What up party peoppppppppllleeeee!?

Ok, it’s been a month and I will try to never do that again. I totes missed writing to you all and was keeping myself busy between the Sounds About Wright Facebook and Instagram. Anywho, all the things have been going on and maybe I’ll draft up a post for tomorrow to run it back but I wanted to tell you about my new fave…Rhyon Brown.

I mean COME ON! We’re both pocket-sized, we both have “boy” names, AND we both had the woes of our college years to build the drive for our musical aspirations. I was sold in like 2 seconds, ok five minutes but she’s adorbs. Rhyon sings dances and acts. Can we say triple threat?

Note: The only acting I plan on doing is voiceover work for Disney cartoons but this girl it the real deal!

This cute little nugget has apparently been on the scene in LA for quite some time, acting and singing on a couple very popular shows, and released her Pretty Girl film just last week! Needless to say it’s winning over hearts and ears with each passing day.

I don’t want to dive in too deep right now, but check it out! She has a great story that is so relatable and easy to follow. You can absolutely feel her authenticity which is definitely rare for me to experience from these cute little pop-tarts born and bred from the glitzy streets of Los Angeles. However, this girl is different. She’s got a good blend of slick and real going on here. Rhyon comes off as a young woman with a message, a journey to share and a spirit that can spread some much needed light in the ever so dark world of entertainment.

Let me know what you think! I’m excited to hear from you. <3

-D.Wright

About two weeks ago, Jay-Z released his anticipated 13th album “4:44″ on his music streaming service, Tidal, and the Sprint mobile platform. (And yes, I was one of those people who re-downloaded TIDAL to use the free trial. Don’t judge me…I helped him go platinum.) I listened to this 30 minute hip-hop masterpiece and was immediately enthralled by the arc of his story. Of course the big media tagline seemed to be “Jay-Z cheats on gorgeously fabulous superstar wife, repents, and atones”…but I felt there was more. I knew that writing a thinkpiece out of the burning excitement of it all would be shallow commentary and a waste of your time. So I took a bit to let it marinate and thought of some real takeaways for myself.

Jay-Z Taught Me:

• Never be afraid to evolve
• Allow yourself to think outside of the box financially
• Don’t let anyone condition you to accept their bad behavior
• Never let anything come between you and the people you love

Never be afraid to evolve

[su_quote cite=”Cry Jay Z. We know the pain is real but you can’t heal what you’ve never revealed.”][/su_quote]

Jay-Z with or without the hyphen…With or without the space? Who knows, but it obviously means something to him. We’ve seen this guy bare his soul with slick lyrics over hot beats for decades at this point. He’s gone from a chauvinistic, drug-dealing hustler to a reformed, grown man working to be financially sound and loyal to his family. If you’ve paid any attention to his career you would know he’s always put various versions of himself all out there for the world to see. He’s admitted to dealing (drugs) and not knowing the power of his dollar, sucking at love, mindlessly blowing his money, being the father he wished he had and practically ruining his life for nekkid Virginia (you’ll catch that later). He’s been honest about his humble beginnings from Marcy and his journey to becoming a billionaire. This guy is never afraid to shed old skin, old habits, or old friendships and he continuously reveals his evolution in his work. He shares his growth as an artist, business man and (now) family man throughout his body of work. He takes risks on himself and makes no apologies for it. We should all be unapologetic in our growth and embrace our evolution.

Allow yourself to think outside of the box financially

[su_quote cite=”Financial freedom my only hope. F**** living rich, but dying broke.”][/su_quote]

Many of us have been singing this same song of financial freedom for quite some time now but it was pretty cool to hear an artist of his caliber candidly take on the subject. His no hold barred verses called out colleagues, industry peers, and his fans on the the reckless mentality we’ve held in relation to the dollar. How is it that we’re deciding to monetize our work? How is it that we’re deciding to invest in ourselves and build our communities? How is it that we live rich and die wealthy? “The Story of OJ”, “Caught Their Eyes” and “Legacy” really emphasize the importance of generational wealth and financial empowerment. I’m just now getting to a place in my life where I’m working towards generational wealth. I realized it’s not too late and will continue to invest in myself so that I can make a larger impact in the economy. It’s inspiring to see artists changing the relationship they have with money and helping their fans become more financially literate. It’s high time we start discussing stock options, bonds and other forms of investment.

