Sherell Rowe

What do you get when you take 8 oz. of Grace Jones, a tablespoon of Janelle Monae, a couple cubes of Ciara and a dash of Sasha Fierce? You throw it in a blender and out pops Sherell Rowe, a brand new artist with a brand new sound that has the potential to heat up dancefloors all over the place.

Born in Hawaii and later transplanted into what Washington D.C. metro natives affectionately call the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia), Sherell dabbled a bit in go-go (DC's urban staple sound) for a while until she merged with Dark Planet Records and opted to go for a new sound that resulted in a cocktail of Electronica, Pop, R&B, Rock and Rap. This genre-splicing debut EP is a no holds-barred cornucopia of sounds that inspires you to move your body and rock out as Sherell seductively sings and ferociously raps through 6 explosive songs that will invade your ears and your mind.

On the introductory track, "Animal", Miss Sherell throws down the vocal gauntlet amidst syntesizers and hard beats to let you know that she's not just some pop tart that croons about lost loves and budding romances, she is rather a predator on the prowl from whom her prey simply cannot hide. Toward the end of the song, Sherell introduces herself to the world with a message of caution: "It's crazy... I've been sittin' in this cave for so long. Watchin'. Waitin'... I'm here..."

Another standout track is "Jump Anthem." With a melodic intro that transitions into a beat-driven jam chronicling Sherell's night out with her girls, taking over the dance floor, having herself a good time amidst the haters and sending them a message that she is not the one to go toe to toe with. "All my nasty girls get nasty. All my classy girls get trashy. And if they hate on you, get sassy. And if you don't know how, just ask me."

"Ordinary" starts off with a cute variation of "Mickey", in which her girls shout out "Sherell, you're so fine. The boys all have to stand in line. Go Sherell, go, go, go Sherell!" Then the song slides into a fusion of rock and rap that features Sherell lyrically assaulting you over drum beats and synthesizers. Modesty isn't a game Sherell plays well and she owns up to being conceited but not being interested in petty drama. This one is sure to stand out in the crowd.

Feeling a little freaky? Get into Sherell's naughty single "Sex Toy." Lyrical analogies and metaphors transform our girl into a living, breathing sex toy that seductively persuades her lover to ravish her and devour her with passion. Dubbed "Little Miss Masochist" by the featured rappers and labelmates Roll Wit Us All-Stars, Sherell sure churns out a boot-knockin' anthem if you ever needed one!

"Breath" brings out the metal rapper/songstress powerhouse in Sherell, as she melodically zips through raps over the waves of electric guitars. Hmm, maybe the track is called "Breath" cuz you really begin to wonder if she needs to catch her breath at all over the 3 minutes and 7 seconds that she speeds through the song letting her lover know that she's in charge, but open to new sexual experiences if she gets what she wants physically and mentally. Everything comes with a price according to Miss Thang, huh?

On the final track, "Woman", she turns out a pop/dance hybrid "I am woman, hear me roar" anthem. "You tell me what you want, like I pay attention. And I forgot to mention that I don't want it (don't want it). Yeah, well I'm a big girl now, so watch your mouth. I'm a big girl now, yes I'm a woman! A woman!" This isn't your average Spice Girl-esque girl-power anthem, there's a lot more bite. The song is full of attitude and demands respect like it's name was Aretha Franklin.

Overall, Sherell Rowe does an incredible job of creating a unique genre-merging sound on an EP that could potentially catapult her into superstardom. Watch out, Beyonce! Local DC metro talent could be coming for your stylish stilettos. - Bark + Bite Blog

That night, artist Sherell Rowe added to the midnight performance (along with "Baltimore DJ Steve Lemmerman) by slamming the crowd with a few of her live tracks - nearly buckling the dance floor underneath a packed house jumping and spinning about to her music. In that performance, the Pink Sock party revealed much of its success. Over the past year, the party has broken conventions of which gay nightlife in DC had been known". - Brightest Young things

When you think of DC R&B, the stereotypes are that it’s very boho and, let’s face it, stuck in the neo-soul past. And honestly, it’s been a minute since the DMV has produced a credible pop starlet.

Until Sherell Rowe.

I’ve been sitting on this track Sex Toy for almost a year now (not my fault) and somehow managed not to leak or post it until today. The song is a bonifide pop thriller, with stellar production by Darkroom and an obviously sexy hook. Compared to weaker songs that have made it to the radio, this track is pure gold.

Sherrell just dropped her EP, and it’s hands down one of the best pop projects I’ve heard all year. It’s electro-pop, but since the produciton has it’s roots in Baltimroe, it sound more authentic than a lot of the wannabe electro pop that has flooded the marketplace in recent years.

A very good look. - The Couch Sessions

This interview is available in audio form only: http://www.divshare.com/download/12453917-dfe - Marcus Dowling (TGRIOnline.com)

On September 24th, True Genius Requires Insanity is bringing SOUL TRAIN to DC's U Street Music Hall. Why? Well, September 27th is Soul Train host, creator and music legend Don Cornelius' 74th birthday. While we can't bring Don to U Hall to celebrate, we're instead going to celebrate his creation, what he proclaimed as a "stone gas," and the "hippest trip in America" filled with "love, peace and soul" back to prominence for one night. We're going to have a THIRTY MINUTE LONG Soul Train Line. We're going to have a scramble board. We'll probably have skinny microphones, and with the Sol Power crew of DJ Stylus, Deep Sang and DJ Meistro DJing, you'd imagine there would be an emphasis on the show's classic era of Cornelius as host from 1971-1993.

Keeping in line with the Soul Train theme, we absolutely had to have a performer that met to the standards of the program. 80s disco/funk/pop dynamos Shalamar were comprised of later 80s and 90s R & B staple Howard Hewett and Soul Train dancers (the true inventor of the moonwalk) Jeffrey Daniel and later a major solo R & B and dance star, Jody Watley. That eclectic dance energy with a heart based in soul is what Dark Planet Records artist Sherell Rowe brings to the table. Born in Hawaii and having moved all over the United States as a military brat, Rowe has developed into a singer whose vocal strength and sonic flexibility are her calling cards as a professional. Tracks like "Sex Toy" recorded with TGRI favorites the Roll Wit Us All-Stars show the strength of Rowe as a performer, and are indicative of the fun and frenzy with a premium on quality she brings to the table.

I had the opportunity to interview Sherell about her career so far, her upcoming EP, and thoughts about the industry in general and her upcoming plans.

Enjoy!
- Marcus Dowling (TGRIOnline.com)