~~**SHOLIQUE PRESENTS JAGGED EDGE**~~
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Brian, Wingo, Brandon2011 was the year of the long awaited 7th album from Jagged Edge, The Remedy... I think it was not well promoted (as has been the case for the last few JE albums). I may be a bit partial, but who can deny these four men have the ability to put out some beautiful music. This time JE kept to what they became famous for, bedroom bangers... I was not surprised there was a lack of promotion though. Sadly, I have become accustomed to this type of slack exposure. They go hard for the first few months before and after a new album then go into hiatus.
Now I love my JE babies, but I am saddened that this is a norm. This was a GOOD album! There were three videos released from it, granted. Just like the last three albums Hard, BMP, and Jagged Edge, The Remedy was not promoted to its full potential. I loved Mr. Wrong and When this bed shakes... among others. But then again there does not exist a JE album that is not play through in my book (sly grin).
I hope this is not the last album. I have no clue what's going on with the guys. Their website is down in true fashion (reminisces on past downed websites).
I hope to see signs of life in the near future outside of twitter (follow daedge )
Keep it Jagged!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Friday, September 08, 2006
*~...::As Jagged As They Wanna Be::...~*
Identical twin brothers Brian Casey and Brandon Casey, Kyle Norman, and Richard Wingo--known collectively as Jagged Edge--have built the group's career and reputation from one simple premise: make great music and make sure the music's for real. The tabloids are full of urban artists acting flash and talking trash, but while it might be fun to give good copy today, it's far better to give people music that touches souls deep enough to last a lifetime.
Jagged Edge began recording that special blend of deep soul music with the group's debut single, "The Way That You Talk," in 1997 and inaugural album, A Jagged Era, in 1998. And now, on the fifth Jagged Edge album, the group delivers its most refined and soulful set yet. Like a fine vintage wine, JE's music grows richer and fuller in time, becoming more subtle and complex with each album. "We try and make an album that is totally made up of singles," says Brian with complete candor. "No filler material. Just solid songs that expand upon what we've done before and allow our fans to witness and hear our growth."
Jagged Edge, the group's fifth album, was executive produced by JE's Brandon Casey and Brian Casey and features tracks produced by Tha Corna Boyz, Dwayne Nesmith & Pierre Medor, Jermaine Dupri, Chad "Dr. Cuess" Elliot, Don Vito and Cheese, as well as Brandon Casey and Brian Casey. Guest artists on Jagged Edge include Bad Girl (on "Crying Out") (Bad Girl are artists on the Casey brothers' own 581 Music Group), Voltio (on "So Amazing, the album's first single), John Legend (on "Season's Change"), and Big Duke of Boyz N Da Hood (on "Sexy American Girls").
Jagged Edge premieres lush studio versions of songs ranking among JE's very finest compositions and performances, to which they credit a renewed sense of confidence and a willingness to take creative chances. "I'm proud of all of the albums we've done," Brian says, "but this time we stepped out on our own and fine tuned things without a lot of outside help, did the majority of the work. I really think that this is one of our best albums."
You can hear that creativity and confidence in the lyrics, which Brian allows are a bit more suggestive than previous efforts. The reason? "During our career we've made positive, meaningful and uplifting songs like 'Lets Get Married' and 'Promise,' and we're very proud of that," says Brian, "but no matter what your forte might be, if you're a true artist you get to a point where you want to step out of your box a little bit. So this time you're hearing a different side of Jagged Edge. We're never going to forsake our classic sound. We're just going to present it in a new way."
The motivation? "We realized that we don't put out a lot of party records and we wanted to get back into that vibe again," Brian offers, "as well as show love to the music that influenced us as we were coming up."
A different type of love song--directed not at a culture but at a female--is the frank and sexy "Good Luck Charm." Produced by Chad Elliot and Don Vito and Cheese, "Good Luck Charm" is an unabashedly emotional ode to that special lady who keeps you warm at night and is always in your corner.
