HOUSTON, TX – There’s a funky new R&B artist with a silky smooth falsetto and some witty wordplay making his way through the music scene, and he’s been getting some major attention and airplay in recent months.
Jimmie Moore Jr., better known as J Metro, is a Houston-based singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist whose songs have already charted on the Billboard R&B Hot 100. He’s already been signed by The Orchard and SOM Music, and is currently on tour in China as he works to promote his most recent single, “Groove.”
According to his manager, Rueben Wood, the single is a the perfect example of how J Metro is bringing back an old-school funk sound – hearkening back to the likes of Prince and Michael Jackson.
“It’s a neo-soul, funk type of record,” Wood said. “He definitely is that new funk artist. His vocals and his range and the way he sings are what makes him stand out. You might hear a lot of new R&B artists coming out, but not a lot of them are real – they use auto-tune. But he’s using raw vocals and there’s not that much editing being done to his voice.”
Right off the bat those natural vocals are put on display in “Groove.” With an upbeat, fast-paced funk rhythm coupled with J Metro’s poetic flow and high vocals, the song is immediately attractive and has listeners clamoring for more. The lyrics explore the dynamics of a romantic relationship and the scenario that so many people find themselves in when their partner wants them to change.
“No matter how much they try and no matter how much they say they want you to change, you’re still going to be the same person and you aren’t going to change,” Wood said. “If you can’t deal with it, you might want to run away.”
It’s not just the clever lyrics that make “Groove” such a stand-out single, however. J Metro also shows an adept hand at music composition and for putting together beat and instrument for the perfect marriage of sonic ear-play. Appropriate for someone who has been playing piano for most of his life and who attended Morehouse College for music composition.
The single is the first off an album that J Metro will be dropping on July 21 called “Graffiti, the Lost Art.” That album will come out just in time for his return from the China tour, and will set the stage for a fall/winter tour throughout the States. Much like “Groove,” the rest of the album will explore more of the neo-soul, funk sound that J Metro has become known for – stuff that will “make you groove and dance,” Wood said.
Between now and then, Wood said that a music video for “Groove” will be released in June and will also serve as a bit of a throw-back in that it will present a short-film similar to how Michael Jackson would launch new music videos.
To listen to J Metro’s music, or to follow him on social media, please visit the following links:
FACEBOOK: Jmetromusic
TWITTER: @Jmetromusic
INSTAGRAM: @Jmetromusic
