Lyfe Jennings November 16, 2006

LYFE JENNINGS
NOVEMBER 16, 9PM
SHOWBOX

LYFE JENNINGS has always possessed confidence. Even while Lyfe's body was held prisoner for ten years behind bars, his mind and soul were free, the power of his imagination opening the gates to the world outside the penitentiary. While serving his sentence and paying his debt to society, Lyfe never lost the ability to focus on what mattered most to him: music. With the release of The Phoenix, his much-anticipated sophomore album, Lyfe Jennings opens his heart and shares a new collection of finely rendered reality-based songs, portraits of life drawn from experience and seen through the eyes and soul of a poet. Written by Lyfe and co-produced by Lyfe with Rhemario "Rio" Webber, The Phoenix is a set of starkly realistic tales inspired by the lives of everyday people. While Lyfe has been influenced by R&B greats such as Anita Baker, Patti LaBelle, Shirley Caesar and R. Kelly, he's also been inspired by the rawness of hip-hop. "A lot of artists don't have the opportunity to tell a story because they are so focused on the beat," says Lyfe. "I feel like I am rapping when I'm singing." The groovy, heavy drum sound on the retooling of 2Pac's "Keep Ya Head Up" finds Lyfe bridging the worlds of R&B and hip-hop while harmonizing Pac's poetic lyricism. Lyfe pulls out some heavy electric guitar moves on "Biggie N****," an homage to the master of hip-hop narratives that inspired Lyfe to chronicle his own experiences. Lyfe's artist development project includes the singer LaLa (who is featured on "S-E-X") and the rappers Doc Black and Cornell. "Everybody coming out of this company is going to be able to tell their story responsibly," Lyfe says about the message that inspired the name of Lyfe's company. "Everybody goes through ups and downs just like the swing, but again, some people just talk about the negative part of it. The negative needs to be heard, but the positive needs to be heard too. Jesus talked about the negative and the positive and he always told the story responsibly." With The Phoenix, Lyfe Jennings has made the boldest and most confident music of his career, a new musical and spiritual chapter in a life continues to unfold.

Tickets are $25.00 plus applicable service charges and go on sale Saturday, October 7 at 10 a.m. and are available online at ticketswest.com or hob.com, all TicketsWest outlets, including Rudy’s Barbershops and select QFC Food Centers, or charge by phone at
(800) 992-TIXX [8499]

Official Website: http://hob.com/tickets/eventdetail.asp?eventid=41847