Sylvia Arthur talks to soul singer Rahsaan Patterson about his new album, surviving the music industry and coming out stronger.
The Real Thing
If you haven’t heard from Rahsaan Patterson in a while that’s because you’ve not been listening. The prolific singer-songwriter - an old-school favourite on the neo-soul scene - has recently released his fourth album in ten years, not bad going for an artist who’s been independent for the last three. With immense vocal talent and the ability to perform live like no one else, you’d think Patterson’s story of life in the music industry would read like a fairytale. Not so. His ascent up the industry ladder has taken many twists and turns.
The highly-respected vocalist and producer has been in the spotlight for over a decade with his 1997 major label debut Rahsaan Patterson introducing his unique sound to the soul-loving masses. The release produced the moderate hits Stop By and Where You Are but what the album lacked in sales it made up for in quality. This helped secure Patterson a fan base that has remained loyal throughout the years. After releasing his sophomore set Love in Stereo two years later, which featured the radio-friendly jam Get Here, Patterson again impressed critics with his Stevie Wonder-influenced style but failed to dent commercially. Seven years after first signing with the label, Patterson parted ways with MCA but instead of wallowing in self-pity he decided to take control of his own destiny.
In 2004 he independently released After Hours on Dome Records in the UK and on his own label Artistry in the US. “I really had no choice but to go the independent route at the time,” Patterson concedes, “because when MCA was no longer a label under the Universal banner I had to figure out what I was gonna do with my manager at the time. Luckily MCA gave me my master of the After Hours album so that really gave me the incentive to do it independently. After seven years with MCA I felt a need for a fresh start. The record industry and the major labels and all the shit that comes with it was pretty annoying and I wasn’t looking to do that again.” On this third album - After Hours - the music only got better with Patterson achieving new heights in his quest for musical distinction. Free from the burden of major label sales expectations Patterson was uninhibited and excelled at doing what he does best – making honest, eclectic soul that’s as tight and varied as anything that his contemporaries are producing. And he’s remained consistent. Patterson is one of the hardest working men in the business. While many of the artists he started out with ten years ago have been lost in ether – some shunning the industry altogether and others suffering the same fate as he initially did – Patterson has managed to continue writing, producing and releasing new music. “I don’t really think about what everybody else is doing. I’m just me,” says Patterson. “I just stay on my path and when I’m inspired I make music. And I’ve been lucky enough to have a path that allows me to continuously make music and have it released. I persevere and keep it moving and I try to constantly be inspired.”
Freedom
Patterson’s independence from MCA couldn’t have come at a better time. With the advent of iTunes and the digital music revolution allowing greater freedom for both consumers and artists it became easier to get music to the people. For artists like Patterson, who choose or have no choice but to be independent, the arrival of new technology has changed the game for the better. “Its been a blessing because it’s great to have another outlet rather than just the retail stores that can be difficult to get in to. But I think the industry has changed to a point where it’s forcing the music industry to pay attention to independent artists who are doing it themselves. And it gives us an opportunity to be heard and to do more shows and let our music reach people.” Ironically, Patterson has re-entered the world of big industry business through the back door. “I’m actually on Sony BMG with my group, SugaRush Beat Company in the UK,” he admits. “But major record companies are really all the same. Thus far I’m already seeing and feeling the same shit that I used to go through with MCA but what’s different now is that I know the difference so I don’t react to it. I don’t let myself be affected by it and just take it as it is. It’s interesting. I don’t know if I’d sign to a major as a solo artist though. Doing it this way just kind of makes it fun because I’m also in a group with other people and I don’t have to take all of it alone.”
