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11/8 – Music Monday The Floacist Triumphs with Highly Anticipated Solo Debut Floetic Soul + Quincy Jones, Kid Cudi, Cee Lo + more

 
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The Floacist Triumphs with Highly Anticipated Solo Debut Floetic Soul
Creative Mastermind of Seven-Time Grammy Nominated Neo-Soul Sensation Floetry Enlists Help From Friends Musiq Soulchild, Raheem DeVaughn, Lalah Hathaway & Others

BilalMy approach to the manifestation of Floetic Soul, has simply been to get out of the way and go beyond my comfort zone, making sure to challenge any limitations that I may have placed on myself over time,” shares The Floacist. The strikingly beautiful, slam-champion poet and singer took the music world by storm in 2002 when she graced the R&B scene with her brainchild Floetry. The Gold-selling duo’s unique elixir of sensual soul and poetic justice garnered seven Grammy nominations and created such smash hits as “Floetic,” “Say Yes” and “Getting Late.” Floetry followed with two more best selling albums over the next few years.  Floetic Soul is a continuation and further exploration of ‘The Floacist’s’ genius musical mind. “Floetic Soul was inspired by the understanding that my original Floetic concept of `poetic delivery with musical intent’ had not come to an end, even though my group, Floetry, had completed its cycle. I was left with the realization that I still had music in my mind, my heart and my soul!”

A consummate artist, the always-inspired Floacist recorded Floetic Soul as if she was on a cosmic musical mission. She recorded 16 songs over 12 days! The result is an incredibly rich album that shows off the many sides of her mind-blowing artistry as a composer, singer, poet, lyricist, and producer. Her willingness and freedom to express herself in various musical contexts is refreshing.  A testament to her talent is the caliber of artists she has surrounded herself with on her new CD. Joining forces with the mesmerizing wordsmith, is a stellar line up of guests including soul crooners Musiq Soulchild and Raheem DeVaughn, singer Lalah Hathaway and producers JR Hutson (Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild) and Chris ‘Big Dog’ Davis (George Clinton, Kim Burrell, Will Downing) and FREE SUM Music Company, The Floacist’s very own production outfit.

Blessed with the gift of communication and ability to enrapture the crowd in her spellbinding flow and magnetic aura, ‘The Floacist’ spins stories of love, lessons learned, conflict and resolution, anthems of personal growth and affirmations of positivity into a tapestry of soulful hymns, infectious hip hop grooves and seductive R&B hooks. Floetic Soul is a deeply personal project for ‘The Floacist’ whose music is soulful, sensual, honest, passionate and introspective. “Floetic Soul is a reflection of the woman that I am, both musically and personally,” confides the 30-something renaissance woman. “It is quite obvious that there have been some major changes that have occurred since the last time that I last released any material. I hope that the peace that I feel within my soul is apparent in my music. It would please my heart greatly for my magnificent fans to take away an understanding that change can be a beauty-filled thing, as long as it is embraced with grace!”

Listening to Floetic Soul is a holistic experience in which you feel like you are receiving an invitation into the beautiful mind and soul of the ever-evolving Floacist. Nothing is off limits and everything is open to interpretation.

“My songs grow from affirmations and enlightenments, as well as from moments and reflections. Sometimes they start as poems or journal entries and sometimes they write themselves as the music coaxes them through! I feel extremely responsible about creating music that will become the soundtrack of people’s lives, so I always create with the intention of healing and empowerment, peace and growth.”

Highlights of Floetic Soul include the album’s first single “Forever” with Musiq SoulChild.  There are few if any songs on the radio sung by a woman that speak of a man’s undying support of a woman through life’s many changes. This song does just that and will probably stand the test of time as a wedding anthem. ‘The Floacist’ spent close to seven years living in Musiq’s native Philadelphia in the late 90s where she was part of a fertile music scene featuring talents like Musiq, Jill Scott, The Roots and Jazmine Sullivan, among others. ‘The Floacist’ also had the opportunity to work with Jazzy Jeff’s A Touch of Jazz. "Musiq was one of the first people that I met upon moving to Philadelphia in 2000, so this is a collaboration long overdue, but right on time!” exclaims The Floacist. “It warms my heart! I absolutely adore the sincerity of his tone, the precision of his delivery and the warmth of his presence on every recording he has ever done. I appreciate both his pen and his performance. When I created ‘Forever,’ in California, with JR (Hutson), I knew immediately that I wanted to share the moment with Musiq, I am just honored that he brought his technique to my project!"

