Brick & Lace: JA Meets Hip-Hop

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Written by Kiki Ess

Wednesday, 07 March 2007 12:04

You see it yet? "Jamaican Girls", the video with Obie Trice? Did you catch the two hot girls singing the hook, and winin' their way into the hearts and minds of everyone watching? Brick & Lace

Nailah and Nyanda Thorbourne. Geanie and Razzle. Also known as Brick and Lace. Hot out of Kingston, these two ladies are setting radio stations and video networks on fire. And while they can move, that's not what's garnering the most attention from music contemporaries and fans.

These girls can sing! I mean, really sing. Just check out "Jamaican Girls" and see for yourself.

Combining hard, edgy lyrics with flawless, sweet-sounding vocals, Brick and Lace are proving to the Caribbean community, and to the world, that in an arena dominated by the leading men of dancehall and reggae, leading ladies do exist.

Nowhere is this more evident than in their latest release "Get That Clear (Hold Up)". Released earlier this year, to raving reviews, "Get That Clear" features hit music maker and song-writer Akon. The single, an innovative fusion of pop and hip-hop, with an island flavor, is set to be a selector favorite. However, the ladies aren't ready to just settle and rest on their laurels.

"Get That Clear" is just one of 12 songs set to appear on the future release of Brick and Lace's debut album, "Love Is Wicked". Named after their popular single from the Diwali Riddim, "Love is Wicked" is a blend of dancehall and R&B sure to wow music lovers for years to come. Resplendent with catchy lyrics and smooth melodies, the album seems to have a song for everyone. "Get That Clear" is a message to the fellas about what they will and won't stand for, while "Never" is more of the same. Nyanda dug down deep in "Mr. Officer", in which a woman pleads for her man's freedom. And "Take Me Back", which is one of their favorites, was inspired by difficulties in their parents' marriage.

"It was about a situation when you want to go back to a time when it was good. And you know, sometimes in a relationship, it gets hard and you try to remember why you were there in the first place," explained Nyanda. The song hit so close to home that the sisters got choked up while recording it.

"Push It Up", however, was the song that they enjoyed working on the most. A straight dancehall track, it was produced by acclaimed music-master Tony Kelly. Kelly's the same producer who collaborated with Beenie Man for the chart-climbing single "Hmm Hmm".

The sisters wrote or co-wrote every song on the album. However, the list of collaborating writers, artists and producers reads like the who's who of the music industry. Akon. Tony Kelly. Raphael Saadiq. Full Force. Will.I.Am. With a line-up like that backing the talented duo, it's gotta be good.

In the lead-up to the release of "Love Is Wicked", Brick and Lace are concentrating on the recent hit single, "Get That Clear", for which they just shot a video. The video was choreographed by one of the hottest dancers around, Fatima Robinson (Black Eyed Peas' "Hey Mama" and "My Hump"). As a result, "the dancing in the video is really fresh," said Nailah, comparing it to the dancing of the guys in JA.

Nyanda described it as "vibrant and sexy; a very island thing." So look for it online and on your local video networks.

While the sisters aren't exactly new to the industry, their major moves have only been made within the past few years. It was only recently that they linked up with powerhouse production company 180 Music and industry giant Geffen. After signing with Geffen, the company made Brick and Lace's exposure a priority.

As a result, the future looks brighter than ever, but the road has been a long one, dotted with obstacles. The girls grew up in a very musical household, and were influenced by several very different genres. Born to a Jamaican father and a mother out of New York, they listened to everyone from the BeeGees and Barbara Streisand, to SWV and TLC.

"We thought we were Brownstone," said Nyanda, "you couldn't tell us different."

But they were also influenced by Jamaica's rich reggae and dancehall scene. However, Diana King probably had the greatest impact. "We saw ourselves in her," said Nailah. "She was doing that whole fusion thing. The blend. And she was a success. It gave us hope."

However, it wasn't until after high school that they began to take their art more seriously. "We had done two years of college," said Nyanda, "and we were excelling, but it wasn't us. Our career goal never really included college. It was grinding and getting out there." And the opportunities began opening up.

They linked up with Dallas Austin who exposed them to some of the industry's greats. They began recording in Miami, and it wasn't long before they were singing backup for Lauryn Hill and working with Roberta Flack, Christopher Birch and Bounty Killer. Things appeared to be looking up. But what they reached was a seemingly unending plateau.

Up until a few years ago, the ladies were signed with Jive records. In the beginning, when the two parties first came together, it was a major headline grabber. Brick and Lace, the first female reggae group signed to the company. It should have been history in the making. Instead, the collaboration fell far short.

"They dropped our asses," said Nailah.

Nyanda explained further, "The Jive thing didn't really work out. They wanted more time to see, to really get us. And we were like 'no'. We didn't want any more time. We asked to be dropped from the label."

One problem that Jive had involved the classification of the girls' music. With so many influences, even radio has trouble figuring out where to put them in the lineup. Nyanda noted that the classification thing is indeed difficult. "Some our Jamaican audience expect us to just be dancehall, hardcore. If you sing a bit of R&B, then you sell out."

"We can't please everybody," said Nailah, "we sing at will. That's who we are."

In the end, it would appear that Jive Records lost a big commodity when they let the duo go. Would you believe that four of Brick and Lace's songs that were just sitting on the Jive shelf ended up being instrumental in landing them their current contract with Geffen? "Love is Wicked", "Don't Stop", "Take Me Back", and "Mr. Officer". Jive had them all, and just didn't know what to do with them.

"It's kinda funny how things worked out," said Nailah.

They thank many of their contemporaries for being so supportive throughout their rise, especially Shaggy, Elephant Man, Future Troubles and Baby Cham. And they look forward to presenting the world with what's sure to be one of more sensational hit albums of 2007, "Love Is Wicked."

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