Rell and Tre Williams find a new beginning in The Revelations
The first R&B male that Roc-A-Fella signed was Rell. His debut album was never released after the label folded, and many thought he was gone for good. Now S2S has found out that Rell is focused on raising his two children, writing for top artists like Usher, and playing with the new soul band The Revelations featuring Tre Williams.
Joining the band meant learning to embrace freedom, since Rell was left unsure of his path after the end of Roc-A-Fella. “When you’re going through it, you think it’s bad, then you see it’s your stepping-stone. When you think it’s over, you learn those things and they put you in a place where you are confident in yourself. It’s like being exonerated,” he said.
Tre, the lead singer for The Revelations, also found that sense of freedom after his debut album on Nas’s Ill Will Records was shelved. “I had to say, ‘Alright, Tre, you been here and done that and made a name for yourself.’ So that’s why the whole Revelations is here, because of that initiative. If you have no initiative, don’t expect nothing,” he said.
Tre’s initiative led to the band’s formation. He met hip-hop producer Bob Perry and shared an idea he had for a song.
“I thought he was joking when he said we can get a band to do it,” Tre said. But after hearing their first song, “I Don’t Want to Know,” Tre said it was clear that [their] sound was great. Tre invited Rell to co-write with him. “After that I decided that I couldn’t let him go,” Tre said.
Tre also couldn’t let go of his impressive band, including guitarist Wes Mingus, drummer Gintas Janusonis, bassist Josh Werner, keyboardist Borahm Lee and legendary arranger and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Adams. Rell and Tre have found a sense of brotherhood with their band.
“More than music, more than projects, more than shows, it’s about the camaraderie. To be an official grown man in the industry and finally come into my own and be in a room with men as immensely talented as I am means a lot. We are hell-bent on equality among ourselves with our music, with our business, with our movement—that is the defining thing for me,” said Rell.
The band’s debut album, The Bleeding Edge, is available now; scroll down to watch their video for the track "How Do I Tell Him."
Check this clip of The Revelations performing "I Don't Want To Know."
—Souleo
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