Choklate: Press

Growing up with what she calls music deprivation disease (meaning she was only raised on good gospel), Seattle native Choklate sings like she was drowned in soulful musical inspirations her entire life. The fact that Choklate’s songs remind listeners that they are powerful and can make it makes the disciplined recording process, singing, and performing all the more enjoyable for her.

The singer’s self-titled release out on Kajmere displays a level of maturity and depth that is rarely achieved in modern R&B. In speaking with her it becomes clear why. Choklate is completely centered, down to earth and secure in her faith and beliefs. Nu-Soul was able to speak candidly with this astonishing new talent about her life and her place in the music industry.


Who are your musical inspirations?
The people in music who have actually created the kind of music that still speaks to the soul of the world today. People like Marvin Gaye and Lalah Hathaway's daddy...her too and others like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, and Luther Vandross, etcetera.

I was told you don't mind exposing your flaws. Why do you feel the need to not put on a mask and front? Is it harder being you or trying to be someone else?
I don't want to mask and front because, for me, that takes away my freedom. My freedom is to exist as a real human being. If I tried to be someone or something that I wasn't, I'd be so extremely bound and unhappy. I'd forget the script half of the time and cause great confusion for those who are really watching. I'm sure of it. So I just try to stay calm and not get caught up and be me. It's my freedom.

You have a unifying way of singing. It feels like you're singing to me and everybody at the same time. Who do you want to or hope to reach with your songs?
Little black kids that feel real lost in their hoods and burrows, little girls, with no daddies at home, that are being 'touched' by grown men and thinking it's love, the young ones that feel [they are] ugly or unimportant, the grown folks raising them, the people who aren't free and walk around 'looking good' for everybody else and don't realize that the rest of the world is walking round 'looking good' for them, the people in the world who forget their power and their potential, the people who aren't truly free to be themselves and be great, the ME’s of the world, and the people that felt like I did when I was growing up.

What do you enjoy about being able to express yourself publicly to people who want to listen?
The fact that somebody will play a song and remind themselves that they are ok, that they are powerful, and that they can make it. The ones that get the strength to make it one more day. The ones that feel encouraged and inspired. Those are a few things that are really enjoyable for me.
 
What is the hardest part about being a songstress?
The amount of work and discipline it takes to keep your voice in tact, stay consistent in the craft, and the bills that come every month.

What do you enjoy most about it?
The challenge is the new 'ME' that I see inside of the journey, the fact that some people are really touched, the non-musical people who listen and really feel like the music is just for them, and the fact that God is driving this and all I have to do is sit in the passengers seat, take doodle or twiddle my fingers, and he has my back and it's all good.

What do you expect of yourself musically?
Blessed are they who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed.

How do you deal with the expectations of others?
Teach them the aforementioned quote. I don't deal with expectations. The minute I acknowledge them is the minute the music will lose its effectiveness. I pray I never get caught up in that.
What keeps you going through each day?
Prayer and people that support me. Also, the super busy schedule. There's no time to stop and get concerned. Just the constant little day planner that reminds me there's something to do at 9:30a.m, 11a.m, 1:30p.m, 3p.m-8p.m, and 11p.m-7a.m. (That's the schedule of my appointments for today.)

What was your inspiration for the song "Bigger than You?"
Must've been God because that song came out in a matter of moments.

What was the experience of recording the album like?
Living life, writing about it, getting in the booth, and singing about it.

How do you feel about being on tour in support of your debut album? What is it like for you?
I'm happy the opportunity is here for me. I know a lot of people that aren't allowed to or don't know how to make this sort of thing happen. Hell, I don't know how it ended up happening for me really. It's hard because I don't have the money to do it. I'm just doing it on faith that God will keep me. I'm taking time off of work; basically quitting my job and getting out there with one other person to make all of this happen. Her name is Tracy Freeman. She's an angel. She runs this little website called On The Verge (www.onthe-verge.com) She basically, with a little help from a fella named G Rich in NC, put the whole thing together. Prayed everyday and then made the dates happen with sheer perseverance and drive to spread the word. It's hard a little because there are no guarantees in this music stuff but the bills show up faithfully, guaranteed. But I put a donation button on my Myspace (www.myspace.com/listen2chok) and on my website (www.choklatemusic.com) and just pray that one day someone will feel compelled to help out with the journey. Till the game actually starts paying some money, I'll just trust that the message is important enough to be in this vulnerable space. Humbles me anyhow to be in this space and I'm sure that's probably where I need to be.

