Philly’s Lovely Meekie Renee

“As a songwriter, I understand the subtleties of harmony and melody—and command a creative vision that melds the two together in striking balance,� Meekie Renee explains.

 

Where She’s From: Striking beauty, Meekie Renee was born Timika Renee Rankin. She’s a favorite of in and around the Philadelphia area. Meekie is the descendant of an Asian great grandmother and an African American mother.

Her mother, Sohney Renee Guest, was a singer who was signed to the legendary record label, Philly International and performed with a group named “Sparkle,� that toured with Lou Rawls and Patti LaBelle.

At a young age, little “Meek� was exposed to it all. Sohney recalls how she would always have to stop the energetic young Meek from her impromptu performances to send her to bed. She recalls an incident when Meek was being punished, that she first saw her real creativity at work. “I took her toys from her and sat her in the corner. I felt bad, but she had to be punished. When I went to go check on her, I noticed that she was still playing. I thought she had toys. She had nothing but her imagination. And with that alone she was happy.�

Smiling, she adds, “That’s when I knew she was an extremely creative child.�
 

Where She’s At: That creativity soon manifested itself into poetry, and, through time, has turned into gifted songwriting. Combined with a delicate, rich tone reverberating from her soul, she has poised herself to become a force to be reckoned with. “As a songwriter, I understand the subtleties of harmony and melody—and command a creative vision that melds the two together in striking balance,� she explains. “Not wordy or overzealous, my songs strip bare the necessity of why we listen—to experience the beauty of structured sound, as well as to gain perspective from another person’s point of view.�

This perspective, coupled with her unmistakable tone, has created an artist with a truly original voice, both figuratively and literally. “She has all of the tools to be Beyonce,� says Sohney, alluding to Meek’s days at Philadelphia’s Franklin Learning Center as a dance and vocal performance major. “But she’s more down to earth like Sade.�

Meekie Renee has performed in school shows, in many events in and around her native Philadelphia, such as The Cornucopia and Barber’s Hall. She’s done shows with noted area musicians such as Stacy McGhee and Lisa Dawn Robinson. She has collaborated with many local artists and producers, and has spent countless hours in the studio honing her craft.

She has recorded live performances, including The Joey Zaza Show and “Hot To Def,� both popular local public access TV shows. She has been in bands, dance troupes, girl groups, choirs and choruses. She is also a featured model on Model Place.com and has appeared in numerous fashion shows and special events in and around the Philadelphia area.  


Where She’s Heading:
Since teaming up with Philadelphia/New York based producer Culture, the two have constructed a style that is all her own. “When I first heard her,� says Culture, “I was with a few other producers at a talent broker’s place looking for a singer to work with. The other guys couldn’t understand what to do with her because she had a show tune style song in her package. I loved it. I immediately understood that this woman loved music. We began work immediately.�

That session led to the songs now featured on My Space.com, which to date has 6,339 plays, 8,121 profile views, and 1,171 friends in only four months–pretty impressive. With upcoming sites on CD Baby.com, Sound Click.com and Black Planet.com, even more people will have the opportunity to be exposed to the Meek mystique. 

“I think of life like I did high school. I didn’t want to look back and feel like I didn’t do this or that,� says Meekie. “I want to reminisce and feel fulfilled. When I leave this earth I want to know that I did every this or that I desired.�

She’s on her way to realizing her goals. As a singer, songwriter, model, executive –she is COO of TasteMakers Ent., Inc.—and dancer, she knows no boundaries.


To find out more about this lovely entertainment artist, model and dancer, please visit

www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=90567959


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