Imagine Sam Cooke in the studio with some of todays upcoming producers. Thats what this kind of reminds me of. it certainly has the old school feel of Classic R&B but in today's world it would be classified as Soul b/c of the distinct undertones.

13 MP3 Songs
URBAN/R&B: Soul, BLUES: Rhythm & Blues



Details:
Itâs not very often that an individual comes along with all the intangibles, gifts and influences needed for you to realize that they are created for one particular craft.

Son of a Pastor, multi talented singer/songwriter/musician/producer Sam knew that he had a gift for music before he even began playing. Growing up in a home where music from the late 50s, 60s and 70âs was predominantly played, he became obsessed with singing at a very early age. Sam would always watch other musicians play for his father in church and there was something that drew him to the guitar. At the age of 6 he began playing the guitar himself despite the fact that he broke his older sisters guitar & was told to stay away from it. Music felt natural to Sam and church gave him the opportunity to develop his talent through traveling, meeting musicians in different cities, and being exposed to other cultures. He loved the soulful and spiritual experience that always seemed to be prominent in the music at church. At the age of 9, Sam played with older musicians from other churches and his ability to play by ear and catch on to anything he heard made him one of the most requested musicians. He actively participated in the choir by both playing and singing. This helped to teach him music theory soul concepts of harmony and at the young age of 13, Sam was appointed music director for his church.

In middle school Sam started listening to a variety of music including RnB and Hip Hop. Some of these artists included Jodeci, Boyz II Men, Biggie, Nas, Tupac, Big Daddy Kane and KRS 1. Still, the vast majority of music that he listened to was old school (50s, 60s, 70s and 80âs). He didnt realize that he wanted to pursue music professionally until the age of 19. His father had always told him that his gift was music, but he had dreams of being in the NBA. Those dreams came to an end with a knee injury which led him back to his first love - music.

Sam formed an RnB group where he wrote most of the material. He also met an RnB artist from Boston who became very influential. Sam spent a lot of time with him in the studio learning technique and song composition. After studying music like the Dramatics, O jays, and the âOff the Wall Albumâ, he began writing and made some melody arrangements for his friends cd. His ability to adjust as a writer/arranger became evident & he then was given the task of co/writing that project. In 2002, Sam began his first co-production project as a guitarist. Shortly after, he knew that he wanted to work on his own project but didnt know where to start. He wanted to create an album that reflected who he was, but he didnât feel that todays RnB portrayed that. Sam didnt want to write about the topics that were being played on the radio, nor did he see it necessary to change his artistry to fit a mold. He viewed a lot of artists as gimmicks or copycats and wanted to present Sam and only Sam. After cultivating his style and adjusting from electric guitar to acoustic guitar Sam cultivated his own sound into something fresh, different, spiritual and soulful reminiscent of the former Florida based group The Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose. Not only has Sam been working on his own solo project, but he recently worked on several tracks for artist Jaaz on the album titled âShowUmeâ as well as co-produced the album âBalanceâ with Papasean.

Sam would like the music industry and the artists in the industry to strive for a higher standard morally while not compromising the energy, creativity, expression, and sensuality among other factors that help music take root in the soul of people. When you have art where light expresses the artist and the artist is forever looking to express the light through his emotions, it brings about something complete, whole, and consuming. Samâs music is respectful, soulful, passionate and therapeutic. The variety of grooves makes it easy to listen to at any moment (the groove of modern day swing music) and his songs present situations that everyone can relate to. Most of the time you find RnB artists writing music for women, but Sam writes for both sexes and his messages are what people need to hear. He writes about what he is trying to reach and achieve. âMusic is about life. Everyone has some type of spiritual belief, but at the end of the day live life. Dont become a slave to the things that are here, but enjoy life and try to better yourselfâ¦â