RydazNRtist to release Soulful Warfare

In an era where most commercial music sounds somewhat recycled, it is nice to know some groups still have an organic approach. Meet RydazNRtist, a trio whose individual talents artistically covers the entire creative spectrum of popular R&B. As Def Jams/NCredible’s newest signees, RydazNRtist are in a prime position to show the world that creativity and a desire to really connect with the masses are the main ingredients for success.

Since coming together less than a year ago, RydazNRtist singer, Reuben, producer/vocalist Kevin Writer, and a rapper GQ, have already toured the country twice over, first as a part of the 106 & Park tour with acts like Trey Songz and Mario, then as the opening act on Mariah Carey’s 2010 Angels Advocate tour. Just like everything in their short, but successful career as a group, RydazNRtist initial union happened very naturally.

“I was rapping, honing my skills and Reuben and Kev were making music and I would just go and hop on some of their tracks,” says 23 year-old GQ. “We were all hanging out chillin’ and we recorded ‘Sorry Ass Apology’ and that same night that we came up with the name for our group,” says Kevin referring to the group’s first official single whose hilarious video featuring clips of Tiger Woods became an online sensation. “We just kept on recording every day since then.”

Long before July of 2009 when RydazNRtist first officially came together in Los Angeles, brothers Reuben and Gabriel “GQ” Cannon grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina in a family with five boys. As kids, they would sing and dance around the house pretending they were the Jackson 5. “We would put a broomstick into one of our dad’s weights and make our mic stands,” remembers GQ. “We would take turns being in the front and being Michael and standing in the back and being Tito. Since we were young, my dad always had a video camera on us. He always knew that it was going to be something about his boys.”

When the family’s oldest son, Nick Cannon’s career in the entertainment business began to take off, younger brothers Rueben and GQ moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to pursue their own dreams of stardom. Both boys attended Hollywood High School where they performed in various talent shows and excelled at sports. “I definitely went out to California with the mindset of making music, but I also played baseball too,” says 19 year-old Reuben. “I was drafted to a couple of teams but I turned it down to pursue music. I’m a person who goes with feelings, my heart was in music even though every time I drove by a baseball field I’d be like, ‘Oh my goodness!’ But I just loved music.”

After graduating from high school, GQ and Reuben began to develop their individual musical talents—GQ rapped at various venues around L.A. while Reuben perfected his vocal style. In the early summer of 2009, Reuben was introduced to another young singer and producer Kevin Writer who was from Detroit and had a tremendous amount of professional music industry experience working with other rappers, producers and songwriters while attending college in Florida. “We started rehearsing a lot and since we write and produce all of our own music, it was a situation were we felt like we needed to get on the grind and keep pushing,” says Kevin. “So we jumped on the 106 & Park tour and a couple of people started taking notice and Nick really got behind our project.

After seeing their undying commitment to their music and how effortlessly they were able to write, produce and perform their songs, Nick signed RydazNRtist to his imprint, Ncredible, in June of 2009. After the guys returned home from touring the country with the 106 & Park tour, Nick met with Island Def Jam Music Group CEO, L.A. Reid, who signed the group after seeing the video for “Sorry Ass Apology.” The guys then went on to release their first mixtape, Strip Club Music which the followed with the aptly titled sequel, Sunday Music which showcased their thematic and stylistic range.

RydazNRtist started 2010 with a bang, opening up for Mariah Carey on her sold out, nationwide tour. “Mariah is so professional and has been doing it for so long that watching her was like a dream come true,” says GQ. “She was very gracious with us,” adds Kevin. “When we were at certain venues she would see us performing and let us know that she saw the show and that we were doing really great. She has always been a big supporter.”

Now that their latest stint on the road has come to an end, RydazNRtist are busy finishing up their debut album, Soulful Warfare. “Soulful Warfare is basically like what we go through everyday,” says GQ. “It’s kind of like a tug of war. We’re human and we love the Lord with all of our souls but you might find us in a strip club one of these days. It’s kind of having an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other.” With their debut album completely produced in house by Kevin Writer and Nick Cannon, RydazNRtist first LP is the perfect introduction to the group’s multi-faceted pool of talent.

The sound of the album is definitely R&B soul, but then we also have some really solid pop records,” explains Kevin. “There are songs where Rueben’s hitting the high notes and I’m growling like I’m in church and GQ’s doing his thing. But we also have some really pop R&B records like ‘One Last Time’ which is a ballad that kind of picked up by itself when we were on tour.”

RydazNRtist manage to find the fine balance between writing deep, meaningful records like the universal love song “Unconditional” and the emotionally trying track “Lost,” while also showcasing their lighter side with up-tempo club ready cuts like “Pull Your Sexy Out” and “Cakes” which features rapper Fabolous.

“We bring a realness that you haven’t really seen from R&B groups in decades,” says Kevin who includes Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Jodeci and 2Pac amongst the group’s biggest influences . “We’re not trying to set ourselves apart from the people who hear our music,” adds GQ. “We’re trying to say, ‘Yo, we’re just like y’all. Its kind of like a mirror image of our public. We are the people we’re singing to.”



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