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Selah Sue has been getting a lot of attention overseas, but the Belgian musician and songwriter has signed with Columbia to release her self-titled debut in the States. The musicians blends pop, soul, funk and reggae, and we’re telling you about her now with the assumption that she’ll below up once this disc hits shelves.
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The artist began writing music in high school and at 22 began recording with hip-hop artist Nneka. Sue’s self-titled album, which is already out in Europe, debuted in the top 10 charts in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. That disc garnered significant praise, including from Prince, who offered her a support slot at his shows in Antwerp, Belgium. The singer has won the French Mercury Prize and the public choice award at the 2012 European Border Breakers Awards, and recently worked with Cee-Lo Green and J. Cole.
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The U.S. version of the album, which comes out August 21 via Columbia, will include three exclusive, never-before-heard songs: “On the Run,” “Break” and “Fade Away.” You can hear the album’s debut single, “Raggamuffin,” below:
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As for the artist’s style? Sue told MTV Iggy, “In Belgium you have almost no hip-hop and no soul. I’m pretty much the only one who’s singing soul music and hip-hop doesn’t even get turned on the radio, even though there are a few amazing artists. As for here, I cannot know because I don’t live here, I don’t know if the scene is big, but honestly, I never discovered anyone who was big as Lauryn Hill, so probably not.”
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And collaborating with J. Cole, who remixed Sue’s single? The singer said, “I’ve heard that he’s a big fan. He’s had my album for a long time, and he plays it when he’s on tour on his tour bus! I don’t know how he discovered me, through what or who, but he came to me first and said he was a fan, and we discussed making music. I’m not into most of hip-hop, it can be so gangsta, so tiring most of the time, but I think he’s really really quality. His rhyming is really cool and deep and soulful, and it was just amazing that he wanted to do something like that.” Listen below:
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Selah Sue – Raggamuffin Feat. J. Cole
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Want more? The singer is performing at the UCLA Jazz Reggae Festival on May 27, at New York’s Bowery Electric on May 30 and the Roots Picnic on June 3 in Philadelphia. Head to Selah Sue’s Myspace Radio channel here for even more.
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