For those of you who don’t know, Mr. Hawthorne is quickly becoming one of the hottest Soul/R&B artists in the world.  He’s collaborated with some of hip-hop’s top dogs such as Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams and many more. As a DJ, producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, there is seemingly nothing he cant do.

Each of his albums is unique and groundbreaking, yet reminiscent of the golden age of Motown and the great artists that gave birth to the genre/culture that we all adore – hip-hop. In fact, Mr. Hawthorne never intended on being a blue-eyed-soul singer; he was on his way being a hip-hop producer and DJ in Detroit when he realized that he was spending so much time and money getting samples cleared, that he decided to start making his own music.

Going back to influences such as Barry White, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Al Green, etc, (who have been sampled by just about every hip-hop producer ever) Hawthorne decided to make his own sound through the same vein. Some would compare him to artists of the 60’s and 70’s, but Hawthorne has no intention of recreating something thats already been done; instead, he takes the same baby-making vibe that we all love to love to, and brings it to the next level.

His most recent album, Man About Town, might be his sexiest yet. Kicking off with the appropriately named song, ‘Cosmic Love’, Hawthorne eases us into his out-of-this-world album. I could give rave reviews about every song on the album, but I’ll keep it to just my favorites. ‘Breakfast in Bed’ is sure to make your body groove with its smooth bass lines, and beautifully integrated horns. Skipping ahead, ‘Get You Back’ — my personal favorite for its raw emotion, impressive singing, and (as a given with all of Hawthorne’s tracks) near perfect production — wraps up the album with a beautifully heartfelt, heartbreak song. The album in its entirety tells a story of love, and lack there of for the man about town himself, Mr. Mayer Hawthorne.

P.s. His other project, Tuxedo, with acclaimed producer Jake One is more of a disco vibe, guaranteed to set any party off right.

Oh and don’t forget to catch him live!

Jun 21 Bell Centre (w/ Hall & Oates) Montreal, Canada

Jun 23 Molson Amphitheatre (w/ Hall & Oates) Toronto, Canada

Jun 24 Terminal 5 New York, NY

Jun 25 Lakeview Amphitheater (w/ Hall & Oates) Syracuse, NY

Jun 26 The Surf Lodge Montauk, NY

Jun 28 Union Transfer Philadelphia, PA

Jun 29 9:30 Club Washington, DC

Jul 01 Ann Arbor Summer Festival Ann Arbor, MI

Jul 02 Summerfest Milwaukee, WI

Jul 03 Mamby on the Beach Festival Chicago, IL

Jul 07 Twilight Series – Santa Monica Pier Santa Monica, CA

Jul 08 Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, NV

Aug 15 Billboard Live Akasaka, Japan

Aug 16 Billboard Live Akasaka, Japan

Aug 18 Billboard Live Osaka, Japan

Aug 20 Summer Sonic Festival Osaka, Japan

Aug 21 Summer Sonic Festival Tokyo, Japan

Nov 03 ELYSEE MONTMARTRE Paris, France

Nov 06 Paradiso Amsterdam, Netherlands

Nov 08 Astra Kulturhaus Berlin, Germany

Nov 09 Mojo Club Hamburg, Germany

Nov 10 Stahlwerk Dusseldorf, Germany

Nov 13 Ottakringer Braurei Vienna, Austria

Nov 14 Posthof Linz, Austria

Nov 15 Plaza Zurich, Switzerland

Nov 16 Alte Feuerwache Mannheim, Germany

Nov 18 Band on the Wall Manchester, United Kingdom

Nov 19 Brooklyn Bowl London, United Kingdom

With All Due RESPECT.: 5 Songs You’ve Been Sleeping On (6/13)

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