kelly heard the track and HAD to have it even though Faith was going to put it on her album. As the story goes, the Notorious B.I.G. was in the studio with Faith and ended up going to put his vocals on the track for Kelly. It doesn't seem too far fetched to me. Although this song had single potential, the use of the same beat was probably the only thing that stopped them from releasing it.


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Technical Difficulties (Have Been Resolved)

Thanks for being patient, everything should now be fixed.


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Rare Gems: 4Mula (Carl Thomas' Former Group) "Pass It Over" & "Moonlighting"

4Mula "Pass It Over"

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4Mula "Moonlighting"

I don't know much about this group except Carl Thomas was originally part of it during the early '90s. The group disbanded before releasing an album, but did release the single "Pass It Over." Props to SoulClapMusic LLC for putting me onto this group, I had never heard of it before.


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Rare Gems: Aaries "All I Ever" & "Your Woman"

Aaries "All I Ever"

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Aaries "Your Woman"

I mentioned I was going to feature this group and a couple of their unreleased singles, so here they are. The group came up out of Philadelphia and eventually branched on with Musiq and got a chance to sing back up for him on tour. The group eventually went on to sign with Atlantic Records and prepared their debut album "Always Remember." Unfortunately, the debut album never released, but we are fortunate enough to hear a couple of unreleased tracks that were expected to appear on the album. The group also collaborated with Musiq on another song I love, "Newness" from his sophomore album.


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An Interview With G. No aka "The Latin Bird"

YouKnowIGotSoul caught up with G. No "The Latin Bird" to talk about being signed to Smokey E. Digglera's label, singing in four different languages, the universal power of new jack swing and r&b music and the genre he's created of latin r&b.




YouKnowIGotSoul: From Reading your bio, you have roots in Spanish & Italian, but are a French singer. How many languages can you speak, and how many languages do you sing in?

G-No: That's right, my mother is from Barcelona, my father is from Gioia Del Colle, Italia like Sylvester Stallone *Laughs* and I was born in Paris (France). I speak French, Spanish, English and I understand Italian. My next album includes these 4th languages.

YouKnowIGotSoul: When did you first realize you wanted to become a singer for a career?

G-No: I can tell you exactly when, in 1993, because that's when I saw for the first time on MTV, I had cable that year, all these new jack singers. It was amazing to see hip hop people singing and not rapping. I wanted to be the first French new jack singer. I had a trio called Safyr, we were imitating H-Town, Jodeci...

YouKnowIGotSoul: What is the r&b scene like in France, and what made you decide to start singing in this genre of music?

G-No: There are many French rnb singers but it's teenager music. I've hosted a DVD in 2004 for Warner Music called "RnB Invasion,” you can see all the main actors of this genre in it. I decided to sing rnb in French because at the time no one was doing it! I've never been to church to sing gospel, so I had to work much more than any other typical rnb singer.

YouKnowIGotSoul: In terms of singing and writing music, where do you say you draw most of your inspiration from?

G-No: I'm more and more focused on my true life when it's time to write lyrics. I've never understood how singers can sing words they're not living.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Where does your name “The Latin Bird” come from and what does it mean to you?

G-No: Well G.No is short for GardeliNo, it means a bird in Italian. My father gave me that name one day because with my pento in my hair, De Niro style, I was looking like a wet bird. *Laughs* Seriously, I'm really feeling like a bird in a cage, I sing all day and I'm trying to escape, by that I mean to reach Libertad. And I'm also Latin, but not Latino.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Eventually, you would sign with Smoke E. Digglera’s label Bittersweet LLC. How were you discovered by Smokey and how did he sign you to his label?

G-No: Well I was writing a book about black music, which will be released in 2011. In 2005 just after the release of my first album "Evazion,” and MySpace was the shit, I saw in a forum called http://www.facebook.com/l/87f41;rnbworldmusic.com that the members of my favorite rnb group ever Playa had a page. I first called Smokey for a phone interview telling him I would love to work with him. And some weeks later, I sent my song "Senorita Sensual" to my mailing list. Smoke replied saying "I LOVE it" and wanted to do a remix of that song. I was in my room, alone, and damn, I couldn't believe one of my idols was loving my music! The other members of my group Safyr had given up music and my album was not selling that much, but that special day I finally had a reward for all these years. So he told me he wanted to work with me, I went to Louisville Kentucky in September 2006 for a test and he signed me to his label. The rest is in Youtube and in the DVD "From Paris 2 Louisville." That release is coming soon, including 45 minutes of interviews, rare footage, etc.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Please tell me a little bit about working with Smoke as an artist, and how he has influenced you.

G-No: In 2006, when I met him, I had a precise vision of my music: I wanted to mix my Latin roots and true rnb, but technically I hadn't got the skills to do it! Smoke is, with the late Dino Conner, Aaron Hall or Gary Jenkins, one of the most incredible singers I know. I had no choice: I had to work WAY more to be able to sing the songs he gave me. The way he harmonizes is true inspiration. When we were recording the chorus of "Run 2 U,” he told me "Feel free, just put all the notes that fit, that's how I do, it can be 4, 6 or 12 harmonies, no matter!" Listen to the chorus of tracks like "Dangerous" of Dalvin Degrate and the album "The Show, The After Party, The Hotel" by Jodeci, you will recognize the voice of someone not mentioned in the credits. Smoke is one of the best and he's bringing the Jodeci/Playa vibe back; that's why I'm happy to work with him. A track like "Someone 2 Luv Me" is Latin & Blues: harmonies and music are like Jodeci, and I'm bringing the Latin vibe. And now, four years later, I know how to harmonize!

