TOSHI - Time to Share
(Sony)


"Soul music is universal... Toshi is a groundbreaker just for rewriting the book on who's allowed to play in the game." - ?uestlove

Toshi is a soul singer who grew up in rural Japan watching Soul Train and soaking in Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, and Prince. He learned to speak English by listening to soul music. Now he's a New Yorker who's equally comfortable singing in English and Japanese and his third English album, Time To Share is true neo-Soul. The boy from little Shizuoka, Japan, over by Mt. Fuji, the son of a grocer who grew up eating sushi, has got neo-soul in his blood.

Time To Share reveals Toshi as a gifted artist and a cool singer-songwriter with a subtle voice, lush, smooth, romantic grooves, and with a seductive ladies-man vibe to rival Maxwell and D'Angelo. And if collaborations are like endorsements then Toshi's gotten some high compliments this time around. One of the highlights of Time To Share is "Hold Me Down," a collaboration with the soon-to-be legendary soul singer Angie Stone. Ms. Stone produced four songs for the album, which also includes collaborations with the ubiquitous Mos Def, Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest and Lucy Pearl, and Ivan & Carvin, the producers behind Musiq.

Sharing, a theme which runs throughout all of the songs on the album, is a message that Toshi hopes to convey to his world-wide listeners. "I want people to share with me, feel the emotions I felt when I recorded the music." he says. "That's why I called it Time To Share."

Listen without prejudice. Surrender to the soul. Experience the wonder that is Toshi.


The buzz on Toshi...

"Working with Toshi is like being in the mirror because he knew exactly what he wanted and he wasn't boxed in at all...I think he was tring to go for this Marvin vibe and I felt personally it's more like Eddie Kendricks... to me that's deeper." - Ali Shaheed Muhammad

“Toshi has a lot more soul than a lot of people I grew up with.” - Angie Stone

“I think he proves to us that soul is more than just a look. Toshi brings his own flavor, but adds to the elements of what a ‘soul singer’ is. He inspires me by the depth he brings to soul music. (Who he is, is necessary to complete a cipher of people who are already whole.)” - Raphael Saddiq

“Toshi displays the necessary ingredients integral to having a lasting presence, passionate vocals, vibrant songs and infectious enthusiasm towards his craft that is truly enduring.” - Amel Larrieux

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