Rahsaan Patterson
RIFFING ON LOVE
With His New 'Love In Stereo', Rahsaan Patterson Explores Soul Music's Nurturing Possibilities
For those who love so hard it hurts, Rahsaan Patterson's sophomore release, LOVE IN STEREO, is a salve for the wounded. Here, as on Patterson's 1997 self-titled debut, his gospel-tinged croon invites comparison to '70s-era Stevie Wonder, while his electrified styling recalls early-'90s Prince. Still, Patterson's nouveau groove stands apart, with a message that transcends the dancing drums and soaring vocals. Addressing the downside of love -- when trust begets betrayal and pain replaces joy -- Patterson sings of the inner resolve and self-love needed to begin the healing process. On the disc's first single, "Treat You Like a Queen," Patterson delivers a cautionary tale, urging women to escape abusive relationships. Backing up his convictions with positive action, Patterson is donating a portion of the song's royalties to Soul Survivors, a Harlem-based nonprofit organization he's founded to provide shelter and assistance to abused women and children. Speaking to bn.com editor Brett Johnson, Patterson talked about music's healing potential and the search for true love.
barnesandnoble.com: The lyrics seem to dig a bit deeper on this effort than the last disc.
Rahsaan Patterson: This record is far less romantic. The first was pretty much about finding love, seeking love, needing love, missing out on love. [This record] is dealing with not having it, being comfortable with not having it, feeling comfortable with seeing that you don't need the love of another person before you find it in yourself. As far as the first single, "Treat You Like a Queen," and "Any Other Love" -- those songs deal with the abuse that we take in relationships that is usually disguised as love.
bn.com: How did you come to such insightful conclusions?
RP: In these two years, I've found a way to write it, to articulate it, to put it into song and be comfortable with going there. A lot of us have either been in those relationships and/or have experienced our parents' [relationship] as children. And as children, once you see that, you never forget that. I think a lot of us have had some [abusive] experience in some shape or form. I think that's why our relationships become so frustrating. And a lot of the time, we don't deal with our own issues as individuals before we get into a relationship where someone puts their issues on ours and we put ours on them. That's when it gets a little crazy. I feel that before we do that, we should deal with ourselves and fix all our stuff and then we can have longer lasting, more fruitful relationships.
bn.com: "Treat You Like a Queen" speaks specifically about abuse in relationships.
RP: It's about realizing that anything that hurts you and is painful is not necessarily that good for you. And it's about finding that out and waking up to the reality that any relationship that you're in where you're being abused is not love.
bn.com: You've extended that song to a level of community involvement with your nonprofit group. How did that idea form?
RP: I've always had an idea that I wanted to do it. I've always wanted a foundation called Soul Survivors. I wanted to open a shelter that would also provide psychiatric treatment and other kinds of assistance. We're still in the beginning stages, kind of putting the word out there. A portion of my royalties from this record ["Treat You Like A Queen"] will go to the foundation to give it a jumpstart, and hopefully that will attract others who want to join the cause.
bn.com: Why did you choose Harlem as the location?
RP: I want to start at home. Now that I'm older and come back home to Harlem -- because my family's church is in Harlem -- I see so many people who are just lost. Walking around lost, just totally drugged out, needing some kind of help. That's self-abuse. It really saddens me when I see my brothers and sisters out there, lost like that. But it's all about healing. I want to fix things and make things better and make us better, because I know the music does that for me. That's one of the only reasons why I'm not walking out there on the streets -- the fact that I find God in the music helps me so much. And I want my music to help others in the same way.
© 2009 All Media Guide, LLC