REAL was born the second of three children in the month of February in Memphis Tennessee; his parents separated soon after. Friends later gave his quintessential stage name, due to his penchant for speaking the cold, hard truth in his characteristic no=nonsense manner. REAL's mother noticed he showed a deep appreciation for music when he was just a little boy, and he began perfecting his stage, pretending to be James Brown, Michael Jackson or teddy Pendergrass. When REAL was nine years old, his mother moved the family to Toledo, Ohio. In school REAL didn't distinguish himself as an athlete or a scholor, yet he was popular with his teachers. In high school he was still quite the introvert, but REAL discovered he had a knack for self-expression through music. He loved to listen to the radio, enjoying icons of R&B, Soul, Jazz, Pop, and Country. Although REAL liked all kinds of music, his favorite radio stations played the old Motown classics and the Philadelphia sound. He began to merge these two distinctive singing methods to form his own signature style, which he used to out-perform the competition in the local area talent shows. Still he graduated from high school not knowing exactly what he wanted to do with his life; he studied Journalism for a while at the University of Teledo. He soon began composing compelling Lyrics, evincing a genius for arranging and producing his own original work. Disillusioned with academic life, REAL eventually dropped out of college, restless yet determined to pursue some kind of future in music. REAL decided to leave his family in Teledo and travel to New York City, which was better suited to actualizing a career as a professional singer. When he first arrived in the Big Apple in 1999, REAL struggled to establish himself and market his signature singing style. At first, he accompanied many well-known and respected artists in the business; he also toured selectively around the country, headlining, or as the opening act for many popular performers in R&B. No matter where he performed, REAL was always cognizant of preseving his own personal artistic aesthetic. Everywhere he toured, his on-stage performances were well-received by his audiences, but he longed to become a recording artist so that he could broaden his fan base beyond the confining walls of the auditorium. After enjoying some major success on his own, REAL decided to collaborate with another talented musician named Nalo. Together, the combination of REAL's lyrics with Nalo's music epitomized the very best in soulful ballads that audiences have come to love and long for in recent years. Over time, REAL and Nalo put together an orchestra band called "Nonfiction", using some of the most gifted professionals in the business. REAL and his new band offered audiophiles a music experience that was, and continues to be,captivating and passionate. The musicians worked hard, and after many months of finessing, put together their first album, "RHYTHM OF LIFE" produced by Franklyn Grant and Nalo. It will be released nationally in the spring of 2008, and has already garnered enthusiastic reviews when distributed to a preliminary test market.