Spanish Harlem

YVETTE MICHELE Given the number of female vocalists on the R&B charts these days, new female artists could very easily get lost in the shuffle. Having already paid the price for success; however, Yvette Michele will have no such troubles. “My voice is distinctive and... my choices in music are a lot funkier than most in my genre…” The songstress garnered national attention in 1995 with her gold certified debut single, “Everyday, Everynight”, from Funkmaster Flex Presents the Mix Tape: Volume 1. Yvette garnered enormous attention around the country with this magical song that cast a hypnotic spell on the radio listener. Yvette’s association with the world famous DJ continued in 1996 with his Volume 2 follow-up featuring the second gold smash single “I’m Not Feeling You”. This anthem for women in the 90’s did well on both the R&B and Pop charts, validating Yvette as a unique talent in the sea of R&B divas. Yvette was born and raised in the Bronx, NY and was singing long before she recorded her first song. “I started singing publicly in church, but I recall my interest in music and song developing at age 4.” Mimicking her favorite artists as well as those artists her parents enjoyed, Yvette grew up in a musically creative home environment and developed a well-rounded appreciation for the arts. While pursuing a more traditional career path in college, the singer reflects, “I remember always wanting to sing and create songs more than anything else, and I credit the R&B and Pop music of the sixties, seventies and eighties as my major music influences.” Yvette didn’t discuss her singing with many people, but secretly held fast to her dream. She began singing in her church choir and as her voice matured; Yvette honed her craft by performing at various NYC ‘open-mic’ nightclubs. It wasn’t long before her name was well known on the club circuit. Yvette performed regularly at Chaz & Wilson’s, Café Wha, and Honeysuckle’s (formerly Sweetwater’s), places know as proving grounds for unsigned artists. Being no stranger to the trials and tribulations of pursuing a recording deal, Yvette was pleased to learn that her high school friend was Funkmaster Flex, the hottest DJ in NYC, was in the midst of searching for a female vocalist for her his compilation album. Flex agreed to work with Yvette after listening to her unfinished demo and within weeks, “Everyday, Everynight” was recorded and the rest is history. The success of these two singles ultimately created considerable demand for her debut CD on Loud/RCA, and was appropriately titled ‘My Dream”. With Flex and a variety of veteran hit makers, Yvette Michele’s album, “My Dream” was released in 1997 with critical acclaim. “My Dream” is a collection of party tunes, mid-tempos and ballads with Yvette writing and/or co-writing 8 of the 13 tracks. Complimenting “I’m Not Feeling You” on the album are the party tunes “Crazy” and “DJ Keep Playin’”. “The album is also semi-autobiographical in that it talks about life as a single woman in the 90’s – everything I sing about has to be something that I would truly do or say…” Indeed if there is such a thing as a typical Hip-Hop/R&B artists, Yvette Michele is not one of them. Yvette Michele has clearly made her mark among the ‘R&B Divas’ of today. She is a testament to the fact that dreams do come true…and then some.