Philadelphia born, Kevin Michael is the new Atlantic Records/Downtown recording artist who releases his stunning debut single, ‘We All Want The Same Thing’ digitally on July 23rd. This opening track from the forthcoming self-titled album out October 15th, features Chicago native label-mate Lupe Fiasco and serves as both a statement of purpose and roots for Kevin who has lived in worlds both black and white. (“All my gangster friends/and all my skater friends/We all want the same thing/DJ’s in the clubs/Jesus freaks and thugs/We all want the same thing”). Kevin Michael brings to the game an irresistible blend of soul, funk, R&B and pop, conjuring up greats from the past whilst at the same time, adding something totally new. Born in Chester, Pennsylvania, the child of a black father and an Italian mother, Kevin grew up in a house filled with music. His father, a music fanatic, was known in his hood as “Rick Prince” due to his love of Rick James and Prince. Creating a legend and then living it out is what Kevin has set out to do with his debut album, Kevin Michael. “If I Ain’t Got You” is one of those rare one-listen songs; a bonafide smash-to-be, a love song filled with lament and loss – and a chorus that soars and demands to be sung along with upon hearing it for the first time. “Vicki Secrets,” featuring Kevin’s falsetto, shows off a singer with considerable sex appeal who knows how to communicate to the ladies.
And then there’s Kevin’s ode to Michael Jackson, “Stone Cold Killa,” which weaves a Latin percussive feel with snappy pop phrasing and layered vocal harmonies that conjure a world of good times, beautiful women and smiles on the dance floor.
“I don’t know where I begin and the music stops,” exclaims Kevin. With a stunning debut, Kevin Michael, ready to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting music public, the young soul man with the brimming confidence is ready to take his vision on the road and to the next level: “I’m going to tie everything together.
"Be Mr. Global, Mr. Universe. I’ve got the hit songs to do it – and wait till you see my show!”
Those are big claims, but great R&B stars were never about being falsely modest – they were about making big statements and having the skills to back it up.
“I came out of the gates swinging,” he says of his debut album, and it’s obvious that Kevin Michael is one of those rare artists who have got the talent to truly connect.