Soul and R&B is sometimes exactly what the doctor ordered. While I am quick to turn on some hip hop to wind down from a long day, there is something about Indianapolis’s Tiara Thomas that is easy to get into and really mellows you out. Her latest EP Up In Smoke is a classic collection of moving and powerful songs with rhythmic and driving tones complimented with haunting lyrics and vocals from straight from Tiara herself.
She’s no stranger to working hard. Making her way up throughout the hip hop and R&B genre, she has done everything from her own solo projects to being the featured artist in in Wale’s 2013 track “Bad”. While a great achievement, featured artist is definitely not her destiny. She is a singer, songwriter, producer and emcee and working hard to conquer each one individually. Up In Smoke is a perfect example of what she brings to the table.
While the whole EP is awesome, her track “Nikki” is a haunting stand out track that I love. It starts off in the distance and slowly comes up into focus with rhythmic breathing. Enter Tiara and this slow jam really kicks in with the entrance of her powerful and thought provoking lyrics.
Up In Smoke came out in August and is available for stream and download on her Soundcloud page. If you enjoy this track you will love the whole thing. You can also catch her live when she takes over Lincoln Hall in Chicago on December 6th.