Res
Encyclopedia
Shareese Renée Ballard, better known by her stage name Res (icon), is a female singer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Her musical style is a blend of indie pop
, soul
, and rock
. She is currently involved in Talib Kweli
's collaborative project Idle Warship
.
, the song did not catch on in radio play. "Ice King" (Remixed by Nas
) emerged as the second single later that year but also failed to breakthrough with radio audiences and no video was filmed. In early 2002, Res released the third single from How I Do, "They-Say Vision." The song and accompanying video were breakthrough hits and reached #1 on the Billboard Dance chart and #37 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales
chart. With the chart success of the single, the album entered the Billboard 200
for the first time. A fourth single, "Sittin' Back," was also released but did not enjoy the same success as "They-Say Vision."
Meanwhile, in 2002, Res appeared on a track with Tony Allen
, Ray Lema
, Baaba Maal
, Positive Black Soul
and Archie Shepp
for the Red Hot Organization
's compilation album Red Hot and Riot, a tribute to Nigerian musician Fela Kuti
. Res also performed a cover of Jefferson Starship
song, "Miracles" for the Jennifer Lopez
movie Maid in Manhattan
.
Res' career would hit a snag in 2003 when her record label, MCA Records
, would be phased out by MCA Inc. and be absorbed by Geffen Records
. Years later, Res was released from her contract at her request after the label refused to release any further work despite paying her contracted label salary. After parting ways with Geffen, Res was called upon to model for Marc Ecko's
"Ecko Red" clothing line and appeared in print advertising.
In 2006, Res recorded "To Empower" for the soundtrack of the drama film Akeelah and the Bee
. She would then join Gnarls Barkley
's St. Elsewhere
tour providing supporting vocals while writing and recording material for her second album.
In 2009, Res released her second album Black.Girls.Rock! through digital media available on iTunes. The album features tracks originally recorded for her shelved Geffen album. Black.Girls.Rock! is described by Res as "more of a singer/songwriters album than my debut. Great, classic songs!" As of March 2011, the album is no longer available through iTunes, and no other method of distribution has been secured. Res herself has funded a limited production run of vinyl pressings for sale at Amoeba Music
in Los Angeles as she begins a grassroots campaign for the album to be carried in independently-owned record stores.
Though currently unsigned, Res is currently working on a new album with producer Doc McKinney
, who produced her debut album How I Do. The new album is tentatively titled Reset and is being recorded in a house studio in Toronto, Canada. To support the project, she is also making appearances as a public speaker on the topics of success in the music industry and vocal health for professional singers.
On February 14, 2011, Res released a "mixtape" of unreleased demos and remixed songs titled A Box of Chocolates after the iconic Forrest Gump
quote. The digital-only album is mixed by DJ NI** Sky (Nicole Albino of Nina Sky
) and features a blend of music from multiple genres of music. The album is intended as a Valentine's Day
gift to her fans as they await a proper release of Black.Girls.Rock!.
to form a hip-hop/electro duo known as Idle Warship
. They have released a few teaser tracks online including a song named "Steady" that borrows from '80s classic "Sunglasses At Night
" by Corey Hart. In June 2009, Idle Warship completed their first headlining tour through Europe. They performed to sold-out crowds in Switzerland, Norway, France and Germany. Idle Warship has produced a mixtape called Party Robots made available for download in October 2010 available from Res' official site.
Idle Warship just finished their debut album Habits of the Heart
, to be released November 1, 2011. The first single from this debut, "Laser Beams" is produced by DJ Khalil
.
Compilations
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Her musical style is a blend of indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. She is currently involved in Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
's collaborative project Idle Warship
Idle Warship
Idle Warship is a musical duo composed of Brooklyn emcee Talib Kweli and Philadelphia singer Res, Res has appeared on each Talib Kweli album since 2000's Train of Thought. They have also toured together, including on the summer 2005 MGD Flavor 2 Savor mini-tour. They released their debut mixtape,...
.
Solo career
Res released her debut album, How I Do, in 2001 along with its first single "Golden Boys." Despite heavy rotation on VH1VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, the song did not catch on in radio play. "Ice King" (Remixed by Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
) emerged as the second single later that year but also failed to breakthrough with radio audiences and no video was filmed. In early 2002, Res released the third single from How I Do, "They-Say Vision." The song and accompanying video were breakthrough hits and reached #1 on the Billboard Dance chart and #37 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales
Hot 100 Singles Sales
The Hot Singles Sales chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures sales of commercial singles and is one of three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs, that determine the chart positions of singles on the...
chart. With the chart success of the single, the album entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
for the first time. A fourth single, "Sittin' Back," was also released but did not enjoy the same success as "They-Say Vision."
Meanwhile, in 2002, Res appeared on a track with Tony Allen
Tony Allen (musician)
Tony Oladipo Allen is aNigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter who currently lives and works in Paris. He is currently writing his autobiography "Tony Allen: Master Drummer of Afrobeat" with author/musician Michael E...
, Ray Lema
Ray Lema
Raymond Lema A'nsi Nzinga, known as Ray Lema, is a Congolese musician born March 30, 1946 in Lufu-Toto, Bas-Congo Province.Lema is a pianist, guitarist, and songwriter. He worked for the National Ballet of Zaire, as it was then called, and in 1979 was invited to the United States by the...
, Baaba Maal
Baaba Maal
Baaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.-Biography:Born 12 November 1953...
