Published on March 18th, 2016 | by Jameelah "Just Jay" Wilkerson

Tasha LaRae: Soul Sista

To be an intricate piece in a historic musical puzzle – Well, that’s who Tasha LaRae is. Often times there’s music that has provided a soundtrack for our lives, although we may not readily know the face- we can recognize the voice without hesitation. As soon as you hear the beat drop and the cords of Arrested Development’s version of Everyday People, you and Tasha LaRae are both on a musical journey. If you weren’t aware, Arrested Development is still going strong and Tasha LaRae’s rich soulful voice continues to forge the way. Behind the microphone is a beautiful spirit who’s grind never ceases. Her sights set on a solo career, entrepreneurship, and embracing her black girl magic- this Sista is doing it for herself.

Please, for the masses. (If you don’t mind) Introduce yourself.

Hey everybody 🙂 My name is Tasha LaRae. I am a singer & songwriter from Omaha, NE now residing in Atlanta,GA. I’m also the female lead vocalist for 2x GRAMMY Award winning hip hop group, Arrested Development. I’m a firm believer that we were all born with a specific purpose and it’s our life’s mission to discover that purpose and pursue it with passion.

You’ve been lead vocalist with GRAMMY Award winner Arrested Development for some time now. What’s your greatest memory to date of the experience with your phenomenal group?

Oh my, that’s a tough one! Touring with the band as their lead female vocalist has been nothing short of amazing. One of my greatest memories was meeting one of our fans backstage after a music festival in Canada a few years back. This woman approached Eshe (our dancer) and I and began thanking us for being (and I quote) “Big, black, sexy and beautiful.” She then shared with us the story about her 18 year old daughter’s battle with her self esteem; which lead to her being hospitalized for an eating disorder. She said, with tears in her eyes, that she wished her daughter could have seen how confident Eshe & I were on stage in hopes that it would help her daughter learn to love herself.

You very recently toured in Japan with Arrested Development, what is it about the music that transcends cultural and language barriers?

When there is a language barrier, music has the power to break all of that down with one single punch: energy. Energy cannot be manipulated or faked and that type of honesty can touch the hearts of all people around the world. Our music is a mix of funk, rock, hip hop and is fueled by lyrics and dance movements that “celebrate life, death, and the struggle of our ancestors” -line from “People Everyday”

In addition to your work with Arrested Development, you are a busy woman. What are you currently working on? in addition to A.D)

I have a couple projects on the table currently. At this very moment, I just released my latest EP entitled ‘Light’. The music is deep house and it’s packed with high energy and soulful lyrics about finding your place in life, celebrating those you love most and letting your light shine bright for others to see.

I’m also the proud founder of the Racism Sucks fashion movement. It’s no doubt that our country has a serious issue with racism that’s been treated like the pink elephant in the room that no one’s talking about. As an artist, I feel a personal responsibility to help spread messages of positive change everywhere I go. I designed the t-shirts as a conversation starter piece and I wear them proudly on stages around the world. It’s non-intrusive and puts everyone in total control of whether they engage in conversations with others or simply turn their head and walk in the opposite direction. I firmly believe if we keep talking about it, we can find solutions to dissolve this disease of hatred. *jumps off soapbox* 🙂

You have a magnetism, not only in voice but spirit, how do you juggle and maintain the demands of all that you’re involved in?

Thank you so much 🙂 I think the biggest help is that I don’t own a television. (It’s so easy to lose 4 hours of the day watching that thing lol) I’m really big on creating yearly, monthly, weekly and daily goal lists and I try my best to stick to them. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not always easy or possible to stick to the plan but, I find I have a higher likelihood of accomplishing things if I plan for them and take action immediately.

Music seemingly exudes effortlessly from you and permeates all within ears reach. With an infectious smile to match. What allows you to freely do so without hesitation?

Wow, again thank you very much! I finally reached the point where I was comfortable with myself. I accept myself just as I am and I no longer allow the fear of being rejected by others stop me from sharing my music with the world. I think it’s much easier to be exactly who you are when you don’t look for outside validation.

As we look at the current state of the world. You are quite vocal about racism. What’s your personal take of the #BlackLivesMatter movement?

I think it’s very necessary that we stand up for what we believe in. Period. If you look at how vocal our past leaders and communities were back in the 60s & 70s compared to today, we’ve simply dropped the ball. I’ve read several places online where people say things like (paraphrased) “It’s not Black lives matter, all lives matter.” The statement Black Lives Matter needs to be spoken so that the statement All Lives Matter can be true.

What’s next for Tasha Larae?

Since my EP release, I’m planning my calendar for shows across the U.S. and around the world. I’ll also be designing more t-shirts, touring with Arrested Development, and spreading love through music everywhere I go.

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Tags: Arrested Development, Celebrity, Diamond Kesawn, Hip Hop, Music, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Soul Sista, Tasha LaRae, The Hype Magazine