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ROY DAVIS JR - Chicago Forever

With recent DJ gigs racking-up airmiles between Russia, France, Canada and all over the USA, a steady stream of production work for Warners, and a potential radio show in the works, a newly invigorated Roy Davis Jr. is finally ready to drop his musical "thank you" to the city he grew up in.

"Chicago Forever" was originally slated for release in the fall of 2003. But Roy Davis Jr. lost his mother, went through a divorce, and moved away from family to Los Angeles. The events from the past two or three years have made this the most difficult album he has ever produced. "I almost lost inspiration, and felt like I was wasting time making music," explains Davis Jr. "But the last thing my Mom had said was "don't you ever stop making your music!" Thinking about her, all the things I have in my life, and my faith has kept me going," he adds.

As if a mothers last words weren't enough motivation to get him in the studio he has also become determined to elevate the current perception of dance music from novelty status back to a genre that's as popular as any other black music, back to the days when Chicago house ruled the dance floor and set him out on his own career.

"The soulless dance music that most people have access to is so commercialized and sugar coated. The best tunes are so often underground now - it's time to take this black music from the hoods of Chicago, Detroit, LA, etc, back over the top," explains Davis Jr. "My approach is to merge aspects of more popular genres like soul and hip hop into my sound because there's a younger generation that may not have grown up on dance music like I did. And it's important to have better songs at varied tempos so the tracks are not always at 127 or 125 bpm."

Prior to the album release two singles have dropped on Ubiquity. Featuring vocals by Ubiquity label mate Jeremy "Ayro" Ellis and another Detroit native Terry Dexter, the latter single spent 10 weeks on the Billboard Dance Chart.

Tracklisting

1. Strings and Things
2. If You Wanna
3. I Know What You're Thinking
4. Wonderland
5. Common Calling (Interlude)
6. Nu Roots
7. Heavenly Father
8. My Soul is Electric
9. Caleb Calling (Interlude)
10. U Give U Take
11. Slow It Down (For The Steppers)
12. I Know What You're Thinking (Pt. 2 mix)

ROY DAVIS JR - Chicago Forever is available through Ubiquity Records, distributed by Creative Vibes

 

 

 

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