Private Space

Sea of Love

Monte Carlo

So Glad I Found You

Come Around And Love Me

Come Around and Love Me

Artists like Jalen Ngonda come around once in a lifetime, so it is our privilege and distinct pleasure to announce the release of his debut album Come Around and Love Me. Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing Jalen perform live knows that he is one of the most captivating performers on today's soul scene. His voice, equal parts raw feeling and elegance, exudes confidence and charm—disarming packed rooms of rowdy concert goers, leaving them silent as they hold fast to every syllable sung. Plans for the album were struck just months before the COVID 19 pandemic shut the world down. Notwithstanding, Jalen eventually made it to Hive Mind Studios in Brooklyn, NY where he began writing and recording with the help of producer/arrangers Mike Buckley and Vincent Chiarito (both members of Charles Bradley's Extraordinaires) and a crack team of a-list musicians from the Daptone family. The team skillfully blends heavy arrangements and introspective lyrics with motown sophistication, leaving the listener in a blissful wash of wonderment. 

Jalen has been writing songs since he was 14, and his compositions are also very much of these times. He explains,  “I love music from the 20th century— I listen to it all the time, but I’m in this world and the 21st century. ...to a stranger, I’d describe my music as modern soul and R&B, while trying to fit in the Beach Boys and the Beatles somewhere in between.”  Come Around and Love Me reveals how he creates a classic approach that is rooted in the sounds of revered pioneers, without falling into imitation–leaving no doubt that Jalen will continue to shine within the superlative, timeless musical tradition that is Daptone’s hallmark. Now it's your turn to come around and love one of the finest soul albums of the decade.

Jalen Ngonda - Come Around And Love Me

Here To Stay

Flowers

Flower Moon

“Pawn’s Grief — Reimagined (Groove-Driven Cipher Rap)” Funk version
This lyric reframes the pawn not as a disposable piece, but as the rhythmic backbone of the system—a symbol of unseen labour, coded resistance, and soulful defiance. It blends cipher rap with groove, turning grief into motion and marginalization into melody. The pawn moves first, yet never chooses—its agency denied, but its impact undeniable.
The verses expose how the pawn is counted but not heard, used but not valued, yet it carries the beat of the streets and the pulse of the queue. The hook flips the narrative: though treated like a number, the pawn moves like gold—precious, powerful, and foundational.
Tone: Uplifting but coded Theme: The pawn as rhythm, resistance, and groove beneath the grid

Pawn’s Grief 1.0  #Cipher Rap Funk

The Present Moment ... live & funky

My favorite track from Chromeo’s latest LP. On the surface it’s an electro-funk, dance floor filler, but underneath is a brilliant love ballad with lyrics that reminded me of something from Tyrone Davis. Dave1 (of Chromeo) told me the song is about a guy who falls in love with a ghost, so I wanted my version to have an eerie, ghostly feel to it. Quincy McCrary played the creepy piano solo at the end.

Don't Turn The Lights On

Introducing...

You Don't Wanna Be My Baby

Joseph Alla AKA "SOS Sound Of Starlings "is a visionary artist whose work bridges sonic innovation and emotional depth. Blending Dancehall, Afrobeat, and R&B with bilingual lyricism, his music explores the tension between silence and sound, public grace and private grit. With a keen eye for symbolism and a commitment to amplifying overlooked voices, Alla crafts immersive experiences that resonate across cultures. His latest project, Behind Closed Doors / Detrás de Puertas Cerradas, is a testament to his ability to turn vulnerability into power and storytelling into resistance.

Pawn’s Grief 1.0 #Cipher Rap Funk

SOS (Sound Of Starlings)

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