Member Since: 1/8/2005
Band Website: RASHADMUSIC.COM
Band Members: me & LT .When I was a kid a casio keyboard, drums and tape recorder were my best friends. I made my own tapes,taught myself how to play,& been sampling(diggin) since i was 7. I am a product of Hip Hop '79 ,and any and every shape or form of Black Music.
Song You Believe Your Parents Conceived You To: "let me know" isley brothers
Song That Best Makes The Soundtrack of Your Childhood Neighborhood Theme: "lovely day" bill withers
Theme Song To Your Closest Sibling: "best freind" brandy
The First Album You Ever Purchased: "radio" LL Cool J
The First Single You Ever Purchased: i forget??
Album Cover That Scared You In Your Childhood: "maggot brain" paarliment/funkadelic
Song That Scared You In Your Childhood: thats easy.."thriller" wacko jacko.. lol
The TV Theme of Your Childhood: three's company
Favorite Song From Sesame Street: uh....
Favorite Song From Mister Rodgers Neighborhood: uh.....
Favorite Song From The Electric Company: uh.......
What Were You Banned From Listening To In Your Childhood: nothing
Rock Song That Rocked Ghetto/Ghetto Song That Rocked The Suburbs (as a kid): "we will rock you"Queen..
Song You First Slow Dragged To: wuh?
First Cassette You Got For Your First Walkman: troop "spread my wings"
Best Cosby Show Theme: the 1st one
Favorite Soundtrack Of Youth: above the rim
Song That Played When You Got In Trouble And Grounded At Home: i dunno?
Song That Played When You Thought You Was About To Get Some: "freek n u" jodeci....lol
Song That Played When You Got Some: ...............
The Theme To Your First Break Up In High School: "pleasures and pain" 112
The First Compact Disc You Ever Brought (not Album/Cassette): "do you want more"the roots
Album That You Stole From A Friend: bush babees
Your Favorite Album You Think Your Friend Stole: "only built 4 cuban links" raekwon
If Ever In Car Accident....What Song Was Playing?: "just the two of us" Grover washington & bill withers
5 Songs You'd Put On A Mixtape For A Potential Love One: "love you down" ready 4 the world, "optimistic" sounds of blackness, "open your eyes" bobby caldwell, "soon as I get home" faith, "two occasions" the deele
Song To Best Describe Your Best Relationship: "sweet misery"
Song To Best Describe Your Worst Breakup: "resentment" jazmine sullivan
First Concert You Ever Went To: new edition
Magical Concert You Ever Went To: frankie beverly & maze
Worst Concert You Ever Went To: total....some years back
Coolest Celeb Ever Met: brandy
Assholish Celeb You Ever Met: steve harvey
Godlike Celeb You Ever Met: lauryn hill
The US Weekly "Oh They Just Like Me!" Celeb You Ever Met: pharrell
Song So Hype You'd Run Your Moms Over With A Trash Truck Going 100 mph: "ante up" mop
Song That Has The Ability To Make You Cry: "sometimes it snows in april" prince
The One Song That Has The Ability To Make You A Kid Again: "candy girl" new edition
Song You Are Ashamed To Admit You Love: "we fly high"...... baaaaaaallinnn!
Song/Album That You Have To Gunpoint Others To: "supernova" Lisa "left eye " lopes
If You Were To Marry Now What Song Would Be Your Wedding Song?: "i said i love you" babyface
What Song Best Describes Your Children/Future Children?: "the way of the world" earth,wind&fire
Who Killed Music?: technology
Who Keeps Music Alive For You?: me.
Song Playing Right Now: "verbil milk" X-clan
Influences:
Use our Free Myspace Banner Maker! Click Here!