Where do you feel you fit within the genre of soul music?
I don’t know if I fit at all in any genre. I'll let the people who busy themselves with that kind of thing tackle that question. I'm sure they have something to say about it. That's their field of expertise or opinion or whatever you want to call it. Mine is living life and being an open book by way of song for those who need it. So I'll just stick to that.

What is next for you?
Living life, writing about it and hopefully continuing to get in the booth and record songs about it.
www.choklatemusic.com

Seattle-based singer/songwriter Choklate is proof that the Pacific Northwest can put out soul music that's as strong as its coffee. Working mostly with hip-hop producer Vitamin D, Choklate's debut album is a groove-filled neo-soul disc that sounds a bit like a grittier Conya Doss. Her cool delivery works well on strong, mostly mid-tempo compositions like "Never Change," "Whenever," "Incredible" and the bluesy gem "What's About to Go Down." In a year that has already introduced us to a new generation of talented female soul singers, Choklate is a tasty addition.

CR

Seattle's Choklate is relatively unknown, but that needs to change. This singer/songwriter's impeccable self-titled debut announces her as a major new player in the soul scene. Choklate is well-crafted soul packed with uplifting lyrics, gritty vocals and excellent production.



Choklate's vocals have an earthy quality, making it easy to relate to her, and the growl beneath her voice aims for the heart. Many of the songs speak about the power of love and God, self-motivation and the nature of music. "Waitin'," featuring Charli2na of Jurassic 5, offers up advice for those on the path to stardom: "Don't you mistake the detours for shortcuts/'cause you just might end up taking the scenic route." Choklate constantly provides visual soundscapes through her lyrics, weaving stories and images that speak to the spirit. Uplifting gems such as "Long Way" and "Bigger Than You" paint a picture of the singer as positive and God-loving, and "Gettin' Is Good" reveals a tougher side, one that has been hardened by the streets. Production-wise, the album has a live feel, with chunky drums and percussion dominating the sound. Things are mostly upbeat, but even the slower tracks have a constant groove and flow that allows the album to be played straight through. The sound is classic yet modern and sample-free.



Choklate is the sort of record that stays in your player for weeks because of its endless layers and complexities. For those who like real soul, this one can't be beat.

No quibbling, let's get straight to the point: Choklate's new self-titled CD is the best R&B album to come out of Seattle, if not the entire Northwest. Choklate is world-class. The singing, songwriting, musicianship, mixing, beat-building—all of it has the substance and the quality of a work made in a world-class city. One more thing we should not quibble about is Choklate's vocal skill, which, in the competitive field of soul singing, is, once again, world-class. When you hear her voice (its easy elasticity, its richness, its ability to capture and communicate a precise emotion or a moment in time), you are not listening to an imitation of soul, but to soul itself.

In style, mood, and artistic direction, Choklate picks up where Mary J. Blige left off in the mid-'90s; much like that great singer did in her early period, Choklate maintains a close relationship with hiphop. But with Mary J. Blige, the union always seemed a matter of survival: Hiphop was on the rise in the early '90s, and R&B, after the extravagances of the '80s, was in decline and looking for fresh blood. Connecting with hiphop was the practical thing to do. With Choklate, the union is completely natural. In her music, there isn't a line where R&B ends and hiphop begins—a line that is discernible in, say, Monica's "Just One of Dem Days," or in TLC's "Creep." With Choklate, there is no line because her music is not a marriage between hiphop and R&B, but rather the child of that marriage.

The musical director of Choklate is the leading local hiphop producer Vitamin D. He organized the contributions made by Bean One, Jake One, Amos Miller, Jay Townsend, and the promising new producer Kuddie Mak into an aesthetically consistent whole. Nothing on the CD sounds superfluous; the mood (twilight-warm, jazz-smooth, soul-confident with a touch of Northwest melancholy) is maintained throughout with no shocks, disruptions, or unexpected turns in the movement from one track to the next. This uniformity brings Choklate close to a concept album with a very specific project—the project of the self: the self in love, the self suffering lovesickness, the self in situations of vulnerability, the self remembering things past.

