B.N.Y

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B.N.Y
Currently the music industry as well as the music marketplace is flooded with Artists riding the wave of marginality.
It is the belief of many that true artistry is birthed from experience and suffering which then forces the individual or individuals to cry out in expression. It is this very same process that has yielded four Latino males born in New York (Brooklyn) expressing their experiences through music.
BNY(Born in New York) are four brothers not by blood but certainly bonded and bound by the commonality of surviving New York’s Brooklyn streets and less than perfect family lives as well as the deep rooted drive to survive and overcome.
"I kept myself away from problems by putting myself in different activities such as baseball, basketball teams, helping out in my community. Whatever I could do to stay away from problems." Says Manny The youngest member of BNY.
Adds Danny "As a kid I would have never thought my life would lead me here, losing my Mami growing up poor in rough neighborhoods, an abusive father who was in and out jail, moving so many times in my life."
This fearless foursome has been yielded from the fire of struggle and have collectively acknowledged that pursuing their dreams would provide a new lease on life.
BNY bound by similar experiences of struggle, survival and raw determination to overcome and achieve these four New Yorkers came together three years ago.
"So many times I wanted to quit music, I was in another group they broke up and I moved to Staten Island stopped singing. My life was going downhill I stop caring for myself and became someone I didn’t want to be. Then Manny who was a member of a rival group and Drew came to me and asked if I wanted to be in BNY. I love music so I couldn’t resist and I didn’t hesitate the answer was yes." Says Danny.
After a few roadblocks, some bumps, a few bruises, unsavory characters met along the way their love of music and their undeniable talents have maintained them in addition to their steadfast commitment to their craft.
"Even though we dealt with a lot of shady people we finally have ourselves in the right direction. It just shows if you believe and stay dedicated, humble and relentless things can turn out good." States Danny.
Danny, Manny, Albee and Drew were influenced by the boy group explosion of the nineties.
"Growing up at first I never sang a lot but then came NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys" says Danny, "Before that though we all would listen to Boyz to Men, Jodeci, Shai, Silk, and Az Yet everything from that era too" Drew chimes in. Albee even sang AZ Yet’s "Arrow through my heart" when he auditioned for New York’s competitive La Guardia High School of the Performing Arts. "Man I was so nervous back then" says Albee.
The group has spent the greater part of their summer playing major street festivals in and around New York. After witnessing a performance it’s evident the four guys are very well versed in the art of entertaining. In addition, the group pens most of its material. They have spent most of the year working with some of the best producers the industry has to offer. Producers such as Hak of pitchblack whose credits include Amerie, Anthony Hamilton, Lloyd Banks and Jagged Edge), Elvis (Ciara, Pussycat Dolls, Fergie, Mya, Lloyd, R.Kelly, Young Joc), Davey Deluge(Fat Joe, Jennifer Lopez, Thalia), Kovas (Billy Crawford, Jeannie Ortega, Nick Cannon), Eric Sanicola (J-Lo, Pink, Thalia, Kimberly Locke) and Producer upstarts Vision(B5) and Catalyst to name a few.
"BNY is grinding right now performing, writing, building, it’s a process. Their development has been very progressive. They will be trendsetters. They already are different from anything out there right now. They are urban, fresh and mired in truth. These are four Latino dudes singing urban crossover, R& B, with some soul in it smoothed out on the pop tip with that cool confident NY swagger on it. Nuyorican Soul is here ya heard”. States Daren Hall half of Schwartz/Hall Entertainment Inc, The Production/Management/Artist Development/Marketing house that is home to BNY.
With a mutual love and respect for each other and the unwillingness to be afraid, BNY has maintained and sustained their forward motion towards their goals of finding a place for themselves amongst the music business and entertainment industry’s elite. “One day I was working and I heard my friend Jeannie Ortega on the radio. Man I got so hyped that I had to get in contact with her to congratulate her. One day I introduced the guys in the group to her we all clicked, started hanging she asked us to sing for her and her brother and we sang. One thing led to another we were going to see her perform in Long Island we go to meet her in front of her house the limo was there with her manager(Daren Hall) in it. He came up to the truck and said he heard about us can we sing something right now on the corner under the streetlight so we did it. He liked it he set up lunch with his partner (Joanne Schwartz) they made us get up and sing in the Restaurant we got a standing ovation from the whole Restaurant she loved us and that was that. We left our jobs dropped everything else and started rolling with Schwartz/Hall” Says Manny
Any hood, USA is filled with hope and dreams, dreams of getting off the streets, a better life, and improvement of your family situation. More times than not they are exactly that hopes and dreams. The group BNY knows these feelings well, but in addition have made the connection in terms of what it will take to realize those dreams, hard work, a never quit attitude, and the right team. With a more than steely resolve, humility and confidence they will be around a while.
“Music is what makes us happy and because of music we are happy and living our lives positively so thank you music" Danny states with laughter.
September 2007-
BNY has been holed up in the studio working on it's forthcoming album.
They have already collaborated with noted producers such as
Elvis
(Mario, Lloyd, Young Joc, Fergie, Ciara, R Kelly,Pussy Cat Dolls),
Davey Deluge
(Fat Joe, Thalia, Jennifer Lopez),
Hak of Pitch Black
(Anthony Hamilton, Jagged Edge, Lloyd Banks, Amerie, Musiq Soulchild),
Eric Sanicola
(Jennifer Lopez, Pink, Thalia, Kimberly Locke),
Kovas
(Jeannie Ortega, Billy Crawford, Nick Cannon),
Catalyst, and Vision (B5) to name a few.
Jeannie Ortega a friend of the group and management mate has also been contributing her songwriting talents to the group as well as a collaborator.

They are also in the process of launching several webisodes on youtube and myspace chronicling their Journey as well as the groups fun loving antics.

BNY's management Schwartz/Hall is also in talks now regarding them doing a New York High School tour as well as a national tour.
Stay tuned....
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