Sounds Like: Newcomer RASHAD has all the essential ingredients of a future superstar. He's blessed with a searing soulful voice and the ability to sing lush and memorable songs that capture love's most beautiful and bittersweet moments. The Columbus, Ohio musician/singer/songwriter is a welcome breath of air in an often times formulaic music universe. One listen to RASHAD's debut album, Elevator Music and you'll declare it instant vintage, a breathtaking collage from a sincere Midwestern upstart bound to change the game."Elevator Music is an R&B album, but it's not neo-soul or your average pop album," Rashad beams about his category free LP. "It's something different. It's a collection of love songs that are timeless. I like to think that Elevator Music is my attempts to elevate the art form. Too many people are content with staying in one place, I wanna make music that is true to what I like."After being signed at age 14 to RCA Records and later to rapper-turned-minister Mase's now defunct All Out Records, RASHAD's project was given new life with the assistance of Fo' Reel/Universal Records, the home of rap superstar Nelly. RASHAD hadn't been twiddling his thumbs. He used the time between deals wisely, sculpting himself into a self-contained unit."That made me patient," he says. "I was always comfortable. I've been making a living off my music. I've never had a regular job. I worked as producer or writer on albums or Performing at parties. Indeed, Elevator Music is free of the gloss and floss found in cities like New York, L.A., Atlanta or anywhere else. "The hard work made me realize that music was my truest mission, not the fame and the fortune. I just wanna make my music. I play keyboard, drums... anything I can put my hands on. I hate to just say that I am a singer. I rap and I make beats."Anxious to keep his skills growing, RASHAD challenges himself by remembering scores of harmonies in his brain. "I'm kinda like Jay-Z in that way," he explains. "I have the song in my head and then I write it down. Songs are all around us. Every time that I walk out the house or listen to people, I hear songs. Even the title of my album is something I heard someone say."Like many black teens growing up in the late 70's and 80's, music was the lifeblood of RASHAD's Columbus, Ohio household. He counts legends like Stevie Wonder, Sade, Anita Baker, Cameo and new-schoolers like The Roots, Nas and Pete Rock as guiding stars. "I grew up in a house of music lovers- including hip-hop. That rubbed off on me and my sisters and the things that we listened to. I like to say I had hip parents. We are real spiritual people-- and radical. We are not afraid to speak our minds or do different things."Though mom and pop didn't actually play musical instruments, they were determined to give a thirsty music fanatic like Rashad all the tools he needed. "I always had an instrument," he remembers fondly. "Every Christmas I would get something new from a keyboard to drums to guitars, and I literally locked myself up in my room. That was my playtime. I would make my own tapes and covers. I was sending tapes to labels before I even had a studio.Growing up in Ohio, where Zapp featuring Roger Troutman, Sugafoot, Parliament and many others drew the blueprint for 70's funk and 1990's hip-hop had a tremendous impact on RASHAD's music. "Ohio is a big funk place with a history of a lot of old school musicians. So when I first got in the game as a kid, I was introduced to a lot of people that were playing instruments- live bands."With Nelly, Nappy Roots and others getting love, RASHAD couldn't have arrived at a better time. "The Midwest thing will only get bigger. Columbus alone doesn't have one type of rap or sound. People here are not afraid to be different. Here, we get all the flavors mixed in one. Columbus, Ohio is not like any other city. They get happy when somebody makes it and are representing for me." RASHAD also recruited his Dayton, Ohio friend Tyrice Jones to co-produce four songs on the album. In addition, all the musicians who get down on Elevator Music are Ohio born and raised. Love and support from his home state has helped "Sweet Misery," the album's first single garner a national buzz."Sweet Misery is a classic love/hate song," RASHAD intones. "You can't hate somebody without loving them too. So many people think relationships are ending because they get into arguments or they disagree. But they don't understand that that's the first true sign of love; if you respect somebody enough to care about disagreeing with them." BET's 106 and Park Freestyle Friday champion and new rap sensation Posta Boy sizzles with a guest verse on the feel good "All On You," a song which RASHAD says is "strictly for the ladies." The track came to RASHAD when he decided to dedicate a day -- an entire day -- to a special woman in his life. Kurtis Blow's classic tale of life's unpredictability gets a fresh remake on the more up-tempo and club oriented "The Breaks." RASHAD was careful to make the song his own. "I wanted to flip it in another way, something positive. It was an uplifting theme for me. I see so many people give in so easily. Struggle is a part of life."On the track "Both of You," RASHAD tells the unenviable story of falling hard for two women at the same time. "All that was real," he admits. "That's the hardest thing to be in. You love somebody and you are down with them. And then here comes a new woman that you like just as much."The outer space feel of "Electric Love" is RASHADs closest "neo-soul" moments on the LP. "That one is more organic," he adds. "I love neo-soul, but I get tired of people putting us in categories. I think of myself as a real musician and I just want to be called an artist. I am more than just an R&B or rap person. On that song I wanted to play on the idea of how love is like electricity. Then it ended up being an ode to music and my love of being in the studio.
There's no doubt that by utilizing authentic moments, ("Every single song on my album are all true stories") and staying hungry despite some setbacks, RASHAD's life experiences have helped the carefree singer craft an album that will definitely stand out from the crowd of posers and biters dominating today's charts. "I hope all these songs come across as real genuine," he says, with one final smile. "Hopefully I can just bring it back to regular soul music. I want to keep people thinking with creative music I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4
Record Label: ELEVATOR MUSIC RECORDINGS
Type of Label: Indie