Gemaine and Charlie Heat Inspired by Gangster Film Swagger on "New Jack City"

 

Compton R&B singer-songwriter Gemaine and super-producer Charlie Heat (Kanye West, Kehlani, Madonna) release their 11-track album New Jack City. Get it HERE. Inspired by the pace and swagger of gangster films like the gritty 1991 thriller New Jack City, Gemaine and songwriting partners Charlie Heat and Ymtk developed a spacious musical signature that lends cinematic flair to even the most effervescent jams with tender lyricism and unapologetic sex appeal. 

“You can expect some fearless risk-taking, needle-moving type of music,” explains Gemaine. “We have all kinds of styles and flavors of R&B that really resonated with us. The album is like a playlist, both colorful and consistent and always having that real R&B signature to it.”

To celebrate the album release, they just shared a music video to their bouncy-worthy track “Giddy Up” where they embrace their fame and success while partying aboard a big rig rolling down the highway. Watch the video HERE. 

“When Charlie started playing those chords, the melody hit me immediately,” Gemaine describes. “‘Giddy Up’ were the first lyrics that came to mind. The classical strings mixed with the playful melody I sang made me want to make a 2022 ‘Back That Azz Up’ with my own twist. Kendrick Lamar heard the song and inspired me to finish it after he complimented the contrast of how soulfully my voice sounded with the raunchy lyrical content.”

Previous album single “Conditional Love” premiered alongside a music video on BET Soul. The music video also played on Revolt’s independent artist spotlight show “Untapped.” The syrupy smooth track “Lay It Down” was selected on Uproxx “Best R&B of The Week” while the intimate and soothing lead single “No Questions” was handpicked for Discovered on Apple Music. Together the tracks have landed on DSP playlists including Apple’s “Breaking R&B,” Spotify’s “Alternative R&B,” Amazon’s “Fresh R&B” and TIDAL’s “Future Soul.”

About Gemaine:

Los Angeles native Gemaine is a drummer and self-taught pianist turned singer, songwriter and producer. First introduced to music in church, he was a quick study in the charisma and famed chord progressions of modern gospel music while growing up in Compton. Gemaine began singing publicly at the age of 18, when a video recorded at a local Guitar Center and uploaded to TikTok predecessor Vine suddenly transformed him into a viral sensation; the success of Gemaine’s 2015 single “Freaky” preceded his introductory project and provided the world its first taste of the dulcet tones and finesse that drive his sound.

The sensual aesthetic established during his musical youth makes Gemaine the perfect messenger for a timely resurgence of tender lyricism and unapologetic sex appeal –– attributes of r&b music that have arguably flagged since the era responsible for artists like Al B. Sure and Bobby Brown’s storied solo career. Inspired by that legacy and compelled to orchestrate a movement that is altogether invigorating and fresh, Gemaine is a rising r&b phenom whose brash ownership of the heart throb title and deep reserve of artistic versatility make ample room for the next love movement.

A self-described perfectionist, Gemaine arrives with a more ambitious vision and aptitude for r&b than what mainstream pop culture has typically afforded audiences. He takes distinct pride in being a technically sound and self-sufficient artist capable of handling the entire creative process, from the inception of an idea to the task of engineering a record, entirely on his own. A process he began to perfect while recording his first project, the Curious EP, which was released in 2016.

The brevity of the widespread attention afforded by viral exposure imparted upon Gemaine an understanding of how to prepare for the weight of commercial success. A post-viral video move to New York City at the age of 19 introduced the scrappy determination of a hustler that Gemaine has applied to the work of self-realization. Moreover, that short-lived brush with the spotlight afforded Gemaine an acute sense of clarity about his life's purpose and the foresight to prepare himself for an inevitable return to center stage as a rising leader in the modern revival of rhythm and blues.

Gemaine's unmistakable signature is the byproduct of a deep-seated desire to remind people of what r&b music is and where it first came from; both aspects of the genre's origin story boil down to matters of the heart. For Gemaine that work begins with his love for the craft and extends to his knack for translating topics like love making or heartbreak with the eloquence of a smooth operator and a keen ear for infectious sound. His work is cavernous and intricately layered for the express purpose of getting lost in the mesmerizing refrains, melodies and sharp statements that typify all of it.

The foundation of great storytelling and composition combined with fearless experimentation has set a high bar for Gemaine and the music that he is poised to deliver. His exacting approach to the work of innovation is paired with an unflinching belief in the inevitability of his own success as an artist. Furthermore, in the art itself, which is inspired by personal experience and intentionally crafted to reflect the beauty, rigor and rhythm of everyday life. Made for more than just monetization, Gemaine's music is a painstakingly designed and perpetually urgent matter of the heart.