With depth, complexity and ease Algebra’s music speaks to your heart as universally as the language of mathematics. A singer/songwriter who has the ability to draw you in first with her dynamic voice and then hold your attention with her storytelling. Since discovering Algebra on VH1 Soul back in 2006 I have been a huge fan. Although I was a little disappointed that it took two years from the premier of her video for “U Do It 4 Me” to the 2008 release of “Purpose”, I must say this album was worth the wait and will continue to bump through my speakers until her next release. Since moving to Atlanta, Algebra has been one of many artist whom I have lost count of the number of times I’ve seen them perform live. All I’m saying is…when you are singing along with the live performance ad libs word for word….you might have an ADDIKTION.
(Biography from www.myspace.com/algebrablessett)
Ironically there are no textbooks or classroom instructions that could help one balance the equations of Kedar Massenburg’s newest protg, ALGEBRA. The Atlanta native insists that one can only discover her sonically. As an R&B solo artist with such a simple solution, when mainstream success seems to be more about the right hair, nails and make -up, Algebra is the perfect curriculum for breathing life back in to a genre overwrought by factory made clones. No stranger to performing, Algebra has been lending her melodic voice to projects and live shows for years. However, singing for other artists was about as out of character for her as having someone write songs for her. “Even when someone else wrote a song specifically for me, I felt like I was still being a background singer for myself.” As the music scene in Atlanta became the hot bed of popular music, Algebra taught herself to play guitar and performed regularly at open mics. This pivotal point in her career afforded her the time to develop her writing and performance skills even further without the harness of a prescribed format. “Soon you learn not to care what others think, you learn to perform for you. I would come back week after week and I learned to perform for balance and for freedom. I was becoming alive.” This organic approach permeates her music. Algebra can easily be pop, rock, rap funk or crunk, yet she can breathe ballads effortlessly. Collaborating with award-winning songwriter and producer Brian Michael Cox on “What Happened” quickly proved to be a true showcase of her brilliance. This soulful ballad is delivered so honestly and with such vulnerability that it appears as an autobiography. Algebra’s definitive voice and identity is one of full disclosure. “I don’t want to be boxed,” she asserts. The litmus test of what she would create lies in being relatable and in offering complete truth in every word she sings. On the song “Nothing To Prove” she boldly introduces herself with no apologies. She places all of herself on display and invites listeners to look past her stunningly beautiful physical and into her prayerful, soulful mental. As the first artist to be released on the revamped Kedar Entertainment Group, Algebra enters the contemporary soul music landscape following legacies created by artists like D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and India.Arie all of whom developed under the watchful eye of Massenburg. However her sound is unique. Algebra at first is unassuming, but it takes mere moments for you to recognize that she is not just a tempest in a teapot but more like the catalyst of a paradigm shift. With there being only two universal languages in this world – Math and Music; fate would have it, southern songbird Algebra represents both!
“U Do It For Me”
“Run & Hide”
