Leo Napier is a California-born soul singer, songwriter, and pianist. His vocal range and sharp, humorous lyrics are strongly rooted in traditional soul and R&B combined with pop. His tremendous abilities and boyish good looks mask his thirty-odd years.
"The Philly Gritz EP," which makes a comeback with an uplifting collection of songs, recounting the tale of how he was on the verge of death on an operating table at a Mallorquin hospital. Following the onset of a debilitating heart infection that, while he was unaware of it, had been slowly and silently damaging his aorta for months. A surgeon waited to declare Leo Napier’s death as each crucial second passed and no vital signs appeared on the monitors.
The EP includes songs from pop, hip-hop, R&B, funk, gospel, classic soul, and electronic music, yet his followers aren't turned off by this eclectic mix. His voice, with its lyrical vivacity, sense of humour, and deep, smokey tone, has remained unwavering throughout adversity, growing even more soul-stirring. There is now more of an opportunity than ever to learn about Leo Napier.
Produced by his best friend and most reliable musical partner, Adam "Stehreo" Stehr, "Philly Gritz EP" is awash with gritty, gritty, and legendary soul/R&B influence from Philadelphia. His lyrics on the EP's fifth and final track reflect Stehreo Records' closeness to Kensington, the notorious open-air drug market and a painfully open secret that personifies the American opioid epidemic of the twenty-first century. The simultaneously cheerful and reflective funk and soul throwback song "Get Back Up" is as lighthearted as it is sombre.
The "Philly Gritz EP" is going to be the first of many releases that will mark the man's and his music's comeback. A campaign that will undoubtedly put Leo Napier's musicianship, songwriting, lyricism, vocal dynamism, and showmanship on par with the biggest names in music of the twenty-first century, according to those who know him well.
“One of the first things that hit me upon regaining consciousness a few days after the operation was that, had I died, I would have taken all of my unheard music to the grave with me. I’ve dedicated most of my life to this craft and these songs. They're the fragments that comprise the mosaic that is my identity, my soul. From now on, every song I’ve written is going back to the people I wrote them for. These songs are for you, as much as they are for me. My second life began after my heart stopped and restarted on August 18th, 2023. My career begins in earnest on April 30th, 2024, with the release of the 'Philly Gritz EP,” Leo Napier reflects on the release.
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