By Maya J


Call is a conundrum: Why is it that mass-marketed, over-hyped, Revlon-endorsement-ready female R&B singers with the least talent (by old school standards) are put into heavy rotation on nationwide radio stations, BET, MTV, and every other music network while the sistas with real talent and something to say are consistently given no love? Think hard and you'll find that the answer out-dates the entertainment industry itself. Clearly, its hard out there for a female soul singer these days but none of this deters Angie Stone, who is set to release her latest Stax Label cd, "The Art of Love & War," on October 16th. Refusing to be placed in a box or confined to white standards of beauty which all too often are the ticket of admission into the music industry, Ms. Stone relies on her God-given talent, natural beauty, and self-love to fuel her success.

Born in 1961 in South Carolina, Stone, like many soul artists, began singing gospel in church as a child. According to Stone, her start in music began in high school where she wrote poetry and cheers for her cheerleading squad. She even won first runner-up behind Ms. Black South Carolina, singing a song she had originally wrote. "It was in my blood [to do music] but I didn't know it would come so fast," said Stone.

Stone's major break came in 1979 when a road manager puller Stone and her friends through the back door while they were waiting in line at a concert. The owner of Sugar Hill Records happened to be backstage and having wrote a couple of songs, Stone was able to perform on the spot and secure a deal, first as a Sugar Hill Girl and later as a member of the rap-trio, The Sequence. The trio saw some success with hits such as "Funk You Up" and "Funky Sound," but their success eventually faded.

Reemerging in the 90's as a member of the R&B trio, Vertical Hold, Stone once again had some success but not like the success that came in 1999 when she released her album debut, "Black Diamond."

Having reached major success with consistent solo platinum and gold albums, Stone is a great example of a talented woman who has succeeded despite the industry's misguided reliance on appearance. "I think that because of [beauty] standards that keep us as a race down, we've become victim of the things that we think we can't change," said a passionate Stone. "But I've proven that that's not right because I've been in the business since 1979 and I'm still in the game. I'm proving to the rest of the world that it is not about looks and I'll fight that until I leave this planet. We can't allow [the industry] to dictate what the world would like to see. I don't give the industry credit at all because I'm who God made me and no man can judge me. At the end of the day, if I got a big butt and big boobs and whatever, then that's who I am."

Donning the album cover with her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, full-lips, and natural, flat-ironed hair, Stone says the inspiration for the cd came through self reflection and self love. "I [did] the album entitled 'The Art of Love & War' because there has been a war going on forever in this industry and will probably always be, but love will always win in the end...So the process came through shedding some old skin and growing some new skin."

On her new album she sings "Happy Being Me," as inspiring and reflective song about loving yourself and being happy with you. Stone wrote the song after battling Congestive Heart Failure which she says was a major turning point in her life. "I did [the] song 'Happy Being Me' because God allowed me to live," she said. "The reason that I'm happy being me is because I don't think you can do anything for everybody else until you love yourself enough."

Stone wrote over 90% of the album and calls the collection a creative rebirth because of her new label home at Stax Records. Her album brings back traditional soul reminiscent of the legendary soul label's notable artists including Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and The Dramatics, but with a neo-soul twist. "I decided to go with Stax because it was a re-launch of an icon, a historical label right up there with Motown," said Stone, who recorded in Marvin Gaye's former studio. "I was the flagship artist which meant I would be given undivided attention."

Complete with Stone-esque chords and stylistic arrangements, "The Art of Love & War" is an inspiring, feel-good cd that is both uplifting and down to earth, much like Stone's personality and demeanor.

Some of the stand out tracks include "Take Everything In," an uplifting song about being grateful for where you are and optimistic about the future, and "Half A Chance," a piano driven song about an attempt to get another chance at a relationship.

"Baby," the first single released from the LP featuring classic soul artist and Stone's good friend, Bettie Wright has peaked at 22 on the Billboard Charts and has created a buzz around the new album.

"I hope this album reaches a lot of people and reaffirms that there's still good music around," said Stone. "I just really hope that this album makes a lasting impression so that I don't have to keep trying to prove to the world that I'm a worthy artist."