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By Ahriel Nari
Photo Courtesy of Jada Imani M

A lot of new music came out during the pandemic. Two albums that stood out to me, though, were Grown Man by Cheakaity and Home Grown by Al Hostile. So, I was super hype when I found out they were putting on a show together called The Grown Experience!

The evening started with R&B crooner Al Hostile taking the stage. With the highly revered duo FootsXColes as his band, Al brought Home Grown to life by performing songs from the album including “C’mon” and “Can’t Sleep”. He brought out DMV legend Matt McGhee for an electrifying rendition of “Bleek”. Finally, he ended his set with a seamless mix of “Lady” by D’Angelo into “Sumn Real”, a fan favorite from his album.

Al Hostile
Photo Courtesy of Jada Imani M

Al left the audience perfectly warmed up for Cheakaity. Rocking pearls and a suit, Cheakaity stepped on stage and proclaimed, “This is my stage. This is my show and imma show y’all what it is tonight”! The most impressive part of his set was his showmanship. Cheakaity’s energy is magnetic and draws you in immediately. Furthermore, he had the crowd participation on lock with the call and response. The icing on the cake was Cheakaity’s use of a live band, who could effortlessly go from a soulful groove for songs like “Want You” to a gospel-like jam session for a song like “Preacher’s Daughter” to straight rocking out. 

Cheakaity
Photo Courtesy of Jada Imani M

People try to say R&B is dead. The Grown Experience proved that that sentiment is simply untrue. View photos from the spectacular evening in the gallery below:

Photos Courtesy of Jada Imani M