Story thread · 3 reports / 3 sources

Chicago’s Manasseh has a new album. It’s a tribute to his younger self.

wbez.org · 2hShare

Manasseh listened to Brandy’s 1994 debut on cassette so many times that the tape melted. It was the first secular album the Chicago artist was allowed to own, a gift from his mother, Idella. Twenty-six years after her death, Manasseh still feels his mother’s presence on his upcoming sophomore album “R&B[eyond]” — out Tuesday, the day he turns 39. “I would hear her sing all the time in the house; we would sing together,” he said. “When I’m singing, I’m having my lowest days, I really do feel like she’s hugging me.” Most songs on “R&B[eyond]” were recorded at home, whether Manasseh’s or a friend’s. “This is not an industry album,” Manasseh said. “This is a Chicago living room, Chicago cornbread-fed [album].” Kieran Stover/Sun-Times Friday, Manasseh plans to celebrate the album’s release a few days early with a performance at the Epiphany Center for the Arts . He’s joined by local artists ABOLISHVICTORY! and Hasani Cannon . For the artist, whose given name is Manasseh Croft, the album is

First report: Manasseh goes beyond R&B on a mellow, tastefully ornate new album — chicagoreader.com, 2d