Etta Bond is definitely on my page with this wonderful set of heartfelt songs from her two albums released simultaneously. Both oozing with a wholelottasoul.
‘He’s [not] Mine’ and ‘He’s Mine’ are albums you need in your life if you’re remotely into Soul / R&B so go get it.
In the meantime..Enjoy this!!
R xx

Lauryn Hill is set to embark on a massive tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her debut and only solo studio album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’.

According to The Fader, she’ll perform the classic LP in full and the 29 date North American tour will commence July 5th 2018 in Virginia Beach.

There’s nothing to suggest she’ll be bringing the tour this side of the pond but hopefully if she does it will truly reflect the albums original versions and not the reggae-rockified versions she delivered last time round.

Watch this space!

RH x

Maxwell fans are being spoilt right now! Not only has the legendary singer broken his 7 year musical silence with the release of ‘Lake By the Ocean‘ but he has also been opening up about his personal life to the hosts of US radio show, ‘The Breakfast Club‘.

As any Maxwell fan knows, press appearances for him are not that common. Refreshingly this 30 minute interview gives us a real insight to the man behind the music as he discusses his anxiety about coming back with new music, how he keeps himself grounded, handling female attention and heartbreak, how D’Angelo helped pave the way for him, what to expect from the new album, his desire to work with Jay Z and he even shares a marketing idea about selling a very personal product to fans!

Currently celebrating 20 years since his first album release, ‘Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite‘ and enjoying a continued relationship with Columbia Records ever since, Maxwell proves with the interview below that hard work, humility and a sense of humour are the key to a long lasting music career!

@CarlyMond

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ytqQD34GlA

Some collaborations are just sonically superior – this is one of them. Soulstress Yuna is getting ready to release her new album, ‘Chapters‘ in May and has just released the second single, ‘Crush‘ which features Usher.

Sultry, soothing and addictive, click below to listen and pick up ‘Crushhere.

@CarlyMond

dornik-poses-for-a-portrait

Singer / Songwriter / Musician Dornik has been lighting up the UK RnB scene for the past year, dropping distinctive soulful cuts such as, ‘Something About You, ‘Drive‘ and ‘Second Thoughts‘. After beginning his career as a drummer for Jessie Ware, Dornik has launched himself as a credible artist attracting fandom from the likes of Pharrell Williams and Questlove and performing at all the top festivals this summer including Wildlife and Glastonbury. He also recently joined Ronnie Herel on The BIG RnB Show on Mi Soul for his FIRST EVER radio interview!

His debut album drops this Friday, 07th August but you can stream it early via the Red Bull link below. The album has some serious talent behind it, co-produced by Grammy Winner Pop Wansel who has worked with all the biggest names in RnB and hip hop including Kendrick Lamar, Jill Scott and Mary J Blige and mixed by fellow Grammy award winner Russ Elevado who happened to mix a little album by D’Angelo called Voodoo!

The album is flawless, eclectic soul and with Dornik boasting co-writing and co-producing credits for this debut project, it’s clear that this self-entitled album is just the beginning.

Click here to listen and you can pre-order ‘Dornik’ now!

@CarlyMond

There was a time when Bad Boy Records were the hottest thing in Hip Hop and RnB with the likes of Biggie, Mase, Lil Kim, Faith Evans, Mary J Blige, 112 and of course Puffy/Diddy all dropping killer tracks that were storming the charts globally. The influence of the music that came from this collection of artists should not be underestimated and it could be argued that they created that Hip Hop / RnB bridge sound that we now know and love from the likes of Drake and Tinashe.

With the arrival of Neo-Soul in the late 90’s and the rising emphasis on the need for ‘real’ music with a more organic sound, along with a lot of personal problems in the lives of the Bad Boy artists, there was a rapid decline in hits, despite efforts to try and re-launch New Edition and re-vamp 112.

Rewind a few years later to last night and Diddy storms onto the BET Awards stage to remind everyone what they’ve been missing!! With a killer 10 minute tribute that saw 112, Mase, Faith Evans, Lil Kim, French Montana, Jadakiss and Pharrell performing with unmatchable energy and conviction the Bad Boy camp definitely grabbed the attention of everyone at home and in the audience (who were seriously hyped!)

There’s always a risk with throwback performances that artists might just end up proving that their time is over, luckily this was the complete opposite! Everyone looked good, sounded great and even Lil Kim was back in full force bursting up from nowhere and owning the stage. But this reunion wasn’t just about nostalgia, it serves as a reminder that Bad Roy Records made INCREDIBLE music that still sounds fresh and with the last track being a forthcoming one from Pharrell and Diddy, lets hope that Bad Boy Entertainment are coming back to conquer once again!

Click Here to Watch the Full Bad Boy Performance!

@CarlyMond

The soulful soulstress that is Jill Scott is back!! For all of us fans of this increcible artist it’s been a long wait of 4 years since we last heard new material, but it’s been worth the wait!

You Don’t Know‘ is the first single from Scott’s forthcoming 5th studio album (no set release date yet) and hears her doing what she does best; delivering powerful, emotionally charged vocals over a jazz/blues melody. Instrumentally it’s incredible too with ?uestlove leading on drums, check the sultry video below:

@CarlyMond

RnB family the wait is FINALLY over!!! 14 years after the release of his last album, ‘Voodoo D’Angelo has today released his new project entitled, ‘Black Messiah.

The album is a force field of Funk, Soul, Rock, Hip Hop and Neo-Soul, it’s experimental and energetic, fans of ‘Voodoo‘ won’t be disappointed and it feels like a natural step up progression from that album.

Black Messiah is charged with political and social connotations but also delves into the realms of love and sex with fluidity and finesse, collaborations on the album include Questlove, Q Tip, James Gadson and Kendra Foster who co-wrote many of the albums tracks.

Every now and again you hear an album that you know is an instant masterpiece, D’Angelo’s Black Messiah is definitely one of them! Cop it on Itunes or stream it on Spotify now!!!!!

Listen to and download first single entitled, ‘Sugah Daddyhere

@CarlyMond