Reina Williams

She may or may not have been ousted from The X Factor because the crowd-pleasing grind she sang, “Ooh Damn,” was about another woman (gasp!), but singer Reina Williams’s performance got Simon Cowell to say, “A million times yes. She made my year.” - The Advocate

Reina Williams, a Baltimore native turn New York-based musician has been writing music since she was 11 years old, but she still doesn't subscribe to any one style. Growing up with her mom singing Opera, Williams infuses all genres into her music, and she's not only a singer-songwriter, but she's also a rapper and producer. Williams' passion for music extends beyond rhythm and beats, she wants to use her music to communicate the human experience, moving people by touching their souls and helping contribute to the positive energy shift that she feels in the world right now. A great singer, musician and role model, we were excited to talk to Williams about her recent release of The Mixtape, her experience on The X Factor and her upcoming album.

What inspired you to make a mixtape?

I had been thinking about doing a mixtape for a couple years, but I was really trying to pick songs and figure out what I was going to do and then after the thing with The X Factor happened . . ." Read the full interview by clicking the link provided. - Curve Magazine

Reina Williams, a Baltimore native turn New York-based musician has been writing music since she was 11 years old, but she still doesn't subscribe to any one style. Growing up with her mom singing Opera, Williams infuses all genres into her music, and she's not only a singer-songwriter, but she's also a rapper and producer. Williams' passion for music extends beyond rhythm and beats, she wants to use her music to communicate the human experience, moving people by touching their souls and helping contribute to the positive energy shift that she feels in the world right now. A great singer, musician and role model, we were excited to talk to Williams about her recent release of The Mixtape, her experience on The X Factor and her upcoming album.

What inspired you to make a mixtape?

I had been thinking about doing a mixtape for a couple years, but I was really trying to pick songs and figure out what I was going to do and then after the thing with The X Factor happened . . ." Read the full interview by clicking the link provided. - Curve Magazine

Interview by JMG Houston's foremost entertainment magazine. - JMG Magazine

Interview by JMG Houston's foremost entertainment magazine. - JMG Magazine

Williams performed an original hip-hop song called "Ooh Damn! (Like Ooh)" and gave such a great performance that she got a standing ovation from the arena-sized crowd, and she had the majority of the audience singing the song with her. I am not exaggerating when I say that Williams gave the type of star-making performance that would convince any reasonable person that she would be among the finalists for "The X Factor" U.S. in 2011. . . - The Examiner

Brian Bradley's rapping skills are upstaged by Tatiana Reina Williams and her black-and-yellow dreads (on a Jay-Z song, no less).

Read more: - Rolling Stone Magazine

Brian Bradley's rapping skills are upstaged by Tatiana Reina Williams and her black-and-yellow dreads (on a Jay-Z song, no less).

Read more: - Rolling Stone Magazine

Though we picked her as the city’s best solo artist in last year’s Best of Baltimore awards, singer/songwriter/rapper/producer/guitarist Reina Williams is the kind of uncategorizable musical talent that you tend not to see on reality TV talent shows like American Idol. But Simon Cowell’s latest show, the U.S. edition of The X-Factor on FOX, draws from a slightly broader pool. Williams got to perform for Cowell and the other judges at the Newark auditions for the show’s first season back in April . . . - Baltimore City Paper

One of the most Coveted Local Accolades in Maryland. City Paper's Annual readers poll for Baltimore's Best . . .what ever. . . is a highly anticipated and celebrated bragging right. - City Paper - Baltimore, MD

Tatiana “Reina” Williams, a versatile Baltimore-based musician, won the 2009 Urban Music Award for Next Urban Superstar from the UK-based Invincible Media. She comfortably blends hip hop, R&B and acoustic sounds with a dynamic stage presence. After growing up in an artistic household and writing songs in grammar school, she released two CDs and multiple tracks and now performs regularly on the east coast. She’ll take the stage this summer at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival for her second time performing at the event. Hoping her music will be interpreted differently by each audience, she says, “I want them to take what they need. Whatever the music makes them feel is theirs. I make music because I love it and it has saved my sanity many times over.” She adds, “I also want to help bring attention back to the feelings and ideas of the songwriters. Not just the fad, but artists with universally timeless music.” -CB - Go Magazine

At Floristree's top floor performances continued throughout the night. Ric Royer and occasional City Paper contributor Rahne Alexander, both fabulously attired without needing an transmodern makeover, served as emcees for the evening, introducing the music acts (that's an awesome cover of George Michael's "Father Figure" you do, local singer/songwriter Reina Williams) separated by a few film installations, such as the abstracted, rasterized animations of Mark Brown.

http://www.citypaper.com/digest.asp?id=17870 - Baltimore City Paper

http://blogs.citypaper.com/noise/index.php/2010/03/caffeine-and-guitars-reina-williams-march-4-at-peace-and-a-cup-of-joe/ - Al Shipley (City Paper Online)

Jan/Feb 2010 Issue p54 - Curve Magazine

1. How old were you when you first started messing with music and how did you get into producing beats?

Damn, hmmm lemme think . . . well my mother is an opera singer and when I was coming up she had me in the performances as an extra since age 17months and so I was always around music. I’ve been banging on the piano since I was old enough to reach the keys. I started piano lessons at age 6 or 7 I think. . something like that. I was young. Hahaha But in the 6th grade, my dad gave me a guitar for my B-day and I just began teaching myself how to play. Listening to the radio and imitating what I heard.

