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As a child growing up within a military family, Trey Songz had zero aspirations to become the musical superstar he is today. A shy boy, it was the encouragement of parents and friends that built his confidence and got him performing in front of live audiences. Songz was discovered at the age of 16 at a talent show by record producer Troy Taylor and was subsequently signed to Atlantic Records.
While recording his first album, “I Gotta Make It”, Trey Songz was concurrently releasing various mix tapes under the name Prince of Virginia. One song, a response to R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” gained particular attention and earned Songz some notoriety, which bolstered sales of his first album.
While his first two albums received a lot of positive attention from the R&B community, it wasn’t until his third and fourth studio albums – “Ready” and “Passion, Pain & Pleasure”, respectively – that Trey Songz managed to successfully cross over into mainstream appeal. Singles “Say Aah” featuring Fabolous and “Bottoms Up” featuring Nicki Minaj were both top ten singles in the US and are the singer’s most successful singles to date.
A versatile performer, Trey Songz has collaborated with the likes of Ne-Yo, 50 Cent, T.I. and Lil Wayne, amongst many others. Trey Songz has toured alongside Jay Z and Usher where he opened for both artists in 2009 and 2010 respectively. An energetic performer, Trey Songz has also headlined three tours and played many festivals.
In addition to picking up fans from across the US and Europe, Trey Songz has also picked up multiple award nominations over the last ten years, including three Grammy Award nominations.
Born in Glen Cove, New York to mother and former dance teacher Tina Douglas and father and former singer Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas, Ashanti has a creative upbringing. She attended the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Centre at a young age where she studied dance including tap, jazz, ballet and hip-hop, and later in her teens began singing regularly at various New York shows.
The singer’s big break came in 2002 when discovered by hit maker Irv Gotti, who teamed Ashanti up with Fat Joe and his single “What’s Luv?” and Ja Rule’s “Always on Time”. The two singles were released simultaneously and led to Ashanti being the first female artist to occupy the top two positions in the chart. Before long she released her debut solo single entitled “Foolish”, which became instantly popular, the single was her biggest to date, spending ten weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
With the success of her first three singles Ashanti and Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc. record label released Ashanti’s debut album “Ashanti” in April 2002. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, has been certified triple platinum in the U.S. and catapulted the singer to a mainstream world of magazines covers and publicity. Before the end of 2002 Gotti produced a remix of “Foolish” with the Notorious B.I.G. which again hit the charts and represented Ashanti’s domination of the R&B world in 2002.
Her follow-up “Chapter II” in 2003 saw the singer reach the top of the charts once again, largely due to the success of the lead single “Rock wit U (Awww Baby)”. However due to Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc. label coming under some intense scrutiny by the FBI and a feud with 50 Cent’s G-Unit the album got ignored somewhat. The same year the singer released her first Christmas album entitled “Ashanti’s Christmas” and her third full-length LP “Concrete Rose” came a year later in 2004 with the lead single “Only U”.
In 2005 Ashanti made her acting debut in the film “Coach Carter” which opened at No. 1 at the U.S. box office. In 2008 came her fourth studio album “The Declaration” which unlike her debut album which she wrote the majority-of herself, Ashanti enlisted the help of Akon, Babyface and Mario Winans in production. The album debuted at No. 6 in the albums chart led by singles “The Way That I Love You” and “Good Good”.
After a time focusing on her acting and musical appearances including staring as Dorothy in a stage production of “The Wiz”, Ashanti released her fifth album “Braveheart” in March 2014, two years after its initial single was released.
Having lost his father at a young age, Jennings' childhood was marred by hardship, receiving a ten-year prison sentence for arson at the young age of 14. His time spent in jail helped to change his life around, developing a deep passion for music, finding solace in the honest and emotive sound of Erykah Badu, which would be reflected in Jennings' own musical style. Being in jail led to Jennings to develop a very introspective and deeply conscious sound, reflecting upon the hardship he endured and the lessons learnt.
Upon his release in 2002, he recorded a four-song demo and began to perform live, appearing at the famous Apollo nightclub. After an audience response that was initially negative, due to his appearance walking on stage with an acoustic guitar, the crowd were quickly swayed by his gritty, textured voice, often singing in falsetto alongside his heartfelt songwriting. Lyfe claims he went on to sell over 1,000 copies of his demo CD during his time performing at the Apollo, leading to significant hype around the artist.
Producers and record labels were eager to make contact with Jennings, persuading him to move to New York City, US to attempt his hand at a music career and major-label recording contract. Columbia Records went on to secure the deal, releasing his debut album, "Lyfe 268-192" (his inmate number), in August 2004.
