N.E.R.D. Adds Female Member To Group
Miami, FL (CNS) – N.E.R.D. are taking a page out of the Black Eyed Peas playbook. They’re adding their first female member, turning the R&B/Hip-Hop trio into a foursome.
MTV News reports that the “Everyone Nose” are adding singer Rhea to the line-up. She’ll first appear on the band’s upcoming fourth studio album, titled “Instant Gratification,” set to be released in 2010. The Toronto-raised singer of Guyanese descent, introduced to the group by a mutual friend, auditioned via Skype with a rendition of “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” She soon found herself joining the trio, composed of Neptunes producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, and Shae.
The 5?4? beauty has already started performing with the group. They debuted new songs from their upcoming album at a Miami Beach performance over the weekend. The material doesn’t find them going anywhere near B.E.P.-style radio friendly territory. “The music is very three-dimensional. We’re just really excited,” Pharrell told MTV News. “We feel like N.E.R.D. has always been the punks of hip-hop and the outcasts of alternative music, just a little different. But this time, we’re taking no prisoners.”
While Pharrell’s falsetto has taken them to soaring heights on cuts like “Love Bomb” and “Happy” from their critically-acclaimed 2008 album “Seeing Sounds,” Pharrell says that new member Rhea will take them to new heights. “Now you have this little Tinkerbell that’s just stepped in and has been amazing. It’s made it a fun process,” he said. “We can go in so many more directions, because we have the vocal support.”
The new N.E.R.D. line-up is set to join Jay-Z as support for his tour in support of “Blueprint 3,” which kicks off October 9th at University Park, PA.
