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| Who is Omar Wilson and Why Does He Sing B&R? Omar Wilson is one of those artists. You heard right! Omar sings what he calls "Blues and Rhythm" this invention is meant to differentiate his often-gritty lyrics from those of other R&B Singers. His album isn't even scheduled for release until much later this year, and the songs that we got a hold of are so addictive that we can't stop playing them. Like a breath of fresh air, Omar sounds unlike any artist that is presently climbing the charts. His lyrics have meaning, his songs are real songs with real instrumentation, superb production, all the right hooks and melodies, and a voice that is hauntingly a hybrid of 2Pac, Donny Hathaway and Nate Dogg, rolled into one. As a precursor to his debut album, Wilson wants to releases a tribute album to 2Pac, his mentor and his inspiration as a singer/songwriter and actor. The album, tentatively entitled Introducing Omar Wilson and slated for release late 2009 will feature Angie Stone among other artists. No stranger to the struggles of life, Omar like many artists started out in church and later transitioned to rap and eventually to his own style of blues and soul mixed with hip hop. He is steadily building large audiences in the Northeast. Wilson regularly performs in showcases around New York City and in Connecticut. Recent performances include opening for The Neville Brothers and Boyz II Men. In 2007, Omar was the winner of Amateur Night at The Apollo Theater in Harlem on three separate occasions garnering him the title "Biggest Winner" for the show's entire season. His collection of emotionally charged and soulful tunes is a wonderful introduction to a singer inspired by the ebbs and flows of life and family. His songs tackle a broader spectrum of social issues rather than solely emoting the romantic fervor commonly found in contemporary R&B. His preference to comment on life experience makes it no surprise when he cites 2Pac, Donny Hathaway, Sam Cooke and David Ruffin as major influences. Omar prefers to utilize the self-invented term "B&R", reasoning that many singers appear to have forgotten the second half of the genre known as Rhythm and Blues. The 28-year old could perhaps credit some of his artistic sensibilities to his roots. His father emceed at nightclubs in the 1970s and was a member of the band Soul Messengers. Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, he moved to Durham, North Carolina at age seventeen and began rapping with three of his cousins and joined a group called The Lost Souls. The group recorded two albums distributed by Ichiban Records entitled Soul Talk and Life is Life. During this time, Omar the songwriter and melody-maker began to flourish. He began writing hooks and harmonies that led him to an entirely different style. Reflecting on his growing career, Omar Wilson confides, "I hope my singing and music will touch the deepest part of peoples souls. I sing about life and what we all go through living it. I've slept on people's floors and lived on TV dinners but, on the flip side, I've also enjoyed working at my craft in top studios around the country. I know it's a journey and that it takes focus and dedication. I know it's what I've been put on this earth to do." write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Jazz News :: home page |