IT'S HOT IN COCO JONES WORLD
[+ Show ]
IT’S HOT IN COCO JONES WORLD By Dmitri Doughtery
When the music industry gets cold, bleak and frigi...IT’S HOT IN COCO JONES WORLD By Dmitri Doughtery
When the music industry gets cold, bleak and frigid, virtually frozen of its creative and innovative warmth, it’s nice to know there is always something hot to bring back that fi reside comfort to shivering listeners. Coco Jones is that something hot! Whether it’s the ice melting steam from record-breaking radio play, or fi ery renditions of the nation anthem, there is plenty hot cocoa to go around. Residing in Atlanta, GA, by way of Jacksonville, FL, she has been that soothing heat for the fl urries and blizzards of R&B and Hip Hop. The self proclaimed (and deserved) number one stunna, has been and continues to take the South by storm. With a passion for performing, above average lyrics and versatile delivery, it seems that Coco has a cup of something hot for everyone.
IT – So Coco. Is it Coco or Miss Jones if you’re, well…?
CJ – LOL. Just Coco.
IT – Coco, where in the world did you get all this talent from? Did you come up in a musical environment?
CJ - I really don’t know who I got my ability from! I know it’s weird, but no one in my fam does music on
my moms’ side. I’m thinking there must be some hidden talent in the family tree somewhere, LOL.
IT – Well, it’s not hidden anymore. And I’m sure you have many musical infl uences in your life…
CJ – Too many to even name. D’Angelo, Earth Wind and Fire, Patti, young Whitney, Aaliyah. Actually, one of the most inspirational pieces of music I have in my collection at this point would have to be the Miseducation
of Lauryn Hill. It inspired to me to rhyme early on. I was like, who does that…both rhyming and singing? Blown away.
IT – If you had to do a song, right here, right now, with someone in the game at this very moment…
Who would it be?
CJ - If I could rock with anyone right now, it would have to be the great Mary J. Blige. She is amazing.
I respect her as artist and appreciate the way she always imparts something more to her audiences and listeners.
IT – What do you impart to your listeners? What type of artist would you consider yourself to be?
CJ - Well...That’s a very good question. I actually consider myself to be more of a diverse artist. Being
that I like to sing, write, rap, listen to and learn from music. I’m about growth and poetry, LOL, a little
of everything. But I hope that my diverse gifts and preferences will allow me to be relevant in multiple
markets and still valid in any era.
IT – Absolutely. Now, you have a number of accolades thus far in your career. Your hit song ‘Anticipating’ was the #1 requested song in Tulsa for 4 months straight. Your music has been played on shows on Oprah’s Oxygen Network. You were a nominee at the 2006 Tulsa Spot Awards for Best R&B artist. So tell
us, what’s next for Coco Jones in the next 3 years?
CJ – Well, by 2012, the plan is to be out on my own tour, working on my second album, which will released internationally in 2013, establishing my own music/record label and working with the fi rst artists ready to come out, and lastly working a curriculum for junior high school systems, stressing the importance of identity awareness.
IT – All that, and you still have time to give back to the kids and community?
CJ – LOL. They are the future. And I know how much identity awareness has meant to me in my life and personal development. And I would focus on Junior High years because they are old enough to be real with and young enough to be guided.
IT –And speaking of identity and personal development,
three words. Describe your identity.
CJ - If I could use 3 words to describe me as a person
I would have to say warm, laid-back, and sassy.
IT –Now, Coco, if you didn’t have such an illustrious career in music, what type of fi eld would you be in?
CJ – I know it’s weird, but if I wasn’t in music, I would probably be a preacher or a youth activity organizer.
IT – Not weird at all. And it’s good you have a passion for the youth. And what message would you leave
with the youth looking to get involved in the music game?
CJ - If you know this is your purpose in life, then be persistent! You can’t take no for an answer. If you have a natural talent or ambition, still, do your home-work and know yourself. Also, be in a position to communicate
who you are as an artist, and through your music, in every way because if u can’t? There are
many people ready to do it for you and you may not like it. Let your hard work and dedication show. Put
your heart in it. And follow through.
IT – Sound advice. And before we let you take off back to the studio to work on your latest project: To Be Loved, Coco Jones, releasing the
early part of ’10, by the way, of course, lest we forget…
CJ – LOL.
IT – Any message for your fans that have followed you and been inspired by you thus far?
CJ – To those who support… THANK YOU! You are God’s blessing to me… Stay tuned!!! I’ll have some
work you can take with you to your next stop in life. I can only hope to be as much of a blessing, as you all
have been to me… Love…
IT – …and Hot Cocoa…
CJ – LOL. Yes, Hot Coco Jones…
IT – Thank you, Coco for your time, and let everyone know where they can read more about you and sample the refreshing hot cocoa that is your music.
CJ – Thanks! And check me out at www.myspace.com/cocojonesworld
Soul Fueled
[+ Show ]
Soul Fueled
CoCo Jones' debut SuperSoulSista augmented, re-released
By Gary Hizer
Soul...Soul Fueled
CoCo Jones' debut SuperSoulSista augmented, re-released
By Gary Hizer
Soul Sistah. As is so often the case with the best soul artists, CoCo's roots are firmly planted in Gospel music, but spread out into classic Motown as well as hip-hop and modern R&B.
