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While Governor's emotive voice is reminiscent of a more soulful time in R&B music, his unique style on Son Of Pain is firmly rooted in, and combines perfectly with, the streetwise vibe synonymous with the Atlantic/Grand Hustle imprint headed by T.I.

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Born Governor Washington Jr., the singer went through a lot to get to the point where we can now enjoy this major label debut. These trials and tribulations resonate throughout his razor sharp vocals and dense lyrics which reflect the fact that, yes, he truly is the son of a preacher, and yes, he magically combines blues, hip-hop, reggae and fire-and-brimstone vocals that could easily be coming from a pulpit.

As Donny Hathaway comparisons abound, Governor's vocal style manages to be innovative while paying homage to R&B greats. The Virginia native steers clear of playing host to a bunch of guests artists (T.I. is the only one on the hot-ass "You Got The Power"), and does a remarkable job of holding down this 13-track set from begining to end.

Governor is no joke. His delivery and writing skills are reminiscent of other legends-in-the-making such as Lyfe Jennings, Leela James and Anthony Hamilton; artists whose music will manage to survive for decades and still sound timeless.

Tracks such as the powerful testimonial "Blood, Sweat & Tears," or the blues-y, tightly rendered "Destiny" satisfy to the core while leaving the listener with the impression that this man can write message-laden songs for decades and never run out of material. Son Of Pain is not only a hot release, it's easily one of the best R&B/soul albums of the year. Don't sleep.

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  To purchase CDs, click on the cover art or title link. To legally download, click on the iTunes logo. If you do not have iTunes, you can download it here by clicking the "download iTunes" logo above.