This record was followed by "The Phoenix" in 2006, which looked more towards Hip-Hop for influence, featuring guest appearances from Three 6 Mafia and Young Buck. This was followed by "Lyfe Change" in 2008, which played host to a number of new collaborations with various producers. Moving to Warner Bros., Lyfe Jennings released his fourth album, "I Still Believe" in 2010, with guest appearances by Bryan-Michael Cox, Bobby Valentino, Ludacris and Jazmine Sullivan. Following another stint in prison, Lyfe jennings returned in 2013 with "Lucid," released on the Mass Appeal label.
Trey Songz AKA Tremaine Aldon Neverson... my FAVORITE male artist on the scene – and not because of his stunning good looks (he is definitely a ladies man... they don't call him Mr. Steal Yo Girl for nothing!), but because Trey is sincere, down to earth, loves the Lord, his family, his fans, and us (his Angels). Trey keeps it real all the time; in conversation and through his lyrics!
When Trey performs, the ladies are always at attention! One memorable experience was during PPP tour at the Orpheum in Memphis, TN (8/15/10) and I had the pleasure of taking his tie off and he gave it to me!
My first time meeting Trey was 3/15/08 at the Cannon Center in Memphis and I took a picture with him! I was so excited; stayed up all night!!!
I saw Trey in concert 3 times that year. I've seen him a total of 8 times between Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana, last being at last year's Essence Festival which was an experience of a lifetime, and I had the opportunity to fellowship with other Angels and his mother, Mumma April, who is such a beautiful woman inside and out! I have nothing but the utmost respect for her & Trey!
Fun facts... Trey wanted to be a rapper. He came on the scene in 2005. Trey's Angels began 9/14/2010 (I've been member since day one). Trey has 5 albums and the 6th album Trigga will be released July 1, 2014! You gotta get your own copy! If you've never seen Trey in concert, you don't know what you're missing and would be in for a treat!
Two of the biggest R&B/pop crossovers of the early noughties came from Ashanti; her collaborations on ‘What’s Luv’? with Fat Joe and ‘Always on Time’ with Ja Rule would lead to the latter describing her as “the new princess of hip hop and R&B.” Signing to Murder Inc. Records after being spotted by label boss Irv Gotti, she was seen as crucial to their strategy for crosing over into the mainstream. Her self-titled debut record was a huge success, selling six million copies worldwide and spawning hit singles including ‘Foolish’ and ‘Happy’. Since then, though, Ashanti’s struggled to replicate that success; follow-ups Chapter II and Concrete Rose struggled, primarily because of the lack of a big single (although I maintain that the Jay Z-sampling ‘Rain on Me’ from the former is one of her finest moments). With her first record in six years, Braveheart, meeting with a strong critical response and cracking the U.S. top ten earlier this year, though, she might well be poised for a comeback; she’s back out on the live circuit with a full band, with a couple of well-received UK shows late last year setting the stage for a more high-profile return to these shores - expect Murder Inc.-era classics as well as a slew of new material.
Underrated. The first word that popped into my head when I jumped onto my laptop to write this review about American Soul singer, Lyfe Jennings. I remember as a teenager back in 2006 hearing and seeing the video for his single 'S.E.X, a cautionary R&B tale warning youngsters about the consequences of sexual related peer pressure. Asides from the inspiring lyrics and message of the song, I vividly recall his superb husky 'Motown'-like voice contrasting with his modern street hip-hop image. I was an instant fan and began to follow his career as he collaborated with artists such as Alicia Keys. Lyfe Jennings was the new guy on the block bringing an old school sound and vibe into the new school. Al Green with a time machine. Like the title of his 2nd studio album 'The Phoenix', Lyfe Jennings has burst back onto the scene and if his latest live shows are anything to go by he is still in a league of his own. Despite having seen him in a medium sized venue with a great turnout, the atmosphere was very intimate and mellow. Lyfe Jennings' flavourful and stirring performance has a way of making you feel like you are chilling in your room with headphones on. Every soulful note and lyric can be heard by you, and only you, in a room filled with people. His personal life experiences on songs such as 'Boomerang' and 'Cry', combined with a genuine spirit and raw tone make for a great live show. Moreover, his incredible live band had a way of making him seem like he was on stage alone. This was felt even more so when he brought out his guitar for an acoustic version of his song 'Must be nice' and an excellent cover of Michael Jackson's hit 'Human Nature'. Still sporting his laid back style combo of baggy jeans and a baseball cap, Lyfe Jennings delivered a blues performance similar to an old great wearing his sharpest suit and fedora in an underground club in Harlem. He continues to bring the old school sound to new school audience. His latest album 'Ten Years Later' (2014) is timeless and is a must have in any R&B collection. Underrated.... A Lyfe Jennings live show is not to be missed.