Choklate is, of course, the self in question; she is not, however, self-centered. In "Heavy," a brooding, cinematic track produced by Amos Miller that recalls, oddly enough, Radiohead's "Morning Bell," Choklate expresses deep sympathy for someone who is going through a rough period. She sings: "Believe me/Don't think I don't feel you/Don't think I don't hear you... Being me is a world of responsibility so to you I know it's heavy." The self in Choklate's music exists with (and recognizes) others. In the jazz-smooth opening track, "Thank You" (produced by Jay Townsend), Choklate offers something of a short prayer to an other who has been very good to her: "Thank you for being you/Thank you for challenging me to be a better me/Thank you because of you I'm a better who you believed in."

That last line ("Thank you because of you I'm a better who you believed in") is an excellent example of the kind of existential word play that thrives in Choklate's songwriting. I cannot think of any other R&B singer who is so openly philosophical, always trying to reach some essence of being, "being me," "being you," being in time.

The attitude that almost all R&B artists have toward philosophizing is the one expressed by Portrait in "Here We Go Again": "Climb a mountain (what mountain?)/Swim a sea (What sea?)/See what I mean? (No!)/I don't know but I don't won't go too deep." That is not the case with Choklate; she is not scared of depth and will push her lyrics into dizzying ontological vortexes. "Shoulda, coulda, woulda—now what?/Are we going to do about what/We done got into—now what/how about nothing," she sings in "Now What," an elegantly sad track produced by Vitamin D.

On another track, still untitled and not yet available, Choklate sings over a pounding Bean One beat: "Please believe what you want to believe but leave me to do me/And I'm gonna practice what I preach/Ain't nobody do me better than me." Indeed, very few can do R&B better than our Choklate.

charles@thestranger.com

Soulster Choklate gives Seattle a whirl


Is it all just about rock, with a few dashes of hip-hop — or does Seattle have soul, real soul?

Hip-hop often has elements of soul music, manipulating old R&B beats, and often with a singer doing background under the raps ... but true soul, honest-to-goodness soul, is much harder to find.

Look hard enough, though, and you will.

Felicia Loud has soul, as evidenced by her sizzling debut two years back; her second album is eagerly anticipated.

And now comes Choklate, a recent, wonderful injection into the Seattle scene. She takes a long, leisurely soul stroll on her new, self-titled album.

Many move from Seattle to Los Angeles, looking to make it big; Choklate headed in the opposite direction. In an e-mail exchange, Choklate explains she "moved to Seattle because I'd grown up in San Diego and after high school I couldn't keep a daggone job and all of my close friends starting spitting out kids ... so I ran toward the hills ... Seattle."

The move also flipped a switch for her musical career. Her seeped-in-the-'70s first album is a dazzling disc, with standout tracks like "Getting Good Grown":

"Things ain't the way they was back in the day

I had to learn some of the game on my own"

Some songs have hip-hop-esque lyrics, but delivered in a soft, even mournful, voice. By contrast, the deep-as-a-barrel Chali2na from Jurassic 5 pays a visit on "Waitin'," a sizzling track that has "play this on the radio" written all over it. That cut was produced by Vitamin D, who was behind several other titles on the album, and is credited as executive producer.

The big question: Will rock-dominated Seattle keep Choklate from melting?

Choklate wrote that she hasn't thought much about her place in this place:

"I haven't really analyzed whether the rock scene has been open to me. I haven't even really paid attention. I didn't know that I had a voice 5 years ago. ... And then one day I was at my brother's studio where they were recording some music and needed another verse on a song, and I'd just gotten into a pretty bad accident, where I'd had my face cut and lost my job and a buncha crap, and they asked me to rap about it and I did, and when I stepped out of the booth all eyebrows were raised. Mine included.

"So about the rock scene? All I've ever known is hustle and survival. I've never had much time to figure out who is or isn't accepting or open to me. I would hope they would be, though. Seattle needs some soul."

"“This Debut album is an impressively mature 13 piece songbook offering soul, raw hiphop and contemporary jazz…which showcases perfectly what a huge talent this particular piece of Choklate is.” - Blues & Soul, UK

Straight up! Choklate is a female ambassador for not only the independent music market but also for artist's that know how to sing from the heart and not just to make a certain music label happy! This self-titled debut release will or should for sure have a lot of soul artists signed to majors, looking at the meaning of the word freedom of expression. The vocal and writing skills from Choklate grabs the listeners attention from the soul and not just the ear. Forget about the similarities and comparatives because this young talented lady is in a class of her own. Kajmere Sound Recordings is a superb independent label that is holding its own ground in nurturing the finest homegrown artists. At last, a fine collection of producers that understand how to produce not just for Hits, but on keeping organic music alive! Recommended for luvers and searchers of rare organic soul music.

