What I’m Listening To Now
by Bradd Marquis
Publisher's Note: “What I’m Listening To Now” is a new SoulTracks feature where we ask some of our favorite artists what they are listening to, and share that with SoulTrackers
Aries Baby!!! Ok I’m at my birthday gathering at Red Rooster in Harlem, NY. It’s a jam session that happens every Monday curated by multi-instrumentalist Mr. Rakiem Walker and a phenomenal collection of the best musicians in the city. In the building we have Gloria Ryann, Vincent M. Robinson, Margeaux Davis, Tai Allen, Mic El and none other than Carmen Rodgers of The Foreign Exchange to name a few. Yes, I’m name-dropping because these are all artists you should familiarize yourself with! Thank me later…
SO we’re all having a great time enjoying each other’s talent and conversation, when in walks my boy Yasin Abdur who is an amazing visual artist and writer. Stacy Barthe accompanies Yasin. He introduces her as one of the greatest writers and artist of our time! I had no idea who she was, seems like everybody else did though?! She and I hit it off instantly, and I got a chance to hear her sing and thought she was really really dope!
Fast Forward to a few days later, I’m on iTunes listening to BJ the Chicago Kid’s new album In My Mind and iTunes offers me suggestions of similar artists, and guess who I see trending: yup, Stacy Barthe. Unbeknownst to me she had just dropped an album entitled BEcoming and it was trending on iTunes. Go figure… Miss Barthe chillingly bares her soul unapologetically, letting us into the deepest most vulnerable and intimate parts of her being. She finally has a voice, her platform, and she will not be silenced anymore! She’s been dealing with situations and internal conflicts that have been tormenting her and have to be purged. BEcoming is her therapy session! Seemingly heavily influenced by Sade with a touch of Phyllis Hyman on her ballads, Rihanna and Jazmine Sullivan on her up tempos; Barthe has something for all generations of music lovers. I hear you Stacy Barthe, better yet, I feel you!