Song of the Day: Res “Golden Boys”

Shareese Renee Ballard, known to the musical world as “Res” (pronounced “Reese”), released her debut album, How I Do on MCA records in 2001. For her first album, the Philadelphia born Res, wanted a sound that combined hip hop, drum ‘n’ bass, rock, pop, soul and experimental concepts into one sound. To achieve her vision, she teamed up with an impressive cast of musicians including skate-rock maverick Chuck Treece on drums, as well as the iconic producer Doc, whose work with Weeknd, Drake, Mary J Blige, Raphael Sadiq and Santigold, among others, has earned him widespread critical acclaim. The principle songwriter on How I Do  is listed as ‘S. White,’ who is actually a fellow Philadelphian, and a genre-bending musical artist and producer in her own right, Santigold. “Golden Boys,” was the first single from this all-star studded album. The song calls out the sanitized images of black men that grace fashion magazines, and the networks MTV and VH1. Over a timeless groove, Santigold‘s lyrics point to how these portrayals are in fact false realities, which are forced upon the masses.

Early on in her life, Res was exposed to a wide-array of musical influences, and began signing Italian Arias at age 14 while going to Catholic School. Artists ranging from Annie Lennox to Pearl Jam to The Roots all made their mark on her and contributed to her eclectic vision of how she could seamlessly cross musical boundaries. By the time she hooked up with her old Philly buddy Santigold to make this album, she had firmly decided that she wanted to make music that simply felt good to her as opposed to casting herself into one genre or another. Despite some chart success with her debut, including a number one spot on the dance charts with the single, “They-Say Vision,” Res‘s career has been fraught with complications and set-backs that have severely limited her exposure. Less than two years after her debut, her label was phased out and absorbed by another label. In the process, the new company refused to release any of her new work despite paying her contractual salary. Despite these challenges, Res has never stopped producing music and has continued to release solo material, while working with a wide range of artists. Check this woman out, you won’t be sorry!