BARON

Artist Baron has always been a star: with good looks, raw talent, and an unwavering determination to outshine everyone around him. A multidisciplinary artist, Baron is back with his sophomore CD, Celebrity, a 14-track collection of pop-meets-electro beats. Equal parts Jungle Brothers, Esthero, and Labelle, Celebrity is a celebration of enjoying life to the fullest.

Influenced by an array of musical artists (David Bowie, Aretha Franklin, and Goldfrapp, to name a few), Baron's critically acclaimed debut, Troubled Man, was met with rave reviews. Now, fueled by the success of his club-banging new single, Baron is ready to show the world how to "Party With b." - The Advocate

Baron's latest EP RadioHeart accomplishes the almost impossible by seeming “retro” without actually conjuring a specific time or genre. It's a grab-bag of electro sounds past. There are bits of early 80s Depeche Mode, late 80s Nine Inch Nails, Old-school Chicago House, Soulsonic Force era Afrika Bambaataa, early 90s Jock Jams pop, and even some awesome touches of mid-90s game music (bonus points if the Purple Motion references were intentional. They totally validate that year when I was 12 and pretty much didn't go outside. Don't judge. You had the same year too.)
The title track joyfully embraces and transcends synth pop cliches. It's that rare song that makes you smile not because it's cheesy, but because it reminds you why some things that have become cheesy were awesome to begin with. It's clear that the pop sounds Baron borrows and mutates are the product of genuine love for the sound. Even when he goes full 90s dance on 'Minutes to Mars' Baron delivers the chorus “you make my love sing” without a trace of irony or detachment. And that sincerity is infectious.
This is music destined for the dance floor, but with a surprising depth of creativity and production. The electrofunk squiggles and punches are dynamic, complimenting Baron's easy flow; equal parts Andre 3000, Del the Funky Homosapien, and Afrika Bambaataa. Baron, an openly gay MC from New York, first burst on the scene in 2004. He has such solid control over his aesthetic that his “stick all electro in a bag, shake, and see what pieces come out” approach is never jarring. It's exciting to see what random pieces he sticks together. This is the rare pop record with some serious smarts behind it. It may play homage to the disposable pop from Baron's childhood, but don't be fooled, 'RadioHeart' is anything but. If anything, it's essential.
- Words by Nathan Leigh - AfroPunk.com

Baron stirs up thick dark synths under the production of Belief and delivers a strong (though woefully short) EP, called RadioHeart. All the songs are wet with want, both for a physical lover and the salvation of the new beat. As explained in the liners, RadioHeart refers to those “who turn to music when shyt starts going tough”. If the song, ”Minutes to Mars”, is merely stating interest, then it’s all about a raw and sexual dual-to-the-finish in the club track, “King Pleasure”. The last two tracks on the EP hold the strongest radio-friendly hooks. He sends the gossip folk away with “Ghettoutofmyhead”. Finally, he brings could be a part 1 & 2 in a vinyl environment (especially starting at 2:58) as he presents himself as cure to bad love in “The Remedy”. It’s all a late night electro-pop/dance workout. - JW Richards, Groove Love Melody

No one does "superstar" like spoken-word poet turned rapper, baron. His new CD, Celebrity, gives us a glimpse of the good life wile actually having something to say. The design and packaging will make you think you’ve picked up the latest platinum-selling disc from a major label, and the production, mixing and mastering sound as if they were recorded in the most state-of-the-art studio. But then baron. couldn’t have it any other way. He’s a star.

The messages won’t hit you over the head as hard as the beats, but that’s because baron. has been producing since his debut spoken-word CD released in 2004, Troubled Man, a collection of poetry performed over an array of music…

The title tracks sums up the album’s theme set to Eurythmics-like synthesizers and baron rhymes, “I wear my glasses in the moonlight / Through the fears and the tears / and I was all right / I’m a give you a glimpse into my life.” Those glasses aren’t a shield, but a badge of honor, feeding his strength and esteem. “had bruised and burned, you made me cry / I survived, came alive that night.” And baron. certainly comes alive on Celebrity.
- Swerv Magazine

The norm of mediocrity in the music industry begs for artists who are unafraid to take risks, unafraid to be different. Baron is such an artist. Few have the courage or talent to combine hip-hop, electronica, tribal and rock and make a hit, but he pulls it off flawlessly. Still riding high on the success of his sophomore album, Celebrity, Baron is on his way to national and international stardom. BlackGayGossip.com got a chance to catch up with Baron to talk music, sustaining and thriving in the music industry and what it’s like to Party with b. - BGG.com

The norm of mediocrity in the music industry begs for artists who are unafraid to take risks, unafraid to be different. Baron is such an artist. Few have the courage or talent to combine hip-hop, electronica, tribal and rock and make a hit, but he pulls it off flawlessly. Still riding high on the success of his sophomore album, Celebrity, Baron is on his way to national and international stardom. BlackGayGossip.com got a chance to catch up with Baron to talk music, sustaining and thriving in the music industry and what it’s like to Party with b. - BGG.com