When CoCo Jones' debut CD, SuperSoulSista, was originally released in January, it didn't initially draw a lot of attention. The effect of that release, however, was much like that of throwing a rock out into a glass-calm lake: it may not make a huge splash, but the ripple effect stirs the water and reaches far and wide.
But what's the fun of throwing only one rock out into the lake? Once you see the effect, the instinct is to find an even bigger rock and repeat the exercise, is it not?
To that extent, Jones' CD has been restructured for re-release, in hopes it can make an even bigger splash and reach even further than it did initially.
Tulsa's R&B and hip-hop artists, unfortunately, often find themselves overlooked and playing to a small, but loyal audience. With the re-release of SuperSoulSista, however, CoCo Jones is making a move step out of the shadows and draw the spotlight not only to herself, but also to Tulsa's hip hop and R&B community as a whole.
Meet Ms. Jones
As is so often the case with the best soul artists, CoCo's roots are firmly planted in Gospel music, but spread out into classic Motown as well as hip-hop and modern R&B. And although it almost seems trite to quote them as influences or inspirations, you can easily hear the impact that artists like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Shirley Brown, as well as Lauren Hill, Mary J. Blige, and Jill Scott have had on Jones' own material and development as both a singer and writer.
Originally from Florida, CoCo's mother was in the military, which had the family moving every few years. After living in Hawaii and Colorado at different points in time, CoCo graduated from high school in Virginia and relocated to Tulsa in 1999 to attend ORU.
Even though she had been involved in music as a choir director during her high school years, Jones had no plans to pursue music when she attended college. CoCo's gift wouldn't be denied, though, and she got pulled back in, albeit in a different capacity, as a member of outreach group RXN (Reaction), a Christian rap and hip hop act.
RXN released an album in 2004; that's when Jones started considering doing her own record.
Unlike the RXN material, however, Jones wanted to step outside of the Christian marketplace and make a mainstream record that would infuse her love of old school soul and R&B with modern hip hop influences. The product of that vision is SuperSoulSista, an album that serves up a healthy dose of classic Motown and Memphis soul and also flaunts Jones' rapping abilities, which are flavored with dashes of Missy Elliot, Queen Latifah and Salt & Pepa.
Surprise Hit
While Jones was working on her own record, she also continued writing in hopes of scoring some sort of publishing deal. One song on her plate was actually created with J-Records recording artist Fantasia Barrino in mind. When the song wasn't picked up for Fantasia's new CD, CoCo submitted her own recording of the tune to Tulsa's K-JAMZ (KJMM, 105.3 FM), along with four other songs, for consideration to be added to the station's rotation.
Out of the submitted material, "Anticipatin'" was chosen for airplay and it rose to the top of the K-JAMZ top ten playlist for a roughly 5 weeks. In short order, Oklahoma City's KVSP (Power 103.5 FM) picked up Jones' single and added it to their rotation as well. As fate would have it, the song that CoCo wrote for Fantasia would actually be the song to kick-start her own solo career.
There was one small problem with Jones' fresh hit single, however: it did not appear on the SuperSoulSista disc, as it was finished and released after the full length CD. New fans were clamoring to get a copy of "Anticipatin'", but there was no CD version of the song to put in people's hands.
Although the growing attention and radio airplay obviously fueled Jones' rapidly growing reputation, it wasn't the only factor at work. CoCo had already been playing live gigs in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Lawton (amongst other locations) with her band, The Dopeness. With those shows, word of her smoldering performances started spreading and Jones dropped a bomb on Tulsa with a killer set at D-Fest in July that tore the house down and continued to build her local reputation.
Based on the public demand for the single, Jones and her producer, Ron Hylton, went back into the studio to re-structure the SuperSoulSista album, fine-tuning the song list and adding new material, inevitably including her hit single, "Anticipatin'".
"I definitely learned the power of a song", says Jones in reaction to the response to that song's success. As she quickly discovered, when your audience is clamoring for a specific product, you've got to find a way to provide it - and she's done just that.
A New Creation
The fresh and re-created version of SuperSoulSista came out this week, with an official release date of Nov. 14 that included in-store signings at Starship Records in Tulsa on Tuesday and O-City Source in OKC, as well as on-air radio interviews. This time around, SuperSoulSista is getting a widespread release as Firstborn Productions ramps up the distribution to a national level.
This isn't nearly the same record that was released in January, however. Having learned some quick lessons in the marketplace, Jones and Hylton have trimmed part of the original material to make way for six new tracks, including not only the song that started the furor, but also CoCo's latest single, "So Sexy", which also features her band-mate and local rapper Big REC.
