ELHAE
North Dakota-born and Georgia-raised singer, artist, and visionary ELHAE approaches R&B like a film director would, choosing every element carefully, ensuring an intricate level of cohesion, and building his own world. Since catching fire in 2015 on the independent Aura EP, he worked towards eventually architecting such a world. The follow-up All Have Fallen yielded fan favorites such as “Doesn’t Matter” [feat Kehlani] and “Needs,” which clocked 10 million-plus Spotify streams. In between, he garnered glowing praise from the likes of The Fader, Billboard, Vibe, The Source, and more as Sprite named him among its P.O.U.R. (Purveyors of Urban Reality) program. The 2017 sequel to Aura—Aura II EP—boasted “Drama,” “Something,” and the popular “Bang Your Line” [feat. Ty Dolla $ign]. The latter ignited 10.5 million Spotify streams and counting. Meanwhile, he lent his voice to high-profile collaborations with Lecrae, Eric Bellinger, and many others in addition to supporting blackbear on... [read more]
North Dakota-born and Georgia-raised singer, artist, and visionary ELHAE approaches R&B like a film director would, choosing every element carefully, ensuring an intricate level of cohesion, and building his own world. Since catching fire in 2015 on the independent Aura EP, he worked towards eventually architecting such a world. The follow-up All Have Fallen yielded fan favorites such as “Doesn’t Matter” [feat Kehlani] and “Needs,” which clocked 10 million-plus Spotify streams. In between, he garnered glowing praise from the likes of The Fader, Billboard, Vibe, The Source, and more as Sprite named him among its P.O.U.R. (Purveyors of Urban Reality) program. The 2017 sequel to Aura—Aura II EP—boasted “Drama,” “Something,” and the popular “Bang Your Line” [feat. Ty Dolla $ign]. The latter ignited 10.5 million Spotify streams and counting. Meanwhile, he lent his voice to high-profile collaborations with Lecrae, Eric Bellinger, and many others in addition to supporting blackbear on tour.
2018 saw him grace the stage of Coachella for the first time in front of 40,000 fans as he diligently worked on new tunes in Los Angeles, Miami, and Atlanta. Inspired by childhood favorite albums such as Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon: The End of Day, Childish Gambino’s Because the Internet, and Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, he developed an airtight vision with a detailed plotline for his next release. In 2019, the vision unfolds over the course of his twelve-track conceptual project, Trouble In Paradise [Atlantic Records], introduced by the intoxicating first single “Hennessy.” His sound is about to blow up on the biggest canvas
possible now.
NBDY
R&B singer-songwriter NBDY (pronounced Nobody) may be a self-described “lone wolf,” but he’s leading the pack for those in his generation choosing to pave their own way.
Having grown up moving from one neighborhood to the next in Essex County New Jersey, in a family of musicians, NBDY found it difficult to be seen for his individuality and learned to operate with fierce independence and determination at a young age.
“I moved around so much as a kid, I was never at a school long enough to really make lasting friends. My mom worked two jobs, so me and my siblings had little adult supervision. In a way we raised ourselves and learned to depend on Nobody,” he says. “But that really helped us grow up and understand what we wanted. It made me go after my dreams even harder and not end up a product of my environment.”
But even after finding early success as a singer, NBDY fell prey to a different set of obstacles that stifled his integrity as pressure from the online community mounted to... [read more]
R&B singer-songwriter NBDY (pronounced Nobody) may be a self-described “lone wolf,” but he’s leading the pack for those in his generation choosing to pave their own way.
Having grown up moving from one neighborhood to the next in Essex County New Jersey, in a family of musicians, NBDY found it difficult to be seen for his individuality and learned to operate with fierce independence and determination at a young age.
“I moved around so much as a kid, I was never at a school long enough to really make lasting friends. My mom worked two jobs, so me and my siblings had little adult supervision. In a way we raised ourselves and learned to depend on Nobody,” he says. “But that really helped us grow up and understand what we wanted. It made me go after my dreams even harder and not end up a product of my environment.”
But even after finding early success as a singer, NBDY fell prey to a different set of obstacles that stifled his integrity as pressure from the online community mounted to conform.
Now, performing under the moniker NBDY, the 24-year-old musician shares his truth while leading the charge for others to do the same. In doing so, he presents a uniquely multifaceted R&B style using sensory elements in both his lyrical choosings and melodies, weaving together his sonic influences and his personal life experience.
“The ones who stand out, who go for what they want and who don’t let labels define who they are,” says NBDY. “That’s what a wolf is. That’s what a Nobody is.”
[read less]
PJ
Down-to-earth R&B artist Paris Jones made her name as a songwriter just prior to stepping out as a solo artist. She made major progress in 2015, a year in which she landed credits on tracks by Chris Brown and Tyga (“B****es N Marijuana”), Boosie Badazz (“All I Know”), Charlie Puth (“Left Right Left”), and Ty Dolla $ign (“Guard Down,” “Finale”). She also made a low-key major-label debut with an EP, Walking Around Pools, her debut for the Atlantic label. The following year, she co-wrote material for Kevin Gates (“Excuse Me”) and Fantasia (“No Time for It”), among others, and released the full-length Rare. An affirmation that she had more in common with the likes of Jazmine Sullivan and Snoh Aalegra than with other contemporary R&B factions, the album dealt primarily with matters of everyday life and was refreshingly light on guest appearances. ~ Andy Kellman
HAPPYBIRTHDAYCALVIN
Happy Birthday Calvin employs the powers of a highly active imagination to magnify the scope of hip-hop. The 18-year-old Chicago rapper/producer went from scribbling down his dreams word-for-word and penning poems in middle school to shining at ChiArts: Chicago High School of the Arts. While there, he began racking up countless streams on Soundcloud. Born and raised in a single parent home, Calvin developed a fascination with poetry and eventually hip-hop sparked by Lil Wayne, Kanye West, G Herbo, Tyler, The Creator, and Kid Cudi, to name a few. In high school, he turned his rhymes into music, crafting beats and recording himself on FL Studio. In late 2018, he caught the attention of Peezy of At The Studio, an independent Chicago label and has since flourished. Since teaming up, he’s released the “No Friends” mixtape that racked up over 25 million streams and has him slated to be one of the most exciting new acts on the rise.