Some children want to become firemen, doctors, nurses and even royalty when they grow up, but even at three-years-old, Phyllisia Ross knew she wanted to be a performer. Now a full-time Biology major at the University of Miami on the verge of graduation, the young musician is ensuring her academic excellence is on par with the entertainment career she has been building.

In recent years, Phyllisia has worked with industry powerhouses like Ne-Yo, Flo Rida, Bigg D, Scott Storch and Steve Morales. She’s also had some amazing collaborations with her SoBe Entertainment labelmates, and garnered ‘Song of the Year’ and ‘Collabo of the Year’ honors at the 2010 EME Awards in Jamaica with the Jah Cure duet “Call On Me.”

Now Phyllisia is preparing for the official radio release of her club-friendly singles “Money Clap” and “I’m Tired” featuring Flo Rida, with videos ready to go. Her upcoming album is slated for Summer release on SoBe Entertainment in association with Fontana/Universal Music Group Distribution.

An accomplished pianist, songwriter and singer, Phyllisia’s gifts were recognized early-on by her father. Although he dreamed of her becoming a medical doctor, he supported the toddler’s natural talents. She began with classical piano at age three, and was singing by five-years-old. Sadly, her father passed away when she was only 10, however Phyllisia was determined to make him proud.

After studying vocal performance in middle school, Phyllisia went on to attend Dreyfoos High School for Performing Arts in Palm Beach. “The type of singing I did in high school was operatic, called Bel Canto style,” she explains. “Over the years there are many genres of music that I’ve been singing. The classical teachers I had, the piano and all of those musical genres coming together shaped my sound to what it is today. It made me more disciplined as a musician, because I always know that I can be so much better than I am.”

Because of her wide array of musical skills, Phyllisia is wary of her talent being pigeonholed. “My life is so versatile that different emotions will come out. I might write a Hip-Hop song where I’m very intense, or the next day I could be feeling in a slow R&B mood. At this stage, I would definitely say I’m urban pop. I’m young, in school, I like to party and have a good time too. I’m going to make music based on my timeline and where I am in life. You’ll hear songs about heartbreak and love on my album too. I hope to cross over into adult contemporary when I do reach a Sade or classic Whitney Houston type of sound.”

Recognition at Jamaica’s 2010 EME Awards for her work Jah Cure’s 2009 single “Call on Me” has inspired Phyllisia even more. She is currently featured on Jah Cure’s latest single “Unconditional Love,” and embraces the appreciation from her Caribbean fans.

“Just to know that my name, my voice and message mean something to people and that it helps and touches somebody is a major step forward. Especially being awarded those two, Song of the Year and Collaboration of the Year – that song was on people’s minds for a while. It’s a motivator to continue on having accomplished something.”

SoBe Entertainment has been a major force in Phyllisia’s life, and she expresses the utmost respect for her professional family.

“Cecile Barker, CEO and Executive Producer, is behind me 100% in school as well as being an artist. You would think a record company wouldn’t want me to have any distractions from making music, but I think because he was an astronomical physicist and a brilliant man, he wants me to understand the life lessons that I’m learning. We’re like a tight knit family; I’m not going to let my family down. Life is about persistence and dedication, and SoBe Entertainment is more than music, it’s about life. “

Phyllisia’s yet-untitled debut album is near completion. “I have a bunch of diverse songs, even in other languages on my album,” she explains. “I have a song where I’m singing in Creole, dedicated to Haiti, one in Spanish, along with dance songs and R&B ballads. It just projects what I’ve gone through. I want to help people believe in themselves.

“You can do anything you want to do, and you can live your dream, but you have to work for it. I stuck to what I said I was going to do, and my music is just a reward. I want to help the world, whether I’m a doctor, or a singer who wrote a song that helped somebody else. That’s what other musicians have done for me, so that’s what I want to do for others.”

For interviews and press information, contact dove@tygereye.net

A jazz saxophonist/rapper/guitarist who looks like an MMA fighter; a classically trained pianist turned Hip Hop producer infatuated with ‘80s rock; a foster kid from Indianapolis who channeled his pain like a Hip Hop Marvin Gaye; and a young percussion phenom born and bred in Crown Heights, Brooklyn who rivals the loudest rock drummer you ever heard… In Soul Mafia, musical genres crash as often as cymbals.

With their new single and video “I Can’t Get Enough” dropping February 2010, their full-length album MK Ultra coming this Spring and the Wasted Tour in planning, Soul Mafia is ready for the world!

Nearly a decade ago, front man GC and keyboardist/producer Prism came together in New York and began developing the Soul Mafia sound. They engaged in a trial by fire of open mics, battles, self promoted shows and guerilla marketing tactics to brand the budding group. They formed Pursuance Inc., the production wing of Soul Mafia, and garnered music placement on the likes of FOX, ESPN and MSG, which in turn enabled them to finance their grass roots efforts.

The early years were characterized by a revolving door of supporting players, but after several line-up changes, GC and Prism found the missing elements of Soul Mafia in drummer Lil Dee and vocalist Iam Beck. Iam describes GC as “the culmination of true business ethics mixed with a lot of hard work,” while GC elaborates on his bandmates with lyrical finesse that elicits passion for his band beyond the boardroom.

“Prism has been a loyal and visionary partner,” GC says. “His genius is to hear music in colors, and this gives his production and synth work a level of nuance and balance that many producers and mixers can spend a lifetime trying to achieve. Iam is like a Phoenix rising from circumstance that would leave an ordinary man crushed. Lil Dee is the young stallion of the group, feeding the engine with the occasional nitro charge, pushing the train just to the point of veering off the tracks, all the while maintaining a stoic swag. I think all of us were born with the gift and curse of being musical conduits, and therefore, there is no plan B.”

It is increasingly evident that to be successful in the current landscape of music, artists must, for their own survival, become multidimensional. Lil Wayne conjured his inner rock star and marched to multiplatinum; Linkin Park blended programmed drums and rap with big guitars and soaring vocals to grow an international fan base; Kanye West reinvented himself as an emo singer on 808s and Heartbreak, and the list goes on. Blame it on the internet or globalization, but the walls separating musical styles are increasingly looking like lines in the sand… and Soul Mafia is a wave.

Drawing from their influences, hints of Prince, Billy Idol, Daft Punk, B.I.G., and even Coltrane and Beethoven dance in and out of Soul Mafia’s upcoming MK Ultra album.

“As our first real recorded work, this album means everything to us,” expresses Prism. “Soul Mafia has come so far from where we first started. It has slowly evolved into the beast of a band that we are now. To this point, this album represents all the struggles, hardships, victories, changes, blood, sweat and tears that we have dealt with along the way.”

Prism cites “I Can’t Get Enough” as his personal favorite song on MK Ultra, summing it up as “their addiction to living and breathing music.” GC is drawn to “Wasted” for its strong message. Iam explains that “All I Need” is a dedication to people dear to them. “Of course it had to be in the true Soul Mafia fashion – hard and balls-out loud!” he laughs. Meanwhile Lil Dee embraces the soulful “Reaching for the Stars,” which offers Hip Hop sensibility and a spiritual vibe with rock ballad ferocity.

With the inner circle established and battle tested from Detroit to South Carolina, these four talented men are well prepared to greet new fans across the country on their Wasted Tour this year. Forged through years of struggle and sacrifice both as individuals and as a collective, Soul Mafia is prepared to go the distance. In the words of GC: “Might lose my shirt, but never the shoes; receipts you keep when you pay your dues.”

For interviews and press information, contact dove@tygereye.net

“I Can’t Get Enough”