Child star
Patterson was born thirty-three years ago in the Bronx, New York to a religious Pentecostal – Baptist family. He started singing in his church choir at the age of six before moving to California to pursue a career as a child actor. In 1984, after being discovered performing in a school play, Patterson was chosen to star in a leading role in the television series Kids Incorporated, which featured other young entertainers who would grow up to be big names in show business including Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, singer Shanice and Saved by the Bell star Mario Lopez. But it was music that was Patterson’s real passion. When his time on Kids came to an end he began working as a session singer, performing back-up for various artists. But it was as a producer that Patterson really came to the fore. Having produced hits for the likes of teenage superstars Brandy and Tevin Campbell, as well as industry vets including Jody Watley and others, Patterson caught the attention of executives at MCA and showed himself to be as good outside the booth as inside. And so began his journey to where he is today, to his fourth album Wines and Spirits, a wholly different proposition to his first, musically and spiritually. “The difference between Wines and Spirits and previous albums is just life experiences,” Patterson reveals. “I started writing my first album when I was 18 and it was released when I was 23 and that album pretty much captured those experiences from 18 to 23. Love in Stereo captured 23 to 25. After Hours captured 25 to 29. This album showcases a bit of the last 3 to 4 years of my life but also the last ten years of being a recording artist and the trials and tribulations that all come with it – the perks, the downsides and all that stuff.”
Wines and Spirits
On Wines and Spirits, his latest release, Patterson hooked up with his old songwriting partner, Keith Crouch who assisted with duties on his original effort ten years previously. Although they hadn’t worked together since 1997, the synergy between the two was instant. The partnership was heightened by a personal bereavement that both men suffered. Patterson lost his father during the recording of his After Hours album while Crouch’s father had also passed during the pair’s songwriting hiatus. The double tragedy was the catalyst for their renewed songwriting partnership. So was it a case of coming full circle on this record? Patterson thinks so. “Yeah, that was definitely the idea in working with Keith Crouch again,” he says. “He and I hadn’t worked together since the first album in ’97 and he had suffered the loss of his father as well. And I knew that whatever we would do in the studio would allow us to resonate and connect on another level from having had that experience that we would connect in a way which we hadn’t before.” The pair’s re-connection obviously worked, the result of which is an expansive and engaging twelve track album that critics and fans alike agree is Patterson’s best yet.
Legendary comparisons
On Wines and Spirits Patterson confirms his status as a musical powerhouse and his vocal versatility continues to draw comparisons to legendary artists from Stevie Wonder to Al Green. In probably the most famous accolade to have been given to the singer during his career, writer Jason King called Patterson the “supernatural love child of Chaka Khan and Al Jarreau.” So, how does it feel to be compared to two of the genre’s most celebrated living legends? “It’s extremely flattering, an honour and at times it feels obvious that it should be that way because they have basically affected my entire being and have taught me how to do what I do. But I don’t walk around thinking about it and allowing those comparisons to dictate what I’m doing or how I feel as an artist. That’s not really the point. And I think I’m also related to those people because of the art of it and the way I communicate through my art. It’s a little more than just the voice. That’s the surface level and the obvious part but when you go deeper again all of those artists have taught me how to be the artist that I am.”
Rahsaan’s alter ego
And that artist is a diverse one. Patterson is clearly a man who likes to keep himself busy. Aside from the constant writing, recording and touring of his own material he also finds time to perform with his group, SugaRush Beat Company, which is made up of Australian music producer Jarrad ‘Jaz’ Rogers, Danish soul singer Ida Corr and Patterson. The music, like the group, is an eclectic hybrid of funk, soul, new wave, pop and dance and has been compared to Outkast and Prince in terms of style. And Patterson loves the variety. Being in SugaRush allows him to indulge a side of his personality that he only scratches the surface of with his own music. “SugaRush probably goes deeper in to the area in which this album Wines and Spirits goes to. Vocally it’s a lot more aggressive. Definitely it’s a lot more fast-paced. It gives me another opportunity and vehicle to showcase my songwriting and keeps me broad as far as genre is concerned. And it’s fun. It’s artistic and something else to do outside of the ordinary. It keeps it exciting for me and hopefully it will keep it exciting for people who are interested in what I’m doing.”
So what’s next for everyone’s favourite soul singer?
“I’m gonna be back in the UK at some point because the SugaRush album is coming out in March and we have to do promotion for that. And then in the States I’ll be touring at the top of the year and I have to go to Japan for a tour there. So just continuously working, doing shows, feeling vibes, making records, challenging myself musically and growing as an artist and growing as a musician.”
