Soul man and holy man, The Real J Israel spent most of his early life in church. As the son of a minister, and ultimately as a preacher himself he taught the gospel and sang it in the choir. Gospel music taught him about soul and passion, and he learned to harness their power for his own music. Ultimately J shifted his creative focus to mainstream R&B music, but he brought those lessons with him.
Regular readers of The Static Dive will recognize The Real J Israel. He first appeared on these pages in September, upon the release of his single and video “No Pressure.” Now the Atlanta, Georgia singer/songwriter is back with a brand new track. “Say” is J’s latest single, released November 11, 2020. A smooth slow jam, the song finds Israel using all of his R&B charm to convince his estranged lover to reconcile.
The track opens with mellow finger-picked guitar and J Israel’s soulful and emotive vocals. As the song progresses the singer and guitar are met by a low and slow bass and minimal, tasteful percussion. However, the star of the show is the emotional vibrato of J’s lead vocal and lush harmonies. It’s a classic soul sound handed down from the likes of Nat King Cole, Luther Vandross and Prince.
You can hear “Say” on the Deep Indie Beat playlist. Follow the links below to connect with J Israel. Get on his socials and get in the loop on all of his current and future projects, including his first ever full-length album as an R&B artist “For the Sake of R&B,” set to release in early 2021.
Connect:
J Israel on the Deep Indie Beat playlist
