Vibe.com, May 22nd, 2006
Keite Young isn’t like most R&B; singers—it’s Valentine’s Day, yet he’d rather not talk about women or relationships. “Music is my love,” says Young, 29. “Let’s talk about that instead.” Fair enough.
Growing up in a family where his maternal grandfather was a blues singer and mother a member of Kirk Franklin’s choir, it’s easy to understand Young’s affinity for music. But Young (his first name is pronounced “keet”) will be the first to tell you music wasn’t his primary calling. His deep religious upbringing conflicted with the secular tunes he loved so much. And to begin with, Young turned to the pulpit—he was ordained as a minister at 15—before realizing that secularity and spirituality can coexist.
After touring with Kirk Franklin’s choir in 1997, Young began to blend gospel with funky inspiration from Prince, Sly, and Stevie. Five years later, Young’s soul-stirring fusion of genres caught the ear of his great uncle Waymon Tisdale, the former NBA baller and renowned smooth jazz guitarist, who passed a demo on to Hidden Beach CEO Steve McKeever. Impressed, McKeever signed Young immediately. “I don’t compare him to anyone, but I put Keite on a pedestal with those greats like Prince, D’Angelo, and Al Green,” says Tisdale. “John Legend paved the way for this kind of music to be popular today, and Keite is the next voice.”
Young is motivated to reach his own legendary status with his forthcoming debut, The Rise & Fall of Keite Young. The album deliberately toes that fine line between good and evil. From the uplifting “Pray” to the sultry “The Way You Love Me,” Young takes listeners on a lyrical rollercoaster through heaven and hell. “Preachers and pimps have the same oratory gift,” he explains. “They have the same ability to incite emotion.”
As Young wraps up his sermon on life being a constant battle between the spirit and the flesh, he brings it all full circle: “I like having a conversation that results from music,” he says. “By just focusing on music, I can bring together my spiritual side and my sensual side. It’s all beautiful, and I hope listeners understand that.” Chuuch!
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