Search - Rahsaan Patterson :: After Hours

Another A+ Offering From The Brilliant Young Neo-Soul Star!!

MUZIK4THAPEOPLE!! | Seattle & San Diego | 07/20/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is the 3rd amazing offering from the young brilliant neo-soul star

Rahsaan Patterson, who is the REAL DEAL in the sense that he can sing his azz off!

He also writes, arranges, co-produces and plays several instruments on his material as

well as provides most of his own background vocals with the exception of adding a few

vocalists like Trina Broussard, Ledisi, Chrisette Michelle, Dionne Farris, etc.,to spice things up.

Since 1997, he has dropped albums which, in my opinion, should be getting major airplay

all over black radio & BET!! But black radio has stubbornly refused to showcase any of

Rahsaan's work other than a quiet storm nod or two or in certain regions of the country.

But his work deserves to be embraced and exposed to a bigger audience,

because it's really that good! He is a full on artist in every sense.

Why the reason for this silent boycotting you may ask??

I say it's simply that some in the black music community (label heads and radio programmers)

have a problem with Rahsaan Patterson's nerve to live his life in total truth and openess!

He is a formidible talent & neo-soul artist who is openly gay and really makes no apologies for it!

Even though in recent years in interviews, he has shown signs of caving in to the pressure

by either evading the issue or going to the old standard sidestep tactic of him claiming bisexuality.

Many in the black community still harbor all these old-timey views and biases regarding

homosexuality which is just so stupid and ridiculous to me!

It's about the work!---The music, the it way makes you feel, what it means to you!

Not what the artists' personal preferences are or whether Rahsaan is singing to

a man or a woman!---Who cares??--It's the 21st Century for goodness sake!!

Every time I meet Rahsaan or have seen him perform, he is always in great sprits and

totally dedicated to his craft and giving his small sector of devoted fans their money's worth.

We discussed why MCA / UNIVERSAL REALLY DROPPED him from their roster, claiming that he

simply wasn't moving enough units on his first two albums:

"Rahsaan Patterson" (1997) and "Love In Stereo" (1999), while simultaneously sabotaging

them with limited label support (i.e. promotion), lack of adequate videos,

and of course BET and VH-1 not playing the ones that they did make!

You can forget MTV even touching it, until it gets to a certain level of crossover success!

Especially if it's a black artist!---It's an uphill climb still, even 28 years after

MJ and Prince (supposedly) broke down the doors of racial/musical segregation over there!



Having touched on all those factors, it's amazing to me that Rahassan still forges ahead

to keep his dream alive, starting his own independent label and trying to get major

distribution at least. Because without that you are truly invisible in the music game.

He has partially moved himself to Europe, where his music has been more embraced and

given the respect it deserves, which is always the case with artists who create music

of any substance in the U.S., while they go basically overlooked in their own home country.

Overseas, they don't care about your race, religion, sexual preferences, or any other miscellaneous crap!

They only care if your are bringing it musically and emotionally as an artist

enough for them to give up their hard-earned money to support you!--That's what's up! (-:

The gems from this CD are: "The One For Me", "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah", "Don't Run So Fast",

"April's Kiss", "Sometimes (You Gotta Let Go)" and others.

If you haven't already, please do check this CD out as well as Rahsaan Patterson's

preceeding works and also the follow up to this album, "Wine & Spirits".

You'll find Rahsaan has very unique tone, inflects and range for a male singer.

He definitely studied under the school of Chaka Khan! (-:

His phrasing, timbre, tone and other vocal quirks are very much inspired by her.

But you also hear other influences as well as his own thing as well.

Rahasaan Patterson is one of the most criminally underrated talents in music today!"