Going just on face value, the Missouri-based singer/producer Reggie B looks like he should be churning out gangsta rap. He’s got that hard glint in his eye and (doo-rags aside) just gives off that "don’t fuck with this dude"-vibe in his pics. But as our grandmas (and others) have said to us time and time again, don’t judge a book by its cover. This is certainly true of Mr B, who creates what the kids these days are describing as future soul, aligning a voice as lithe as Usher on the dance-floor (couldn’t think of a better description, soz) with electronic hip-hop beats.
You may have already heard Reggie B via the single 'High Hopes' from
Onra’s recently released boogie-funk album
Long Distance, but the man also has been on the artist grind for himself. He released two solo albums,
Get Down With Me and
Musical Joyride, last year, and this year has already come up with a collaborative effort with another chap called Miles Bonny.
The latest from Reggie is his latest single 'She Knows' – an extremely addictive jam (like a madman, we’ve had it on rotation non-stop for at least 48 hours) with a dirty groove about cheating on his boo – that he is offering as
a free download. Apparently this is from Reggie’s forthcoming album
The Traveler and if the rest of the tracks are just as quality as 'The Knows', the LP could very well be a front-runner for one of the top future soul albums of 2010.
Reggie B 'She Knows:
More at
myspace.com/reggiebplaneth.