Feature Friday Special # 4: Meet DeShawn Jenkins

Feature Friday Special: 

Meet DeShawn Jenkins (Daj)

There is a VERY long story as to how I stumbled across this young man's music that I do NOT intend to tell. Though interesting and heart-warming, I'll spare you the details. With that in mind, I do believe I'll do him and his contributions to the whirl-pool of musical color justice by giving him this spot light to the world. So, ladies and gentleman, introducing to some and reacquainting to others, I present to you DeShawn Jenkins.

DeShawn, also known as the stage name Daj, has a heavy and vast musical background. Like many artists he started singing in church with his family. He credits some of his earlier musical exposure to artist such as the Clark Sisters, En Vogue, and Take 6. DeShawn says; "As my parents became more religious over time, they cut out R&B music all together for me. That's when i fell in love with Anointed. They were my favorite for a long time".

And then there was Brandy... "When Brandy came out and I heard her at my grandparents [house]; I begged my parents to let me listen to her. They listened to her album first, said it was ok for me to listen and I loved her! That's when I was reintroduced to R&B...", says Daj. In every eclectic's life there comes a point in time where you stop caring about genre and pay closer attention to sound and value quality production.

In light of that fact; Björk, Maxwell, Sadé, Kelis, Muhsinah, J*Davey, Lizz Wright,  Amel Larrieux, Eric Roberson, Me'shell  N'degeocello, ColdPlay, and Rihanna are some of the artists DeShawn drops as people he listens to that or have prevalent influence in his musical sound. Which brings us to his projects; the already released "Hotel Relationship" and his  project in the making "Emerald City".

I have listened to "Hotel Relationship" one TOO many times as Daj's vocal arrangement expertise has conquered my musical ear. One track that has set me in somewhat of a trance is his "Fantasy". The equally ambient and hypnotic beat splashed with his lulling voice set the listener up to be sucked in faster than confusion in oblivion. The sounds on this album are crisp, soothing, refreshing and utterly superb.

"Emerald City" is an account of the journey of self-discovery. Daj has cleverly likened this album to the Emerald City sequence (or scene) in The Wiz. All the sounds are associated with emotions and colors that are different, and yet compliment and build on each other. "Its mood music, and it heavily relies on the synths and abstract, yet it's still R&B. The kind of music I call 'Ambient R&B', making this a cohesive; living, breathing project" Daj says.

I've done enough talking, I'll let Daj say the rest; "I'd like to think that I'm a make up of so many things... mainly emotions. As an artist I've decided to really embrace the name that was given to my years ago;  Daj. And finally allow myself to be reborn as the true artist that i am. I truly believe that music should be felt and heard. Every song that i write has a purpose, every harmony is placed with thought and purpose".

What more reason do you need or want to get into this man's music? With that said, the only thing left to do is go check him out right NOW! Follow Daj on Twitter, add his Music Myspace, and subscribe to him on YouTube. As well as checking out his song "Fantasy" on the Soundtrack to "A Good Day to be Black and Sexy" available at all major music retail stores, iTunes, and Amazon. As always I'll leave you with an ear tickler. Until NEXT time...

The Stuff You're Missing Out On Special #2: You Be The Judge...

The Stuff You're Missing Out On: You Be The Judge...

May I speak freely? Ohh... I can? Thank you! So, I usually don't do YouTube drama, but the late girlz want to come for me. As I am always willing to oblige those in need of a dose of the truth, I decided to do this. I watched this video and my sole reaction was a facial expression similar to this --> O_o.


The YouTube username is sexytrunks and he believes that he is the NEXT Pakistani legend. He wrote me a nice message cursing me out concerning my comment on his video making me out to be liar. So, I'll let you be the judge. Were my ears deceiving me? 'Cause this sounds like a goat giving birth on a crashing car to me.

Just as a side note; as you may notice my comment, as well as 30 other comments, has been removed. So, feel free to blow him up and let him know the truth in his comments. If you feel that I should take back my statement let me know. I'm lost at this point, I JUST don't know anymore! Until NEXT time...