LA-based pop/R&B artist J Latif already released his debut EP, Room Without Walls back in August of last year followed by first official single “I Wanna Go There” in November, both via Interscope Digital Distribution. While it’s been a couple of months since J Latif released his single here in the States, I couldn’t have picked a better time to post as he’s currently preparing to release the track in the UK! “I Wanna Go There” is the perfect blend of electro beats and R&B soul. Backed by fierce remixes from Grammy-nominated remixer StoneBridge and up and coming remix/production team Mot and Krid, the track deserves your attention as much as J Latif deserves success as a talented singer/songwriter. His back story is as interesting you’ll ever hear. Check out a little snippet from his official website:
“South Central L.A. are streets of legend, immortalized in the poetry of a new generation. Mean streets where only the strong survive, where moving up means getting out.
Born into these storied blocks was J Latif and his mother instilled in him three things a young man needed to rise above the sucking gravity of South Central: passion, tenacity and love. As a boy J Latif was special. He used music as an escape from the grim realities of the world outside his door. And these experiences are reflected in his lyrics and music. Inspiration, hope and the desire to create fun, up beat and heavy beats that will keep you up and dancing all night long.”
Wow. Check out his full bio HERE for more on his intriguing story. As a songwriter, J Latif is just starting out on what will hopefully be a long-lasting and fruitful endeavor. 2011 will see him working with some of the biggest names in the LA music scene including Ne-Yo, Compound Entertainment and Stacy Barthe (Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Britney Spears). Joining forces with European songwriter/producer (and friend) Thomas Gallmeier (Glen Ballard, Cindy Gomez/Interscope) J Latif is hoping to push the boundaries of traditional R&B music by infusing DJ beats with pop music and R&B style. If “I Wanna Go There” is any indication, J Latif is on the right track. With additional support from Swedish DJ and producer StoneBridge, (who debuted his mix of “I Wanna Go There” to an excited LA club crowd) J Latif hopes to bring UK club goers onto the dancefloor with a massive remix package.
U.S. fans can download his EP (HERE), the single (HERE) and the remix package (HERE) on iTunes. Also worth a look, this ‘Behind The Scenes‘ footage of the video shoot for what appears to be J Latif‘s second single, “Keep Smiling.”