Image Source: Beth Taye [1]

Since Verzuz [2] launched in March 2020, it has hosted some of the greatest showdowns in modern music between singers, songwriters, and producers. The latest installment featured R&B legends Anthony Hamilton [3] and Musiq Soulchild [4] going head-to-head for the Valentine's Day special. During the battle, Kevin Ross [5] performed a soulful rendition of "Lessons (Remix [6])" alongside Hamilton and guests Eric Roberson and Raheem DeVaughn. POPSUGAR caught up with Ross after the battle, and he describes the event as a "surreal experience."

As a Grammy-nominated R&B singer, songwriter, and producer, Ross has worked with big-name artists, such as Ari Lennox [7], Trey Songz [8], Nicki Minaj [9], Toni Braxton [10], and Jamie Foxx [11]. Formerly signed to Motown Records, Ross made what he calls "the biggest leap of faith as a man and an artist" when he decided to leave the record label in 2018. The following year, he founded his own record label, Art Society Music Group (ASMG), where he focuses on giving up-and-coming artists the proper tools to navigate the music industry. "What you speak into others has power," Ross says. "An artist's greatest tool is being an executionist, being audacious."

Image Source: Beth Taye [12]

Ross is certainly an example of that. Shortly after forming ASMG and partnering with distribution company Empire, he released two complete bodies of work in the midst of a global pandemic. "Audacity, Vol. 1 [13]" and "Audacity, Vol. 2 [14]" were released in 2020 and are two parts of a greater collection, "Audacity Complete [15]." While many artists in the industry were experiencing a lack of creative inspiration during this time, Ross looked at it as "the perfect time to make mistakes." With this intention, Ross was making music more freely and landed a No. 1 single at Sirius XM with "God Is a Genius [16]" from "Audacity, Vol. 2."

In October 2021, he released his latest album, "Drive 2 [17]." He describes the creative process behind this album as "shooting into the dark with a blindfold on, getting closer to the target." The album has received millions of streams across digital streaming platforms, and his hit single "Looking for Love [18]" spent 20 weeks on Billboard's R&B charts, peaking at No. 9 in November 2021.

"Drive 2" takes listeners on a journey through the human experience: the ups, the downs, and everything in between. "There is something on the album for everyone," he says.

Check out the music video for "Looking For Love" below, and stream "Drive 2" here [19].