Then I met this guy in HS named James Klink. He and I hit it off and started writing together and I’d sing and play acoustic and he would hold it down on the lead guitar side. Believe it or not I got started doing rock and alternative. Been in a few bands, but James and I were always the core for a few years. One of the classes I took was music technology my junior year of HS which pretty much sold me on the whole MIDI/Mac set up. Then during my time in NY my homie bought me a copy of Reason 1.0 and it was a wrap after that. J

2. What type of gear are you working with right now and if you had an unlimited budget what would you be working with?Well. . . I use Reason 3.5 with the iMac G5, Logic Express 7, MOTU 828 Audio interface, AT3035 mic, Event 20/20 monitors, Alesis Power amp, Sonic Implants samples, Zero G stuff, a whole gaggle of sounds. Fun Fun FUNBudget!!?? HA I’d have the Oasys, Roland Fantom , I’d buy and MPC4000 cause I LIKE IT and I have never owned an MPC surprise surprise, uh…. Avalon Compressor/MicPre, A Eurodesk Firewire/analog board, that new G5 Quad, some kick ass outboard effects, that nifty Lexicon Reverb with the big ass obnoxious remote, a U87 or some other monster in that phylum, some nice BIG Genelec studio monitors, the whole Sonic Implants library, 2 sets of Shure Drum Mics, and every plug-in known to man. And that’s just in my “at home” studio. AHHAHA

3. What is it like for a female in this production game, what’s the disadvantages and what’s the advantages coming from your view point?Disadvantages are many. First of all, guys saturate this industry on the production side so getting thru the initial “no I don’t want to date you” is frustrating. Guys don’t seem to take female producers seriously and really hold the bar a lot higher because of our lack of a penis. Which is so incredibly dumb, but I deal with it. The advantage is that there aren’t many of us so when one comes a long, people are more likely to pay attention, but you MUST bring you’re A game at all times because kats LOVE to hate these days. I mean REALLY. Jealously is a bitch. Oh and I LOVE it when they know they want to bob their heads. . but they fight it. HAHAHAHAHAHA What the hell is wrong with yall!!?? I guess I make guys feel like less of a man because they get intimidated by my tracks, and the fact that I could probably book their chick. J

4. Has your production style changed over the years and are you influenced by what is happening in the music market?Absolutely. But I have never really changed, just give them what they want without compromising my creativity. I love to be able to just do what I feel like, but when I first started out, I was doing what I felt and it happened to have a soulful/hiphop type vibe to it. But some dumb guy from Baltimore was trying to squash me down because he said “You are not Hip HOP” I never said I was trying to be. So just because I don’t Boom Bap with headphones and a backpack, im not hiphop??? Bend ova dude, neither are you. That sh!t erks me to no end. These purists Hip Hoppers who think that just cause the world has never heard of the stuff they listen to makes them cool, and the rest of us poseurs. I happen to LIKE 2% of the stuff on the radio. Which is way more than they like. LOL And yes, the evolution of the generally accepted production style and what is considered “Platinum Quality” has caused a revolution of wannabe “producers” and “beatmakers”. Just cause they have discovered the roll button on the MPC. I have had to “dumb down” my production style to appease the Hip Hop Gods, because when I’m just doing me, the tracks are complex and dramatic as hell. Hahaha. But I’m beginning to think the standard has gone down in the past few years because everyone is trying too hard to be hot and popular. People can tell.

5. How much does software play in your music making and what software programs are you working with?Very much. Like I said up there in ? 2, I use Reason 3.5 and Logic Express 7. I use them together a lot of time because some of the sounds on Logic sound fatter then some on reason and vice versa. And if I want to add something to a recorded vocal session just to put that final touch on the arrangement, its easy peezy japaneesy.

6. I understand you did and internship, who was it with and what - SoundCrafting.com

" . . . this EP [Full Circle] shows of not only her vocal and instrumental skills, but her songwriting and production prowess as well." - Margaret Coble - Curve Magazine

" . . . this EP [Full Circle] shows of not only her vocal and instrumental skills, but her songwriting and production prowess as well." - Margaret Coble - Curve Magazine