Omega
Sound-Sample(s):
Realaudio
The EP (Realaudio)
Realmedia Lets get it on (Realmedia)

E-Mail: Trigland@aol.com
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7138/omega.htm
Album: Project Omega, the EP (EP)
Project Omega, the EP (EP)
Released: 1997


M.G. and Smoke Jumpa rhymin', production is done by M.G. and D.j. Nikel. Shine, Chunksta, IllTrippOne, CYBORG, Shine's brotha, and the Deadbeats all did production on the album. Order: Trigland Productions
491 Baltimore Pike #662
Springfield, PA 19064

On Fire
Album: Dance Like David

Onceblind
E-Mail:
babbleonian@webtv.net

One Way
Album: Desination Unknown

OPA

Out Of Eden
Sound-Sample(s):
MP3
Lovely day (MP3)
MP3 More than you know (MP3)
MP3 Sunshine (MP3)
Realaudio More than you know (Realaudio)

E-Mail: ooe@gotee.com
Homepage: http://www.gotee.com/ooe
Album: Lovin' the day
Lovin' the day
Released: 1994
Label: Gotee Records


Style: Soul/Jazz/Rap/Funk


Een superalbum!! Wat een stemmetjes! Helemaal onder de indruk ben ik van dit stel. Als je alleen al het nummer 'Loving Day' draait, heb je geheid ook een 'Loving Day' en kan je dag niet meer stuk. Echt mensen, dit moet je horen!!


(source: Samma Nieuws - Maart 1995)




De tiener-meiden groep 'Out of Eden' en hun debuutalbum 'Lovin' the Day' was de eerste release op het Gotee-label. De 14-, 16- en 18- jarige zusjes werden twee jaar door Toby McKeeham onder de hoede genomen. Samen maakte ze een single waaran er tienduizend verkocht werden, een ongehoord feit in de gospelmuziek, en gingen op een tour door zeventig plaatsen met DC Talk. De vocale capriolen van het trio Lisa, Wendy en Joy doen denken aan de Motown groepen uit de jaren '60, waarbij Out of Eden een aanstekelijke mix van Soul, HipHop en Funk weet te cr‰eren.


(source: GMI Music Magazine - Mei 1995)




Thank you Jesus! There ain't no dissapointments on this here album. SWV and Brandy move over, Joy, Lisa and Andrea with some help from the brothers Gotee fix you with the non-stop funk. No redundancies. Some of the tracks have a new-jack grove others are neo-disco and other are soulfully silk. All of the funkyest Christian R&B you'll find. All Dat!

(source: Christophorus Darticus, Internet)




Out of Eden - a trio of sisters whose sweet harmonies are reminiscent of the early Motown girl groups. Combining R&B, hip-hop and pop, this debut release is set to cross all musical barriers

Produced by the GoTee brothers, 'Lovin' the Day' is an album of well- crafted, thoughtfully written songs that will touch the R&B pop nerve of kids everywhere.


With an appearance by DC Talk's Toby McKeehan (Bandwagon) and a future radio single penned by by DC Talk's Michael Tait (Show Me), Out of Eden is poised and ready to capture the attention of fans and critics worldwide.


(source: Word Music Online, Internet)

Album: More Than You Know
More Than You Know
Released: 1996
Label: Gotee Records


At first glance, one would not have noticed anything unusual about the three young ladies riding amongst the students in the blue North Park logo-emblazoned van. For an afternoon in late March, it was an unusually snowy afternoon, one which would not normally be conducive to conversation. But there they were, enjoying the bumpy ride and trading quips and experiences with those around them, stopping occasionally to catch their breath after outbursts of laughter. To the uninformed observer, these ladies seemed in no way out of place riding in a vehicle full of lively African-American college students. Yet there was something special about these animated young women that distinguished them from the rest of the 18-to-24-year-olds in the van. These were the young women of Out of Eden, a Christian pop-R&B trio that has been rising in the ranks of the music industry. I had the privilege of joining a group of students selected to host the three sisters (Lisa Bragg and Andrea and Danielle Kimmey) for their stay in the Windy City, and we were headed down Lake Shore Drive towards downtown Chicago to eat at Michael Jordan’s, the restaurant owned by the world-famous Bulls guard.

As we spent time with ‘da girls’ as they are sometimes called (though I found out from their road manager Jason King that they hate being called that) I was surprised at how down-to-earth they were. I guess subconsciously I was expecting the prima-donna attitude that is associated with successful pop divas. Danielle (who used to go by Joy but now casts deadly glances at anyone who calls her by that name) shared with us her dream of living in New York and becoming a fashion designer and evangelist. (I jokingly asked her if she planned to give away T-shirts and accessories at her tent revivals...she didn’t comment but I could see her eyes gleam at the thought.) Andrea told us about how she likes to visit huge toy stores when she goes shopping, and Lisa confided to us that her ideal occupation would be a restaurant critic. This came as no surprise to me, as she had given Michael Jordan’s rave reviews.

During the time we spent during lunch and later that night before the show, I had the opportunity to sit with Lisa and really talk. I mean, we’re not talking cute little chit-chat here; conversation topics ranged from the death of Notorious B.I.G. and rumors of R. Kelly’s salvation to the depiction of Blacks in films like Love Jones and Jerry Maguire. I was impressed with her ability to articulate and her apparent depth of spiritual character. Due to some technological constraints, I was unable to document the entire series of conversations that took place, but the following is an impromptu interview conducted a few minutes before their sound-check:



In the beginning--was it you who gave the description of "More Than You Know" [the first song off their new album of the same name] as ‘an R&B groove with more futuristic harder stuff’? [she nods] Well, how would you describe the holistic sound of Out of Eden?

