Now Stone’s new album “Mahogany Soul” has critics calling the thirtysomething (she won’t be more specific) singer the “princess of soul,” and the only candidate worthy of Aretha’s throne. “A lot of people follow trends, and will do whatever it takes to become a star: ‘OK, I’ll give you any-thing you want, even if it means faking the funk’,” says the New York-based Stone. “A lot of those artists are miserable. They may be large, but they’re spiritually broke.”
Not that the gospel-trained singer has anything against the big time. Her debut was nominated for a Grammy, won two Lady of Soul awards and went platinum–but not at the expense of her original vision or her signature style. “Mahogany Soul” brims with Stone’s distinctively rich, emotive vocals and her knack for telling it like it is. The song’s themes stand out among today’s pop offerings: Stone laments being broke in “20 Dollars” (also on the forthcoming “Ali” soundtrack), while most of her MTV peers brag about their wealth. She croons appreciatively about her strong “black brothas” when most of her R & B counterparts are engaged in a lyrical battle of the sexes. And Stone, who coproduced and wrote the material for this second album, does it all with a spontaneity rare in R & B circles.
Despite her musical authenticity and her real-woman physicality, the singer’s new disc shouldn’t have any trouble bursting through the top 40’s candy-coated bubble. The first single hit will be “Brotha,” a let’s-hear-it-for-the-boys track that comes with a video featuring footage of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and P. Diddy, and a cameo by Will Smith. It’s also being remixed to include vocals by Eve and Alicia Keyes. “You know how many men came up to me and said, ‘I’m sick of women bashing us. When are y’all gonna do a record for us brothers?’ " says Stone. “I had to make this song.”
Stone’s father, a taxi driver and gospel-choir member, inspired his daughter to sing at an early age. By high school, she was also a gifted basketball player, but turned down several scholarships to pursue her musical dream. “I was No. 1 in the state for free throws, and No. 2 in the state for assists,” says Stone, who grew up in South Carolina. “I had a natural love for the game, but the thought of trying to become an artist was more challenging. My character is to chase things I’m never supposed to have, so I went for it with everything I had.”
That meant rapping as Angie B, pushing her own R & B group and finally singing backup for big artists such as Lenny Kravitz and D’Angelo. Arista discovered Stone during a D’Angelo recording session; she left the label when Arista’s founder, Clive Davis, started up J Records last year. She says she made the move the way she makes her music–by following her own instincts. “I didn’t stick with soul, it stuck with me,” says Stone. “If it’s in you, it’s impossible to abandon it. And why would you ever want to?”
