ONLY FOR THE D.M.V LIFESTYLE !: February 2017

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

On March 24, Motown Records will releaseThe Awakening,the debut album from Kevin Ross - winner of ASCAP's 2016 Rhythm and Soul Award and a former BET "Music Matters" Artist. Fans who pre-order the album HERE will instantly receive the first single, "Long Song Away," plus the track "Pick You Up,"which you can listen to HERE

Ross will be a special guest on Ro James' upcoming XIX tour. The North American run kicks off on March 2 at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC and includes shows at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA (March 5) and The Promontory in Chicago, IL (March 9). Tickets and VIP packages are available at www.rojamesxix.com.

Ross is partnering global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL to give his fans access to exclusive content and tickets giveaways for his upcoming XIX tour. Beginning on March 1, TIDAL will exclusively release the first episode of Ross' docu-series, I AM KEVIN ROSS. Members can watch the four-part series on TIDAL.com.

Soul Tracks observed, "The Awakening...brims with autobiographical lyrics and a desire to recalibrate Motown's fabled hit-machine approach with a modern twist." With over 11 million in audience, "Long Song Away" has already jumped into the Top 5 at Urban AC radio and has almost two million streams on Spotify. View the official video for "Long Song Away" HERE. "Pick You Up," with its finger-snapping, street corner doo-wop, finds Ross giving a pep talk to himself, mindful that he must keep his eyes on the prize in order to overcome the obstacles in his path.

The Awakening also includes his 2016 collaboration with Chaz French, "Be Great (Intro)" which was heard in "Grey's Anatomy," and a remix of the track that features BJ the Chicago Kid. When the official video for "Be Great" premiered, Billboard noted, "With racial tensions and cases of police brutality often dominating headlines, R&B singer/ songwriter Kevin Ross flips the lows into high notes with a powerful visual for "Be Great."

Ross grew up in Washington, DC in a house filled with the music of such artists as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Prince and Patrice Rushen. "If it felt good, it was played," he says. After covering a medley of Stevie Wonder's hits for a Motown Tribute in high school, Ross won a partial scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music.

Moving to Atlanta, he spent his first year after college pinging back and forth from studio to studio. It was hard, but it paid off - within the year, he scored his first big placement with Jamie Foxx. Signing with Motown Records, he released his solo debut EP, Dialogue in the Grey. In addition to opening for Maxwell and Ne-Yo, Ross co-wrote Trey Songz's certified Platinum single "Touchin, Lovin" feat. Nicki Minaj.

Ross makes timeless music with timely appeal, stripping away social media posturing and obsession with material things and speaking to what really matters in life. "People get so obsessed with money or the look of it. We forgot about truth," he says. "We forgot people hurt, that they want to feel something. We can't just have two songs a year that make us feel."

The Awakening - Track Listing

1. Be Great (Intro) feat. Chaz French
2. Don't Forget About Me
3. One I Love
4. Long Song Away
5. Dream Remix
6. Genesis Pt. 1
7. Don't Go
8. Look Up feat. Lecrae
9. Pick You Up
10. Be Great (Remix) feat. BJ the Chicago Kid
11. Easier
12. Her Hymn
13. Genesis Pt. 2
14. In the Name of Your Love
15. New Man

Kevin Ross - Tour Dates

(Opening on Ro James XIX Tour)

3/2 - Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre

3/3 - Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage

3/5 - Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East

3/7 - Toronto, ON @ Mod Club Theatre

3/8 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues - The Cambridge Room

3/9 - Chicago, IL @ The Promontory

3/10 - Kansas City, MO @ Voodoo Lounge @ Harrah's Casino

3/11 - Memphis, TN @ 1884 Lounge

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