Live.This is how its done properly.
Reviewer: Gary F
Everyone I play this too, says get me a copy!Excellent soul music with the use of proper live instruments, a solid Album from beginning to end, definately recommend to all followers of quality soul music.


Choklate is INCREDIBLE!
Reviewer: Jazmyn
I don't know how Seattle got so lucky to have such raw and beautiful talent, but I am happy to be from the town that Choklate so lovingly represents. My major complaint as of late has been that music is lacking real talent these days. Everytime I turn on the radio I am innundated with talent-less singing over mediocre beats. Choklate is truly a breath of fresh air. She sings from her soul and always has me wanting more. She is a storyteller, there is a message in each song; listen.... An outstanding performer, talented singer and songerwiter and beautiful spirit; Choklate has it all and I have her back all the way!!


Fantastic, the way I remember music sounding
Reviewer: Kissy, the true music fan
I loved the CD. I listened from beginning to end and let it repeat on my car stereo everyday for a week. I told all my friends about this CD, it is worth boasting about. It reminds me of the music I use to hear on the radio when I was growing up. I miss the days of hearing real talent over the radio. Today, with the mixing of studio techtronic and studio created "music" you just have replicas and simulation of musicians. Choklate is the real deal. Every cut is a serving of a fresh and delicious dessert.


we think it's nothing short of fabulous!
Reviewer: alistbeats.com (click for website)
we think this c.d. has given everyone something to smile about. simply put nothing short of fabulous. if your working on any upcoming albums or projects, alistbeats.com would be honored to contribute tracks. keep up the good work. everyone appreciates good music. sincerely, alistbeats.com.


This is a classic
Reviewer: Emmanuel
This CD is very good. I love that I'm able to listen to every song straight through. I recommend you add this to your collection. This music is refreshing.


Choklate has it all wrapped up
Reviewer: Mary Beth Felker - The Voice Project
What's so amazing about this CD - so hypnotic - no, so ADDICTING about the girl's music is her transparent honesty. Clarity is the first word that comes to mind. As I was listening to these clips this morning, it hit me. What draws you into her voice and her world is that she's not afraid to write, to say, to sing about those things that the rest of us keep buried deep inside. Those things we feel but are too shy to express. Those things we believe but are too scared of criticism to voice. Those things we dream about but are too scared to speak into truth. She epitomizes what our mama's told us growing up, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say nothin' at all!" Choklate defies fear and writes songs about the full humanity in all of us - hope, love, truth and the belief that we are all "incredible" exactly as we are. There is nothing sweeter to the soul than that...Thanks Choklate.


beauty has spoken! choklate has given listeners something beyond sweetness!
Reviewer: carltunes - music producer
beauty has spoken! one of the prettiest albums i've heard this century. with this album i don't even have to put my remote to work, i just let those pretty soulfoul songs play right thru. incredible work, balanced production with a variety of hit songs. my hat tilts to choklate and the production team behind her. you've touched and inspired me! you've got my vote! god bless!



Reviewer: Tamara Turner, CD Baby
Teasing us with morsels of trip hop, nibbles of disco and deeply ingrained pulses of old school funk, Choklate brings to the table a mouth-watering recipe of modern soul and R&B. Drawing ingredients from jazz and hip hop as well, and despite being associated with such high profile artists like De La Soul, there is a penetrating clarity about the music on this self-titled disc that melts preconditions and expectations, leaving listeners as willing and hungry empty vessels. Like love itself, the longer you spend with the album, the more you need to keep going back. Building that insatiable craving are some of the tightest and most cohesive R&B textures in the business, where every layer, every instrument, every chord locks into place with precise artistry. And at the end of the day, when you can no longer absorb the intricacies and complexities, it is just as easy to sit back and soak in the darn good beats, the addicting grooves.

KDSMusic One Sheet for Choklate

True soul-full music!, July 1, 2006
Reviewer: LATRICA MCGILL "lalasdestinee" (Seattle, WA)

Chok put her heart and soul into this album and we are all reaping the musical/lyrical benefits.:) The beats are bangin', melodies=heavenly and this is definitely one of my favorite cds at the present. If you're pondering upon the idea of purchasing this record, DO SO! You'll be pleasantly surprised.


