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After meeting at The New School in New York City, Ben “B-Roc” Ruttner and James “JPatt” Patterson both found themselves in need of a place to live. The two moved in together, and quickly set about making their neighbors hate them. “Our apar...

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Momentarily hailed as the finest recording artist of his generation, Rodriguez is often referred to as the greatest 70's US rock icon who never was. Jesus 'Sixto' Rodriguez was born and bred in Detroit, four blocks from the city center. He was influe...

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Raised by music loving parents, Kon's been digging in record crates since 76, djing since 85, and spinning in clubs since 91. He's one half of Kon & Amir, who released the acclaimed On Track and Off Track series on BBE Records, introducing rar...

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From his collaborations with and influences from such creative and versatile producers and DJ’s, to his live performances with the Bad Jazz Troupe, to his spinning vinyl records, these experiences have all combined to generate the unique sound foun...

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While still a teenager, Emeli Sandé got her first big break as a singer-songwriter. After her kid sister filmed her performing one of her own songs (the smoldering "Nasty Little Lady") at a piano in their rural Scotland home, Sandé sent...

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Born and raised in Minneapolis, José James came of age with the sounds of Prince, hip-hop and Modern jazz. Discovering an early passion for both music and creative writing, José combined these through performance - singing jazz standard...

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Estelle Swaray may be a born-and-raised West London girl, but we'd venture that the 27-year-old is right at home in the energy of New York, her newly adopted city. She's got the self-determination with a bit of swagger. The get-up-and-go hustle. And ...

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At the heart of The Broken Orchestra are producers Pat Dooner and Carl Conway-Davis, who, along with a select group of talented musicians and artists sculpt simple ideas into full blown compositional pieces. What started out as a simple collaborative...

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Discovering her love for music at the prime age of four years old, RaVaughn began her solo performances in her parent’s living room for an audience of two but soon was cast in her first leading role in the musical “Annie.” It was on that stage ...

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Charlie Winston grew up, with his folk-musician parents and his musical siblings, in a Suffolk hotel which he describes as “Fawlty Towers, but with a family” -- with two bars and a ballroom, hosting a constant stream of musical, theatrical and co...

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He's got a striking look and a startling voice but somehow you don't quite connect the two. And yet it's true: that young man singing his way up and down the vocal range from tenor to falsetto with the power and grace of a Smokey or a Prince is actua...

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Sonic Boom is an exclusive new compilation series from Giant Step present by music contributor Maiya Norton. It contains music from soul, jazz, electronica, hip hop and instrumentals/beats, with a majority of the material being either unreleased or r...

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Brussels based production duo Eric P & LuiGi (aka MonkeyRobot) have been catching eyes and ears worldwide through their work as 74 Miles Away (Melting Pot Music), and Hip-Hop production under the moniker Infinitskills. They have also enjoyed support ...

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Singer, songwriter, producer, filmmaker, photographer, and recently turned pre-school music teacher; this woman truly does it all. Dubbed a modern day Tracy Thorne and often compared to her distinct influences: Bjork, Sade & the "Naked Music E...

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Starting out on vocals and percussion, Loueke picked up the guitar late, at age 17. After his initial to exposure to jazz in Benin, he left to attend the National Institute of Art in nearby Ivory Coast. In 1994 he left Africa to pursue jazz studies a...

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On her forthcoming Island Records/ 21 Music debut, Canadian born singer/song writer, Jenna Andrews weaves a deep tapestry of emotion, personal growth and introspection in her debut EP. She imbues everything from pop to soul with poignant lyrics, sugg...

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For more than four decades, Shuggie Otis has earned respect as a musician’s musician. His composition “Strawberry Letter 23,” a #5 Pop hit for the Brothers Johnson in 1977, is just the tip of Shuggie’s musical iceberg. He has won praise as a...

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Growing up in Houston, Texas, Robert Glasper had a strong musical influence from his mother, who played piano and sang gospel music in church as well as in jazz and blues clubs in Houston. Raised on gospel, Motown, and R&B, by his teens he was listen...

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With a decade of experience, the Brooklyn-­?based dance trio Tortured Soul has already made their mark on the world of dance music and has had tremendous success as an international touring act, appearing at major music festivals on virtually every ...

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The Easy Star All-Stars are a collective family of some of the finest reggae musicians in the New York area. The band features a rotating cast drawn from a talented pool of players, meaning that every show has its own nuances and its own life. The ma...

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Derrick Hodge is perhaps best known as the anchor of the genre-bending, GRAMMY award-winning band Robert Glasper Experiment, but he has also spent time in the cutting-edge jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard’s group, and is currently the music directo...

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Luke James is a singer/songwriter that embodies the honesty and fresh, organic soulfulness that’s been in relatively short supply of late in contemporary music. Now that sounds like a pretty tall order for a newcomer to fulfill. However, the New Or...

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Much can be said about the late Amy Winehouse, one of the U.K.'s flagship vocalists during the 2000s. The press and tabloids seemed to focus on her rowdy behavior, heavy consumption of alcohol, and tragic end, but fans and critics alike embraced her ...

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Sometimes stars emerge. Sometimes stars are thrust upon us. And sometimes stars simply slip into the atmosphere as if propelled by something otherworldly. It is into this last category that the astonishing presence, voice, look and feel of Lana Del R...

