DARREN "THE SOUL ENTERTAINER" Darren is an artist that knows that sheer talent is only a third of what makes an icon. His talent was discovered at a young age and later developed through hard work and the will to be heard. He credits the diverse Washington DC area known as the DMV with showing him experiences that helped him create his lyrical style & sound. Darren is like nothing that you have ever heard. Defining his style of soul that constantly evolves taking Progressive & Alternative sounds & infusing them with modern jazz styling, mellow rock instrumentation, a subtle use of soulful vocal harmonies & honest lyrics with no restraints. His unique voice & style exemplifies the musical styles of Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, Phyllis Hyman, Phil Collins, Elton John, Billy Ocean & Natalie Cole are all artist who has influence his brand of heartfelt power ballads & edge 90's urban uptempo's reminiscent of Mary J. Blige . From adolescence he has become a student of the arts. Studying classical music at Suitland Performing Arts High school from well known opera singers from all over the world including Rose Bello, Gilchrist Sprave & Angela Walker that polished his vocal range & abilities. Darren finds new and innovative ways to tell a story of love, hate, anger, and humility by pouring every compartment of his mind, soul, and heart into his music. Darren believes in holding nothing back on his studio productions and on stage. Darren is currently making a name for himself performing at various venues, tours & festivals in the U.S, He has also opened up for headlining artist such as Kelly Price, K.Michelle, Robin.S & Raheem DeVaughn. As well as being an advocate for the African American Community in the fight against HIV & Aids with his involvement with the New York based organization "LifeBeat.org". "Reaching Out 4 You", was the first single released in November "08" becoming an instant success and hit on the web from the release of his mix-tape The Beautiful Struggle Vol.1, It was his first installment of a lifetime of albums to come. In this body of work, Darren displays his songwriting abilities in addition to his vocal style. His debut album "In Search Of..." was released in December 2010 to rave reviews and has become a soundtrack for modern times as well as keeping his fans inspired & uplifted. Darren's highly anticipated sophomore album "Instant Gratification" due in stores & online December 4th 2012 is a journey 6 years in the making, marking this album as his best work yet mixing acoustic piano & guitar driven power ballads & in your face lyrics this will be the start of an amazing new chapter for the self proclaimed "Soul Entertainer". Keep an ear to this artist because this is only the beginning. Reviews Steph Jones - Singer/Songwriter BEST CD EVER This guy's music is nothing but the TRUTH! I bought this CD for myself, my friends and even my mom! Its definitely one of those cd's that you can just put on repeat while in the car and at home! Please support this independent Artist and I promise you will not be disappointed!!! =-) Rising star!!! by Malcolm J Harris - Author/Motivational Speaker This is an excellent album. Clearly a rising star whose musical stylings reflect influences from this century's preliminary soul and pop icons.