YouKnowIGotSoul: I’ve seen some Youtube videos of you with Smoke in the studio singing, particularly Smoke singing his song “Thru It All” and you singing backup. It looks like you guys have a lot of fun with this. Tell me about these videos and experiences.

G-No: What you see on Youtube was at 3 or 5 in the morning, after some bottles of Hennessy, that's why I'm sometimes flat *Laughs* It was an extraordinary experience, we were like rock stars singing all day, recording. One of my best memories was when I sang “Cheers 2 U” with him. I was tired because I couldn't sleep with the jet lag, but I had to sing! And I'm someone who never gives up, I recorded most of our songs there very quickly. The DVD is the full story, if you feel what we lived there, cop that documentary right now!

YouKnowIGotSoul: What is it like being signed to a record label based out of the United States, but being located over in France? What are the major challenges?

G-No: With the internet, Facebook, or Skype, it's like there is no frontiers so we speak very easily about our projects and I have Pro Tools at home to record the songs. The only location we gotta be today is in the social networks, that's where millions of people and potential fans are all day. But we're trying to find shows together. I really wanna tour. If you wanna book us, conact contact@gardelino.com

YouKnowIGotSoul: I’ve heard songs of yours in various different languages. Do you have plans to concentrate on singing in one language in the future?

G-No: No I'm loving so much to be able to touch people from everywhere that I won't stop. I've got people loving my music in Australia, Spain, USA, South America, Asia, etc. To sing in different languages is a true power to touch people. I'm choosing Spanish for club songs and French for sad songs. That's just how I feel it.

YouKnowIGotSoul: I believe that your style of music, which I would call latin r&b, is definitely something unique in the industry today. Comment on what it’s like pretty much being in a genre of your own.

G-No: Well, it came naturally to me. I didn't say "I'm gonna create a genre" but my origins mixed with the music I love gave Latin & Blues, or Latin and Rhythm & Blues. Tony Sunshine and some new Spanish singers are making rnb in Spanish now, but I'm the only one to mix the Playa sound and Latin roots.

YouKnowIGotSoul: I heard the tribute you did to Static Major with your version of “Ride Till The Wheels Fall Off.” Did you have an opportunity to meet and work with Static Major?

G-No: No, I didn’t meet Static. But I've made an interview through MySpace back in 2005 that I will publish in my black music book. And Smoke gave me a Playa song includes a Static verse that I recorded, it's in my Mac but I can't release it just yet!

YouKnowIGotSoul: What made you decide to do this tribute to Static?

G-No: In 2010 many people are still Static fans. But who was a Static fan in ‘95? Me! *Laughs* When I heard his rap in "Gin & Juice" with Devante I said damn, who's that cat? And then when I realized it was the same Static in Playa in ‘98 with this soulful voice, I was truly impressed. My tribute to Static is like a tribute to the Jodeci era. He confessed to me in that interview that "Da Bassment was like Motown in a whole new level". He was right, rnb became number one on the pop charts with Aaliyah and Timbaland. I would like people to know who the creators of the rnb we know are: Devante Swing, Smokey and Static among others. All the singers I've had the chance to talk to, from TQ to Day26, know who they are and they're fans of their work. And the second reason I'm singing a tribute is because he was the brother of my brother Smoke, and I'm trying, my way, to keep the legacy of Playa alive.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Tell me about the Iphone application you recently released. How were you able to create this and what can fans get by using it?

G-No: Well I'm a web 2.0 expert. *Laughs* Web design is my second passion and every day I find new tools to promote my music. This application is amazing for me to reach people all day through their IPhone. You can listen to some of my music, check my twitter account, photos and videos. It's free, so get it now in the iTunes Store: search for "g.no" or "latin bird". Leave me a comment in my Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/gnolatinbird

YouKnowIGotSoul: Tell me what projects you are currently working on and what we can expect from you in the near future.

G-No: Well 2010 is a big year...I'll be releasing three albums. The first one is "Latin & Blues,” and the album made with Smoke including productions by Key Beats, who produced Aaliyah’s "Rock the Boat,” Destiny's Child’s "Independent Woman,” and many more. The "Latin & Blues remixes" is a nine song album including remixes of famous rnb songs. And finally, I will release my French acoustic album at the end of the year "Le Soulitaire.” Right now, I'm working with the guitarist and producer of R.Kelly and I've just made a duet with one of the best rappers in the world. Here’s a clue: he made duets with 2Pac and Biggie, and now me *Laughs*

YouKnowIGotSoul: Is there anything else you’d like the fans to know?

G-No: I thank all my Facebook friends and fans for their kind messages. I'm just trying to be me through my music. I'm a believer and a fighter; I won't stop until I die. And to all the haters that are trying to ignore my music: you know you just can't ignore me! Study me...

Rendez-vous in my website now: http://www.facebook.com/l/87f41;gnolatinbird.com, enjoy the ride!
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Classic Vibe: Musiq Soulchild "Girl Next Door" featuring Aaries (2000)

Although this was the least successful single from Musiq's debut album (even though I think this song is wayyyyyy better than "Sunny (Just Friends)" but that's another story), there is a method to my madness here. This song was also the introduction of the group Aaries who Musiq would go on to collaborate with multiple times early in his career. Although we didn't get to hear much from them, I'll be posting a couple of their unreleased singles later in the day.


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