Ravyn Lenae

Ravyn Lenae

Ravyn Lenae performing as part of the Telefone Tour on March 5, 2017.
Background information
Born Chicago, Illinois
Genres R&B, neo soul
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 2014-present
Labels Atlantic Records[1]
Associated acts Smino, Monte Booker, Bari, Jay2, Mick Jenkins, Saba, Noname

Ravyn Lenae is a musician from Chicago. She is an R&B singer and a student at Chicago High School for the Arts,[2] where she studies classical music.[3] The Austin American-Statesman described her style as "a watercolor R&B platter with startling depth."[4]

Musical career

Lenae's first EP Moon Shoes (originally released as a free download in 2015,[5] reissued in 2016 by Atlantic Records) drew praise from critics for her "fluid vocals and spare, poetic lyrics."[2] At Libération, François Blanc also noted the "striking assurance with which the young woman changes mood without ever seeing less at ease."[6] She released her second EP Midnight Moonlight on March 3, 2017.[7] In Rolling Stone, Mosi Reeves said Midnight Moonlight "delves into more romantic concerns with the same quiet grace" heard on her first album in which she "sings about life as a dreamy, sometimes-melancholy teenager in a softly assertive voice."[8]

Lenae has also appeared as a featured performer on Mick Jenkins' album The Healing Component,[9] Noname's song "Forever"[10] and Monte Booker's song "Baby".[11] At Pitchfork, Ryan Dombal reviewed her performance on the latter track as "channel[ing] both Billie and Erykah on the acoustic-guitar ballad, which crackles like Lauryn Hill’s Unplugged as remixed by the ghost of Dilla." With Booker and rapper Smino, Lenae is a member of the Zero Fatigue crew, brought together by Chris "Classick" Innumerable at his recording studio Classick Studios.[12] Lenae is also a member of underground collective Medicine Woman with Drea Smith, Via Rosa, and Jean Deaux.[13]

Personal life

Lenae was raised as a member of Pullman Christian Reformed Church on the far South Side of Chicago.[14] Her grandfather, Richard Williams, was an immigrant from Panama and served as the pastor of the congregation from 1981 to 2010.[15] She credits her participation in worship at the church with helping to develop her interests and abilities in music.[16]

Artistry

Style and influences

In Jeune Afrique, Eva Sauphie described Lenae as a "cross between Kelela, an Azealia Banks dipped in honey and a teen spirit version Kelis," combining genres including "nu soul, elecro-jazz, chamber pop, and ambient hip-hop."[17] Lenae has mentioned OutKast, Timbaland, Eminem, India.Arie and Erykah Badu as among her musical influences.[3]

Discography

Extended plays

Title Album details
Moon Shoes
  • Released: August, 2015
  • Format: Digital download
Midnight Moonlight
  • Released: March 3, 2017
  • Format: Digital download

References

  1. ↑ "Atlantic Records Ravyn Lenae". Atlantic Records Official Website. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  2. 1 2 Dampier, Cindy (March 1, 2017). "Chicago singer Ravyn Lenae Washington talks singing secrets, vintage shopping". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 Drake, David (February 4, 2016). "Zero Fatigue: Chicago’s Next Hip-Hop Visionaries | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  4. ↑ Stith, Deborah Sengupta (March 7, 2017). "SXSW 2017: 11 soul and blues acts to catch". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Galil, Leor (February 2, 2017). "Singer and Zero Fatigue member Ravyn Lenae balances R&B aspirations with high school". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  6. ↑ Blanc, François (September 25, 2015). "Ravyn Lenae sous une bonne étoile". Libération (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  7. ↑ McKinney, Jessica (22 February 2017). "Ravyn Lenae Soars On The Visuals For Her "Alive" Video". Vibe. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  8. ↑ Reeves, Mosi (March 15, 2017). "10 New Artists You Need to Know Now". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  9. ↑ Robertson, Darryl (26 September 2016). "Mick Jenkins Thinks Love Conquers All On New Album, 'The Healing Component'". Vibe. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  10. ↑ Siber, Alex (October 4, 2016). "The Making of Noname's 'Telefone'". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  11. ↑ Dombal, Ryan. ""Baby" [ft. Ravyn Lenae] by Monte Booker Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  12. ↑ Julious, Britt (October 13, 2016). "Smino still enjoying his big year". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  13. ↑ Galil, Leor; Nelson, J. R. (January 25, 2017). "This year’s Winter Block Party celebrates women in Chicago hip-hop". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  14. ↑ Dykstra, Lori (7 April 2017). "Pullman CRC Musician Makes Rolling Stone’s Top Ten". Vibe. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  15. ↑ http://www.calvin.edu/cgi-bin/lib/crcmd/search.pl?ID=2593&prevmode=name&termid=2636&act=show_details
  16. ↑ Dykstra, Lori (7 April 2017). "Pullman CRC Musician Makes Rolling Stone’s Top Ten". Vibe. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  17. ↑ Sauphie, Eva (29 September 2016). "Musique : Ravyn Lenae, la nouvelle Kelis". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2017.
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