Los Angeles, CA (September 6, 2007) – Celebrating a jaw-dropping spread of radio singles, press acclaim and
prominent appearances throughout the early 2000s as breakout group Souljahz, brother and sister duo, Je’kob
and Rachael Washington have rebounded from record label red tape and reemerged as The Washington Projects. The twosome is poised to unveil their debut album, Commanders of the Resistance, October 9th through independent record company, Black & White Label.
As Souljahz, Je’kob, Rachael and their brother Josh had unprecedented success with their Word/Warner Bros
debut, The Fault Is History. Their first radio single, “All Around The World,” shot straight to the top of the charts,
while “True Love Waits” was simultaneously the most added on the CHR and AC formats. In addition, the project garnered two GMA Dove Awards, with five total nominations, and the group received extensive features on CNN Headline News, E!, Billboard, The WB, a slot on Sessions@AOL beside Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent, Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as a cross-country tour in support of the album, performing alongside
the lauded and diverse talents of No Doubt, Nelly, Counting Crows, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Garbage, Kirk Franklin, TobyMac, Boyz II Men, Erykah Badu, Mary Mary and Sixpence None the Richer to name a few.
“We can’t complain about the name change, or even about the unfortunate events that took place with our previous label. We had a great two years being blessed enough to see the world and spread God’s Message of Hope, Love, Peace & Happiness while touring a great record,” explains Rachael. “Music is our gift and though we had to make some hard decisions in leaving (Souljahz) behind, The Washington Projects represent the same mission. Our hearts are in reaching the lost with a message of hope, and no matter what the name, it is what my
brother and I were born to do.”
Commanders of the Resistance is an enthralling soundtrack of hope covering just as many relevant themes as it does sonic spectrums. A quick combing of the track list indicates everything from the club thumping “Crazy” to the neo soul shuffle of “Deliverance” and the rap/R&B attack of “Take It To the Streets.” The project also possesses endless trenches of lyrical depth, such as the relationship-based “Zephyr Wings,” the empowering “Diamonds” and the love song from Je’kob to his wife, “I Will Stay With You.”
Je’kob tells a little more about the album: “This record is incredibly real. It is our hearts over the last four years, poured out in the form of music. We speak of love, hope, happiness and the trials and tribulations we’ve experienced in our lives, not only as a group, but individually as well. Each song on this record has a distinct meaning with our lives. The youth of the world, and even the music industry – Christians and non – need honesty. The world needs to know that being a Christian in the music industry doesn’t mean that every song has to be aworship song, or that we are perfect because we believe in God.”
“We are telling true-life stories from the perspective of Christians,” continues Je’kob. “Music is a powerful tool that has drastic influence on today’s young people…even the artists themselves have influence, whether they believe it or not. We strive to reach kids where they are, to relate to them, be available to them and to speak in their language. Our goal is to use any influence we may have to impact lives.”
In addition to debuting Commanders of the Resistance, The Washington Projects will also be hitting the road this fall and spring. First up is a slot as one of the featured artists on the Dare2Share “Survive” Training Conferences, alongside Hawk Nelson, Sanctus Real, Stellar Kart, Lincoln Brewster and speakers Greg Steir, Derwin “Dewey” Gray and Zane Black. The 3-day Conference tour will be hitting nine cities across the country between November and April. The duo is currently booking additional dates.
“We are so excited to get back out on the road again,” says Rachael. “Even though we have been out doing spot dates here and there, we haven’t had a record to support. We’ve only done five or six shows performing the new material live, and I have to say it is by far the most fun I’ve ever had on stage! I can’t wait to get back on stage, travel the world, and use this gift to the fullest. This tour will be a great launch to get us back on the scene and in the ears and eyes of the youth.”
While the group is securing national distribution, the album will be available on the Washington Projects website as well as iTunes. For more information about The Washington Projects and
Commanders of the Resistance, please visit:
www.washingtonprojects.com and
www.myspace.com/thewashingtonprojects.
