2003-10-06 ::
R&B Rising Star Enjoys Success of Major Label Debut
 
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What a difference a year can make. At the start of 2003, the girl from Spanish Harlem wasn’t signed to a major record label and most didn’t know her name. As 2003 draws to a close, 19-year-old R&B singer Lumidee Cedeno will end it on a high note with a hit album, hit single, “Never Leave You (Uh-Ooh)” and a solid reputation as a rising star.

Following three years with an independent label, in June Lumidee launched her debut album Almost Famous on Straight Face/Universal Records with the dance hit that put her on the map. The club song that was recorded long before the album, gained her attention from several major labels, but Lumidee chose Universal. With one hit under her belt, Lumidee has begun working on the video for her second single, “Crashin’ a Party.” She hopes to begin a tour with fellow New Yorkers DMX.

For inspiration, Lumidee looks to famous hip-hop/R&B talents like Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill that have stayed true to their roots, as they’ve become celebrities.

“Seeing different artists who were raised in the ghetto succeeding and doing it their way helped me get to where I am today,” she writes in her biography.

Raised by her grandparents in east Harlem New York, Lumidee began matching rhymes with sound at an early age of 12. Following high school, she hooked up with producer DJ TedSmooth and began perfecting her talents for blending hip-hop and R&B. Almost Famous, a mix of smooth ballads and upbeat dance tunes is the result.

Our Thoughts

DJ TedSmooth began playing Lumidee’s tune in clubs and the response eventually gained her radio air time and offers from major labels. True talent eventually gets noticed.