S. Remi

 

The world better get ready….Jaz is about to murder the game!

Also, shout out to Mrs. Betty Wright for blessing us with her presence.

Sorry.

I want to apologize for the lack of updates. I know it looks kinda bad especially since I just started this, but we have all been pretty busy.  Just know that Jazmine has been writing/recording heavily with various producers and the music is coming out incredible! Hopefully, you’ll be hearing some of your favorite artists singing these songs real soon.

Jazmine Show Recap

We want to thank the hundreds that came out to support Jazmine and Eric Roberson last night for the kick off of the R&B Live Series @ Penn’s Landing in Phildadelphia. We met fans from NY, NJ, MD, D.C., and other states that came just to see Jazmine perform -and that’s truly incredible when you think about it, especially since she doesn’t even have an album out.

This was actually my first time seeing Jazmine perform a full set but after seeing her own the stage, it just once again validated why she is a star. Looking fly in a flashy gold dress, she kept every second of the audience’s attention with her 30 minute set. 

My personal favorites were: “Break My Little Heart,” “Kiss By A Rose” and “Round Midnight” which was dedicated in the memory of her cousin that just passed -Mustafa. 

 Set List:

     1. Flow
     2. Feel Nice
     3. Break My Little Heart
     4. Kiss By A Rose (by Seal)
     5. Bus Stop
     6. Say I
     7. Round Midnight
     8. Outro/Umbrella

Welcome/Intro.

What’s up world?! My name is Marcus Washington and I’m a 22-year old who is currenty working on my Masters in Music Business and Entertainment Industries from the University of Miami, and for three years, I have worked as a journalist for a regional publication where I have profiled some of the biggest names in urban music such as Missy Elliott, John Legend, Timbaland, Ciara, Nelly Furtado, Jill Scott and many others.

I, probably like you, represent the millions of consumers who are just plain tired with the current state of music. At one time, I considered myself to be a music fanatic. Every Tuesday, I would go to Best Buy and pick up the latest CDs that were released. I attended almost every major concert that rolled through my city. And every day, I kept myself abreast with the latest news in music courtesy of Mtv.com. Today, however, I am no longer inspired to buy CDs as much as I use to for the fact that majority of songs on albums don’t move me. Most artists aren’t even touring around my way as much and most music news today is about everything else except the music.  

For me, it was because of artists of the 90s like TLC, Lauryn Hill, Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, The Fugees, Usher, Jay-Z, Brandy, Tupac, Toni Braxton, Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, Destiny’s Child, Outkast and many others that allowed me to develop my passion for music and the music industry. Each of these artists had their own sound, their own originality and distinctive styles, yet, they were all successful. And while I admired these artists, I really admired the successful music moguls -Clive Davis, L.A. Reid, Sean Combs and the many others-who were behind the scenes investing on talent and making their vision a reality. I personally think it’s time to get it back to those days.

Almost every month, there are continued reports about the downfall of the music industry. Physical sales are almost down 20% this year and while the industry would like to put the blame on piracy and downloading, I would ask the music industry to instead accept more of the blame. What new artists in urban music from the U.S. have really made an impact in the first six months of this year? Can you name three? It is my belief that consumers will still purchase albums….if there is a perceived reason to do so. Do you agree? Usher sold over 9 million records with Confessions at the peak of piracy because he had a great album…. and an even better marketing campaign. What happened to marketing and promotion lately anyway??? And how come most of my friends rarely know which artists are releasing projects each week anymore? Where’s the anticipation at? Where’s the buzz nowadays? Do we even care about music anymore?