, Positive Black Soul
Positive Black Soul
Positive Black Soul is a hip hop group based in Dakar, Senegal, one of the first such collectives in the country. Founded in 1989, the group is composed of Didier Sourou Awadi and Amadou Barry , both of whom had previously been in other hip hop groups...
and Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
for the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
's compilation album Red Hot and Riot, a tribute to Nigerian musician Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
. Res also performed a cover of Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
song, "Miracles" for the Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
movie Maid in Manhattan
Maid in Manhattan
Maid in Manhattan is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Wayne Wang about a hotel maid and a high profile politician who fall in love starring Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, and Natasha Richardson. It is based on a story by John Hughes who is credited using a pseudonym. The original music score...
.
Res' career would hit a snag in 2003 when her record label, MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, would be phased out by MCA Inc. and be absorbed by Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. Years later, Res was released from her contract at her request after the label refused to release any further work despite paying her contracted label salary. After parting ways with Geffen, Res was called upon to model for Marc Ecko's
Marc Ecko
Marc Eckō is an American fashion designer, entrepreneur, investor, artist, and philanthropist. He is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of Marc Eckō Enterprises, a billion-dollar global fashion and lifestyle company...
"Ecko Red" clothing line and appeared in print advertising.
In 2006, Res recorded "To Empower" for the soundtrack of the drama film Akeelah and the Bee
Akeelah and the Bee
Akeelah and the Bee is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Doug Atchison. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson, portrayed by Keke Palmer, an 11-year-old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, her mother, portrayed by Angela Bassett, schoolmates, and also her...
. She would then join Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley is an American soul duo comprising Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green. Their first studio album St. Elsewhere was released in 2006; along with its first single "Crazy". Both single and album were a major commercial success and have been noted for their large sales by download...
's St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere (album)
St. Elsewhere is the debut album by United States hip hop soul duo Gnarls Barkley. It was released on April 24, 2006 in the United Kingdom, where it debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, and on May 9, 2006 in the United States, although it was available for purchase one week earlier as a...
tour providing supporting vocals while writing and recording material for her second album.
In 2009, Res released her second album Black.Girls.Rock! through digital media available on iTunes. The album features tracks originally recorded for her shelved Geffen album. Black.Girls.Rock! is described by Res as "more of a singer/songwriters album than my debut. Great, classic songs!" As of March 2011, the album is no longer available through iTunes, and no other method of distribution has been secured. Res herself has funded a limited production run of vinyl pressings for sale at Amoeba Music
Amoeba Music
Amoeba Music is an independent music chain with stores in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Founded by former employees of nearby Rasputin Records, it opened on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley in 1990. The stores are unusually large given their independent status...
in Los Angeles as she begins a grassroots campaign for the album to be carried in independently-owned record stores.
Though currently unsigned, Res is currently working on a new album with producer Doc McKinney
Doc McKinney
Martin "Doc" McKinney is a Canadian born, US raised Record Producer, Songwriter. Professionally referred to as Doc, McKinney was formerly one half of the former duet Esthero, alongside Jenny Bea Englishman...
, who produced her debut album How I Do. The new album is tentatively titled Reset and is being recorded in a house studio in Toronto, Canada. To support the project, she is also making appearances as a public speaker on the topics of success in the music industry and vocal health for professional singers.
On February 14, 2011, Res released a "mixtape" of unreleased demos and remixed songs titled A Box of Chocolates after the iconic Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
quote. The digital-only album is mixed by DJ NI** Sky (Nicole Albino of Nina Sky
Nina Sky
Nina Sky is an American musical duo composed of identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino .-Early life and career:Albino's parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico and were divorced when the girls were younger...
) and features a blend of music from multiple genres of music. The album is intended as a Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
gift to her fans as they await a proper release of Black.Girls.Rock!.
Social networking presence
Res is very active in several forms of social media. She uses these sites to keep her followers informed of performances, public speaking appearances, and current progress on projects through her aliases "the1res" on Facebook and Twitter and "theoneRES" on YouTube.Idle Warship
In 2009, Res joined long-time collaborator and emcee Talib KweliTalib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
to form a hip-hop/electro duo known as Idle Warship
Idle Warship
Idle Warship is a musical duo composed of Brooklyn emcee Talib Kweli and Philadelphia singer Res, Res has appeared on each Talib Kweli album since 2000's Train of Thought. They have also toured together, including on the summer 2005 MGD Flavor 2 Savor mini-tour. They released their debut mixtape,...
. They have released a few teaser tracks online including a song named "Steady" that borrows from '80s classic "Sunglasses At Night
Sunglasses at Night
"Sunglasses at Night" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Corey Hart. It was the first single to be released off his debut album, 1983's First Offense, and became a hit single in the United States, rising to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1984...
" by Corey Hart. In June 2009, Idle Warship completed their first headlining tour through Europe. They performed to sold-out crowds in Switzerland, Norway, France and Germany. Idle Warship has produced a mixtape called Party Robots made available for download in October 2010 available from Res' official site.
Idle Warship just finished their debut album Habits of the Heart
Habits of the Heart
- References :...
, to be released November 1, 2011. The first single from this debut, "Laser Beams" is produced by DJ Khalil
DJ Khalil
Khalil Abdul-Rahman, better known by his stage name DJ Khalil, is a Los Angeles based American hip hop/soul record producer, and is the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Self Scientific, together with rapper Chace Infinite...
.
Discography
Studio Albums- 2001: How I Do (MCA Records)
- 2009: Black.Girls.Rock! (currently unavailable—only 1000 copies printed and offered on Res' official site)
- 2011: Habit of the Heart (Blacksmith Records/Fontana)
- 2012: ReFried Mac Ep (Javotti Media)
Compilations
- 2010: Party Robots Mixtape (Idle Warship)
- 2011: A Box of Chocolates (digital only, available on Res' official site)
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart