Featured Artist Week 4: Brienne Moore

I am behind schedule as usual. It is 4 a.m. and I am a little upset with myself because I was supposed to have this up hours ago. But I am in good company, sitting here listening to “Skin” by Brienne Moore. Listening to her music is like finding a musical soul mate. We both have a love for COLDPLAY and Sam Cooke. The Las Vegas native has a beautiful set of pipes on her. She’s been working on her craft since the age of 3 setting up shows for her parents. She has now made her home in Los Angeles booking gigs at local bars such as the Viper Room, and Crane’s Tavern. I am having a hard time choosing which song to put on my page. Which says a lot. Usually I find one favorite and just go with it. But all of her songs hit a chord with me. I guess it is not that bad of a situation to find oneself in when listening to lovely music.

“Thank You” made me feel like she was writing about my ex boyfriend. All of her music is well crafted. There is this deep sincerity in her music that touches you. You believe in the honesty of her words and you don’t feel at any moment that she is being pretentious. In her interview I could feel her joy. I could feel that this is what she loves. You get a sense of this talented girls beautiful personality, that matches her beautiful voice.

[Brittani] You always sang for your parents, how did they help you when it came to realizing your dreams of being a musician?

When I was young and told my parents that I spent hours preparing a song for them, they just happily listened which I’m sure wasn’t easy;). I think that was the initial support I needed to help me realize that I just love to sing.

[Brittani] How was your experience at your performing arts high school in Las Vegas?

You know when I first started my freshman year, I didn’t want to go. My dad, told me I should go because one of his friends said it would be good for me if I want to do music professionally. I initially didn’t want to go because the school didn’t have sports...which means it didn’t have boys, and when you’re 14 that is just tragic! Though as I got over that fact, I really started to pay attention to my craft and how amazing it was to go to a school that really encouraged kids to explore their creative side. We still had to keep up on our school work that all high schools make students take, but we worked harder because we had to stay at school longer to fit in our “major” (music, dance, art, etc.)

[Brittani]You're from "Sin City" but you don't sound like it LOL...what can you tell your fans about the artistry out there, is it all bright lights and big shows?

[Brienne] I know, right?! (haha) Growing up I used to think, “I don’t belong here.” Though I grew up away from the strip, and being under 21 you can’t get involved with all the things that make Vegas “Sin City.” I was lucky, I had stable parents who really kept my sisters and I away from all the gambling, drinking, etc. As far as what Las Vegas has to offer the entertainment industry, today I think it can offer a lot, it is definitely creating its own music market. When I was younger, Vegas didn’t have the popularity it now has.

[Brittani] How has your experience in L.A. been? How different is it from Vegas?

[Brienne] I have this love/hate relationship with Los Angeles. When I first came to LA I was all starry-eyed and thought it was place that made everyone’s dreams come true (haha), but when I learned about a thing called reality, I realized LA, most of the time, is the complete opposite. Again, with age and maturity, I learned Los Angeles provides so many opportunities and even though you come across some “sharks,” you also meet some amazing people.

Though only thing I can say that LA and Vegas differ is the weather; businesses will be businesses (the music industry or any other) and people will be people, some are great, and some are not.

[Brittani] When did you decide that you prefer and acoustic sound, how do you think it affected your music?

[Brienne] The guitar. I have always loved songs that were more driven by an acoustic guitar. It was when I wrote my first emotionally revealing song (Thank You) that I realized I could never go back to anything else. The acoustic guitar inspired me to write honestly, and that is where my heart is at.

[Brittani] You say on your page "You need more than a great voice and dance moves," do you think the "whole package" is emphasized too much when it comes to the music industry?
And if you needed to could you do some dance moves? LOL

[Brienne] Oh girl, I can get down! (Hahahaha) I love to dance, I used to take some dance classes and still will walk into a hip-hop class for fun.

I do think a whole package is emphasized in the industry, but the industry is changing and there really isn’t a lot of great music being played on the radio. My hopes, with all the changes going on, is that music will go back to how it used to be, back to the “Motown days,” where the people wanted to hear great music, not a “package,” just simply great music.

[Brittani] If you could open up for anybody on tour, who would it be for and why?

[Brienne] I would just love to go on tour with COLDPLAY! That would be a dream!! Their music is so inspiring and I’m just a huge fan. I can just see myself now, being backstage bugging them with questions like, “Do you know how amazing you are?!!”

[Brittani] Who are some of your influences musically.

