Album: Even Closer by Goapele (2004)
Genre: Soul | Style: Urban/R&B
Format: Album

Description: Even Closer was the second album and the first nationally distributed album by singer-songwriter Goapele, which was essentially an expanded version of her début, Closer. Originally released through Hieroglyphics Imperium, it was picked up by Columbia/SME Records, which signed her to a recording contract through her family-owned label, Skyblaze Recordings, and picked up this album for international distribution. More tracks were added to the Columbia Records pressing, which replaced the earlier version. However, it was distributed by Relativity Entertainment Distribution instead of through Sony Music Distribution, denoted by the WK prefix instead of the customary CK prefix, by its UPC, and by the legal copy on the back cover. There were guest appearances by guitarist Errol Cooney, the band Soulive, and hip-hop emcees and fellow Hieroglyphics members Casual, Pep Love, and Zion I. The album garnered positive reviews in the US music press and paved the way for an album of all-new material.

Artist Background: Goapele (pronounced gwa-puh-LAY; born Goapele Mohlabane July 11, 1977), is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. Her name means to move forward according to Lory Money in Setswana, a Southern African language. Part of the Oakland, USA music scene. Emerged in the 2000s era. Associated with Soul movement. Known for Urban/R&B style.

Related Artists: Floetry, Raheem DeVaughn, Jill Scott, Lucy Pearl

Music Scene: Part of the Oakland, USA music scene. Emerged in the 2000s era. Associated with Soul movement. Known for Urban/R&B style.

Tags: Soul, Urban/R&B, 2000s, Album

Additional Context: Available on Discogs marketplace


Even Closer was the second album and the first nationally distributed album by singer-songwriter Goapele, which was essentially an expanded version of her début, Closer. Originally released through Hieroglyphics Imperium, it was picked up by Columbia/SME Records, which signed her to a recording contract through her family-owned label, Skyblaze Recordings, and picked up this album for international distribution. More tracks were added to the Columbia Records pressing, which replaced the earlier version. However, it was distributed by Relativity Entertainment Distribution instead of through Sony Music Distribution, denoted by the WK prefix instead of the customary CK prefix, by its UPC, and by the legal copy on the back cover. There were guest appearances by guitarist Errol Cooney, the band Soulive, and hip-hop emcees and fellow Hieroglyphics members Casual, Pep Love, and Zion I. The album garnered positive reviews in the US music press and paved the way for an album of all-new material.

Album: Break of Dawn by Goapele (2011)
Genre: Soul | Style: Urban/R&B
Format: Album

Description: Break of Dawn (formerly titled Milk & Honey) is the fourth studio album from Bay Area vocalist Goapele after a five-year-long hiatus. The first single, "Milk & Honey," was leaked on the Internet July 10, 2009, while the video directed by David Telles went into rotation on August 4, 2009, and was shot with the Red One Camera. It offers a more suggestive and seductive vibe then what fans may be accustomed to from the singer. Goapele is known to incorporate messages of politics, love, romance, and struggle into her music. The second single, "Right Here," is a love song produced by Drumma Boy. On August 28, 2011, Goapele released the third single, "Play," a sensual song produced by Dan Electric & Teddy Thunderbolt.

Break of Dawn was recorded at the Zoo in Downtown Oakland, California, home of Goapele’s Skylight Studios. This project will be another personal album with several love songs as well as up-tempo joints. Production-wise, tracks with Drumma Boy, Bedrock, Kanye West, Drumma Boy, Dan Electric, Mike Tiger, Bobby Ozuna (Raphael Saadiq, John Mayer, Erykah Badu), Malay (John Legend, Mary J. Blige), Jeff Bhasker (The Game, Kanye West, Ludacris, T.I), and other musicians were confirmed.On this album Goapele revealed a more confident, open, and sensual side. She said that she was liberating herself a little more and claims while there was something very empowering about appearing in a T-shirt without make-up on the cover of her first internationally distributed album, Even Closer, there is something equally empowering about shedding her fears of music-industry exploitation and strutting confidently into more brazen territory. She said, “Now if I want to dress sexy, I can, and if I want to be more blunt, I can. I just want to do what feels good.