From all indications, the success of "Anticipatin'" was no fluke. CoCo is still firmly planted in the local airwaves and "So Sexy" has once again landed her in the K-JAMZ top ten playlist. Besides the local airplay in both Tulsa and OKC, Jones' presence is continuing to be felt on the live stage as well -- most recently at the Cain's Ballroom, where she was added to the bill for last weekend's Juvenile concert.
That appearance conveniently kicked off a week full of Jones appearances. It definitely fit into Hylton's plan to create a week of "shock and awe", putting Ms. Jones in the spotlight everywhere you look: on the radio, in record stores, and in the clubs. The week culminates with "SuperSoulWeekend" this Saturday and Sunday evenings, celebrating the album's re-release.
The official CD release party is Sat., Nov. 18, at the Blue Dome Diner and Roadhouse (402 E 2nd St.) and Firstborn Productions is staging an event worthy of the occasion, (though unlike everything else going on this weekend, it is not part of the official Centennial Celebration.)
In keeping with the CD's title, which Jones acknowledges is a throwback to '70's soul records and plays off of the blaxploitation films of that era, the SuperSoulSista release party is being staged as a '70's Playas Ball.
Festivities begin at 9pm, with a red carpet opening to greet a host of Tulsa's local artists and all other party-goers upon arrival. Attendees are encouraged to dress appropriately for the Playas Ball in their best retro '70's clothes; prizes awarded for the best dressed. Admission is $10 at the door and the concert itself is set to begin at 10pm, with CoCo Jones and The Dopeness headlining the evening for a full night of soul, hip hop, and R&B.
On Sunday, Nov. 19, "SuperSoulWeekend" wraps up at Cosmo's Café (6746 S. Memorial -- across from Woodland Hills) with an evening Snap Session of spoken word and poetry, to showcase not only CoCo, but also any of our city's other fledgling talent that cares to step up. Cover charge is only $5 for the event, with performances from 6:30 until 10:30pm.
Watching for aftershocks
If the initial release of Jones' debut CD was like throwing stones out into a lake, the revised SuperSoulSista may not be a bigger rock, as expected, but more of a hand grenade. Hylton envisions the release of the new disc, reloaded with new material, as more of a mini-explosion. With steady airplay and a growing public buzz, it's now just a matter of sitting back and watching it go off -- and seeing how much farther the reverberations carry Ms. Jones and her crew into the regional and national music landscape.
Hip Hop's New Soul Sistah
[+ Show ]
Hip Hop’s new Soul Sistah
By Christal Jordan-Mims
If you were to take the sass of Salt-n-Pepa, t...Hip Hop’s new Soul Sistah
By Christal Jordan-Mims
If you were to take the sass of Salt-n-Pepa, the social consciousness of Lauren Hill, lyrical prose of Jill Scott, elegance from of all four original En Vogue divas and the ingenuity of Missy Elliot, add to it a youthful perspective and sex-kittenish good looks, you would have created hip hop’s newest soul sistah Coco Jones.
Being compared to some of her musical sheroes may seem a bit overwhelming for the fresh-faced twenty-three year old, but Coco’s self-titled debut manages to pull from the best of hip hop’s most memorable divas.
From her ode to musical icons like Billie Holiday, Betty White, Aretha Franklin and Smoky Robinson, to her funky remake of ‘Me & Mrs. Jones, Coco relies heavily on a musical legacy that easily includes jazz, hip hop, and rhythm and blues spanning back much further than her twenty three years. She takes this legacy and effortlessly forges it with her own interpretation of today’s track-driven hip hop. Besides her respect for old-school musical icons, Coco is quick to voice her admiration for her influences of today such as Kanye West and John Legend.
While much of the album fuses 60’s and 70’s old school with Coco’s signature blend of hip hop, soul and even a touch of reggae, other tracks could be straight off the latest R&B songstress’ album (‘I’ve got a love Jones’, ‘Let’s take the long way Home’), and just when you think you’ve pegged her, Coco mixes it up and showcases her emcee skills flowing through street-driven hip hop tracks peppered with clever lyrics and a sassy flow.
Her label describes her sound as a bridge between hip hop and urban soul, but Coco Jones’ debut offers much more. Her passionate vocals can be compared to breakout songbird Keisha Cole, but its also apparent Coco is just as comfortable and equally formidable spitting her brand of socially enlightened lyrics.
Despite having critics scrambling to place her in a category, Coco refers to her music simply as “feel good music”, adding only that she wants to be a part of bringing the soul back to contemporary music.
With her debut produced entirely by up and coming producer Roahn Hylton of Firstborn Productions, Coco manages to avoid the copycat syndrome many first time artists fall victim to, with producers trying to piggyback on the sound of another successful artist’s sound. Whether blowing on a soulful ballad, “sanging” from the heart on an R&B track, or handling the mic like a pro on a hip hop joint Coco Jones is on point. Every song on the album offers a unique unduplicated sound and Coco easily moves from genre to genre with a deep soulfulness and vocal range that provide a consistency throughout the album.
With over twenty years of musical influences, Coco’s debut presents a perfect hybrid of the best of the past, present and future. No doubt before long, Coco will be added to the same list of musical legends she has drawn so much inspiration from.
supersonic
