| Soul music fans old enough to remember 12-inch | | | | finished pretending a relationship is what it should be |
| remixes are these days being frequently hit with terms | | | | ("I'm Sorry"), the delivery becomes far more |
| like "neo soul", "hip hop soul", "indie soul" and, most | | | | aggressive. Almost recalling a Dre-era hip hop track, A |
| to-the-point, "grown folk's music." It's interesting | | | | dark piano line creeps beneath heavy drum sounds to |
| because one of the supposed benefits of being | | | | further paint Choklate's frustration. The instrumentation |
| "grown" is not having to keep up with the newest way | | | | reflects the emotion again when Choklate shows her |
| of referring to something old. Labels aside, what we're | | | | vulnerable side. On "The Blues", the horns are not unlike |
| having a harder time finding these days is GOOD | | | | a smile trying to hide the inner pain that the stirring |
| music...music that comes FROM the artist's soul and | | | | chord progression so clearly emotes. |
| manages to touch the soul of its listeners. With her | | | | The production, mostly provided by Derrick "Vitamin D" |
| sophomore album, "To Whom It May Concern", | | | | Brown, is top notch. Brown's ability to make those |
| Choklate has once again managed to give us what | | | | swirling 70's synth sounds work over heavy, hip hop |
| we're looking for...GOOD music. | | | | flavored beats is well worth taking note of. |
| Choklate picks us up right from the get go and takes | | | | Choklate takes advantage of the freedom that being |
| us "knee deep into some good ol' goodness" with | | | | an independent artist allows. An artist working inside |
| "Sun's Out". Shining of the same positive spirit that | | | | the big machine (ie signed to a major record label) |
| tracks like Omar's "I'm Still Standing" or Incognito's | | | | could never fuse hip hop, R&B, classic soul and |
| "Positivity" do, it's difficult to not feel ready to make | | | | even (gasp) disco and still manage to have their album |
| good things happen when this song's playing. Choklate | | | | actually hit a store shelf...even if it were done as well |
| manages to inspire again on "The Tea", a track that | | | | as on "To Whom It May Concern". For that reason, it |
| uses some clever samples to create a genuine disco | | | | would almost be unfair to call out any of the few |
| groove that will have you looking up for a mirror ball. | | | | major label artists making soul music today. However, |
| Things get a bit more sensual on "Grown Folks". | | | | since one or two of them have really taken to trying to |
| Reminiscent of a mid-90's Keith Crouch production, a | | | | sell us "grown folk's music" lately (and some of it |
| melodic bass line laced with wah-wah guitar licks melts | | | | sounds closer to elevator music than soul music), they |
| underneath Choklate's smooth vocals. A smart | | | | should most certainly be taking notice of Choklate |
| vocalist, Choklate's delivery changes to reflect the | | | | after this second album. I AM "grown folk", and THIS is |
| emotion she wants to convey. When she's clearly | | | | my music. |