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Raised in the East Flatbush (aka the Little West Indies) section of Brooklyn, as the only child of a Jamaican mother and Bed Stuy-native father, Cole Williams was immediately inducted into a melting pot of food, music and attitudes. The neighborhood ...

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The notion of "traditional hip hop" has changed forever. Whether you're talking about genre bending projects from superstars like Kanye West and Lil Wayne or surprising debuts from new artists like Kid Cudi and Drake, hip hop has never had a more exc...

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With a voice that can caress or confront, embrace or exhort, Gregory Porter exhibits such an incredible degree of vocal mastery, that no less a jazz luminary than Wynton Marsalis has gone on record to call him "a fantastic young singer." Born in Los ...

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Jones first emerged on the world stage 10 years ago with the February 2002 release of Come Away With Me, her self-described "moody little record" that introduced a singular new voice and grew into a global phenomenon, sweeping the 2003 Grammy ...

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Born and raised in Warri, in the Delta region of Nigeria, Nneka Egbuna watched as the city and its citizens wrestled with the impact of new-found affluence. Three decades later, electrical blackouts are still a part of daily life in Nigeria, an oil-r...

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Marbert Rocel formed in 2002 in a flat share in Erfurt, in the first floor of a shady establishment. It started off with DJ Malik, who was DJing rap and producing, and Panthera, who at this time was still washing his laundry at his parent's house. To...

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Affectionately known as 'the prince of Soul Bossa,' Khari Cabral is a man with many talents and opportunities. His father is a successful businessman and philanthropist and his mother is one of academia's most admired leaders. But rather than pursue ...

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In the relatively short span of ten years, drummer and composer Kendrick Scott has established himself as an artist of great versatility and depth. Having toured and recorded with such luminaries as Terence Blanchard, Herbie Hancock, the Crusaders an...

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Something about Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” struck Marcus Canty at 11 years old. Where basketball shorts and Kobe Bryant once held a special place, Stevie’s Motown groove stepped in.

“At first I liked music, then it grew into love,...

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Alto saxophonist Logan Richardson (born 1980) was by the age of sixteen already featured in the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra in his hometown; by nineteen, Downbeat magazine hailed him as "up and coming." After music studies at Boston's Berklee Scho...

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For Jessie Ware singing is the easy part. Uncannily beautiful vocals have been pouring out of this London native since she was a kid. It’s the path from Girl With That Voice to full-fledged pop star – as she’s become back home in England in the...

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Sean Haefeli is an innovative pianist-vocalist and lyricist-composer, distinctively modern and yet, traditionally skilled. He represents a new breed, schooled in jazz, soul and hip-hop, able to execute with an emcee’s sense of flow, a crooner’s m...

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Charles Perry became a teenage sensation at the age of 16 while starring in the musical Mama I Want To Sing which launched his touring career. Charles performed with multi Grammy Award winners CeCe Winans and Shirley Ceasar. He s...

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For Dessy Di Lauro, her life has been an incredible journey through music. Born on the tough East-end of Montreal, she began her career at an early age: signing along to Sarah Vaughn Records and in Gospel choirs. She later became a staple of Montrea...

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The proper thing on the mind of 20-year-old shooting star Charli XCX is an album long in the making, one which finally sees the light of day in 2013. The wait has been as agonizing for Charli as it has been for her fanbase - rapidly swelling on both ...

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Upon meeting Matthew, Mark, and Michael Cook — three smart, stylish, and somewhat serious-minded brothers who make up the Los Angeles band The Ceremonies — it’s clear that these aren’t just any ordinary young people. Their biggest influences ...

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There’s  a  kind  of  woman  who  just  needs  you  to  get  the  hell  out  of  her  way.  You’ll  know  her  when  you   see her, smoldering with swagger and sex appeal. Holding her back would be like lassoing a supernova�...

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NY emerging artist, Sophia Bastian has a vintage sound with a young beat to it. Sophia finds her musical background in Classic Blues and Soul. She went to school for Jazz but has a great love for HipHop. "I've always been more drawn to the classic.G...

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Marcel knew he wanted to sing at a young age. He studied music incessantly, learning as much as he could while receiving formal training as a child. His career started to take off as he started to perform locally. With his impressive vocal range and ...

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Described as “The voice of 2013” by The Evening Standard, the classically trained, singer-songwriter’s music fuses orchestral soul with velvety harmonies and emotional vocals giving nods to Nina Simone, George Gershwin and Björk amongst others...

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Already recognized worldwide, 2012 served as the internationally praised Malaysian-born songstress's breakout year in North America. With Yuna's self-titled debut album, Rolling Stone championed her as having, “certified indie cred and massive pop...

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The Child of Lov's music possesses a nostalgic reverence for early trailblazers like Little Richard, Otis Redding and James Brown as well as a penchant for the later neo soul of Dilla and D'Angelo. On his self-titled debut, The Child of Lov certifie...

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"His textures and sounds are so fantastically done, and so intriguing and deep. There are little worlds he creates of sound." -- NPR Music

Jon Hopkins is an expert producer, Ivor Novello-nominated composer of film scores, long-...