Algebra

“Motown Records tried to sign me for about a year but the A&R wouldn’t let me sign unless I spoke to the president of the company, that was Kedar. Finally I signed to Motown, then I left Motown, but me and Kedar have been working together ever since” admits Algebra. Real name, Algebra Felicia Blessett, born in US soul town, Atlanta, Georgia, is getting us ready for her first recording Purpose. She says, “Anthony Hamilton is great, he’s a fun, and happy person. An agency in America hooked it up and I did a couple of shows with him. I was on Motown then, so they thought it would be a good thing” about her experience touring with major soul artist Anthony Hamilton. Algebra speaks about her unique name (and high school name calling) “Well with my name I got picked on all the time, like I got picked on so bad! So bad! It’s my real name; I was named after my Aunt, both of my Aunts, my Mothers sister, and my Fathers sister. Only here in the UK, I found two people with the last name Blessett” As mentioned previous PurposeAlgebra’s first recording, she admits, “I want to put this record out. Tour, promote it, and get more established. Not for fame, I want fame don’t get me wrong, but I want to be a vessel in someone’s life. I want to help people so bad because I have so many people around me that suffer from so many different things. It could be death in the family or if its not feeling happy” is

Algebra continues “That kills people slowly and I want to help people. I think love and music really does that and I want to be apart of that. There are a lot of underground artists that are singing honest music and I want to be apart of that movement, to help people. In a few years from now, I want to have an album that people go. Do you remember this song? I want to be a classic; I want to be remembered as somebody that was needed, and that makes people smile. That’s my biggest thing. You know? I want to do moves, and buy big houses that are comfortable for my family, and start a school, definitely. I would love to have my own art school”

Algebra’s home town Atlanta, Georgia has been home to some of the worlds best soul legends such as Otis Redding to many independent artists “Yeah, Atlanta has a big soul scene” agrees Algebra. “I grew up there, my Mother sings Gospel, my great Grandparents; they did albums as well. So, soul music, Gospel music and R&B music, was listened to a lot in my Moms basement, because she’s heavily into music. She plays bass, she’s funky!”

During the interview, I was at the Opium Bar, a small oriental venue in Soho and outside, the weather was typical London heavy rain, wind and cloud. Later that day, major label recording R&B artist Joe Thomas showed up, after I had interviewed Algebra, who I saw drive up to the Bar. Algebra, “It’s funny but I like the rain. It reminds me of Philadelphia. Philadelphia’s very rainy and dreary but when I flew in a couple of days ago the sun was out. I like London, I haven’t had the change to take it all in but I listened to this radio station and I’m like, what is this? It will go from a very R&B song, to a very eclectic dub song, to alternative, or a pop song. We don’t get that in Atlanta, there are specific stations, for rap music, or R&B music”

Algebra describes the sound of her music “There’s a passion behind it onto my situation and it allows me to get to know myself through out this entire album. “I want to help people, heal people; I don’t know if you’ve listened to the album? But there’s a track on it called ‘U Do It For Me’. That was co-written by a friend of mine, she’s married and we were talking one day. We decided to write about repricosity people. It’s about doing onto others as they do onto you, basically. I want to make you happy because it makes me happy. Its about having somebody in your life and being able to be happy for them as well as being happy for you and I think it helped a lot of people. I had a message on my space and it said, ‘I finally found someone that does it for me’. I was like, ‘oh that’s so good!’” On a lighter note, I get Algebra to talk about what is in her IPod “I should have brought it! Regarding her Ipod. “I have a lot of soul, rock, blues, and gospel. I have classical. The only classical music I have is Bach. I’m a big fan of Bach and I have country. I have no Mexican music, I should get that. I don’t have any Indian music. I don’t have a lot of world music, and I should! I have no world music!”

Algebra’s vocals can be discovered on Monica albums and others like India.Arie. “I started singing in sixth grade, and was actually getting paid for it. That is maybe eight or nine years old, and the only reason I did that was to stay after school with my friends. I joined a Gospel choir, I couldn’t play any sports, and I wasn’t a basketball player. When I was younger I wasn’t aloud to wear jeans, only skirts and dresses. It was strict because of the religion that we were in. I did that to stay after school with my friends. I’m glad I did it; I started playing guitar after my first record deal and I was feeling bad, I was just board with music. I was board with a lot of things musically and I had a guitar that my Mother used, so I picked it up one day, it sounded horrible! Real bad! So, what I did was I decorated it, but I was horrible at playing it, but it soon started coming to me” She also plays guitar No I didn’t have music lessons, but I want to take lessons and I will because I write songs on these things!” expresses Algebra. “Do I care? Good question”, reflects Algebra regarding music industry opinions of her. “Yes and no. I know as a human being I can’t please everybody. I do what makes me happy first and if they don’t like it, its like I don’t want to be miserable trying to please everybody. I kind of care because I don’t want to offend anyone, but I do what makes me happy first, its extra humbling for them to enjoy it, and its what I’m here for, to give you me. The critics? I care, but some are just out to get you. They just start talking junk, no research or nothing” Lastly, Algebra chooses a word that describes her personality best “I’m going to tell you this word but your going to have to go look it up, I’m not going to tell you the meaning, my word is Blithe. That’s probably what I’d say, yeah”

Soulisms 2008