My great friend Zuri Star is a killer singer, songwriter, model and musician. If you haven't heard her music I have her playing in a lot of my surf videos on Go211.com. I was invited last week to fly to Florida to be apart of her music video "Walk with me," as well as the filming of artist J-Dash's "Wop" video. I was only there for two days but it was incredible to be apart of. I never really thought how much time, effort, love and passion goes into making a music video. Here is a brief synopsis of the weekend and some behind the scenes pictures:
"The WOP is probably one of the most contagious dances to infect the American music scene in a long time. The dance, which was invented by Stereofame artist J. Dash and his friends, Fleezy & Chello in Gainesville, Florida, bears no resemblance to the early hip hop wop of the 1980's. Still, much like it's older namesake in popularity, the modern day WOP has quickly caught on in schools & night clubs across the country. When J. Dash released an internet single of "WOP", Youtubers soon began posting videos of themselves dancing the WOP to J. Dash's music. "WOP" has since gone global, and with the release of the official video coming soon, "WOP" is set to be one of this fall's hottest tracks. This gallery is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the official WOP music video, Check back here for behind the scenes videos posting soon. In the meantime, if you haven't already learned how to WOP, you might as well learn the dance here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f00upW1eZP4 . I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot more of this dance in coming months. You might as well learn it now."
About Zuri:
As Zuri Allen Star unveils "Walk With Me," the jubilant and jangling, instantly infectious first single from her highly anticipated debut album My Number One, the Hollywood based singer/songwriter invites listeners to visualize a cool and inviting cross generational scenario that perfectly captures her dynamic urban pop vibe that's about to captivate the world. Imagine an upscale hotel bar where Blondie's Debbie Harry engages in a lively discussion with Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani about life and love, triumphs and heartbreak, the meaning of the blues and the joys of R&B while sipping on a round of Kir Royales.
After a few years of recording demo after demo while building a local fan base at the usual L.A. hotspots (Key Club, Cat Club, Derby, Knitting Factory and one of her favorites, Hermosa Beach's Live at the Lounge), Zuri began taking bold steps in pursuit of her lifelong dream. Sacrificing luxury and comfort, and sleeping on more friend and acquaintances' couches than she cares to remember, she put her resources where her talents were and began working with an incredible array of top pop talent. She has spent the past year working with her longtime friend, the multi-talented Mike K who co-wrote, performed, recorded and produced My Number One. Mike K's extensive credits include Nelly Furtado, Natasha Bedingfield, Krystal Meyers, Hayden Panettiere and song collaborations with Guy Roche and Robbie Nevil; he is currently on tour as the guitarist for American Idol finalist David Archuleta.
Complementing their powerful collaboration--which resulted in Mike K developing the "pop singer" in Zuri, whose deepest vocal influences are blues and soul legends like Etta James--are contributions by an exciting array of musicians and performers: Dolena K. (who co-wrote "VIP" with them); Disney Radio sensation Ashley Garland; Excel; D.J. Trust; keyboardists Kevin "Toad" Saulnier (All American Rejects) and Dapo Torimiro (John Legend, David Archuleta); and drummer Randy Cooke, who has toured with Hillary Duff, Ringo Starr and Five For Fighting and recorded with Jesse McCartney and Kelly Clarkson.
Zuri's passion for the writing and recording sessions that launched My Number One was initially sparked by her batch of several lyric filled journals, melody jammed recorders and a deep determination to break through to the mainstream as a strictly DIY artist. In addition to making the rounds as a solo performer in L.A., she brings to her moment in the mainstream spotlight a series of early professional experiences fronting a trio she formed when she was 17. She had been onstage for years in musical theatre productions and was dancing since the age of five, but for her there was no comparison to taking center stage and singing her own material.
"Those performances launched me into the next level of fulfillment," says Zuri, who began writing and singing as an outlet for her sadness after one of her brothers passed away when she was a child. "Singing to me was always a vital necessity, like eating was for others. I can always tell when I haven't been singing. I'm super moody, feisty and I end up feeling like I'm choking. It's around this time that I usually write these powerful lyrics and then the voice comes out and I'm straight again. I had been writing about my pain in my songs for several years. But on the songs Mike and I did for My Number One, I really moved away from writing about the past and wrote more about my present life on this album. This is truly my 'growth album,' a hopeful look past the lows I was going through at the time. I really had a blast writing and recording it."
To be honest, I am still humming Zuri's song and shaking my tail to the Wop! To see the new videos and be apart of the game check out www.stereofame.com
