(AllHipHop News) Stevie Wonder transcends genres and has embedded himself in the collective memory of numerous generations of people. However, the 63 year old singer wants fans to brace themselves as he recently revealed that he is releasing two new albums which will have a considerable influence from rap music.
To everyone else, rap-inspired albums from Stevie Wonder might seem unexpected but as he explains in his interview with The Associated Press, it’s a natural transition:
I listen a lot to rap, and I’m inspired to take it, to use it in another way, to get the message across.
The two knew albums from a man with a discography that spans over 50 years and 23 studio are titled When the World Began, a collaboration with producer David Foster and Ten Billion Hearts. These will be released in 2014 and will be his first albums of original music since 2005’s A Time To Love. Wonder’s production has steadily decreased each decade with him releasing 11 albums in the 60s, seven in the 70s, three in the 80s and only one in the 90s as well as in the 1st decade of the 2000’s.
Before Wonder releases new music he will give fans a unique showcase for their nostalgia. On December 21st, Wonder will perform his timeless 1976 classic album Songs In The Key of Life in its entirety for the first time ever at the 18th Annual House Full of Toys benefit concert in Los Angeles, CA.
Check out one of Stevie Wonder’s earlier collaborations with rap as he performed “Gangsta’s Paradise” with Coolio at the 1995 Billboard Music Awards