What's in the Philadelphia water system? There is an epidemic running rampant through the city of steel and Beanie.
It started with the hip hop musicians/rhyme technicians/musical collective called the Roots. At a time when
most people were searching for old dusty records to feed into samplers, they were searching for ways to emulate the sounds from those same records with instruments: guitars, basses, drums. A unique concept in these days of electronic blips and bloops.
In an industry that thrives on fast food music, they refused to be part of the charade. They couldn't (wouldn't?) mingle in the clubs, spilling champagne, and smacking girls asses; they were the outcasts. .they had to form their own click... in Iladelph.
That isolation has allowed Philadelphia to mine the talents of quite a few soul artists. Artists that stand out because they're less interested in a marketing strategy as they are in stretching the boundaries of honest communication. It's a hard thing to come by today, honesty. But when it's in the air it stands out like a funky pair of socks being brushed across your nose.. you lying there, sleeping, and somebody's dangling sweaty cotton right above your nose... "what the fuck?"
It's a natural response to a disturbance of your comfort level. It's what Philadelphia's artists have been infected with though.. the need to shock your system.. make you say what the fuck? Give you some of that honest communication.
Following in the wet, muddy, footprints of The Roots, Jill Scott, and Musiq, comes a new voice to that crew of musical rebels... Jaguar Wright.
If a name is any indication of an artists persona, than a large ferocious cat can only hint at what Jaguar's about.
When wild animals are caged they become even more fierce and determined to break free. Growing up in a very, strict, religious household may have stirred the ferocity of Jaguar's musical style. Her father sang in church, weddings, and other social functions, which she was required to attend. But the shows provided oxygen for her burning creative embers. Pops was a little bit inspiring. At the same time though he restricted her from listening to commercial radio or records. Stomping out some of those flames. This at a time when Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Minnie Ripperton were at their peak. Respite came from summer block parties, where he couldn't just up and pull the plug. In Mission Impossible mode, she and her sister would sneak into the backyard or garage around midnight and listen to the radio. A whole lot of trouble, just to get some auditory pleasure.
When her mother and father would go out, she and her sister would get their jam on, hanging on to the sounds up until the last minute before he walked through the door. Looking out the window.. He pulls into the driveway... "uh oh, here comes ... What are yall doing in here? Nuthin." They had do be slick with it.
Her first attempt at music came through hip hop. She had a tattered notepad full of rhymes. Big Poppa found it and tossed it in the fireplace. It didn't deter her though, she continued to hone her craft, and later joined a rap group called Philly Blunts. Perfoming with them for four years, in and around Philly. When they disbanded she switched her focus to singing, and would hit studios in New York, Philly, and New Jersey performing as a backup singer and singing hooks for local artists.
She soon began to work on her own material and got a chance to perform at a local Philly gathering of female artists called The Black Lily. Founded by the Jazzyfatnastees, Black Lily was an arena for early performances by Jill Scott and India.Arie.
Jaguar broke loose with a thrilling performance. One that made her a regular at Black Lily and garnered her a spot on The Okayplayers Tour.. which is documented on The Roots Come Alive album, with the track "The Lesson: Part III."
Now officially a member of the Roots Collective and with a buzz about her improvisational and audience centered performances, she is set to release her debut album called Denials, Delusions and Decisions on MCA/Motive Records. The album features production from seasoned flavor veterans, James Poyser (Erykah Badu,) Scott Storch who blessed Dr. Dre's last album, and the Roots resident drum man and funkateer, ?uestlove, who put in overtime on D'Angelo's Voodoo among various other projects.
These guys simply provide a backdrop for Jaguar, as she has two hands on the wheel making sure her vehicle is steered in the right direction.. "It was important to me to have an album that was completely me, which is why I wrote and co-arranged my whole album. Jaguar as an artist is the purest part of me. I want to uplift people the way music has for me. I want people to put on my music and be touched by it.”
With the strong belief that hers is a god-given talent, Jaguar says that she's just warming up. If MCA plays their cards right they could have a hot one on the table... Let the people feast. They're hungry enough.
Get a taste of Miss Wright.. Jaguar Wright
