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View Winners → Archive Mar 01, 2017
Photo Courtesy by Motown Records
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DECK: Motown Records will release the debut album of Kevin Ross, which is titled The Awakening on March 4
An up-and-coming R&B artist is ready to make his presence known as Kevin Ross is set to release his debut album on March 24.
Motown Records will release the debut album of Kevin Ross, which is titled The Awakening. Fans who pre-order the album will instantly receive his first single “Long Song Away” and also a bonus track titled “Pick You Up.”
Ross, who is the winner of ASCAP’s 2016 Rhythm and Soul Award and a former BET “Music Matters” Artist, will be a special guest on Ro James’ upcoming XIX tour. The North American run kicks off on March 2 at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC and includes shows at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA on March 5 and The Promontory in Chicago, IL on March 9.
Ross is partnering global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL to give his fans access to exclusive content and tickets giveaways for his upcoming XIX tour. Beginning on March 1, TIDAL will exclusively release the first episode of Ross’ docu-series, I AM KEVIN ROSS. The Awakening also includes his 2016 collaboration with Chaz French, “Be Great (Intro)” which was heard in “Grey’s Anatomy,” and a remix of the track that features BJ the Chicago Kid.
Ross grew up in Washington, DC in a house filled with the music of such artists as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Prince and Patrice Rushen. “If it felt good, it was played,” said Ross. After covering a medley of Stevie Wonder’s hits for a Motown Tribute in high school, Ross won a partial scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music.
Moving to Atlanta, he spent his first year after college pinging back and forth from studio to studio. It was hard, but it paid off – within the year, he scored his first big placement with Jamie Foxx. Signing with Motown Records, he released his solo debut EP, Dialogue in the Grey. In addition to opening for Maxwell and Ne-Yo, Ross co-wrote Trey Songz’s certified Platinum single “Touchin, Lovin” feat. Nicki Minaj.
Ross makes timeless music with timely appeal, stripping away social media posturing and obsession with material things and speaking to what really matters in life.
“People get so obsessed with money or the look of it. We forgot about truth,” he says. “We forgot people hurt, that they want to feel something. We can’t just have two songs a year that make us feel,” said Ross.
