January 09, 2006 @ 11:00 am

Robin Thicke: Evolving Soul

Clay Cane

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Between Teena Marie and Justin Timberlake – though some may agree his black card was revoked during to the legendary 2004 wardrobe malfunction! - there have been few white artists who could successfully break into the selective and critical world of R&B/Soul music. However, if there is anyone who can make that leap almost effortlessly, it is the bountiful soul artist Robin Thicke. Sound a bit familiar? Robin Thicke is the artist formerly known as Thicke, who made a light splash with his 2002 release Beautiful World, which garnered critical acclaim and musically matched soul artists at the time like Musiq, India Arie and Jill Scott. Still sound familiar? Robin Thicke is the son of Alan Thicke, one of the most beloved television fathers from the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains. Robin Thicke is returning to music with his first and last name, a fresh sound and an album titled The Evolution of Robin Thicke, which will hit stores this Valentine’s Day. His first single, “I Wanna Love You Girl,” which he wrote and produced with Pharrell Williams, is already creating a buzz on radio stations across the country. left Don’t think because Robin is the son of a big-time television dad that his road to the music industry has been paved in sitcom-esque gold. Robin stresses he received no breaks because of his last name, “In music there’s no connection to sitcom television unless you’re Eve and you were already in music. Sometimes in movies and TV you can get by on good looks and charm, but in music you still gotta be able to put down a record – so there was no help. My father encouraged me to learn and grow, but he didn’t encourage me to be a star. I always had my own path and followed.” Robin does have an illustrious path in the music industry having written and produced for artists such as Usher, Mary J. Blige and Michael Jackson. Robin’s own journey as a singer/songwriter has been complex and full of life lessons. “I had a record deal when I was very young and it took seven years from the time I had my first deal for the first album to come out. I was afraid of failing and had a fear of people not liking the music as much as I did. I had long hair and was calling myself Thicke, and I was still kind of hiding … where I’m at out now is maturing and learning, as we all do - we get more comfortable in our skin. That’s why I called the new album The Evolution of Robin Thicke because it’s about a person, like all of us, whose growing and trying to be a better person in every way.” Robin’s “evolution” as an artist is evident in the new album, and as a newly singed artist to Pharrell’s Star Trak Records, he owes a large part of his growth to Pharrell Williams. “He was a fan of my music and we hooked up. He’s been a huge help to me in finishing the album. Pharrell is God sent and I’m lucky to be associated with such talent.” The new album also includes songs with Lil’ Wayne and Faith Evans. With a complete reinvention, it is almost as if Robin Thicke is a born-again artist, still soulful, passionate and raw, but presenting a more exposed, uninhibited version of himself. “Evolution is about somebody who is soul searching, who’s got demons, drugs, sex, temptation and problems that he’s trying to make it through. At the end, he is appreciative that he can sing it all. it’s a tale of things that every person goes through.” Read more vibe.com online exclusives.

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