Equally sexy and ever so spicy is the album's first single, "So Amazing" (featuring Voltio), one of two tracks produced by long time JE collaborator Jermaine Dupri. A steamy shout-out to the woman who rocks your world, "So Amazing" is infused with reggaeton's red-hot rhythms and smoothed out with JE's R&B finesse. The result is a song Brian declares is "super hot and really unique because of the way all of the different elements are combined."
Another collaboration that will please the fans is "Season's Change," featuring Columbia labelmate John Legend. "Recording that song was beautiful," says Brian. "First to walk into a room with a guy that you respect and then to find out that the feeling is mutual. Right away the project and relationship is uplifted. Plus, every singer does a song these days with a rapper but how many R&B acts get to record with another singer, and one who can deliver as good as we can? It was a great match."
Jagged Edge first exploded onto the urban contemporary music scene in 1998 with the group's debut album A Jagged Era, which established them as the "Kings of Hip-Hop/Soul." Jagged Edge's breakthrough second album, 2000's J.E. Heartbreak, achieved RIAA double-platinum status, driven in part by the singles "He Can't Love U," "Promise," and the smash "Let's Get Married." A year-and-a-half after its release, the album was still on the Billboard 200 album chart. The group's next platinum album, Jagged Little Thrill, featured their raucous hit "Where The Party At" (featuring Nelly) which reached #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The next Jagged Edge album, Hard, earned the group its fourth consecutive RIAA gold award certification while the album's first single, "Walked Outta Heaven," become the #1 best-selling single, according to SoundScan, on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart for seven weeks in a row. To date, the best-selling hip-hop/soul group has earned nine gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA.
To support Hard, Jagged Edge took the group's show on the road, thrilling audiences worldwide as part of the sold-out Seagram's, 112 and Ginuwine tours. Once the tour schedule eased up, Jagged Edge headed back into their Atlanta studio to begin work on the quartet's fifth album.
When asked to sum up JE's legacy, Brian offers, "From album and day one we have been a group that gives you consistency. We've never stopped growing. We're always pushing ourselves and we're extremely appreciative of the fans who have stayed by us from the beginning."
Copyright © 2006 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
~*~*~Boy you make me wanna sing you a love song~*~*~
...don't stop late night put em on... put them stunnas on...
...my babii brian and my stepson devon...
¡¡¡TRU BALLAZ!!!
~~~usted me tienta~~~
Friday, September 16, 2005
In R&B there are groups that move well, groups that look fly, groups that write, groups that produce, and groups that take harmonies to soaring heights. There are love men, party playas and round-the-way dudes who have the ability to tell stories that everyone can relate to. In other words, there's Jagged Edge.
The members of Jagged Edge have set themselves apart not with flash or scandal but with skills and songs that can be neither denied nor ignored. Consisting of twins Brian and Brandon Casey, Kyle Norman and Richard Wingo, Jagged Edge has sold millions of records by doing what they do better than any one else. With an incredible musical range running from heartbreaking ballads to rump-shaking bangers, Jagged Edge has carved out a unique niche by remaining true to the group's collective vision. That vision comes to a funky fruition on Hard, Jagged Edge's eagerly-awaited fourth album.You'd think that after three highly-successful albums--1998's A Jagged Era, 2000's multi- platinum J.E. Heartbreak, and 2002's crossover smash Jagged Little Thrill (which contained the top ten single "Where the Party At")--there might not be much left to know about Jagged Edge. Yet Hard is the album that the group has been aiming for its entire career. Featuring songs by the Casey brothers, Noontime's Brian-Michael Cox and production from St. Nick, Jermaine Dupri and Jagged Edge, Hard finds the group taking its sumptuous trademark R&B/pop to a whole other level with an album that is romantic, respectful, raw, honest and undeniably Jagged Edge.Asked about the album's title and Brian offers, "Everything in life worth having is hard. Hard to obtain and maintain. That's why we called the album Hard because we had to go through our own little struggles in order to make it."We wrote everything on the first three albums," Brian continues. "So in terms of what people consider vintage JE it's all still here. We've always had a hand in production so as far as our sound, I'd say it remains pretty consistent." Jagged Edge is ready to fulfill the promise of the group's earlier