iRule Atlanta  

Stacy Epps “The Awakening”

I was first introduced to Stacy Epps on Click Groove, the home of broken beat, future boogie, deep & soulful House and all that jazz, and I was fascinated by her song “Floatin”. I immediately added the song to my “wish list” for future purchase. A couple of months later I joined an online social networking group, Soul Commune, which is a community for lovers of soulful music. I setup my page and began befriending people in the Atlanta area. I stumbled upon Stacy’s page and didn’t recognize her at first. I saw that she was an artist and click a link to listen to her songs on MySpace. As the page loads, I hear the opening to the song “Floatin”. My first thoughts were, “I heard this before; but where?” I finally realized this is the same artist who I added to my “wish list” a couple of months prior on Click Groove. I chose Stacy Epps for the Music Artist’s section because I feel that her soulful and timeless voice; powerful messages of divine love, peace and happiness; and her ability to skillfully transition from singer to rapper is phenomenal. Below are what others are saying about Stacy Epps and her music.  

“She refuses to compromise her ideals to progress professionally. Stacy Epps represents her sistas well by reminding them of their natural glow, encouraging them to love one another, and to support their brothas in the struggle for wealth of character.”

“The spiritual essences of Alice Coltrane, mixed with the abstraction of Bjork, the spaciness of Radiohead and the drums of J-Dilla, her musical menagerie is packed with influences as diverse as her heritage.”

“With the mind to interpret, the heart to heal, and a culture to express, Stacy Epps is among the day’s brightest young innovators.”

Below is “Floatin” on YouTube.

Jaspects “Double Consciousness”

I was first introduced to the group Jaspects, a sextuplet jazz group, a couple of months ago. I had just moved back to Atlanta from New York and I was searching to see what artists were making an impact on the music scene. In the midst of searching through endless profiles on MySpace, I stumbled upon their site. THROW YOUR J’S UP! The opening to their song, “Unifunk”, instantly caught my attention because it reminded me of the ending to the theme song for WKRP in Cincinnati. The fusion of hard hitting drums, futuristic instrumentation and fine auto tuning, the song catapulted me into a state of pure bliss. I chose Jaspects for the Music Artist’s section because they are a group that knows no boundaries when it comes to music. Their willingness to revitalize and fuse different genres of music with jazz despite the criticism from the jazz community, speaks volumes. Below are what others are saying about Jaspects.

“Jaspects’ goal is to produce an exhaustive musical experience that involves TRUE freedom of expression via musical and lyrical creativity.”

“…the "gateway drug" that will inevitably lead to a deeper appreciation for traditional jazz.”

“The band promotes the idea that the culture of hip-hop can support an entity that focuses on musical depth without ostracizing the mainstream fan of hip-hop.”

Below is “Unifunk” on YouTube.