After over two decades as the lead vocalist for the
incomparable hit-making R&B band Mint Condition, singer and two-time GRAMMY
Award nominee Stokley charters a new course with his breathtaking debut solo
album Introducing Stokley, set for release on June 23, 2017 via Concord
Records. Featuring guest appearances by the likes of GRAMMY-winning jazz
pianist Robert Glasper and Estelle as well as some production from
multi-platinum duo Carvin Haggins & Ivan Barias, Introducing Stokley is a
refreshing artistic statement rooted in the soul music tradition from one of
R&B’s most remarkable voices.
Hailing from the Minnesota twin cities of Minneapolis and
St. Paul, Stokley was reared in a family that fostered a deep devotion to
musical and cultural expression. Showing an affinity for the drums early on, he
began seeking out opportunities in the fertile musical landscape of his
environment. Coming of age at the peak of Minneapolis’ intense affair with the
pop and R&B charts, the city was a virtual hotbed of talent in which
Stokley would be groomed for imminent, monumental success. Surrounded by acts
like the Time, the Jets and the omnipresent Prince and the Revolution, he began
earning his stripes as a drummer and vocalist.
In the mid-1980s, Stokley became a founding member of what
was the genesis of Mint Condition. After several years of gigs and paid dues, a
stroke of serendipity saw the band cross paths with that of lauded
multiplatinum producers and hometown heroes Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Fresh
off the success of Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, the two former members
of the Time had just inked a deal with A&M Records to distribute their own
label, Perspective Records. Jam & Lewis recruited Mint Condition to their
label’s roster and released their debut album Meant to Be Mint in 1991.
The group soon found success in their now-classic single
“Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes).” The song broke through on the pop and
R&B charts, reaching #6 on the Billboard 100 and #3 on the Billboard
R&B chart and was eventually certified gold. In 1993, the band released its
sophomore effort From the Mint Factory. The lead single “U Send Me Swingin’”
hit #2 on the Billboard R&B chart and was a testament to the group’s
intrinsic ability to craft sublime songs that crystalized contemporary R&B
sensibilities with a live band aesthetic.
Continuing their winning streak, Mint Condition released
Definition of a Band three years later. The album contained the Billboard Top
40 hit “What Kind of Man Would I Be,” which was also certified gold. Definition
of a Band would also become the group’s first gold-certified album. Mint
Condition signed with Elektra Records and released their fourth effort, Life’s
Aquarium. The album produced yet another Billboard Top 40 hit for the group in
the form of “If You Love Me.”
Following Life’s Aquarium, Mint Condition made the
collective decision to continue on their journey by taking the reins of their
career and young legacy by independently releasing subsequent efforts, the
first of which being Livin’ the Luxury Brown, unveiled in 2005. As the group’s
first self-released foray, the album reached #54 on the Billboard 200, #11 on
the Billboard R&B chart, was #1 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart
and was nominated for a Soul Train Music Award. Building on their newfound
independent success, the group followed up with E-Life (2008), 7 (2011) and
Music at the Speed of Life (2012). In 2017, Healing Season (2016) was
GRAMMY-nominated for Best R&B Album.
Apart from his band dynamic, Stokley has been an in-demand
session drummer and vocalist in the industry for quite some time, performing on
recordings by artists such as Elton John, New Edition, Usher and the late
Prince. Over the years, Stokley also began to expand his repertoire as a
producer and featured vocalist. In 2011, Stokley co-produced and dueted with R&B
recording artist Kelly Price on the hit “Not My Daddy.” The song reached #22 on
the Billboard R&B chart and received two GRAMMY nominations in the
categories of Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song. The following
year, Stokley lent his vocals to a cover of the 2008 Mint Condition song “Why
Do We Try” featured on Robert Glasper Experiment’s GRAMMY-winning Black Radio
album.
Stokley also built bridges within the hip-hop community,
appearing on projects by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest founding member Ali
Shaheed Muhammad, Tech N9ne and Brother Ali. Fortifying his relationship with
that community, he also co-produced several tracks on Maybach Music Group
recording artist Wale’s critically acclaimed 2013 album The Gifted as well as
his 2015 album The Album About Nothing—both of which debuted at #1 on the
Billboard 200 chart. Stokley also fortified his ties to the jazz community with
guest features on albums such as Brian Culbertson’s 2012 Verve Records release
Dreams and the Billboard #1 best-selling Contemporary Jazz Record of 2015 by
saxophonist Boney James entitled futuresoul.