A year and a half ago, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime to work with an artist who I feel will go down as one of our generation’s most respected and successful singer/songwriters -Jazmine Sullivan. A friend posted a few songs of hers from her stint with Jive on a message board that I frequent and I instanty got goosebumps listening to her voice. That was the day my life changed forever. To then find out that some of the songs I was listening to were recorded at the age of 13 made me wonder how she couldn’t have an album in stores. I knew from first listen that she was a star and when I found out that she had been dropped from Jive, I knew I wanted to get involved. What’s crazy is that even before I heard her music, I was always complaining to my friends about how boring music was and described to them an artist I would like to work with in the future, not knowing that her name would be Jazmine Sullivan. There wasn’t much information about her online at the time (this was before the myspace page was created) and after sending out two emails to people that knew her, they eventually found their way to her manager, Pam Sullivan. I asked if I could assist them in landing a new deal because I believed in her God given talents. And although I had no experience or contacts with A&Rs, I knew I had a couple things working in my favor -the passion to succeed and an unshakeable belief in the artist that I was working with.

After sending out numerous emails to every major label and taking meetings with a few, we eventually landed a deal with J Records earlier this year. We are blessed to work with one of the most successful A&Rs in the business who has guided the careers of multi-platinum artists such as Alicia Keys, Dido, Jamie Foxx, Mario and new artist Emily King (www.myspace.com/emilykingmusic). This time around, I know we are in better hands. Not to mention, my idol, Clive Davis, heads the label and we all know he loves African American soulful female vocalists (Whitney, Fantasia, Alicia, Aretha, etc.).

The music that Jazmine has been creating prior to signing with the label is on some other stuff. If I could even compare it to anything, I would say that the music is going to resonate with the hearts and souls of listeners on a worldwide level much like Ms. Hill’s Miseducation of Lauryn Hill did back when it dropped in August of ’98. And the reason why I am in awe of her is not only because of her voice, but also for her natural ability to write full songs by herself. Some of these songs will make you cry. Others will make you want to shout. But they all are going to create an album that will make you appreciate her artistry. She is truly a musical prodigy and with this blog site, you will get to witness history in the making. This site is intended to keep you up to date with what’s happening in Jazmine’s career, as well as keep you informed with what’s going on with the music industry as a whole. Another goal is to reach thousands of new people each week, so it’s up to you to spread the word. A new musical movement is taking place, but it’s up to the public/consumers to change the way things are currently (and you know what I mean by that). There’s power in numbers!

Disclaimer: Out of each of us, I’m the more vocal one of the group, so only expect honesty and sincerity from my posts. I will not and can not rest until Jazmine is at the top of the music game…because she deserves praise and recognition on a worldwide level for her talents. My posts are a reflection of my views, and may not neccesarily be representative of the views of Jazmine or Pam Sullivan. 

Again, thanks for supporting Jazmine and her music. I know ya’ll are dying for the album, but trust me, it’s going to be well worth the wait….and it’s our goal to get it to you in ’08!

Marcus Washington

FREE Jazmine Sullivan Performance in Philly [7/6/07].

Check out that classic photo of Jazmine from back in the day when she was killing shows as a teenager. If you are in Philly on July 6th, you will get the opportunity to witness and experience just how much Jazmine has evolved since then. Today starts the first day of summer and in two weeks, Jazmine and Eric Roberson will be the first to kick off a month long series of FREE concerts at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. Come out and show your support. Jazmine has been hard at work rehearsing to make sure she gives you all a great show. You won’t be disappointed!

The press release is listed after the jump.

A New Beginning.

On May 7th and 8th, Jazmine began her first day at work for J Records, with Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry in a writing session @ The Studio in Philadelphia, PA. Not giving away too many details, two songs were recorded and one of the records reminded me of the theme music from Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill. Imagine that coupled with Jazmine’s soulful voice and the outcome is a crazy record! Like always, she is killing the track, the lyrics make sense and the song is definitely album potential. I’m looking forward to hearing what Jazmine comes up with as some producers who have been mentioned wanting to contribute to the project include the incredible Salaam Remi (Lauryn Hill, The Fugees, Amy Winehouse), Cool & Dre, and James Poyser to name a few. It’s time for a new artist to give the world an album that they can relate to irregardless of musical preferences, race or any other perceived differences that we as people tend to focus on. A change is gonna come…