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Rachel McDonald

Rachel McDonald Radio

General Info

  • Genre: Hip Hop / R&B / Soul

    Location GWYNN OAK, Maryland, US

    Profile Views: 10531

    Last Login: 8/11/2010

    Member Since 2/3/2010

    Website redefinedmusic.viviti.com

    Record Label Redefined Music

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    .. .... .. .... .. ...... .... .... ..Rachel McDonald is not only an extremely talented singer and songwriter; she’s a woman on a mission: bringing soul back to urban music. As her musical influences are Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Chaka Kahn, Yolanda Adams, and Fergie, she certainly seems to be on course. ..The R&B artist and her producer Biblical Jones have conceptualized and completed her debut project “The Return of Soul,” a CD/film compilation. She released the first track, “Clenching My Pillow,” August 2009, and there is now a video to accompany it. The full EP was released in November, 2009. ..McDonald and Jones believe that the music industry has bled the emotion and artistry out of music with corporate interference and marketing practices. Educated at the Maryland Hall School for the Performing Arts, and steeped in the place where many R&B singers obtain their first experience – the church choir, she has already accumulated a laundry list of musical and theatrical experiences. At 18 years old, she has acted in nearly a dozen plays and almost as many vocal showcases and dance performances. McDonald has a staggeringly powerful voice and a wide vocal range (soprano, alto and tenor), both of which she aptly displays on “The Return of Soul." Her vocal style can be compared to Alicia Keys and Corinne Bailey Ray, and like them, she very ably conveys with conviction the messages in her music. .... ..McDonald has several performances under her belt including NFL 60, the Maryland Education Association’s MLK Breakfast, the Maryland House of Delegates African American Patriots Day, and the House of Blues in Los Angeles. She received the National Society of Arts Award for excellent in the arts in April, 2009. ..McDonald's musical message is quite clear: we need to get back to basics and put the emotion, the soul back into music. She is a messenger for this cause and wants her debut record to exemplify it. She brings a passion and intensity to R&B music that is long, long overdue and her album echoes that theme. She is nicknamed The Quick Hotness, a Kung Fu term used to describe one who moves so fast, they blaze a path. Rachel McDonald is blazing a path of intensely emotional, soulful music, a path other artists might be wise to follow. ...... .................................... ........Clenching My Pillow...... .. .. .. .. .. ......Rachel McDonald.. | ..MySpace Music Videos...... ...."Up-and-coming singer Rachel McDonald shows true promise in her music video for Clenching My Pillow, the first single off of her debut album, The Return of Soul. McDonald has an impressive vocal range for her age and showcases it well in this video. She uses inspiration from classic soul music and gives it a contemporary spin that can satisfy music fans across a series of generations. Her emotive voice and classic beauty is sure to leave an impression on anyone who watches this video. McDonald is one artist who is working to reshape the urban music scene." - MusicDishTV.. ...... .................................... ....Rachel McDonald, "The Return of Soul".. ....by Jon Peritz, MusicDish.. ..Rachel McDonald's debut LP, "The Return of Soul" is, at its heart, a dance album. Each song has a driving beat and strong bass line that, coupled with catchy, funky melodies, all but make you dance. Under its upbeat, dancy beats, however, this album is also chock full of love songs. McDonald sings about finding love in "What Is Love," losing love in "I'm Leaving You," an every step in-between on her 11 track record. ..The best part of this record is Rachel McDonald's stellar voice. Beyond her rich, open tone and vast range, the emotional quality of her voice is staggering. When she sings about love you can feel it in your heart, and when she sings about sex you can feel it in your loins. No matter what she sings about, the music goes beyond the listener's ears and into his or her body and soul. ..When McDonald set out to create this album with R&B producer Biblical Jones on Redefined Records, she sought to bring the soul back to music. She and Jones decry the over-commercialized music world and lament the loss of true music in the mix of business and politics. While "The Return of Soul" does not sound like the tradition soul music of previous decades, the spirit of soul music is omnipresent. If McDonald's vision is to bring soul back to music, then this record is the first step. "The Return of Soul" is available now for download from the iTunes store. ...... .................................... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .................................... .... .. .. .. .. .. ....................

  • Members

    ........ ...... ........ ...... .......... .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .................... .......... .. .. .... ..1. ..Kung Fu Intro.. ..Kung Fu Intro is an interlude. In it, sinister characters on "The Dirty South Council" threaten Rachel McDonald saying that she must follow their style. She stands up to them and tells them she will be changing things back to they way they should be. ..2. ..The Return Of Soul.. ..This song is a tribute to soul and funk music. McDonald hearkens back to a time long lost to commercialism. She wants to bring back the soul to the music and to the people. This tune is truly funky. A dance song with a message, it summons the spirits of funk legends like James Brown and Sly Stone. ..3. ..Funky.. ..This tune features McDonald's vocal range and power. Full of vocal flourishes and register changes, she proves that she can hang. She sings about her love of funk and soul music and how she craves the release she feels when listening to and dancing to the music she loves. It's just gotta be funky. ..4. ..Leaving You.. ..On this laid back track, Rachel McDonald asserts herself as a dedicated artist. Her voice calls Alicia Keys to mind in its clarity and soulfulness. The lyrics in this song are particularly moving. They show a woman with goals held back by a jealous partner. McDonald clearly won't be held back by anyone. ..5. ..Clenching My Pillow.. ..A song of love and loss, Clenching My Pillow is the title track off Rachel McDonald's debut record. This song displays all of her talents. Her voice shines as does as her uncanny ability to convey intense emotion through song. This tune is also McDonald's first music video which displays her eye catching beauty alongside her voice. ..6. ..Crazy.. ..In this song, Rachel McDonald reminds us of her ability to convey the feelings of love through her music. She reminisces about time spent with a lover and she laments how feelings can change over time. Crazy also features a pretty guitar melody that counters the vocal line. .... ..7. ..Haten On You.. ..Rachel McDonald has the rare ability to inject love songs with real emotion. Haten On You exemplifies her gift. In it, she sings about the pain of lost love and being left by the one you love. She captures the mix of sadness and anger so common in a break up with clarity and beauty. ..8...Oxygen.. ..Oxygen has an incredibly catchy chorus that truly captures the feelings of intense infatuation and love. The vocal overdubbing grows the intensity of this song all the way to the bitter end and the old-school drum beat fills in the gaps perfectly. This tune also features a rap interlude that conveys a sense of duet and call-and-response bringing the feelings of love and lust close to home. ..9. ..What Is Love.. ..In this song, Rachel McDonald reveals a piece of her soul. She explores the intricate feelings that always accompany falling in love. Is this feeling real? Am I really in love? What is love after all? Backed by a steady beat and driven by an inescapable bass line, McDonald sings about all of these questions and brings us all along for the ride. ..10. ..B.A.L.T.I.M.O.R.E.. ..B.A.L.T.I.M.O.R.E is both a tribute to McDonald's home city as well as a dance anthem. A bouncy beat and smooth bass line make this tune perfect for the club. McDonald's voice shines here with a rich depth of tone and maturity that belies her youth and the breakdown is infectious. This song makes you dance. ..11. ..Only Time Will Tell.. ..This track is an interlude. The mysterious and powerful voice of producer Biblical Jones charges Rachel McDonald with the difficult task of bringing fans out of the commercialized music world with soulful music. She must guide people away from an industry driven more and more by sex and money to music that comes from the heart and the soul. .......... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. .. .. ..

  • Influences

    Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Yolanda Adams, Fergie

  • Sounds Like

    Jill Scott, Keri Hilson, Maxwell, Neo, Fergie, Keisha Cole

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