Students ‘Reign’ R&B

What started as a group of strangers in a small studio is now 4 Reign, a band ready to take on the R&B music scene.

The band, comprised of members Jonathan Davenport, Rafael “Felly” Ishman, Travis Bruce and Tony Cuscic, who recently replaced former band member Justin Merrick, got off on an accidental start.

In summer 2008, Davenport, Ishman, Bruce and Merrick were all at a local recording studio wanting to record as individuals. Producer Terrance Dennie recognized a musical chemistry amongst them and suggested they record a song together.

The four first recorded the song “Please Don’t Leave.” Once it was played back, everyone present knew there was something special about this group. That night, after throwing around many name possibilities, 4 Reign was born.

The group name is a play on the word “foreign,” which relates to the Unfamiliar Mindz Entertainment Inc. studio where the band met.

“We want to be foreign, as in something the world has never seen before,” Ishman said.

The band said that many fans appreciate their pure musicianship. In an age where much of the R&B industry relies on autotune and computer generated sounds, 4 Reign belts out pure notes, untouched by software or gadgets.

“Anything we perform on a CD we can do live,” Bruce said.

Much of their emphasis on true music comes from the musicians they idolize, such as Linkin Park, Prince, the Beatles, Raheem DeVaugn, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. However, the group said that Boyz II Men has influenced them the most.

Like Boyz II Men, 4 Reign said they can rely on the multiple talents of each member.
The band said that everyone does everything, but each member has a specialization.

Although all members contribute, Ishman and Bruce write most of the music and lyrics. On stage, Davenport and Bruce give songs a strong start, and Ishman and Cucsic “bring the songs home.”

Sometimes the four men argue like siblings, but at the end of the day they said they have the same goal: making great music.

In October, the group will release their first mixtape, “Wait 4 Reign.”

In the beginning, the group lacked easy access to a studio. To further complicate things, all four were also busy with schoolwork, and the band lacked outside funding.

They said they recently reached a place where they are controlling their own studio time and feel comfortable about the future.

“We’re working on all cylinders now, and all the cylinders have oil on them,” Ishman said.

4 Reign said a turning point in their success was a performance at Statewide, an annual step competition organized by Phi Beta Sigma. People who didn’t even know who they were before the performance were buzzing about them afterward.

The band said they hope to expand on this success when they tour the Bloomington circuit. Fans can expect shows Oct. 23 at Max’s Place and a February performance at the Video Saloon.

Fans can access 4 Reign on www.ourstage.com, Facebook and Twitter. The mixtape will be released in mid-October both virally and in hard copy.

The band said their ultimate goals are to become a household name, be mentioned with the R&B legends like Boyz II Men and make real music that people can
connect with.

“At the end of the day, we’re just about having our music do something for someone else. We have a lot to offer. We have something to bring to Bloomington, to the U.S., to the world,” Bruce said.