Smoky textured vocals that blends a little R&B with a little Rock and Roll. Love-stoned lyrics that will have you saying, "So Good!" Add in her signature, bomb, protective hairstyles and you’ve got an unforgettable evening with "The Goddaughter of Soul," Leela James. This goodess has what it takes to make us fall back in love with the "Music."
Tonight, the neo soul singer took stage at The MGM National Harbor, performing for the first time this year. She proudly represented the colors of her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, with her blue hair and accessories just two days after celebrating Founder's day. The sorority was founded at Howard University, so the symbolism rang deep; however, that was just one of the cultural ties evident in her performance. Another was her respect for the "area." When a talent embodies local cultural, that's when they have audience in a chokehold. Before performing any of her catalog, James made sure her audience felt the culture with songs like "Outstanding (The Gap Band)," and "Square Biz (Teena Marie)," and felt the love by playing Go-Go Music hits like "The Booty Call (Northeast Groovers)," and "Thug Passion (Backyard Band)." Respect. She knew her audience.
The NAACP Award nominee kicked off the show reintroducing herself with a remixed version of Jay-Z's song, "Public Service Announcement" as the crowd chanted "LEE-LA! LEE-LA! LEE-LA!"
Who said that a R&B concert had to be dull and formal? James' energy was giving "ain't nobody got time for that;" she created a vibe that had everyone up off their feet and partying, because as she said "you ain't going to work in the morning, so ain't no reason you can't get up." Leela followed with fan favorites like "Whatcha Done Now" and "Tell Me You Love Me" making the crowd burst into awes and proving that they indeed did not need a reminder of who she was. She'd never "Faded."
View the full photo gallery (courtesy of The DMV Daily) from her set below.
If you want to see how phenomenal live music is Leela James has shows coming to a city near you and an album "Thought U Knew" available on all streaming platforms.
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