Nash
Biography
Nash - is one of the brightest new singer-songwriter talents in R&B. Possessed of a smooth, blues-inflected soulful vocal style that is also at home on fiery club and message material Nash stands out as an original voice in a landscape filled with musical sound-alikes.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica - Nash moved to New York when he was just 6 and grew up shuttling between his fathers Brooklyn home and his mothers New Jersey home. He was exposed to the style-shaping influences of music of greats like Donnie Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, and Bob Marley through his years as apprentice to his sound-system DJ father. I began working as a selector for my pops when I was 8 and all the music I was surrounded by & exposed to lead me to singing and writing songs at a young ageby high school, I was performing my own material on local stages around the New York and Philadelphia areas. The name that Ive chosen to use professionally Nash means Natural Artist with Soulful Harmonies - that became a nickname that stuck from a comment my pops made about me when he first heard me singing along with the records he was playing - Nash continues, Its hard to explain, but Ive always known that I was put here to make my own mark on music and to make a difference in the world through my music. And so he set out to make his mark.
Nash first found his way onto the NYC producer-driven hip-hop world by working behind the scenes as a hook ghostwriter for numerous rap projects, but found that route to be unrewarding and the musical pace just too slow, I honestly felt that the majority of rappers and producers were not taking rap to the next level he states bluntly. I grew up with hip-hop and rap as much as I grew up with R&B and while there are some undisputable great talents out there in rap, it seems to me from how Ive seen the game being played that there are a very few individuals and labels that are controlling the music and the talent controlling it too much in fact - and because of that youre not seeing the next wave of genuine artists making it to the top and taking hip-hop to the next level. But Nash optimistically adds that I believe that great music and true artists always finds their own way of getting out in front of the world and with the whole digital revolution thats going on globally, Im sure that the next generation of great artists will find their way to the forefront of hip-hop and R&B.
Working all those late nights in the recording studios of NYC brought Nashs talents to the attention of several platinum record producers among them - LP (Tupac, Biggie, Big Pun, Mary J Blige, R Kelly, Jay Z) Curt Gowdy (LL Cool J, Nas, Fat Joe, Big Pun, Ginuwine), Frank Nitty (Tupac, Biggie, Big Pun, Mary J Blige, R Kelly, Nas, Fat Joe), Alex Spanador Moseley (LL Cool J, Lisa Lisa, R Kelly, Tupac, Big Pun, Joe, Mariah Carey, Jay Z) and Jay Dibbs (Joe, Vanessa Williams, Kenny Latinmore, Aaliyah, Winans) - and collaborations formed between artist and producers with the result being Nashs first solo collection of 12 songs Its not actually the complete album because my original concept was to put together a double album with 24 songs as a first release half R&B and half hip-hop and even though I know its not what a record label wants to do and its ambitious for a new artist to want to come out like that, but I know that Ive got the music and stories to tell that will make it an album that will mean something to people, not just one song and see you on the next album he says with a modest grin.
During the recording process, Nash kept busy in 2005 by performing around the US as opening act for headliners like Sean Paul, Cee-Lo, MC Lyte and Pretty Ricky on the NBA Rhythm and Rims Tour. Having the opportunity to open for top artists really made me get my live stage game on and sharpen my performance skills he adds, an audience will always let you know if your songs are hitting them or not, especially hip-hop crowds, and man, they can be brutal! He laughs as he recalls, I mean, they never came at me hard like that, but I did see some other acts crumble up there!
Crumbling under the pressure met on the hard road to success is not something that Nash plans on doing, Im 24 and Im just beginning. I know that Im blessed that I have the great fortune to stand on the shoulders of the giants that have come before me in music, and that I owe them a great debt that I can only repay by taking what Ive learned from them and using it in evolving my own music, keeping it original and real and I plan on being around making music for a long time to come.
From Nashs lips to Gods ears.
Artist: Nash
Age: 24
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Home base: NYC
Genre: R&B, Hip-Hop, Soul, Singer-songwriter
Influences: Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, R Kelly, Donnie Hathaway, The Chi-lites
Website: www.nashnation.com
MySpace URL: www.myspace.com/nashnation
Original songs:
1. Broken Heart
2. 1
3. Love Suicide
4. Mornin Train
5. Half Time Love
6. Special Friend
7. 12 Shotz
8. Messed Me Up
9. Ballad of Little Sammy
10. I Dont Know
11. Free
12. Only As Good As
Management: Jim McDermott & Marvin Howell for d2c/BluePrint Mgmt.
515 Madison Ave. 40th Floor
NYC,NY 10022
(212) 729-1820
E-mail: jm@d2cent.com
