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Aisha Raine - Never Broken

Aisha Raine wants you to know that “Black chicks can rock” but her 2007 debut Never Broken leaves much to be desired. Her vocals are deep and soulful but her range sounds limited and misplaced in the rock universe. The music is good – industrial and hard rock songs that sound like something a modern rock band like Linkin Park would produce – but it tends to overshadow her. However, it’s possible that she can start a revolution of her own to further prove how irrelevant the industry’s opinion is and how colorblind music should be. Not all black women are like Jada Pinkett Smith who has the benefit of being a celebrity and can simply have a band because she wants one. And for the record, Raine’s music is better than Smith’s.

While the lyrics are emotional and the band is hot, the DC native needs to sharpen her delivery to make things mesh. Her best effort, “FaithHonestyTrust,” is a standout track that sounds like a potential radio hit. As debuts go, Never Broken is an honest effort and it would be interesting to see where Raine goes next. Anyone who says “fuck you” to an industry that is still trying to dictate who and what you should listen to is an artist to watch in my book.

By Janine Rizak

Self-Released

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