This CD is pure, unadulterated, EAR CANDY!!!!, June 22, 2006
Reviewer: U. M. Fitzpatrick

Wow. This CD actually ministers to my soul. Her vocals are on point, the lyrical content is amazing. I would HIGHLY recommend this CD to all. Not too preachy, not too mellow-----it is truly EAR CANDY! From the first track to the end, I was in awe of her talent! My boyfriend is always introducing me to new music, but this time, he introduced me to a hidden jewel!


Too Hot to Put Down!!!!, June 2, 2006
Reviewer: T. W. (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
I heard Choklate about six months ago when she opened for Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings in Seattle. I purchased her first CD and it was amazing. This new compilation of her latest songs is pure heaven to the ears, heart, and soul. I can't wait to see her again live when she begins to promote this album. Every song is stellar but here are a few of my favorites: Never Change, Waitin, Heavy, Bigger Than You and Whenever. Every song deserves 5 stars.

Seattle Soul Sister - When talented soul singer Choklate relocated to Seattle four years ago from Southern California, she immediately became involved with the local hiphop and R&B scene. "All my girlfriends [in San Diego] started spitting out kids and nothing was really going on," she explains, "and so I thought it was time to leave. I was born in Seattle, my family lives here, and so I got a truck, headed up north, arrived at my brother's house, and there was a music studio in front of me." Her brother, Mike Daniels, is the owner and engineer of Common Sense Studio, which is located in South Seattle. "I've heard everything come out of that studio, except country and rock," she says, "and being surrounded by all of that music (gospel, hiphop, jazz, blues) activity got me thinking about writing and performing my own songs... It all started in that studio." read more, click on article link.

One album I ain't salty about, though, is Choklate's new self-titled LP. I know I don't deal with the R&B too often, but this shit is crazily on point. Vitamin D definitely did his thing as executive producer on this one—the sound is warm, seamless, and smooth. Vita, Jake One, Kuddie Mak, Jay Townsend, and Amos Miller all provide the perfect backdrops to Chok's silky, sultry vocals and I-love-you-and-this-music songwriting. Grown and sexy, Seatown style; gotta love that.

hiphop@thestranger.com

“What can I say about that girl? Choklate is an angel for real man. She’s a one of a kind type of girl. Beyond being a regular songstress…she’s able to capture a lot of different emotions. She’s an exceptional writer and singer…this girl has the gift to capture real emotions. The way she approaches it [songwriting] is like a rapper, in the sense that she cuts to the meat of it all…she doesn’t beat around the bush. And when I say “angel” I mean she’s got an angelic voice…and I LOVE workin’ with the girl.”

-Chali 2na (MC/Jurassic 5)




“Choklate is a beautiful thing…she has a beautiful spirit and she’s a pleasure to be around. When we worked together, she came in and just knocked it out until we had it right. She’s a perfectionist and that’s what I like about Choklate. She’s just a beautiful person. Choklate could be up with any other top singer out right now. She writes beautiful songs and she’s soulful. Soulful and sultry.”

-Supernatural


“As a reviewer it’s always exciting when a record comes along and shakes you up a little. So many tunes follow trends, formulas and fads, but “Waitin” [Choklate 12” single] is not one of those tunes. There is a bubblig stew of flavours infusing away here- new jazz, hip hop, funk and soul, to name a few genres.”

- DJ Mag (London)


“What’s the name of the label, Kajmere Sound? That’s what she’ll be bringin’ to the table. She has the vocals that are just pleasant and smooth but in your face. Choklate is definitely soon to be a fettish. I love her. Word up.

- Drez (Blacksheep)


Upon being asked about collaborating with Choklate:

“We were able to hear the same things in the music…writing the little hooks that we did together on songs. She’s fast. She hears music how it’s supposed to be heard and she breathes it.”

- Drez (Blacksheep)

Choklate
(SERIOUS SOUL) As the president of the Stranger Negro Club, I want to give Choklate's new CD, Choklate, our full endorsement. Three reasons why the CD won the club's support: (1) Vitamin D organized the music; (2) it has a guest appearance by Jurassic 5's Chali 2na; and (3) the singer not only draws from the rich tradition of the black voice, but contributes to it. Choklate is the soul sister of the year