Floetic Soul also includes the meditative and spiritually cleansing “Breathe.” “I have been meditating on a lesson that my Grandmother taught me through her transitioning in 2006,” shares ‘The Floacist.’ “She made it very apparent to me that there is a big difference between putting something aside or truly letting it go. The things that are put aside become baggage. The things that are let go become embellishments. So I have become very focused on letting things go. I think that this can be seen in my art and my offerings.”  Floetic Soul also features the karmic and life affirming “Alright Then,” the powerfully inspirational “The Stand, ” and the quizzical and funkified “What U Gonna Do?.”

In 2007 ‘The Floacist’ recorded the song “Marathon” with Grammy-winning singer Raheem DeVaughn and on Floetic Soul she joins him again for her sure-to-be chart-topping song “Keep It Coming.” On her connection with the singer she explains, “Raheem is a favorite of mine. I have always loved his consistent dedication to the honoring of women with his musical expression. And that voice! Ummm, it’s like butter! He was the first choice when I started to think of collaborations.”  Die-hard Floetry fans will be right at home with the sensually sublime tracks “Come Over,” “You,” “Keep It Going” and “Let Me” while other tracks such as the autobiographical sounding “Got Get It” show off ‘The Floacist’s’ lyrical prowess.

Born in Germany to Jamaican born and British raised parents, The Floacist is a natural. The trained actress and slam champion poet made her stage debut at age three.  “My relationship with word is at the core of my being,” affirms ‘The Floacist.’  “I just absolutely adore words! In fact, the first `career’ that I ever claimed was that of an author. That was my earliest dream, so much so, that at 8 years old I was selling stories in school! I used to write short stories that I would read to my friends in high school. And by the time I got to my performing arts school I was writing plays. My first love is reading. I read more than I listen to music or watch movies.”  ‘The Floacist’ discovered she was a poet at age 19 when she met her now husband, who is an actor, at a script reading they both attended. He asked her what she did and she replied that she was a poet and he responded by taking her to her first ever open mic. She adds, “A vortex was truly opened that day, as I can truly say that everything shifted. It’s almost as though the Universe was waiting for me to claim my true identity!”

A graduate of Richard Branson’s BRIT Performing Arts and Technology College where she earned the title of  ‘Student of The Year’, ‘The Floacist’ later went on to invite her long time friend Marsha Ambrosius to perform at a poetry event that The Floacist was headlining along side her renowned performance poetry group ‘3 Plus 1’.  “That night, Floetry was born.” As the creative mastermind of Floetry, ‘The Floacist’ acted as manager and PR agent and managed to take her blossoming artistic venture from South London, UK to Philadelphia and the world. After five years of non-stop, sold out touring and selling well over 1 million copies of three released albums and a live album DVD, Floetry has moved on to solo ventures.

“Floetry was a success! Two young women moved from London, England to the United States with nothing more than a creative idea!  Floetry disbanded because that was what it was time to do. Like the seasons, different cycles of life begin and end all the time. Recognizing that the end of Floetry was not a negative occurrence, and in turn submitting to the change, was my way of thanking the Universe, and showing in action that I truly trust my life. Floetry was an absolutely magical time in my life. It was a complete success that I am extremely proud of. Being able to know that is peace.”

During the past couple of years, Floetry fans have been wondering when ‘The Floacist’ would musically emerge again. The wait is over and Floetic Soul proves that it was worth the wait. “As always my life is a beautiful balance of art and being, so over the past three and a half years I have been living and aligning myself. I took time out of the “spotlight” to grow as a person, to be still and to reflect. I never stopped writing, not only songs but thoughts, poems, stories, ideas and affirmations,” states ‘The Floacist.’

My vision and dream for this project is for people to pick up the album, learn the words, and then come to the show so that we can connect in the divine energy and vibration of music! I love the road. I look forward to hearing the music on Floetic Soul grow as I tour. I look forward to growing from touring. And I look forward to making a live album, and by then, I know I will be ready to record a new album, and do it all again!”

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