The Real Thing
If you haven’t heard from Rahsaan Patterson in a while that’s because you’ve not been listening. The prolific singer-songwriter - an old-school favourite on the neo-soul scene - has recently released his fourth album in ten years, not bad going for an artist who’s been independent for the last three. With immense vocal talent and the ability to perform live like no one else, you’d think Patterson’s story of life in the music industry would read like a fairytale. Not so. His ascent up the industry ladder has taken many twists and turns.
The highly-respected vocalist and producer has been in the spotlight for over a decade with his 1997 major label debut Rahsaan Patterson introducing his unique sound to the soul-loving masses. The release produced the moderate hits Stop By and Where You Are but what the album lacked in sales it made up for in quality. This helped secure Patterson a fan base that has remained loyal throughout the years. After releasing his sophomore set Love in Stereo two years later, which featured the radio-friendly jam Get Here, Patterson again impressed critics with his Stevie Wonder-influenced style but failed to dent commercially. Seven years after first signing with the label, Patterson parted ways with MCA but instead of wallowing in self-pity he decided to take control of his own destiny.
In 2004 he independently released After Hours on Dome Records in the UK and on his own label Artistry in the US. “I really had no choice but to go the independent route at the time,” Patterson concedes, “because when MCA was no longer a label under the Universal banner I had to figure out what I was gonna do with my manager at the time. Luckily MCA gave me my master of the After Hours album so that really gave me the incentive to do it independently. After seven years with MCA I felt a need for a fresh start. The record industry and the major labels and all the shit that comes with it was pretty annoying and I wasn’t looking to do that again.” On this third album - After Hours - the music only got better with Patterson achieving new heights in his quest for musical distinction. Free from the burden of major label sales expectations Patterson was uninhibited and excelled at doing what he does best – making honest, eclectic soul that’s as tight and varied as anything that his contemporaries are producing. And he’s remained consistent. Patterson is one of the hardest working men in the business. While many of the artists he started out with ten years ago have been lost in ether – some shunning the industry altogether and others suffering the same fate as he initially did – Patterson has managed to continue writing, producing and releasing new music. “I don’t really think about what everybody else is doing. I’m just me,” says Patterson. “I just stay on my path and when I’m inspired I make music. And I’ve been lucky enough to have a path that allows me to continuously make music and have it released. I persevere and keep it moving and I try to constantly be inspired.”
Freedom
Patterson’s independence from MCA couldn’t have come at a better time. With the advent of iTunes and the digital music revolution allowing greater freedom for both consumers and artists it became easier to get music to the people. For artists like Patterson, who choose or have no choice but to be independent, the arrival of new technology has changed the game for the better. “Its been a blessing because it’s great to have another outlet rather than just the retail stores that can be difficult to get in to. But I think the industry has changed to a point where it’s forcing the music industry to pay attention to independent artists who are doing it themselves. And it gives us an opportunity to be heard and to do more shows and let our music reach people.” Ironically, Patterson has re-entered the world of big industry business through the back door. “I’m actually on Sony BMG with my group, SugaRush Beat Company in the UK,” he admits. “But major record companies are really all the same. Thus far I’m already seeing and feeling the same shit that I used to go through with MCA but what’s different now is that I know the difference so I don’t react to it. I don’t let myself be affected by it and just take it as it is. It’s interesting. I don’t know if I’d sign to a major as a solo artist though. Doing it this way just kind of makes it fun because I’m also in a group with other people and I don’t have to take all of it alone.”
