Kev Blaze
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Kev Blaze

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"Blaze On"

Cleveland's Kev Blaze has signed to Imperial Records, the urban-music subsidiary of EMI's Capitol Music Group. The label's roster includes Fat Joe and Bizzy Bone.

"[Blaze] brings back the true meaning of soul music," says Zenobia Simmons, Imperial's director of publicity. "I think he can deliver a great album."
Blaze recorded his debut, Smoke N Blaze, at his Bedford studio. The singer co-produced and co-wrote the disc with his cousin, Dion "Chipz" Warren, who has worked with Brainz Davis (formerly MC Brainz). It's a musical family. Blaze's uncle is Beloyd Taylor, who wrote Earth, Wind & Fire's "Get Into Your Life."

Blaze's distinct music is rooted in both the old and new school. His material combines R. Kelly-style songcraft and Curtis Mayfield soul, and it gets some street flavor from melodic rap in the vein of Bone Thugs. Krayzie Bone himself delivers an authentic dose in the album's first single, "Watch How I Do This," which is due in October. The album is slated for a January release.

"I think my music is different because it bridges the gap between hip-hop and R&B," says Blaze, who sings and plays drums and keyboards. "There are no samples on my album. It is all original music, played by myself, my cousin Dion, and a close friend, Tony Deadwiley, on guitar. Unlike many albums today, my album tells a very personal story. I tried to make a very upbeat album that makes people feel good."
- Scene Magazine


"British Hip Hop Interview"

Fresh off the streets of Cleveland Ohio we bring you Kev Blaze. Recently hailed as the King of street R'n'B and with a successful album to his name the young singer is keen to let the world know who he is, and rightly so.
Signed to Imperial Records out of New York City, I decided the time was right to catch up with the underground sensation and discover more about the man himself.

Hey Blaze, thanks for doing this interview with us today. First of all give us a break down of who Blaze is and what sets you apart from the other talented R'n'B artists out there?

Kev Blaze: Thank You for the opportunity to speak. I am a singers / songwriter / producer of urban music. I started in music at a young age in church, and expanded into song writing before actually becoming an artist myself. I grew up around music, my uncle is Beloyd Taylor from Earth Wind and Fire.

I think my sound sets me apart. No one has been able to bring the streets to R'n'B since Curtis Mayfield and Bobby Womack in the 70's. Most R'n'B songs are about love and relationships, mine focus on the struggles of life. Unlike many artists though, I try to keep things positive and uplifting. I want to make music that makes people feel good. Also, I think my sound bridges the gap between hip hop and R'n'B.

You had huge success with your first album "Smoke n Blaze" for those who have not heard the album give us some insight into its content?

Kev Blaze: "Smoke N Blaze" is actually my upcoming release. It's filled with tracks about my personal struggle of getting a record deal, falling into the temptations that come with success and ultimately realizing that material things are not what matters - your family and friends are most important. The album, through the songs, shows really the range of emotions many artists go through as they move forward in their careers. The tracks tell the real story of my life as I have moved along in my music career. I called the album "Smoke N Blaze because most of what you see (money, cars, jewels) I see as smoke - when the smoke clears the real Blaze is what's left (you, your family and your loved ones).

Your uncle was a member of the world famous group Earth, Wind and Fire, was he an inspiration to you as a child?

Kev Blaze: He was and still is. He comes out and supports me when I perform live. He's really been the one to help me see that attaining success in music is possible. He also is the one who pushed me to be a strong songwriter, since he is best known for writing "Getaway" amongst other tracks while with Earth, Wind and Fire.

Both of your parents were ministers so you must have spent a lot of time in Church, you are dubbed as a True Preachers Kid. Did the time in church help you to define the style of music we have come to know from you?

Kev Blaze: It did, but probably not in the way you would think. In my attempt to rebel against my parents, I ran the streets with friends. Eventually, the shooting death of a close friend pushed me to leave that life behind and focus heavily on music. Many of the experiences from then are played out on my album on tracks like "Rep My Hood" and "Prankstas".

Your track "Watch how I do this" features the legendary Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs n Harmony. How did this link come to surface?

Kev Blaze: My manager, Blue, put it together. We sent Krayzie the track, and within days he laid his verse. It was really exciting for me because we're both from Cleveland. Krayzie is a guy I've always looked up to. It was great that he liked the track and really brought his "A" game to it.

Your album is that of a lyrical story, each song telling something different about you and your life, which track off the album would you say is the most reflective of you as a person?

Kev Blaze: "Blaze", for sure. It's the first track on my album. That's the guy I really am. Hungry and confident, without being arrogant, determined to be successful.

What are your plans for the coming months? Is there another album in the midst?

Kev Blaze: Smoke N Blaze will be out top of 2008. Until then I am doing promotions, and live performances leading up to its release. I am also in the studio working on tracks for a very talented and up and coming pop singer, Aubrey Cardilino - she is featured on the track "Don't Mean A Thing" on my album.
- British Hip Hop.com


"Cleveland Plain Dealer"

Cleveland R&B singer wants to `Blaze' the pop charts

Can aspiring Cleveland entertainer Blaze — aka Kevin Frazier — burn his way to the top of the R&B and hip-hop charts or will he ride off into the dusty sunset of Cleveland wannabes?

Blaze’s recent meetings with recording companies Def Jam, Capitol and Interscope have left him hopeful of the former. What, exactly, is he hoping for?
“A deal,” says the well-spoken Shaw High School graduate. Blaze has worked the past five years as a producer and writer for Positive Image Productions here. But he didn’t start to consider singing as a way to fame and fortune until he was 22. At that time Blaze’s preacher father asked him to come to church.

“When I got there my father asked me to lead the singing because no one else showed up to the service,” he said. “That’s when I first got inspired to explore the talent.”

