Sam Bostic

Sam Bostic - Soul Supreme: The Eclectic Collection

Does the name Tracy ring a bell? Maybe Sam Bostic sounds more familiar to you? As the lead singer and founder of the acclaimed `90s Oakland, CA based trio Art N’ Soul, he was featured on the Billboard Top 20 hit single “Ever Since You Went Away” (on Big Beat/Atlantic Records). The 2008 Bay Area Music Award winner for (Best Neo Soul Performer) writer/platinum producer and the infamous creator of mob music, he has been at the helm of several Bay Area hip hop tracks including E-40’s hits “Sprinkle Me” and “Dusted & Disgusted” from the platinum “In A Major Way,” “Heavy in the Game” from 2-Pac’s double-platinum selling “Me Against the World” CD, as well as “Come On” from Master P’s multi-platinum “I’m Bout It” soundtrack.

Baptized in the soul of the masters that came before him, Sam is ready to step onto the scene again releasing his solo debut CD, Soul Supreme: The Eclectic Collection, under his independently owned and operated House of Soul Recordings L.L.C imprint. Describing the vibe, Sam states, “We’ve heard all the so-called off springs of soul...Neo Soul, Contemporary Soul, etc. On this record, I wanted to capture the vibe and textures of authentic Soul – Philly Soul, Stax and Memphis soul, yet still making it commercially valuable in todays market. My goal was to keep the record lean with 12 quality songs from start to finish, absolutely no filler or fluff.”

Leading off the “Soul Supreme” set is the sexy tale of a love gone bad “Take Our Time” just added and receiving 14-15 spins per week @ KIIZ, Waco, TX and KKST, Alexandria, LA as well as peaking on Billboard at # 2 position on the Hot R&B/ Hip Hop Singles Sales and #13 on the Hot Singles Sales chart. Another fine piece of work is the mesmerizing throwback “Zodiac Sign” for which Raphael Saadiq contributed to the hook. Also, there’s the hope filled anthem, “Get Away,” an exploration of a young hustlas journey to make it out of the ghetto, away from the grime of the streets, and the lush “This is your song” which weds creamy falsetto crooning…ala Curtis Mayfield, along with a classic Benjamin Wright Jr. string arrangement. “I’m staying away from microwave music,” Sam promises. “You know, the kind that’s poured into a cup, stirred and heated up to be good for about six weeks. I want to make music that will still be here 100 years from now”.

Raised up from the Richmond, CA bootstraps, where true pimps and playas adorned almost every street corner, young Sam, was first influenced by his father, William Bostic, the lead singer of several groups that played the Bay Area to L.A. club circuit, most notably the Western Union Band. Sam actually taught himself to play several instruments left behind after band rehearsals held in his fathers basement. Though he was warned not to mess with the costly equipment, once everyone was out of sight, his grandmother gave him the green light to carefully “get his learn on.” Sam happily strapped on a Fender Jazz bass, followed by other axes, and proceeded to perfect his chops emulating the grooves and licks of old school favorites such as Sly & The Family Stone and Earth, Wind & Fire. Recognizing game, his father invited a then 9- year old Sam to get on the mic during another band rehearsal. When he stomped a mud hole through the Ohio Players’ funk staple “Skin Tight,” dad put young blood front and center for local talent shows and TV tapings. The funkadelic dye was cast. He was a music junky pure and simple and the energy from a crowd was his fix.

Since that time, Sam has immersed himself into the full 360 degrees of the music making process. As a member of Art N’ Soul, Sam impressed Tony Toni Tone’ member Timothy Christian Riley enough that he produced the trio’s debut album.

While Art N’ Soul is still very much in tact, the group is currently on a temporary hiatus. So Sam has been flexing his solo skills. Just prior to waxing Soul Supreme, Sam landed a slot with his Bluesy/Soulful track “1 More Try” in the 2003 Martin Lawrence film, “National Security.” The song was nicely featured during a scene where Martin was frisking and cuffing a butter scotch toned foxy culprit. And now that his album is complete, Sam has taken his package out on the road to give people a show and win the respect of audiences worldwide. He has opened for Patti Labelle @WDKX Musicfest Rochester N.Y, Jon B, Raheem DeVaughn and more. Longtime fans may even expect to see members of Art N’ Soul among his backline.

“This is like my child,” Sam concludes of Soul Supreme: The Eclectic Collection, which he recorded at his own Retro Room Studios in the Bay Area and mixed in Los Angeles. “I’ve been developing this body of work for a while now. It was the truth… from the very birth of the record. “This thing I’m doing, it’s not about big name bling, bling or smoke and mirrors. I wrote, produced and played mostly all of the instruments myself. I wanted to keep it raw and un-cut so I we