Child star
Patterson was born thirty-three years ago in the Bronx, New York to a religious Pentecostal – Baptist family. He started singing in his church choir at the age of six before moving to California to pursue a career as a child actor. In 1984, after being discovered performing in a school play, Patterson was chosen to star in a leading role in the television series Kids Incorporated, which featured other young entertainers who would grow up to be big names in show business including Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, singer Shanice and Saved by the Bell star Mario Lopez. But it was music that was Patterson’s real passion. When his time on Kids came to an end he began working as a session singer, performing back-up for various artists. But it was as a producer that Patterson really came to the fore. Having produced hits for the likes of teenage superstars Brandy and Tevin Campbell, as well as industry vets including Jody Watley and others, Patterson caught the attention of executives at MCA and showed himself to be as good outside the booth as inside. And so began his journey to where he is today, to his fourth album Wines and Spirits, a wholly different proposition to his first, musically and spiritually. “The difference between Wines and Spirits and previous albums is just life experiences,” Patterson reveals. “I started writing my first album when I was 18 and it was released when I was 23 and that album pretty much captured those experiences from 18 to 23. Love in Stereo captured 23 to 25. After Hours captured 25 to 29. This album showcases a bit of the last 3 to 4 years of my life but also the last ten years of being a recording artist and the trials and tribulations that all come with it – the perks, the downsides and all that stuff.”
Wines and Spirits
On Wines and Spirits, his latest release, Patterson hooked up with his old songwriting partner, Keith Crouch who assisted with duties on his original effort ten years previously. Although they hadn’t worked together since 1997, the synergy between the two was instant. The partnership was heightened by a personal bereavement that both men suffered. Patterson lost his father during the recording of his After Hours album while Crouch’s father had also passed during the pair’s songwriting hiatus. The double tragedy was the catalyst for their renewed songwriting partnership. So was it a case of coming full circle on this record? Patterson thinks so. “Yeah, that was definitely the idea in working with Keith Crouch again,” he says. “He and I hadn’t worked together since the first album in ’97 and he had suffered the loss of his father as well. And I knew that whatever we would do in the studio would allow us to resonate and connect on another level from having had that experience that we would connect in a way which we hadn’t before.” The pair’s re-connection obviously worked, the result of which is an expansive and engaging twelve track album that critics and fans alike agree is Patterson’s best yet.
Legendary comparisons
On Wines and Spirits Patterson confirms his status as a musical powerhouse and his vocal versatility continues to draw comparisons to legendary artists from Stevie Wonder to Al Green. In probably the most famous accolade to have been given to the singer during his career, writer Jason King called Patterson the “supernatural love child of Chaka Khan and Al Jarreau.” So, how does it feel to be compared to two of the genre’s most celebrated living legends? “It’s extremely flattering, an honour and at times it feels obvious that it should be that way because they have basically affected my entire being and have taught me how to do what I do. But I don’t walk around thinking about it and allowing those comparisons to dictate what I’m doing or how I feel as an artist. That’s not really the point. And I think I’m also related to those people because of the art of it and the way I communicate through my art. It’s a little more than just the voice. That’s the surface level and the obvious part but when you go deeper again all of those artists have taught me how to be the artist that I am.”
Rahsaan’s alter ego
And that artist is a diverse one. Patterson is clearly a man who likes to keep himself busy. Aside from the constant writing, recording and touring of his own material he also finds time to perform with his group, SugaRush Beat Company, which is made up of Australian music producer Jarrad ‘Jaz’ Rogers, Danish soul singer Ida Corr and Patterson. The music, like the group, is an eclectic hybrid of funk, soul, new wave, pop and dance and has been compared to Outkast and Prince in terms of style. And Patterson loves the variety. Being in SugaRush allows him to indulge a side of his personality that he only scratches the surface of with his own music. “SugaRush probably goes deeper in to the area in which this album Wines and Spirits goes to. Vocally it’s a lot more aggressive. Definitely it’s a lot more fast-paced. It gives me another opportunity and vehicle to showcase my songwriting and keeps me broad as far as genre is concerned. And it’s fun. It’s artistic and something else to do outside of the ordinary. It keeps it exciting for me and hopefully it will keep it exciting for people who are interested in what I’m doing.”
So what’s next for everyone’s favourite soul singer?
“I’m gonna be back in the UK at some point because the SugaRush album is coming out in March and we have to do promotion for that. And then in the States I’ll be touring at the top of the year and I have to go to Japan for a tour there. So just continuously working, doing shows, feeling vibes, making records, challenging myself musically and growing as an artist and growing as a musician.”
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