Don’t let anyone condition you to accept their bad behavior

[su_quote cite=”You egged Solange on, knowing all along all you had to say (is) you was wrong..”][/su_quote]

In Jay’s opening (“Kill Jay Z”), I think Solange taught me this lesson. She obviously takes no crap and I love it. I joke with my friends all the time and say “Solange is the sibling you want in your family.” She’s definitely the opinionated, keep it real type who you don’t want to eff with. I know you should never put your hands on anyone but I really admire her no nonsense, I might just put these paws on you if you act up, attitude.

Mr. Z and Ms. Yoncé have been together for quite some time, and it’s been speculated that he ultimately conditioned his young tender to deal with his bologna. What he probably didn’t realize was that she’d actually snap out of it and had a tribe of ride-or-dies who wouldn’t let it go on for much longer. In the title track, “4:44″, he finally reveals coming to a sobering realization. This is all supposition of course, but ladies you know how we are. A good girlfriend/sister will never let you, or anyone else, make a fool out of you. She got to the point where she played “the fool no more” and I definitely think Solange had something to do with that. Sometimes that’s all we need. Sometimes we need that person closest to us to help us stick up for ourselves. Bad behavior is unacceptable. We have to fight for ourselves and never be blinded by whatever it is to the point where we let people mistreat us. Even if we love them. And if by any chance these bad behaved weasels slip through the cracks, find your Solange.

Never let anything come between you and the people you love

[su_quote cite=”Let me alone Becky.”][/su_quote]

This guy legit rebukes everything that attempts to come between him and his family, and I’m not mad at it. He’s openly going to the mattresses for his village. To me this is deeper than his relationship with Beyoncé – it’s about everyone around him who lifts him up. He doesn’t want to disappoint the people who have helped him become the person he is. He cares about his family honor. He of course references the strength of his wife, the loyalty of his best friend, the courage of his mother coming out, his children…he knows he has a lot to lose if he doesn’t continue to strive for greatness as a man. I think that’s huge.

I stay inside of my head a lot and sometimes forget about the feelings of the people I love. I forget how much they love me and want to see me win. I forget how much I’ve appreciated them during my darkest times but I want to make sure to become more mindful not take any of them for granted. It’s easy to do with this world we live in. We’re all so used to the thought of people being around that we don’t frequently acknowledge how integral they are to who we’ve become. In this new age of digital communication, we don’t connect as genuinely as we used to and we stay distracted with both superficial and self-serving things. It’s time to free ourselves of those diversions (whatever your Becky is) and focus in what’s important – the people you love and the work that brings you fulfillment.

Never let a “Becky” come between you and your true happiness. <3

-D.Wright

Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone.

I love Haim. Why do I love them? They’re a quirky, rhythmic, poppy yet soulful rock band – that’s why. The Haim sisters are winning fans over left and right, so I naturally have to introduce you to them.

One of my best friends put me on to their music some summers ago and I never let up. I’ve gone years playing their first album, Days Are Gone just up until last week and that’s only because their new LP (Something to Tell You) was released. It’s fun, you have to check it out.

These girls are genuine and have a sweet natural chemistry. I guess they should since they’re sisters and all. Danielle, Este and Alana are your quintessential girls-next-door who are super goofy and cute in this perfect mix of anti-hipster meets rock goddess. The stories they tell are relatable and there’s something groovy about their music. Yes, groovy. I just feel like I want to dance when I listen to them and I seriously mean it. You can’t help it! I literally cook in the kitchen and dance to their albums with no tragic grease fires or missing limbs to report. You might not be so lucky but try a good Haim inspired kitchen jam session at least once.

Last thought, I appreciate how their interesting blend of influences organically resonate through their sound. They’re the perfect recipe of your favorite meal and worth at least one good listen. The jury is still out on my favorite song but just know, I’ll be keeping this little musical jewel on repeat. <3

-D. Wright

Photo courtesy of Gorilla vs. Bear.

Let’s start with, I always thought SZA was a model. I didn’t even realize she did R&B. All I knew was that she was a beautiful milk-chocolate girl with amazing hair and freckles.

