Source: Rick Diamond / Getty“There’s no one like me because God only made one me and I’m comfortable doing me,” confesses award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Isaac Carree. “So I embrace whatever comes with that!” Carree has been converting listeners to believers ever since he launched his career over 25 years ago with his earnest and unique artistry that has landed him at #1 on Gospel Billboard Charts and Gospel radio multiple times. After taking a seven-year pause from his solo recording career, Carree is back with his highly anticipated recording, No Risk No Reward, is available everywhere today on Shanachie Entertainment. Taking risks is something the Atlanta based Renaissance man is well acquainted with. His motto is “Why not?!” He explains, “I’m intentional about everything I do. Sometimes I do things even if I am afraid, but I do it! WHY NOT?!” It is this spirit that led the singer to step away from the recording scene to allow himself the opportunity to explore various creative avenues.
“Allowing myself this time afforded me the opportunity to shift the trajectory of my mind and to reset to prepare for this moment now!,” shares Carree. “I had the life changing experience of touring with Diddy and the Bad Boy Reunion Tour. I also toured with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on the Soul II Soul World Tour and had the time of my life. After being away from the industry and not having new music out for six years, it feels really good to be back and to partner with Shanachie who believes in my vision.” Carree also penned his first book Service: My Words. My Life. My Truth. and launched his own music conference, The Plug, in Atlanta.
Shanachie Entertainment General Manager Randall Grass states “One listen to the quality of Isaac’s voice and stellar production let’s you know that he is special. We are proud to bring his new music to Gospel fans eager for a contemporary iteration of the Gospel message.”
No Risk No Reward features the album’s first and chart-climbing single “HER.” This stunning ballad is a powerful anthem from men to their woman. It is Isaac Carree’s tribute to his wife Dietra. “I love my wife,” says Carree. “She deserves NOTHING but the best! We’ve grown together, we’ve had our ups and our downs but she stuck with me by my side. She’s loyal, she’s a prayer warrior, she’s the mother of our child, so this song embodies how GRATEFUL to God I am for HER!”
Like Kirk Franklin, The Winans and Andre Crouch before him, with No Risk No Reward Isaac Carree stretches the musical boundaries of Gospel and inspirational R&B to bring the message to a wider audience. As such No Risk No Reward is a beautifully-produced, musically varied album that runs the gamut from fresh cutting edge urban contemporary grooves to old school gospel. For instance “Love Affair” featuring Jazze Pha, opens the album with a kicking groove to deliver the message that Isaac wants a love affair “between you, God and me,” while the hit single “HER” is a hymn to his wife that makes an explicit connection between their love and the divine, setting a template for committed Christian love. Then there’s “What Kind Of Man,” featuring Lisa Knowles and The Brown Singers, which samples Ray Charles’ classic “What Kind Of Man Is This,” itself based on an old gospel hymn, and flips the tune back into the Gospel roots of Isaac’s mother’s church. “I Don’t Wanna Go” is a gorgeous, organ-fueled Gospel ballad expressing the necessity of Godly connection. Along the way there is a stunning country-flavored ballad “Woman First” which highlights members from Tim McGraw’s band: keyboardist Billy Nobel, guitarists Bob Miner and Denny Hemingson and fiddler Deano Brown. The composition is a hymn to Isaac’s life partner and an admonition to appreciate women and not neglect them. The memorable song continues the theme of celebrating, uplifting and supporting women. The twelve songs and two interludes are conceived as a continuous musical journey, a true album experience. No Risk No Reward concludes with “4 The Win,” featuring Da’ T.R.U.T.H and Parker Dawkins. It’s a majestic piano-and-strings-led hymn of redemption, ending the album on a note of triumph. It is fitting as Carree’s anticipated recording is a triumphant tour-de-force that is all-too-rare on the current musical landscape.
No Risk No Reward is Isaac Carree’s third solo recording and is produced by Dove Award-winner and two-time Grammy Award-winning producer Blac Elvis, who has produced hits for everyone from Beyoncé (“Ego”) to Fergie (“Glamorous”) Ciara (“Promise”), Usher (“Lil’ Freak) and Smokie Norful (“Nothing Is Impossible”). Elvis states, “Working with an artist like Isaac Carree is a breath of fresh air! I don’t simply wanna label him a gospel artist because he’s so much more! His artistry is expressed in so many different ways and will appeal to so many different audiences. From the music we’re creating, to the show experience we’re producing, I want people to take away that this is an experience of a lifetime. Something to remember!”
Isaac Carree launched his career as a soloist with John P. Kee & New Life Community Choir and later on with his own award-winning Gospel quartet, Men of Standard. His soulful velvety tenor, heavenly runs, smooth production and ability to infuse various genres into his irresistible sound, have allowed him to collaborate with everyone from Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary to Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Sapp and Israel Houghton, among others. The transcendent messages of Carree’s hits like “Trust In God,” “In Your Will” and “In The Middle” demonstrate the power of God’s redemption and affirms his mission to inspire us to persevere and remember that it is never too late to start over.
No Risk No Reward follows 2013’s Reset, which debuted on the Billboard Gospel Chart at #1 and featured the hit singles “Clean This House” and “But God.” The album earned four BMI Awards and two Dove nominations. 2011’s Uncommon Me, Carree’s debut solo album, also debuted at #1 and garnered him the prestigious Stellar Award for Producer of the Year, along with four more nominations, including Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year. The single “In the Middle” hit #1 on Billboard’s Gospel chart and won ASCAP’s award of Song Of The Year in 2012.
Isaac Carree’s anticipated return on No Risk No Reward does not disappoint. The Atlanta based Carree shares, “Anyone who has followed my solo career knows that I like to take musical risks and push the envelope. This album is no different. Joining forces with producers Blac Elvis and Red Kulture has been inspiring! I wanted a different energy, a different sound, and a different vibration to this music. And we accomplished that! So stay tuned… I’m BACK!”
Courtesy of www.thebellereport.com
