Governor
Governor is the name of more than one artist:
1) hip-hop
2) post-punk
1) Governor started in Charles City, Virginia, when he graduated from high school. Governor, who plays the saxophone, trumpet and percussion, was accepted into the much-coveted Berklee College of Music, but he opted to form an R and B outfit a la Jodeci, named Case Closed. The group headed to New York City. Unsurprisingly, the group disbanded, and Governor went back to Virginia.
Governor returned to the Big Apple where he to nine-to-fiving and hustling. He eventually caught a break with indie cornerstone, Warlock Records, who via a production deal eventually released his debut, "Another State of Mind" (2000).
In 2002, Governor eventually landed himself in the company of the Trackmasters. By this time, Governor had altered his groove from the orthodox R and B delivery employed on his Warlock release, tapped into his hip-hop influences and came up with his current style. Governor recorded an amount of songs with the Trackmasters, most notably, the intoxicating "My Life," featuring 50 Cent-who was at the time also signed to the Trackmasters. In fact, Governor and 50 recorded about six songs together for a prospective album they tentatively named "Best of Both Worlds."
Not long after Governor and the Trackmasters decided to go their separate ways, he was introduced to his business partner "Haitian" Jacques Agnant and his cousin, producer Wyclef Jean. The two hit it off right away. Governor appeared on a Clef-produced song on Santana's "Shaman" (2002) and his "Preacher's Son" album (2003). Clef was indeed also responsible for Governor's signing to Atlantic Records. He walked Governor into music executive Craig Kallman's office, who signed him.
While completing the recording process for Atlantic, Governor received a call from Dr. Dre, who expressed his interest in producing six songs for Governor's major label debut. He flew to Los Angeles where he ended up recording over a dozen scorchers with Dre. Unfortunately the industry red tape got the better of the situation-Governor's work is, to this day, very unlikely to see the light of day.
Then he teamed up with Grand Hustle, the Atlanta-based label owned by Atlantic recording artist T.I. and his business partner Jason Geter, through a joint venture with Atlantic. "Grand Hustle gives me a direct connect to a million people," he says. He met with the former at the recommendation of Kallman, and the two immediately hit it off. Governor was confident their new alliance would help him bring his sound to lovers of both R and B and hip-hop alike.
Governor's debut for Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records, "Son of Pain," starts with the touching "Blood, Sweat and Tears."
Governor labels his musical blend "Soul Folk." "Folk music is about the story and the message," he says. "Soul music is about the feeling. R and B is so dead; I don't even want to consider myself R and B. Everybody wants to dance for massa. I don't dance, I boogie."
Governor wrote every song on his album. "Music is a vehicle for saying something," he says "It is an art. We already know what hustling's about... the street life. There's a whole other spectrum that our people don't talk about. Artists take their power for granted. At the end of the day, what you leave here when you go is more important than what you did."
He doesn't rely on hip-hop as a crutch for his vocal shortcomings. He is as proficient a singer. "I try to create timeless music but still incorporate some hint of the current era I'm in. Everybody that's young wants to be old, and everybody that's old wants to be young," says Governor. "I'd never go back though and listen to an O'Jays joint and try to switch the vibe from it and roll with it. That vibe is already in my blood. I was born with that."
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