recordings. "Any transition we've had to go through has been smooth and honestly this record feels a whole lot better than past ones."You can hear the confidence and the creative integrity on the album's first single, the evocative ballad "Walked Outta Heaven." Written by JE and produced by longtime collaborator Brian Michael Cox, "Walked OuttaHeaven" is an emotionally raw and musically persuasive examination of how one feels after the loss of love. "We wanted to sum up that emotion when you lose things or people that we loved or thought we loved. When a relationship ends its like you just walked outta heaven."Another heartfelt ballad is "Hard," the seductively lovely title track. "The guy is saying to his woman instead of us fighting so hard, I should have been loving you hard. It's a really special song to us, particularly because it's one of the first songs we produced."Also close to the group's heart is the "They Ain't JE" remix featuring rap trio Street Katz, the first signing to JE's 581 Records. "These guys are really talented," Brian explains, "and in terms of rapping they're unique because they're not talking about all that gangsta, gun-popping stuff. They just rap about what people do everyday. We've known them for years and been their friends and for us not to recognize the talent, we would have to have been blind."Being able to drop both party anthems and romantic ballads with equal skill and conviction is part of the key to JE's sound and success. While Brian admits that while Hard showcases Jagged Edge's patented ballads, the group is comfortable with any mood. "I love the energy of a fast record and the fun you have performing it on stage. But with a ballad you put all your feelings into it and people give you all their feelings right back. I think that sort of connection that we're able to create with our fans is really one of the reasons we've enjoyed a successful career. We're so grateful to the fans for always sticking by us and welcoming what we have in store."Like many of R&B's great artists, Jagged Edge has roots in gospel music. In fact, it was at a church-sponsored youth rally that the Casey brothers, who had relocated from Connecticut to Atlanta in 1990, laid the foundation for what would become Jagged Edge. The Caseys sung at that rally with a group they'd put together a mere three weeks earlier. In the crowd was Kyle, who urged the Caseys to drop the other singers and join forces with him. Within a week of that suggestion, Brian, Brandon and Kyle were rehearsing together. Eventually two members dropped out, a new member was recruited, and the act was named "Twin AK."A demo financed by the Casey's supportive father made its way to then Xscape member (and now songwriter) Kandi Burruss (who'd gone to high school with Richard Wingo). After Kandi took the demo to Jermaine Dupri, the So So Def producer/label head summoned Twin AK to audition for him and, shortly thereafter, offered the group a deal and a new name. Jagged Edge exploded onto the urban contemporary music scene in 1998 with the group's debut album A Jagged Era. The album was certified RIAA gold in December of that year, establishing twin brothers Brian and Brandon Casey, Kyle Norman, and Richard Wingo as the "Kings of Hip-Hop/Soul." So So Def/Columbia released Jagged Edge's breakthrough second album, J.E. Heartbreak in January 2000. Driven in part by the singles "He Can't Love U," "Promise," and the smash "Let's Get Married," J.E. Heartbreak went on to achieve RIAA double-platinum status. A year-and-a-half after its release, the album was still on the Billboard 200 album chart.To date, Jagged Edge has earned seven gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA. The group's last platinum album, Jagged Little Thrill, featured the raucous hit "Where The Party At" (featuring Nelly) which was a #1 Most Added record at both Urban and Crossover radio.Asked if the group felt any pressure to top themselves on Hard, Brian is philosophical. "We don't make records with that idea," he says. "We go in to make a great record and if it tops the previous one that's cool. Our goal is to just keep making great records."With the group's latest album, Jagged Edge has made a record that's as strong as it is Hard.
Monday, August 29, 2005
even on the darkest night...
i can see your face...
burning in my mind...
etching its place in my soul...
where it will forever remain...
affixed in my conscience...
i stand alone...
mesmerized and confused...
what is this hold you have on me...
how can you keep me in pain...
and relieve my flesh at the same time...
i am losing this battle swiftly...
caught up in this whirlwind of lust...
tumbling down this pit of sin...
spiraling into this cyclone...
trapped in the sweetest temptation know to man...
incantated with your love...
i sip your wine over and over...
becoming more inebriated by the moment...
intoxicated... hallucinating... high off you...