[Brienne] I idolized Whitney when I was young, and still do. I will put on “Saving all my Love” and still get goose bumps! She has the most amazing voice. As I opened up to more music, my influences range from Sam Cooke to Jewel to Stevie to COLDPLAY.

Do you know the feeling when you hear somebody sing for the first time, and you know they have a beautiful soul? Thats the feeling I got when I first heard Brienne sing. If you love earnest expression set to comforting folk inspired Soul you need her in your life. The songs on her page are a collection of artistic masterpieces. With her extraordinary voice, and gifted song writing, you know Brienne Moore, whether signed or not is a star that will shine bright.

Brittani Cooper

Featured Artist Week 3: Jvion

"My lyrics improve beats."

Talented and focused, are the two words that I would use to describe Jvion. I am in no way, shape, or form a "Hip-Hop head". I know what I like when I hear it. Jvion is by no means the typical hip hop artist that is dominating the mainstream. We are now bombarded with, as Ice Cube put it, "pop corn" rap. The fact that he is different from the Soulja Boy's and Hurricane Chris' is what probably hurts him when it comes to the elusive record deal, "Who needs a record deal, when yo' records real". Selling his soul to the industry is not an option for him. It is a take me as I am or do not take me at all deal with him. You have to respect that at 20 years old Jvion a.k.a Jeremie (with and IE) Lee Jones decided to rap whats real to him, despite taking the easy route. Its nice to see someone worry about their lyrics and not the next dance sensation.

Once I heard the song "Words of Encouragement" I knew he was going to be my featured artist. So I came up with the interview questions and just prayed he got back to me before Sunday, because I really did not have a back up LOL. I was excited to see a message in my inbox. He got back to me, I am very glad to say, and he even had a few questions for me.

[Brittani] How does being raised by a single mother affect your music?
Did you have a relationship with your father...?

[Jvion] Its affects me a lot. I respect women in every way, I refrain from calling them ho's and bitches, I don’t look at females as a "number", but more so queens in a strange society, and I dedicate a large amount of my music to the well being of women and right songs like "Respect ya’ self" to uplift women and send them a better message than what’s being displayed by artist nowadays. And yes I always had an on and off relationship with my father, in and out. He was one of those that didn’t care to be there for his children, but its no love lost, I’m grown and I made it without him.

[Brittani] Describe for those who don't know the streets of East Oakland, how did what you see influence your music?

[Jvion] I’ve seen crack babies, murder victims, I’ve been inches away from shootouts, I know over 10 people dead because of the streets, and a good amount in jail, some serving life. Where I grew up influences my music a lot because I don’t want the youth to go through the things people I grew up with went through, so I give others an outlet through my music. I know I’m constantly saying "The Youth" and I’m only 20 yrs old myself LOL, but when one wants to make a change, he or she has to grow up two times as fast.

[Brittani] You have a quote on your page that says, "I am not a rapper, I am not an entertainer, I’m a motivator, what makes you classify yourself that way?

[Jvion] Because rappers are nothing but entertainers, they do music to entertain their audience even if that means them deceiving their fans but lying and portraying someone their not. I on the other hand want to motivate others to be better people, therefore, I’m a "Motivator".

[Brittani] For a younger rapper you're very much a lyricist, while most "rappers" your age are making ring tone rap. Why did you decide to go above and beyond what’s goin' on in the rap game? Because you know a catchy beat and hook would get you into the industry......

[Jvion] Because I’m real and I don’t do it for the money, I do it a change. I don’t follow trends, I set them. Even if there’s a trend that’s in that I genuinely like, I’ll probably chose to do the opposite. I know I can easily get in the game, but I refuse to be fake to accomplish that...

[Brittani] What do you think of ring tone rap, do you think Hip-Hop will come out of this phase, or is it something that remains?

[Jvion] I hate ring tone rap. These artist don’t understand that their in a position to do remarkable things, simply because their the ones with the microphone in their hands, so they command all attention. Yet they chose to teach the youth dances oppose to our history.... if your not sending a positive message to our, then what are you doing? I can talk about this all day LOL but do I think it’s a phase? Yes, but its just a matter of when the phase will end, and that could be a decade from now... we will only know when it happens.

[Brittani] Who is the best rapper in the game right now?

[Jvion] Lupe Fiasco, there's no one in the game on his level. He’s super underrated but I know real music when I hear it.

[Brittani] What do you want your fans to take away from your music?

