Marvin and the Experience

Detail: Marvin and the Experience is a high-energy groove, led by a self-assured, sweet/rough-voiced frontman -- highly polished, but just dirty enough to make you shake your ass. Watching Marvin Hawkins perform is something like watching the illegitimate (and biologically impossible) son of LL Cool J and Marvin Gaye -- there's a street punk toughness, but plenty of suave to go around. And you get the feeling that maybe sometimes Uncle Prince came over and babysat for him and taught him a couple of tricks as well. Black? White? As long as the music is good, who cares?

"It's a passion," says Hawkins of his drive to write and perform music. "I grew up in a household with Gospel and Soul music, (and also) Stevie Wonder, Barry White, Peabo Bryson, George Benson ... but I also grew up on Hip Hop. Depending on where we are, we can take the shape of our venue. I just have a love for music in general. I'm a graduate of the School for Creative and Performing Arts, and I was trained in classical musical theater and percussion. So, through my background and through meeting people (that play) other genres of music, that, specifically, has molded me into the person that I am. Music is healing to me.

Marvin and the Experience was originally conceived as an original R&B/Hip Hop/Soul project, in collaboration with Hawkins' partner, Akira Shelton, an owner of a production company in New Jersey. The band is now comprised of Hawkins (lead vocals/percussion), Reginald Johnson (music director/keyboards/vocals), James "Phil" Johnson (keys), Jeremiah Green (drums), J.T. Dickman (bass), T-Sly (guitar), Mia Jabbar (vocals) and David "D-Griff" Griffen (MC). The "brand" of music they play is "FunkHopSoul," as Hawkins describes it. Not R. Kelly, exactly, nor P-Funk, but somewhere in between and perhaps beyond.

When not getting Experienced, Hawkins "meshes" with other bands as well. He currently drums for the Alt.Rock Elliot Ruther Trio, and he's also played with local Reggae-based bands Kadouz and Admiral Walker. But he prefers his role with The Experience.