We were on the scene for the first installment of the Apollo Cafe series.
Typically The Apollo Cafe showcases independent artists from the “R&B, hip hop, soul, jazz, pop, funk, and rock” genres, but made an exception for Def Jam’s Earl St. Clair and Jahkoy. Last Friday night’s Apollo Cafe series was curated by Def Jam and Nina Flowers as friends and fans gathered at this intimate affair. The talented producer and singer, songwriter is making waves and knows how to tug on your heartstrings with his music. Jahkoy engaged with the crowd and walked around in the audience really turning the vibe up. Toronto’s own Jahkoy fuses R&B with techno and his latest single “California Heaven” features Schoolboy Q. His forthcoming debut EP called “Foreign Water” is slated for release this fall.
Earl St. Clair is Def Jam’s latest find. Managed by Bibi Bourelly’s manager, the two have collaborated on the hit single “Perfect.” Earl’s recently released his debut album “Songs About a Girl I Used to Know” and is killing it with his live performances. This was my second time seeing a live Earl show in two weeks and he gets better and more lively with every performance. Earl is a born performer and loves to put on a show, dance and eventually take his shirt off at his shows. His music is reminiscent of classic soul, gospel and jazz music, but with a modern twist that’s becoming more popular now that artists like Chance the Rapper and Anderson.Paak are on the rise.