Unveiling its first video today (Oct. 15), R&B quintet Brutha sets the stage for the release of its debut album and a forthcoming foray into reality TV.
Brutha’s self-titled Island Def Jam album is due to hit stores Dec. 9. The project’s uptempo first single, “I Can’t Hear the Music” featuring Fabolous, is available on iTunes. Its accompanying video, directed by Jesse Terrero, premiered today on “106 & Park”; it hits Yahoo! tomorrow. Preceding the album will be the Nov. 18 launch of “Brother to Brother,” the group’s new reality show airing on BET.
Comprising the five Harrell brothers — Anthony, Jared, Jacob, Cheyenne and Grady — Brutha is rooted in the soulful, energetic harmonies voiced by such predecessors as the Jackson 5, Boyz II Men and New Edition. Ranging in age from 19 to 25, the Los Angeles-based siblings worked with an array of well-known songwriter/producers, including Ne-Yo, Rodney Jerkins, Jazze Pha, 112 founding member Daron Jones and Elvis Williams, who did the first single.
“This album is real R&B from dance and mid-tempo grooves to heartbreak songs and ballads,” group member Anthony tells billboard.biz. “It’s young and fresh and we keep it energetic with our dance moves.”
“Brother to Brother” was filmed over a six-week period in Los Angeles and other locales. The series chronicles the group’s pursuit of a recording career in tandem with the everyday issues that all families experience. To help introduce the series, a one-hour special filmed in Atlanta will air Nov. 11.
“We grew up with humble beginnings and don’t want to lose that integrity,” says group member Grady, whose siblings number 13 in all: eight boys and five girls. “All the flashy things that people dwell on in the industry … that isn’t us. It’s family first before the professional thing.”