He admits he had a little encouragement as a child when his uncle, Beloyd Taylor of Earth, Wind and Fire, would visit with him. Since that fateful church moment Blaze has managed to find himself a manager, produce a demo recording (listen at www.blazesings.com) and make some noise.

Blaze’s manager, Cleveland-based Ryan “Blue” Posen of Santa Monica, Calif.-based Sonesta Entertainment, describes Blaze’s work as vivid in lyrical content and grounded in the realities of urban life. He adds it is contemporary rhythm and blues with a strong hip hop/street vibe.

Blaze is scheduled to make his Cleveland performing debut Thursday, June 15, at Moda night club as the opening act for hip-hopper Rick Ross. Blaze will perform Saturday, June 17, at Ghost Bar (24880 Euclid Ave., Euclid) for the 100 Proof Magazine bash that promises celebrity attendance and a grownup and sexy vibe. It kicks off at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 and up at the door. Call Marvin Foster at 216-925-2992.

Kathleen Murphy Colan
Special to the Plain Dealer

- Cleveland Plain Dealer


"Right Said Fred"

Right Said Fred
Kev Blaze Finds Freedom, New Friend
By D.x. Ferris

Kev Blaze's Smoke N Blaze is now out of major-label limbo. An internet sensation, the disc will now be an independent release but will receive some major exposure.

The Cleveland singer-producer-rapper signed to EMI's Imperial label in fall 2007. Soon after, the label went through major corporate restructuring, which left the future uncertain for its entire urban roster. Blaze's manager, the California-based Ryan "Blue" Posen, says the contract had an escape clause, which returned the album to the artist's control when the release stalled.

Between signing and splitting, Blaze released the single "Watch How I Do This" as a remix featuring Krayzie Bone. The song has sold more than 9,000 copies. It caught the ear of Lucas "Fred" Cruikshank, a helium-voiced motormouth whose homemade videos have gone viral. When Fred used the song in a clip, both the music and video turned heads.

Fred's clip caught the eyes of the producers of iCarly, a hit Nickelodeon show about a young teen who hosts a web television show. The iCarly team asked Fred for a music video, but he didn't have one ready.

Fred reached out to Blaze, who had already tapped Cleveland director Ken Bray (who's worked with Brainz Davis and Audiblethread) to film the song's long-delayed video. Blaze then recut the song, replacing Bone's rap with a verse by Fred. Fred visited Cleveland to shoot a video with Blaze, filming in Solon and Tower City. It's scheduled to hit YouTube in early October. Fred's iCarly episode is slated to air in February 2009.

"The work Fred has done for this project has boosted my visibility in the marketplace to an audience that buys music," says Blaze. "[He] has made me comfortable that I can sell records without big-label support, just like he's made it big with no major studio or TV support."
- Cleveland Free Times


"Kev Blaze is a Triple Hip Hop Threat"

A three-tool performer is what R&B/hip-hop artist Kevin "Kev Blaze" Frazier says he brings to the table. "I'm an artist, songwriter and producer," said East Cleveland native Frazier. "I've been producing and writing for 10 years, and I just became an artist about three years ago.

"Sometimes when you're a writer and producer, you want to showcase what you can do on the other end. ... I have a forthcoming debut album "Smoke N Blaze.' " Influenced by R. Kelly, Curtis Mayfield and Bobby Womack, Frazier said he's excited about new tracks "Paper," "How We Get 'Em," "Rep My Hood" and "Blaze."

Specifically, he points to the latter midtempo, soulful track as defining his struggles. "It really focuses on the challenges I had to go through and the people hating on me or people trying to hold me back," Frazier said. "It's just about me going forward. I'm always fighting to get to the next level."
- Cleveland Plain Dealer


Discography

Watch How I Do This (Featuring Krayzie Bone)
Smoke N Blaze (2008)

Photos

Bio

Kev Blaze is an amazingly original R&B artist/singer/songwriter who shows he is destined to set the world on fire from the first chords of his startling debut album Smoke ’n Blaze, a passionate, musical autobiography of Blaze’s life combining hardship, celebration and finally, redemption. For one of the first times this decade, a new singer is brave enough to put his heart and soul into his debut album. Kev Blaze delivers all of these emotions with a new sound that combines the rich tradition of R&B with cutting-edge, hardcore hip-hop. Hailing from the mean streets of Cleveland, Ohio, Kev Blaze is draped in a deep musical history. His uncle, Beloyd Taylor, was a member of the legendary group Earth, Wind and Fire, and the young soul singer always knew that he was destined for greatness. As a teenager he spent most of his time in the house of the Lord. A true PK (or Preacher’s Kid), both of his parents were ministers and the Bible, religion and church on Sunday was all he knew for most of his formative years. Kev Blaze was already playing the drums and singing in the choir when he discovered his natural gift for arranging harmonies on a second- hand piano. The aspiring artist continued writing and producing music, eventually deciding to perform his own material, creating his very unique sound in the process. With every note, every chord, Blaze put more of himself into the music. His Midwestern background channeled the blues of Bobby Womack with the smoothness and funk of Curtis Mayfield, and as part of the hip hop generation, he brought the edge of Bone Thugs ‘n Harmony mixed with a little of N.W.A.’s rebelliousness. Finally things clicked and he was able to land the ever elusive recording contract. In 2008, Blaze sold over 10,000 singles independently thanks in part to a huge push in his fanbase from Fred on Youtube, youtube's number one channel

Kev Blaze is represented by Manager Ryan "Blue" Posen of Blue Image Entertainment and Attorney Jeffrey B. Gandel of the Law Office of Jeffrey B. Gandel in New York City. For further information, please contact Ryan "Blue" Posen at (216) 408-3407 or via email at blue@sonestaentertainment.com