Shea Rose // The Sinclair // Boston, MA // November 15, 2013

Friday night at The Sinclair, Boston-native Berklee-grad Shea Rose took the stage in front of a room with people loosely scattered about.  Her amalgam of funk, hip-hop, jazz, and rock (to name a few) and accompaniment of her three-person band, Rose was the perfect choice to open for Macy Gray.  She performed a handful of singles from her latest album, mixtape “Little Warrior,” with the best being her live rendition of “I’m the Sh*t” (which, she clarified, isnot about her). After leading the crowd in chants for Macy, she was on fire going into her last song – and by that time the front of the stage had gotten more crowded as ears perked up and people yearned to get closer to take in the welcome surprise that was Shea Rose.
To be honest, I had not heard of Rose before Friday, but after just a few songs I was sold; and to add a bit more sauce to this dish, Rose has taken home honors such as Boston Music Awards in 2012 and 2011 for Pop/R&B Artist of the Year and R&B/Soul/Urban Contemporary Artist of the year, respectively, along with praise from Queen Latifah calling her “America’s next female rapper.”  I urge you to seek out recordings via her site, YouTube, or elsewhere – and brace yourself for the spectacular coolness that is Shea Rose.