Written by | Ray Cornelius
Before hip-hop icons Naughty By Nature, Goodie Mob and Snoop Dogg take over the Pepsi Funk Fest stage tonight at Atlanta’s Central Park, there will be an icon in the making who plans to wow the audience with her enormous talent. I’m talking about none other than singer-songwriter—Lyric Rachae.
The Berklee College of Music student is opening the two-day festival and couldn’t be more proud of performing in her hometown. Rachae brings years of experience and talent to the stage as writer, dancer and acoustic guitar player despite the fact that she is only 20-years-old. For the former Dekalb School of the Arts High School student, whose parents named after the movie “Jason’s Lyric,” performing in front of an audience of two or two thousand is as natural to her as breathing.
“I really, really, really love the exchange of energy that happens during a performance. It’s liberating for me to just go on stage and pour my heart out and touch the audience in a way that they somehow touch me with their energy. It’s like this back and forth type of cycle that I just can never get tired of,” said Rachae during our phone interview this week.
Rachae has also worked with some of the biggest producers in the music industry including Grammy winner Anthony Dent and songwriter Crystal Nicole. Both producers have client lists that includes such pop music divas as Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey and Aretha Franklin. Dent has also worked with Beyoncé , who Rachae currently has posted on her Facebook page. It’s a throwback video featuring the young Destiny’s Child singer dishing about motivation, faith and God. These are also three values that keeps Rachae focused on her goals too. “My faith is what keeps me grounded. Before anything, I try to make sure I stay on top of that and remain humble.”
Right now, Rachae is also focused on learning as much as she can about the “business” of show business and knowing her rights as an artist. “I’m studying a lot right now about the process of songwriting and the business behind that and just the music industry in general. I am going to take a lot of that knowledge and apply it to my career as an performer,” said Rachae.
In the future, Rachae would also like to expand her repertoire to include television, film and Broadway. She would also like to collaborate with some of her music idols like India.Arie, Justin Timberlake and Janelle Monae, who she met a few years ago.
“I’ve always admired Janelle Monae. I actually met her when Outkast did a ballet at the Fox Theatre a few years ago. She performed in the show and I just remember being awe struck. I didn’t know that much about her then but I had this immediate connection to her energy on stage,” says Rachae. “Then I got into her artistry and craft a lot more. I just love how she becomes this character on stage and she doesn’t try to contain it. It’s like that’s just who she is and she doesn’t have to be naked to do it.”
Let’s see if Lyric Rachae will channel some of that same energy as tonight’s Funk Fest opener. Who knows? Janelle Monae may be watching.
Check out Lyric Rachae’s performance of Nick Jonas’ “Levels” below and tell us what you think.
Photo Credits: Facebook/Lyric Rachae