And while Stokley was content with his band of brothers in
Mint Condition as well as his outside collaborative endeavors, he realized that
the time had come for him to embark on a musical voyage in a vessel meant for
him to steer alone. Introducing Stokley finds the singer stepping into the
spotlight, a vibrant portrait of an artist on a quest to cultivate a creative
statement as an individual. The album offers listeners a fresh perspective of a
dynamic voice that has resonated with core fans around the world for over two
decades. “I’ve been gearing up for a minute,” he says. “My thirst has been
building. And I’ve been moving at a great pace with Mint Condition. But I just
want to take some time to move differently right now. I think one should
experience everything life has to offer. And if you have a gift, and most of
all the ambition, you should do it.”
Though he’d amassed several albums worth of material over
the years, he knew his debut had to be special and was steadfast in pursuit of
the goal to ensure the project was founded on a clean slate. “I got tired of
just hearing my own voice,” says Stokley. “I didn’t want to feel too isolated.
I wanted different textures. So I invited people to come in.” To that effect,
he enlisted the efforts of Carvin Haggins & Ivan Barias. Responsible for
the success and hits behind such multi-platinum acts as Musiq, Jill Scott,
Ledesi and Faith Evans, the Philadelphia-based duo contribute to the fabric of
Introducing Stokley in a way that superbly compliments Stokley’s mellifluous
vocal style. “They’re like a young, East Coast Jimmy & Terry,” says
Stokley. “They know the industry pretty well and also have kept their finger on
the pulse of what’s happening musically over the years.”
Introducing Stokley also includes co-writing contributions
from Sam Dew and Los Angeles-based songwriting group the A Team. “Putting all
these different energies,” he reflects. “Collaboration is a great thing. It’s how
you make the world work. I’m a musician at heart, so I wanted to pick people
that are just incredible.”
The album’s groove-laden lead single “Level” finds Stokley
wielding his mighty pen as a songwriter, weaving lyrics of affirmation over a
propulsive rhythm guitar-driven track produced by Stokley. “We all seek to find
someone or something that fits just right for us,” he says. “Everybody wants
something that fits with them comfortably. Something on their level.”
The Haggins & Barias-produced “Organic” is a take on the
human compulsion for acceptance and how individuality can be compromised in the
pursuit. “I hear a lot of women particularly speaking about the concept of
fitting in, with regard to styles, personalities,” he muses. “A lot of women
think that’s what makes them more appealing, when it was actually better when
they were just being themselves.” The singer notes that the title “Organic” is
also a nod to his newly vegan lifestyle.
Partially inspired by current sociopolitical events and the
deliberateness and critical commentary of Marvin Gaye’s landmark 1971 hit
“What’s Going On,” “We/Me” finds Stokley reverberating with the times in an
earnest yet piercing take on various sociopolitical state of affairs buoyed by
undertones of the Motown sound. “It’s a social statement that takes a look at
what’s going on around the world,” he says of the song. “I didn’t want to be
preachy, but I knew I had to say something. When you’re taking in all this
energy, you have to let it out somehow.”
“Art in Motion” (featuring Robert Glasper) is a wondrous,
sonic hybrid of eras and production techniques. “I came up during a time when
it was just about analog,” he says. “But I also love digital. I love new
technology and new sounds. So here, I’m bridging a gap between these two
worlds. The song has electronic elements as well as analog.”
Shifting gears, the dancehall-flavored, Stokley-produced
“Wheels Up” exudes maximum island vibes and features Jamaican singer Omi (of
the 2011 triple-platinum hit “Cheerleader”). “I grew up playing steel pan drums
in a lot of reggae bands,” Stokley mentions. “So this is my ode to West Indian
culture.” Apart from its festive flare, the song also extols the virtues of
holding fast to one’s passion in life. “It’s about going for it,” he says.
“Your dreams; your goals. We’ve only got one life. So do whatever it is that
you were put here to do.”
It has been said that good things come to those who wait.
Fans have been patiently biding their time in hopes of a solo project from the
lead vocalist of one of the most important R&B bands of the past several
decades. With the bowing of Introducing Stokley it’s safe to say the wait is
over. “Artistically, I wanted to say something different and take it a few
degrees away from what I’ve done in the past,” contemplates Stokley. “Obviously
some of it is going to be familiar, because of my voice. I’ve just expanded my
sensibilities a bit more. Introducing Stokley is a look at the past and the
future. The fresh and the familiar.”
