James
Brown gave the drummer some, and we loved him for it. 35 years later, multiple
Grammy-winning soul icon Sleepy Brown, of Atlanta’s famed Dungeon Family,
is using his platinum touch to give the ladies some. And we love him for it too.
“I just wanted to make a record that was smooth, everyone could enjoy and stands
out from the rest” says the 30-something singer/songwriter”. His Purple
Ribbon/Virgin Records debut, Mr. Brown, does just that. With sensual
sounds, falsetto crooning, and sensitive, thoughtful lyrics, the album conjures
a futuristic feel with mass appeal. Exemplifying the LP’s exciting and
groundbreaking, yet polished feel is it’s lead single, the Neptunes produced,
Pharrell-guested “Margarita.” Bouncy bongos, organ hits and hand-claps
compliment Sleepy’s dream-like vocals and Pharrell’s infectious chorus,
creating vintage pop-soul. It seems finally the man behind the Grammy winning,
multi-platinum success of groups like Outkast and TLC will finally have
some plaques and awards of his own in the near future.Here’s a quick interview with the man himself…
What kind of feedback have you received on the album so far?
The album is still pretty new but the people who have heard it have liked it which is definitely a good thing because we’ve worked hard on this. It’s going to be released soon and I hope to come to the UK to promote it.
…and the main genre?
It’s Soul music all the way.
What was it like to win a Grammy?
It was a big step in my career and I had no idea we were going to win it. That was a great night!
Your father lead vocalist and saxophonist for the 1970s funk band Brick, how has that influenced your style?
I have gained a lot of inspiration from him and have seen many of his shows.
What made you want to branch out and have a solo career?
I think it was just time for me to shine by myself. I started out in production with Organized Noize and Outkast and years of that made me want to it myself and see if I could do it.
How do you feel that your hometown, Atlanta, is bringing out many successful artists?
I think it’s great and we deserve it. Jermaine Dupri and Dallas Austin have helped to bring us up with their production and there are many artists who have worked hard to get there.
You can produce as well, which songs have you had a hand in producing?
I’ve produced most of my album and tracks for many other artists such as En Vogue [Don’t Let Go], TLC [Waterfalls] and Ludacris [Saturday].
What do you think about your comparisons to Nate Dogg?
He’s cool, I really don’t mind and think it’s a compliment.
Ever thought of doing film?
Yeah, I would try that but right now I want to focus on getting this album out. Keep an eye out in the future though.
Are you going to feature on more Outkast tracks in the future?
Of course, we’ve got to. There will be more collaborations soon.
www.sleepybrown.com
By Rashmi Shastri - Aug 2006