I’d say you’d put it in a category of pop-R&B, because it’s got the R&B beats and it’s got the funk to it but it’s also got the feel-good pop melodies that you can sing and really get into. I guess that would be the best way to describe it.

What kind of audiences do you get when you do your shows around the country?

It depends pretty much on where we are and who’s promoting it (the show). We get all age groups from 10 to 50, and there are White people, Black people, Hispanics, Asians, it really just depends.

So would you say that the demographics are pretty diverse?

Yes, I think our audience, the people that listen to us, are a diverse people.

Earlier you mentioned some of the obstacles that you face in the music industry, being both African-American and female. Can you elaborate on that issue?

Well, most industries, except for maybe modeling, are male-dominated industries, and Christian music industry isn’t any different as far as who does the sound, who does the lighting, who’s in charge of promotion... [I had to chuckle when I looked around at all the stagehands and there wasn’t a Black female in sight.] ...they have a tendency to do the whole macho-type thing, not always on-purpose, but they act like we don’t know about sound or this or that, and it’s pretty frustrating. We’ve had to deal with getting equal time and placement, but now we’ve kind of paid our dues and now it’s getting a little bit better.

Have you experienced any racism in the industry, and if so how has it affected you?

I think we definitely have (experienced racism)...nothing that we can pinpoint, but it’s an undercurrent. It’s racism in the form of tradition, in the form of unacceptance. Not so much an in-your-face racism--

More of an institutional thing?

Yeah, yeah. Sometimes it’s ignorance...you know, people are unaware of it because it’s like they’re cursed, it’s like there are demons...Martin Luther King called them spirits of evil, and I think that’s what racism is, it’s a spirit of evil. People don’t always know that it’s around, whether your Black, Hispanic, Asian...it’s around, it feeds on things. We’ve had to deal with that a lot...I’ve had to wonder whether or not we would be more accepted if we were three Caucasian females, and I think the answer is yes. But the Lord has blessed us, and we’re happy to be where we are, in a place where we can break down some of those stereotypes and barriers.

 eah, I’m glad that this kind of thing can take place. [Thoughtful pause] Now, do you mind if I ask a personal question?

(She smiles and chuckles) No, go ahead.

Well, I understand that you’re recently married; how has that changed the dynamics of the group?Or has it at all?Maybe Andrea wants to comment on that...

(Andrea speaking) No, I don’t think it has that much. He’s been a lot more involved in what we’re doing, but--

Did he (Lisa’s husband Michael) produce part of the album?

Yes, he produced our second album.

[turning back to Lisa]


What would you say to those who may be skeptical about you being married at such a young age?

Being married at a young age is not really a part of my ministry statement...(we both chuckle)...it’s not like I’m gonna say ‘Okay, all you young girls out there...’ I’ve always been around older people, I’ve always been really involved in my spiritual life. I feel like I’ve really matured early for my age. My response to people who are considering marriage is to seek the Lord for yourself, and find out what God’s will is for yourself. Marriage is not one of those things where you can look and say ‘Well, she did it so I’m gonna do it’ or ‘She didn’t do it, so I’m not gonna do it’. It’s not one of those standards like not having sex before marriage or not being drunk. It’s one of things you have to seek the Lord as an individual for. We both sought the Lord individually and together, and his answer was ‘go for it’, so that’s what we did.

How did you two meet?


We met almost five years ago at a talent show. At that time we were introduced to each other and were just sort of ‘hi’...he had a girlfriend, I had a boyfriend, and we had never seen each other previous to that even though we had hung around the same people, and then the Lord just brought us together.

Because you’re signed under Gotee Records, which was founded by Toby McKeehan, you were able to tour with dcTalk when ‘Lovin the Day’ was out. How would you say they have influenced your sound, or influenced any other aspect of the group?

I don’t think dcTalk has influenced our sound, but we’ve learned from them as far as being on stage. I think the best way they’ve influenced us was with their fervor for what they do. They really want to reach their audience. Seeing their excitement and fervor and the acceptance of their calling really inspired us to say ‘Look, we need to quit trippin’. This is what God wants us to do, lets just go out there and do it.’

I thanked Lisa and Andrea for their time and left to get ready for the show. And what a show it was. Actually, calling it a show would not quite be accurate, because there was more going on than just phat beats, nice harmonies and energetic dance steps. There was ministry going forth. There was a purity that flowed forth as they sang songs like "There Is A Love", which contrasts the secular concept of love with the holiness God intended for contemporary relationships. Danielle, the same shy 16-year-old who had earlier shared her dreams as a fashion designer, was filled with boldness as she testified about the goodness of God and her desire to meet Him face to face. There was a sanctified sense of excitement in the air as those of us in front of the stage were swingin’ to the groove and praising the Lord with our upraised hands and ghetto-stompin’ feet. When the concert ended, I was both exhilarated and exhausted.

After the show I caught up with Out of Eden and their manager Jason King. I thanked them for the fun afternoon and evening I had. I thanked them for keeping it real, keeping it live, and keeping it holy. The unity in our conversation was evident, and I was enjoying every minute of it. I gave Jay a pound, he gave me one back, and afterwards they headed out. Lisa told me earlier they were thinking of heading back to MJ’s, because there was a rumor that Michael would be stopping by that night after the Bulls game. I smiled as I left the building, hoping that their encounter would top off their experience here at North Park in Chicago. I can only speak for myself, but I can truly say that Tuesday had been a lovely day indeed.

reviewed by Jelani N. G. Greenidge

(source: Christian Hip Hop Zone on Internet)

WARNING: MP3-files do not always contain full-length-full-quallity samples. These files can contain samples from 10 seconds-8bit-8khz-mono-noise up to the full-length CD-quallity-stereo samples...