Muzic with a Zeal.......

Welcome to another edition of Whos Who in the 502. I recently came across a group of extremely talented artists who are stepping out and taking the focus off of themselves for a great cause. The group consists of singers, rappers, song writers, and producers. They have all come together to promote the fact that positive and uplifting music can be just as entertaining as any other genre. The project they are working on is called Men@Work and it has quite a story to tell.

The Men@Work project was founded by Robert Deon Norris one year ago. His passion for music began at a young age when he joined the Louisville Gospel Choral Union. In his association with the Union,he became a member of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses. Robert Norris has worked with many great names in gospel music including Dottie Peoples, and the Georgia Mass Choir. He has also recorded with the Gospel Music Workshop of America Mass Choir, and his songs have been sung by various departments of The National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses. One of the songs he wrote became the title track for the Georgia Mass Choirs album called Tell It which reached No. 7 on the billboard charts for top gospel albums.

Norris latest work plans to be his biggest and best project to date. The Men@Work family is spread throughout the nation from Kentucky to California and represents all walks of life from ministers to rappers. What started as a vision has quickly became a reality with the help from a lot of likeminded individuals across the country.

The music the Men@Work produces is simply gospel meets hip hop. The message they send is very lyrical and spiritual. The Legacy they want to leave behind is to show people how they freely share the gift God has given them. These guys have volunteered their singing, rapping, and producing talents to make this project a success and hopefully make an impact aon peoples life. From the prison ministries to the concerts, these individuals have definitely been Men@Work.

The group had their first show on July 3rd 2008 at Petrus nightclub in Louisville, Kentucky and it was a huge success. Norris said, It was amazing to see people in the night club lifting their hands and accepting Jesus as their Savior. By next year they plan to release another Men@Work project and go on a national tour. The label the current project will be under is Soulboyee Records LLC, and will be available for download on all major music websites. Be sure to check out their MySpace page at Myspace.com/RDNMuzic and get a sneak peak at the upcoming album. Their music is professional quality and very listener friendly.

I know this was a different take on music scene in Louisville compared to my other articles, but my obligation is to expose the best musical talents and movements in the 502. I really feel the Men@Work Project is the first step to what could be a major movement across the nation. As for now, they are definitely headed in the right direction.