Urban Street Soul Orchestra: A Collective with a Soulful Message
Urban Street Soul Orchestra (USSO) was established in 1992 at Toto Productions, where a diverse array of talents, including Shawn Benson (R.I.P), Daz-I-Kue, Don Ricardo, Hil St Soul, Stevie Granville, and Paul ‘Vibe’ C, collaborated to create music well into the early hours.
In 1997, the group recorded an album titled "Slice of Life," although it was never officially released. As the musical family that had grown together began to pursue individual paths toward success, their collective work remained shelved.
Years later, this musical family reunited, returning to reclaim their collaborative spirit. The masters of their unreleased material, preserved by Uncle L, have now emerged from the Toto Productions vault, ready for public release.
The highly anticipated album "Slice of Life" by Urban Street Soul Orchestra is now available on iTunes. Uncle L founded Toto Productions on principles of integration and unity, which he has carried into the formation of USSO—a collective dedicated to sharing a soulful message with the world.
The album reflects on how the group's shared passion for music helped them navigate the challenges of the 1990s. USSO's songs and productions are described as timeless and relevant, merging the soulful influences of past legends with their distinct sound, characterized as "Rare groove meets New Soul."
The family of musicians who once left home has come together once more.
Among the highlights of USSO's forthcoming album is "Back Together Again," featuring Don Ricardo and Hil St. Soul, produced by V’Essence.
Don Ricardo became involved with Toto Productions in the early 1990s as an in-house engineer, soon evolving into an artist and producer in his own right. He achieved success with hits across different genres, including the poignant reggae classic “She’s Having My Baby” and the popular garage track “Best Friends” alongside Danny J. Lewis. Following this, he joined Urban Street Soul Orchestra as the main vocalist and co-songwriter, showcasing his remarkable versatility.
Daz-I-Kue, a London native and member of the esteemed production collective Bugz In The Attic, known for hits like "Booty La, La," has contributed remixes for notable artists including Amy Winehouse, Gil Scott-Heron, Macy Gray, Soul II Soul, and 4Hero. He served as an in-house engineer and producer for both Toto Productions and USSO.
Stevie Ville, recognized for his outstanding vocal abilities in the dance and gospel genres, found early success with tracks such as “Race of Survival” alongside Sonz of Soul and “Lovin' You Is Really Something.” His recent collaboration with Laidback Luke on the dance hit "Hypnotize" further highlights his talent. Stevie joined Toto Productions in the early 1990s to work on his solo album with USSO, which is set for release in early 2012, and he features on the classic "Slice of Life" single with Don Ricardo.
Paul C, a well-respected producer within the gospel scene, has a knack for capturing contemporary British R&B sounds in his gospel music. He produced the UK’s successful R&B Gospel compilations “New Flava” Volumes 1 and 2. Paul joined Toto Productions and USSO in the early 1990s as a producer and songwriter after working with leading gospel vocalists and achieving national success with Lo-Rider's chart-topping dance track “Skinny.”
Julie Smith, known as Noisy Sista, is a talented soulful house producer who joined USSO as a backing vocalist. She features on the classic ballad “Just a Matter of Time” alongside Don Ricardo on the upcoming USSO album.
