I really hate to sound cocky like this, but if you’re from Philly (like I am) and you do music, you’ve got something special that NO ONE else has. I can’t put my finger what we’ve got, but it’s something special. How else do you explain the Lengendary Roots Crew, Jill Scott, Kindred, Bilal, Musiq, Res, Vivian Green, Jaguar Wright,  A Touch of Jazz Productions, and the recipient of this review Jazmine Sullivan.

I can remember one of my peoples asking me if I heard of this chick Jazmine Sullivan and I was like “naw”. No sooner then I said that, I see the video for “I Need You Bad” and I’m like “wow, shorty’s dope.” Then I hear “Bust Your Windows” and “Lions, Tigers and Bears” (both produced by my dude Salaam Remi) and now I’m officially riding with shorty. I told you, it’s something about us Philly folk. So next up, is Jazzy’s sophomore album “Love Me Back” and you can’t go wrong with her first single “Holding You Down (Going In Circles)” because anybody who samples my favorite break beat “Impeach the President” and Nas’ “Affirmative Action” gets the thumbs up from me, early. The 2nd single “10 Seconds” (Salaam Remi…there’s that name again) has Jaz giving her man 10 seconds to get up out her the crib and her life “cause you know she can get crazy and when she goes off ain’t nobody to tame her.” This new dude ain’t listen to her 1st album ’bout her bustin’ out windows? Guess not.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Redemption” tells the story about two people in similar situations, one a crack head and the other an abusive boyfriend and both are about to meet their maker and both call out to God to save them. “Good Enough” will make you wanna break out your “Purple Rain” DVD while “Don’t Make Me Wait” will have you diggin’ out your Last Dragon and Action Jackson DVD for your last Vanity sighting. “Excuse Me” and “Stuttering” are both just flat out beautiful and “U Get On My Nerves” with Ne Yo is self explanatory and will be the new “break up anthem” for 2011. At the end of the day, Jazzy’s “Love Me Back” just helps to prove my point about us Philly folk, there’s something special about the music we make.

4 outta 5

We’ve been fans of one Jazmine Sullivan for a while here on The Couch and I’m glad to see that the Philly soul artist is back with her follow-up album Love Me Back which drops in October. The track “Holding You Down,” has been circulating for a while, but the video just dropped this week, and features none other than Missy Elliott, who also has production duties on the album. Good look.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jazmine Sullivan – Jumpoff (prod. by Waajeed)

Most of y’all know that I’m absolutely in love with Jazmine Sullivan. I think that her debut album, Fearless, was one of the best commercial R&B album I heard in years (and it was ROBBED at the Grammys!!). Back in 2007, Ms. Sullivan recorded this track with Coultrain and Waajeed of Platinum Pied Pipers/Bling 47 crew for her album. Unfortunately this track didn’t make the cut. I understand why. I doesn’t fit in with the rest of the album, and might be too left-field for mainstream ears, but its a solid track nonetheless. (via IHearditOn, OKP).

I know that this track has hit radio already and might be old, but I just have to shout out Jazmine for this track. With all this autotuned madness that is currently infecting the radio, I’m glad to hear a straight up ballad being played these days. I’m a huge fan of the song’s production as well. Jazmine’s sleeper album, Fearless, is in stores now.

This year, instead of just having me yap on about my Best of lists, I reached out to several of our readers to give their Top 5 of the best releases of the year. I’ll be profiling a new reader each day until the end of the 2008. Today’s reader is DJ O.S.U.M from Toronto, and you can hear him spin at the Swank Society every Wednesday from 3 -5 EST.

Name: DJ O.S.U.M.
Location: Toronto
Website: www.cantslowdown.net and www.swanksociety.com

Top 5:

Erykah Badu – Nu Amerykah
Nikolay & Kay – Time: Line
Q-Tip – The Renaissance
Jazmine Sullivan – Fearless
Foreign Exchange – Leave It All Behind

1. Santogold - Santogold album
2. Q-tip – The Renaissance album
3. The Game – LAX album
4. Jazmine Sullivan – “Need You Bad”
5. Lil Wayne – “A Milli”

So, due to technical difficulties, it seems like most of y’all weren’t able to enter the Jazmine Sullivan Contest which was supposed to end today. So I’m extending the deadline to next Friday, October 31st. Yes, Halloween. If you have already entered, you don’t have to enter again.

Again, I’M GIVING AWAY 1 AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF JAZMINE SULLIVAN’S DEBUT ALBUM.

To enter, send an email to articleonline [at] gmail.com with your Name, Location, and Age. Good LUCK!

Jazmine Sullivan is the hottest thing going in R&B right now. Her debut CD, Fearless, which the 21 year old Philadelphia served as both executive producer and songwriter, has already risen to the top of the Billboard Hot 200 and R&B charts, and she’s getting co-signs from the likes of Missy Elliott.

I have one autographed Jazmine Sullivan CD in my possession to give away. To Enter, please fill out your name, age, and location at our Contest Page. Contest Ends October 24th!

JAZMINE SULLIVAN CONTEST PAGE

Jazmine Sullivan is an artist who has managed to take some risks in a genre (Commercial R&B) that doesn’t really accept coloring outside the lines. Her latest song is an example of that risk taking–”Break Your Windows,” which features a sassy classical beat that i actually is low key enough to demonstrate her vocal abilities.

The topic is a take on the tried and true “woman scorned” role, with Ms. Sullivan taking a “Waiting to Exhale” turn on her dude’s property. Even though the actions expressed in the track are immature as hell, Ms. Sullivan owns this song and sounds even more mature than her 21 years.

But as a male, I cannot cosign this song.

I’m sorry, but there is nothing that a male can do less domestic violence that would warrant a response as harsh as destroying property. Nothing. If I had a girl that would try and pull this on me I would have her in court so fast that….

Okay,  let me stop.

I will say that I’m impressed with Ms. Sullivan and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for her career.