FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S-WRAP, RASHAD thaPOET AND THE VARSITY RELEASE THE OTHER SIDE TOO, A SPOKEN WORD POETRY ALBUM, OUT TODAY (9/23)
SINGLE ‘NEW DAY’ USHERS IN A POIGNANT REMINDER THAT EVERY DAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A FRESH START
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 23, 2022) - Nashville spoken word and hip-hop artists Rashad thaPoet Rayford and Saran ‘S-Wrap’ Thompson have teamed up with production team The Varsity to release The Other Side Too, a spoken word poetry album, out today (9/23). The Other Side Too is the follow up to their previously-released spoken word album The Other Side, which addressed the hero’s journey to success and thriving in passion, purpose and art. The Other Side Too continues that spirit, providing inspiration for those living and thriving on the other side of their dreams, goals and passions. The Other Side Too is available at digital retailers everywhere today, here: https://swrap.lnk.to/theothersidetoo.
“I’m so grateful to be a part of this project with so many other creators in Nashville. We received incredible support with our previous release The Other Side. Spoken word is a beautiful and unique art form. With this second edition, we want to continue to create awareness of spoken word and inspire others to knock down feelings of self-doubt, fear, and the trials that come with pursuing a creative career, especially as people experience all of the ebbs and flows along the road to success. The Other Side Too is about pushing through, re-igniting your purpose and continuing that climb,” said Rayford.
The Other Side Too comes on the heels of the GRAMMYs® newly added category and first-ever Award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album this year, which honors excellence and spoken word albums, specific to the performance of poetry with or without music, a category formerly dominated by audio books. Read more (HERE).
“Poetry has always been important to culture and society, and has always been a source of inspiration for people. Just like music, it encourages us to shift our perspectives in order to better understand each other. We are grateful to The Recording Academy leaders and the spoken word poetry community for leading the charge and recognizing the importance of spoken word as an artform. Designating a stand-alone category for it, paves the way for so many more spoken word artists to come,” said Saran ‘S-Wrap’ Thompson.
The Other Side Too includes six tracks with lyric poetry and music, and six stand-alone instrumental tracks. It’s an authentic collection that leads the listener to reflect on how far they’ve come and offers up inspiration for those experiencing success. “Find Your Reason” is a message of hope to inspire others to stay the course when times get tough. “Fools Gold” (feat. Moiba Mustapha) addresses the conflicts that arise when chasing the wrong things and “Forever” reveals a powerful message of resilience with a reminder about the seeds that are planted along the way. “Luxury” features R&B Artist Stephcynie and encourages reveling in the opportunities that lie ahead, while continuing to lift others up. Lead single “New Day” ushers in a poignant reminder that every day is an opportunity for a fresh start.
The 12-set collection brings together a talented lineup of Nashville artists, lyricists, and producers, including Nashville-born Poet and Speaker Rashad thaPoet Rayford (Witness to the Truth, Elevate Your Vibe), Spoken Word Poet Saran ‘S-Wrap’ Thompson, and a trio of producers known as The Varsity, comprised of Adrian Taylor, Kyle Hicks and Michael B. Hicks, the latter who has toured as a Keyboardist playing with Keb’ Mo’, Rascal Flatts, Lauren Daigle and more. The full track listing and credits are included below.
The link to stream The Other Side Too is included here:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n5_oP1PTJKydfUrRz63RGvSIxXeCS32PE
The Other Side Too
Tracklisting
1. “Find Your Reason”
(Written by Stephcynie Curry, Kyle Hicks, Michael B. Hicks, Adrian Taylor, Rashad Rayford, Saran Thompson)
2. “New Day”
(Written by Donald Breedlove, Napoleon Crayton, Kyle Hicks, Rashad Rayford, Saran Thompson)
3. “Luxury” (feat. Stephcynie)
(Written by Stephcynie Curry, Kyle Hicks, Michael B. Hicks, Adrian Taylor, Rashad Rayford, Saran Thompson)
4. “Fools Gold” (feat. Moiba Mustapha)
(Written by Bernie Baum, Stephcynie Curry, Kyle Hicks, Michael B. Hicks, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye, Moiba Mustapha, Rashad Rayford, Adrian Taylor, Saran Thompson)
5. “Flowers” (feat. Stephcynie)
(Written by Stephcynie Curry, Kyle Hicks, Michael B. Hicks, Rashad Rayford, Saran Thompson)
6. “Forever”
(Written by Stephcynie Curry, Kyle Hicks, Michael B. Hicks, Adrian Taylor, Rashad Rayford, Saran Thompson)
7. “Find Your Reason” Instrumental
(Written by Kyle Hicks, Michael B. Hicks, Adrian Taylor)
8. “New Day” Instrumental
(Written by Donald Breedlove, Napoleon Crayton, Kyle Hicks)
Contains sample of New Day by Band of Thieves
9. “Luxury” Instrumental
(Written by Kyle Hicks, Michael B. Hicks, Adrian Taylor)
Contains samples of “Feels Good” by Mike Hicks
10. “Fools Gold” Instrumental
(Written by Bernie Baum, Kyle Hicks, Michael B. Hicks, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye, AdrianTaylor)
Contains sample of The Loneliest Feeling by Bill Giant
11. “Flowers” Instrumental
(Written by Kyle Hicks, Michael B. Hicks)
12. “Forever” Instrumental
(Written by Kyle Hicks, Michael B. Hicks, Adrian Taylor)
Artists: Rashad thaPoet, S-Wrap, The Varsity
Featured Artists: Stephcynie Curry (Vocals), Moiba Mustapha (Vocals)
Instrumentalists: Avery Bright (Violas, VIolins), Emily Rogers (Cello)
Sample Writers: Bernie Baum, Donald Breedlove, Napoleon Crayton, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye
Production: All songs produced by The Varsity
Kyle Hicks (Bass, Celeste, Drum Programming, Dulcitone, Mixing Engineer, Mellotron, Piano,Primary Artist (The Varsity), Producer, Rhodes, Sample Production, Synth Bass,Synthesizer)
Michael B. Hicks (Celeste, Original Sample Writer, Piano, Primary Artist (The Varsity), Producer, Rhodes,Sample Production, Synthesizer)
Adrian Taylor (Bass, Piano, Primary Artist (The Varsity), Producer, Rhodes, Synthesizer)
Recording Engineer: Thaddeus Pleasure, Jr.
Mixing Engineering: All songs mixed by Kyle Hicks
Mastering Engineer: Joe Hutchinson, Garage Masters
Recorded at H.O.M.E. (Helping Our Music Evolve) in Nashville, TN
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