WHAT:

BET’s Music Matters “Best of the Best” 2014 End of the Year Showcase is carefully curated to highlight 2014’s best of what’s next – artists who are making their way to stardom.

WHERE:

SOB’s
204 Varick St.
New York, NY 10014

WHEN:

Music Matters Artists
Kevin Ross             
T. Soul
Antonique Smith
Karina Pasian
Anthony Flammia
Kandace Springs

HOST:

Buttahman

DJs:

DJ Lyve and Max October

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Kevin Ross
Since graduating from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music with a degree in songwriting, Kevin Ross went straight to work with A-list R&B  stars like Jamie Foxx, Usher, and Akon—and he isn’t even 25.  But has he been saving his best stuff for himself? Recently named "Best New R&B Artist" by AOL Music, Ross's rich vocals and prodigious piano skills have inspired comparisons to none other than Stevie Wonder. In 2013, Ross shined in is BET Honors performance.

T. Soul
Singer/Songwriter/Producer T.Soul is an artist whose music resonates with your soul. He believes that soul music is defined by the feeling it inspires, and he has been using his music to connect with fans across the U.S. and abroad. A small town boy from Virginia, he has big dreams of sharing his Soulful gifts with you! His voice connects with the generation of neo-soul artists and bridges the gap for those who prefer the originality of real, old-school, feel-good music.

Antonique Smith
Multi-talented Jersey native, Antonique Smith, had her big break starring as Mimi in the Broadway production of Rent. After leaving the production to pursue her music and film career, she landed a role as Faith Evans in Notorious, based on the life of Evans’ late husband, rapper Notorious B.I.G. While she can now be seen on television and movie screens, she has continued to work on her music, performing in BET’s Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Showcase and recently releasing her music video “Hold Up Wait A Minute” featuring Lance Gross.

Kandace Springs
In November 2013, Kandace Springs sat down at the piano at Capitol Studios and sang an impassioned rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Stunned by her arrangement and performance, Blue Note Records President Don Was offered her a record deal on the spot. Kandace, who hails from Nashville and is now working on her debut solo album, has even been noticed by legendary artist Prince and asked to perform at Paisley Park on the weekend celebrating the 30 year anniversary of Purple Rain. Her inherent soulfulness will soon catch the attention of the world.

Anthony Flammia
Born in Yonkers, NY, Anthony Flammia has found a way to re-vamp the term “mood music.” His ambient vibrations illuminating from the piano mixed with the smooth & soulful yet raspy & rugged timbre to his voice, he creates song after song that will melt your heart, only to put it back together and melt it once again. Born into a family of musicians, it almost seemed inevitable that Flamm would eventually cook up some food for the soul. His most recent album, Ups & Downs, includes his internet buzzing hits “My Kind of Love,” “Round & Round” and “First Time” along with an array of others.

Karina Pasian
Even before Karina was signed by LA Reid to Def Jam records, the Grammy-nominated singer was already making a name for herself. From her winning performance on Star Search in 2003 to singing at the White House, this New York City chanteuse has been paying her professional dues since she was a toddler. Her most recent release of the single and video, “Solitaire,” is dedicated to helping the prevention of suicide among college-aged studios. Working with an array of songwriters, producers and artists that include The Dream, Tricky Stewart, Gordon Chambers, Chris Brown, Carlos McKinnney, Lil Mama and others, Karina has recorded over 70 songs in the last two year so be on the lookout for more great music.

Media outlets interested in covering the Music Matters Showcase MUST submit requests via email to Byron Edwards at byron.edwards@bet.net. For additional details on BET’s Music Matters initiative visit www.BET.com/musicmatters.

About BET Music Matters
Launched in 2010, the BET Music Matters initiative highlights emerging new artists by showcasing their talents through live performances including monthly showcases and the Music Matters Tour.  Music Matters has helped propel the careers of artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius, J. Cole, Melanie Fiona, Miguel, Estelle, Elle Varner, Eric Roberson, Big K.R.I.T., Emeli Sande’, Luke James and more.

About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET operates in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

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CONTACT:
Byron Edwards | BET Networks
212.975.5633 | byron.edwards@BET.net

Zabrina Horton | BET Networks
310.481.3737 | zabrina.horton@BET.net