Artist Background: Goapele (pronounced gwa-puh-LAY; born Goapele Mohlabane July 11, 1977), is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. Her name means to move forward according to Lory Money in Setswana, a Southern African language. Part of the Oakland, USA music scene. Emerged in the 2000s era. Associated with Soul movement. Known for Urban/R&B style.

Related Artists: Floetry, Raheem DeVaughn, Jill Scott, Lucy Pearl

Music Scene: Part of the Oakland, USA music scene. Emerged in the 2000s era. Associated with Soul movement. Known for Urban/R&B style.

Tags: Soul, Urban/R&B, 2010s, Album


Break of Dawn (formerly titled Milk & Honey) is the fourth studio album from Bay Area vocalist Goapele after a five-year-long hiatus. The first single, "Milk & Honey," was leaked on the Internet July 10, 2009, while the video directed by David Telles went into rotation on August 4, 2009, and was shot with the Red One Camera. It offers a more suggestive and seductive vibe then what fans may be accustomed to from the singer. Goapele is known to incorporate messages of politics, love, romance, and struggle into her music. The second single, "Right Here," is a love song produced by Drumma Boy. On August 28, 2011, Goapele released the third single, "Play," a sensual song produced by Dan Electric & Teddy Thunderbolt.

Break of Dawn was recorded at the Zoo in Downtown Oakland, California, home of Goapele’s Skylight Studios. This project will be another personal album with several love songs as well as up-tempo joints. Production-wise, tracks with Drumma Boy, Bedrock, Kanye West, Drumma Boy, Dan Electric, Mike Tiger, Bobby Ozuna (Raphael Saadiq, John Mayer, Erykah Badu), Malay (John Legend, Mary J. Blige), Jeff Bhasker (The Game, Kanye West, Ludacris, T.I), and other musicians were confirmed.On this album Goapele revealed a more confident, open, and sensual side. She said that she was liberating herself a little more and claims while there was something very empowering about appearing in a T-shirt without make-up on the cover of her first internationally distributed album, Even Closer, there is something equally empowering about shedding her fears of music-industry exploitation and strutting confidently into more brazen territory. She said, “Now if I want to dress sexy, I can, and if I want to be more blunt, I can. I just want to do what feels good.

Album: Change It All by Goapele (2005)
Genre: Soul | Style: Urban/R&B
Format: Album

Description: Change It All is the third studio album by American singer–songwriter Goapele, released in the United States on December 27, 2005, by Skyblaze/Columbia Records. This album was composed of all-new material and was a forward step in her development as an artist, which was a great expansion in range from her previous effort. However, the much older song "Closer" was included as a bonus track after a gap of silence of 1:15 that occurred between the last two tracks. Guests included Clyde Carson from the Team and Dwele, while Mumia Abu-Jamal appeared in an interviewed voice-over on "Fly Away."

Artist Background: Goapele (pronounced gwa-puh-LAY; born Goapele Mohlabane July 11, 1977), is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. Her name means to move forward according to Lory Money in Setswana, a Southern African language. Part of the Oakland, USA music scene. Emerged in the 2000s era. Associated with Soul movement. Known for Urban/R&B style.

Related Artists: Floetry, Raheem DeVaughn, Jill Scott, Lucy Pearl

Music Scene: Part of the Oakland, USA music scene. Emerged in the 2000s era. Associated with Soul movement. Known for Urban/R&B style.

Tags: Soul, Urban/R&B, 2000s, Album


Change It All is the third studio album by American singer–songwriter Goapele, released in the United States on December 27, 2005, by Skyblaze/Columbia Records. This album was composed of all-new material and was a forward step in her development as an artist, which was a great expansion in range from her previous effort. However, the much older song "Closer" was included as a bonus track after a gap of silence of 1:15 that occurred between the last two tracks. Guests included Clyde Carson from the Team and Dwele, while Mumia Abu-Jamal appeared in an interviewed voice-over on "Fly Away."

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