[Jvion] A positive message, knowledge, and self-respect. I want my music to be therapeutic for fans who are in need of enlightenment, and guidance. My music is composed to help people through rough times when they’re feeling down.

[Jvion] now I have a few questions for you... those are great questions, is this something you would like to do as a career? And how do you feel about ring tone music?

[Brittani] it is actually something I see myself doing...but you have to start small ya' know LOL. I have an intense passion for music so to be able to go on Myspace and hear something new and something that’s actually good is really enjoyable. I'm gonna' be honest I don't listen to a lot of hip hop because a lot of it just isn't enjoyable to the only people I can sit down and listen to are Common Kanye Jay-Z and Lupe and actually enjoy what I’m hearing because what they say is so real I can understand it completely. I don't know why they call it ring tone rap I wouldn't have any of those ringers on my phone LOL. I actually think its trash but I can't just blame the "artist" I have to blame the consumer to...if its something you don't want to hear don't by the music let the industry know that you expect more from your artist than wack lyrics but a catchy hook.... its fun to dance to in clubs but that’s it you wouldn't catch me listenin' to on my Itunes

[Jvion] I agree with you 100%, I hate that lean wit it rock wit it shit but when it comes on in the club I'm all over the place! LOL, but it would never be in my collection

[Brittani] LOL all over the place.... I will admit...I did the "Soulja Boy" in the club like everybody else but he could have kept the rest of that CD LOL

[Jvion] I did the "Soulja Boy" just last night at the club LOL, 4 real

[Brittani] my dad bought his CD which I thought was hilarious.... he has this one song called I don't even want to type it LOL.... its called booty meet, it pretty much sounds like laughy taffy if I was D4L or Fabo I would sue for copyright infringement LOL

[Jvion] they probably would have, but not even them choose to buy that crap LOL

[Jvion] 1 more question... what attracted you to my music?

[Brittani] I heard one of your songs on your personal page.... and I was like I know he has a music page...I’m attracted to your music because its different from what's goin' on right now I especially like your lyrical content and how you put your life into your music and its real...you don't rap about your life because its what consumers want to hear about you rap about it because that’s you. And I respect that

Jvion is one of the most gifted young emcees I've heard. The younger generation while worrying about "crankin" this or that, seems to have lost their way to becoming the next, or becoming even greater than, Jay-Z or Nas, Scarface, Kanye, and a host of other respected lyricist in the game today. Jvion is definitely leading the way. Trying the bring the young generation back on the path of Hip-Hop righteousness. Jvion is channeling a whole different era of Hip-Hop, and at the same time keeping it fresh While his beats are exceptional, his words of inspiration surpass all expections.

Check him out on his Myspace page at www.myspace.com/jvion87
Brittani Cooper

Featured Artist Week 3: Teedra Moses

You may have first heard Ms. Teedra Moses on the track "You'll never find" which generated some buzz in the hip-hop community. It might be surprising to know that this talented songstress doesn't have a record deal. Not all R & B she can easily be classified as a hip hop soul artist. Singing over what are considered pure hip-hop beats. She's already released an album titled "Complex Simplicity". My favorie tune "Be your girl". A girl with a simple crush. A simple theme, sung so well.

Teedra is originally from New Orleans, but moved to California in the mist of her parents seperation. She began honing her skills by writing new lyrics for already hit songs (a good example of this is "You already know" ft. lil wayne) She is not only an accomplished singer but has also penned hits for Christina Milian, Trina, Raphael Sadiqq, and the list continues.

She list some of her influences as Prince, Tina Marie, Mary J. Blige, and of course her mother Shirley Moses, whom she did a song for called "I think of you" (shirley's song). It begins with her and her mother singing a church song together, that then flows into a lovely tribute to her mother who passed away.

