Rashaan Patterson - Kickin' It

Inspired by Prince, Rufus, Miles Davis, Earth, Wind & Fire, Donny Hathaway, Sarah Vaughn, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, young Rahsaan was performing in his Pentecostal church choir by the age of 6. His talent and precociousness led his family to relocate to California, where he started a TV career. But music was in his soul, and Patterson began honing his craft and reaching out to other musicians in the Los Angeles area.

His unique sense of melody and lyric soon netted him songwriting placements, with hit songs for Tevin Campbell, Chico DeBarge, Christopher Williams, and Jody Watley. Together with producer Keith Crouch, he wrote the triple-platinum selling "Baby", which reached Number One on the national charts in 1994 and helped launch Brandy's multi-faceted career.

MCA came calling soon after, and Patterson released his self-titled debut in 1997, helping to fuel what was then the nascent neo-soul movement. The album included what has become his signature tune, "Where You Are", as well as the funky "Stop By", immediately putting him on the radar with R&B fans. The artist followed that effort with 1999's critically praised album, Love In Stereo.

After Hours, his long-awaited 2004 follow-up, was released on the independent Artistry Music label, and only cemented Patterson's reputation as a deeply thoughtful, adventurous artist with a unique point of view.

Along the way, Patterson shared his artistry on soundtracks "Love & Basketball", "Dr. Doolittle", "Two Can Play That Game", "Hoodlum", "Brown Sugar", as well as the renowned comedian Steve Harvey�s compilation Sign Of Things To Come. He has also consistently worked with a range of instrumental artists, including guitarist Jonathan Butler, saxophonists Boney James and Jimmy Sommers, and keyboardist Brian Culbertson.

Combining Rahsaan's three solo releases -- with songs he has written and performed on soundtracks and songs written and recorded by outside artists, Patterson has contributed music to more than ten million CDs sold to date.

"As I get older and look back at my accomplishments, I'm quite surprised and amused with what I have achieved and things I've done," Patterson laughs. Not one to create music for strictly commercial considerations, the artist has been able to keep the integrity of his artistry intact. "My music is always layered, it's always personal and spiritual and it's always my relationship with my listener," he says. "You listening to my album is my conversation with you."

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