All of a sudden everyone was talking about her and asking me if I had listened to any of her music. At the time, I was into a couple of other upcoming folks and didn’t dive into the work she was putting out. I can’t even tell you any of her solo material I’ve heard aside from the music she’s most recently released. What I can tell you is I listened to her on my girl Ratchet Rhi aka Rihanna’s “Anti” album on the 1st track, Consideration, and absolutely loved her. It was my gateway into the world of SZA.

Photo courtesy of Rap-Up.

A few weeks ago I heard “Love Galore” and immediately felt drawn into her rich, youthful alto. Then this “Ctrl” dropped and I totally understood why her label was NOT about the life of letting her go. I mean I did hear it was overblown at the time but if it were real, I probably wouldn’t have let her go either. She’s pretty awesome. I sat here on Friday and was just hypnotized. She literally says everything young women might want to express or chat about with their  girlfriends but with these raspy vocals over R&B tracks. How Sway? That’s legit not an easy feat, especially in R&B these days. Many new-age R&B crooners are not able to capture authentic, raw, and yet polished stories. I mean we fell in love with Usher and Alicia Keys at some point because they were able to skillfully take us on a journey while sticking to the R&B/pop formula. This new wave of R&B is less pop influenced though, and challenges young writers to connect with their audience in that Confession’s album sort of way but with the soul of a Songs in A Minor, all the while creating a new approach to R&B. She’s very much so a musical unicorn in the Frank Ocean sort of way where she’s able to tell really complex stories in a relatable way while, again, over R&B tracks. That’s pretty cool. The ethos of her work is storytelling. And the difference between her and a lot of other R&B artists out now, is she’s crafting the story herself. She’s vulnerable and real. She’s also not overproduced so you hear every word and syllable. You know exactly what she means and feels what she says.

Photo courtesy of Rap-Up.

SZA is a very moving artist and that’s so refreshing nowadays. You get the sense that she’s really bearing her soul in 14 tracks. Ctrl is extremely personal in a time when music seems so impersonal and contrived. For that reason alone, she has a new fan in me. I love it and I think as a woman, she plays up a lot on those feminine sensitivities without even trying. I’m glad to have an artist like her on the rise and I’m excited to see where she continues to journey with her artistry. <3

-D.Wright

Photo courtesy of H.E.R.

She’s elusive, mysterious, sensual and poetic… but who is she? There have been long-time whispers from fans that the identity of  RCA’s latest femme fatale is none other than the talented Gabi Wilson.

H.E.R. has been praised by the likes of Alicia Keys, Solange’s Saint Heron and music tastemaker, Mr. “Golden Ears” himself, Carl Chery of Apple Music. Her debut EP H.E.R., Vol. 1 was full of moody, melodic tracks and stayed on constant repeat for me while I spent time in Los Angeles last summer. It was the perfect soundtrack to accompany a beautiful drive in Venice, windows down, and passing towering by palm trees on a breezy day.

California, Summer 16

Vol. 1 takes you back to your first intense love. It’s warm, youthful and yet extremely mature. I don’t mean mature in the typically formulated “I’m a woman now so I’m going to talk about sex and get naked because I love myself ” pop princess sort of way either. I mean the lyrics are real and come off genuine to her experiences. Shout out to RCA for letting her do her thing!

She obviously is looking to strike twice with a sonically soothing Vol. 2. and has provided her listeners with a preview to the next level of her artistry. The proof is in the pudding as the old folks say, and yes…this is all kinds of musical pudding. Vol. 2’s pre-release tracks, tease a confident and assured young woman. “Every Kind of Way” is romantic and bodyrolling-fantastic if I must say so myself. You instantly want to sing along to it. Her vocals are sweet and the storytelling is inviting. A listener is drawn into the warm sounds of love and adoration. If you’re a subscriber to one of the big music streaming services, you can check out the other tracks Say It Again and Lights On right now.

If you don’t believe me on how amazing this new, velvety-smooth R&B chick is, feel free to check H.E.R. out for yourself and maybe swing by one of her tour dates with Bryson Tiller beginning this August.

I can not WAIT for this full release. <3

-D. Wright