Look for her new album coming in 08'. She is also playing shows in New York right now so for those in the area go to her myspace page www.myspace.com/teedramoses to get all the info
Brittani Cooper

Featured Artist Week 1: Mateo

This isn't going to start out like your normal music article. You know, when the writer is describing what is going on with the artist, what the scene looks like, ect. I can tell you what i was doing when i first heard Mateo. I was browsing around Myspace as usual, it was late, and i was probably on the phone. I'm on an artist page and I see Mateo in his top. "Thats a good looking guy," i'm thinking. But there are a lot of good looking guys in the industry, is this guy actually talented? I'm thinking i'm about to hear this guy sing about meeting girls at the club, probably done over a beat by a Scott Storch wanna-be. So i take the change and i click in his flick, at the top of his page I see this youtube vidoe, and before his music player can start, I stop it. "He's covering Crazy!" I had to hear it. I was surprised, to take a song that was so beautifully crafted and sung by Gnarles Barkley and make it hs own, I thought this guy has to be talented. His falsetto was so pleasing to the ear. I had to hear what else he was doing. What I heard was a man influenced by not only R & B, but an Alternative root as well. Mateo finds a way to infuse what he feels into his music, and its done so well that the listener feels this themselves. Take "Human" for example. Through Mateo's vocals you can sense the urge of a man who wants to be loved despite his short comings, "If you look at me a little bit deeper/And see that I need you to understand who I am. The beautiful guitar and melody make the song a triumh and sets it apart from other male R & B vocals. Yes, its a theme we've all heard before, but when was the last time you've heard it done so well?

Myspace Q & A's are not fun, they don't have the same spotenaity as being in person, but sometimes these are the cards you dealt. What i got from Mateo's answers is that he is someone who really loves his craft. He's the kind of person that you know has talent and you pray for his success, because he deserves it.

I just wanted to start out by saying thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I won't be editing anything out, unless its grammatical lol, so the answers that you give is what i am going to show, just so that there is no issue of misinterpretation. I really appreciate this.

I love your rendition of "Crazy", what made you decide to cover the song, and make a video for it?

Well..."Crazy" has always been a favorite song of mine, so I couldn't wait to do my own version of it in my shows. So one day I was at the studio with my guitar player, Adam Rader, and we were playing around with the song and came up with dope new acoustic version of the song. Immediately, my JL was like we should tape you recording it in the studio. That idea ended up morphing into "Why don't we just do a video for it" We literally got together in a coffee shop, wrote up a treatment for it, and then shot it in all of 8 hours. We were really happy with the end result and it seems that everybody else is really loving it. It was fun for us...so its something we would definitely do again. Actually, I've heard that Cee-Lo has seen it and also liked it. Def a good look.

How did you're time in Atlanta, shape your music?

Atlanta is full of talented singers. When I moved to ATL from Ohio...I was amazed at the amount of musicians and singers that were around...that were off the hook. I mean, doing runs and riffs for days. Thats where I learned how to push my voice to another level. It was a good experience.

When you made the decision to leave "Cooperate America" did you have your doubters?

Yeah...I did. My family was pretty supportive but some of friends definitely were like "dawg...what the hell are you doing". Most people think of music as a far fetched career because there's no structure to it....no easy pathway to it. But the support me now.

Who are you listening to right now, and what do you think about the state of R & B?

I'm loving the new Alicia Keys album. I have never been a big fan of hers until now. I felt like the music really thought out and heartfelt which is different from most rnb music today. Now, artist don't take the time to develop their own style and vibe...they just go around a get hollow beats for known producers and make the album that the previous person made. There's no sincerity or feeling in it anymore.

Many artist are very critical of themselves, do you ever find yourself listening to your music saying you could have done better?

Always...i'm the most critical person when it comes to my music. I always think that i could've done something better.

What is the one thing that you would want your fans to know about you, that they may not be able to read on your page?

That just like everyone else...I get discouraged and scared about my journey into pursuing my dreams but I continue to believe no matter what and visualize it. Making the leap into your dreams may seem like the most far fetched and unattainable thing but what you find is that if you just take the leap without over thinking it...you'll get farther than you think.

Will you be doing any shows soon, and how can fans find out?

We're putting together a show schedule which will be posted on my MySpace page. So definitely check it every so often.

Last but not least, this one is for the ladies...Are you single....lol you don't have to answer that.

haha....yeah, I'm single. Its kind of hard to do the relationship thing and grind music 24/7. But I definitely have my fun in Hollywood...date ..kick it.

I really want to thank you for the opportunity, hope its turns into a budding friendship!

Hey...no problem...thank you for the request. Talk to you soon.

The song that i currently have on my page is called "Complicated". Something that all of us has gone through before. Not expecting to fall in love but you did, and now you don't know how to deal with the feelings, "I just wanted to be/I never wanted to fall. The piano intro is amazing and then the drums come in and you're soon mesmerized by not only Mateo's voice but the lyrics.

You can find "Human", and "Complicated" on Mateo's myspace page
www.myspace.com/mateosongs
Brittani Cooper