Razah Let's It "Rain"

With a stage name like Razah, you'd expect his vocals to be stabs of gruff-toned, ragamuffin-style patois or jagged rhymes about the inner city's hottest blocks. But the singer born Martell Nelson is slicker than that. There's more romance than gangsterism in his R&B. His sound recalls the smooth edges of the soulful pop and reggae-tinged croons of his musical forebears Michael Jackson, Beres Hammond and Bob Marley.

"I sing emotional songs, but my name is Razah," says the 24-year-old Jamaican-born soulman. "It's like a balance."

On his self-titled debut album, Razah hopes to tip the scales overwhelmingly in his favor. Enlisting new beatmaking talent such as Rykeyz (who contributed four songs) as well as a few known producers including EZ LP, Green Lantern and Norwegian-born production duo, Stargate, Razah assures that the CD still will be his opportunity to shine.

Check out Razah's video for "Rain:"