Terius Nash, better known as The -Dream was already an established artist when he released his I Am Sam EP a few days before Christmas in 2015. The EP was a collection of covers by the legendary Sam Cooke and was recorded during the sessions, The-Dream had with Beyoncé for 4 album.
Around the time of release, The-Dream had this to say about the project “My Mother loved a lot of Artist growing up, but the one we shared the most interest in together was Sam Cooke, so tonight I give him back to her.”
As most music fans know, Sam Cooke is arguably one of the greatest singers of all time. Cooke was a baritone with 3.4. Octave range. Despite his robust pen game, The-Dream has never possessed the most vital signing voice. I honestly had no idea where the project was going to go.
To my surprise, The-Dream delivers a solid EP that serves not as a heartfelt tribute to his late mother but as a respectful homage to Mr. Cooke. Some of the songs covered include “Cupid,” “You Send Me,” and “A Change is Gonna Come.” The-Dream never over sings any of the tracks, nor does he use any auto tune. Instead, he uses falsetto and tenor to make the songs work for him. I also want to commend the singer for his production choices, as all of the songs have an old-school feel to them.
If I had one gripe with the project, I would say that he could move a few of the placements on the track list around, but overall this is a nice project worth the listen and a great introduction to Sam Cooke for younger fans.
Final Grade: B +
I Am Sam is available on The-Dream’s Sound cloud.
Thirty years ago, in 1995, Bad Boy Records was a top-notch record label, but over a decade later, it had begun to lose its luster. While the “Bad Boys II” soundtrack and the debut album from Da Band did numbers, no real superstars were left on the label.
Whether it’s the loss of a celebrity you grew up with or a daily dumb remark from our current commander-in-chief, three months in 2025 are already getting crazy. So, for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I decided to change it up and offer something inspirational like Mariah Carey and her 2006 hit “Fly Like A Bird.”
Music video director David Yarovesky brings together Bill Skarsgård and two-time Academy winner Anthony Hopkins for his third feature film, “Locked” from the Avenue. Horror icon Sam Raimi produces the film, while Michael Arlen Ross pens the film’s screenplay.