Marsha Ambrosius’ new album “CASABLANCO” is a hit with Dr. Dre

Fed up of the demands of being a successful R&B star, including the rigors of touring and the fickle politics of the music industry, Marsha Ambrosius worked in peace behind the scenes, writing for other artists. But Dr. Dre had a recipe to revive her desire to take the stage.

“I didn’t want to do a project,” said the Grammy-nominated artist. “I checked everything off my bucket list that I wanted to do. And Dre said, ‘I just want to keep inspiring you guys. Let’s just create something and see where it goes.'”

Their musical journeys have led them to their new album “CASABLANCO”, which is out now. The combination of Ambrosius’ writing and vocal skills with one of the greatest producers of this generation has made it a highly anticipated project after years of anticipation.

“Not only did I not have the opportunity to create, but I had no boundaries, no limitations. Dre was very much of ‘Whatever you want to do, you can do,'” said the British-born singer, who is credited as a writer and producer on all the songs. “It gave me new life creatively, knowing that I hadn’t really done everything I was capable of until we created this.”

The 11-track project is a sonically opulent collage that masterfully blends jazz and hip-hop – a mix that only the Dr. could mix. “CASABLANCO” – a nod to the luxurious lifestyle of the cult film “Casablanca” and the Moroccan city – is the singer’s fourth solo studio album, following 2018’s “NYLA”. (The “A” in the title was replaced by Dre to represent the raw hip-hop sound.)

The album was entirely produced and mixed by the architect of The Chronic with assistance from Erik “Blu2th” Griggs, Focus… and Dem Jointz. It was recorded over the course of two weeks in 2021 while much of the world was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and Dre was recovering from a brain aneurysm. The pair, who are signed to Dre’s label Aftermath through Interscope Records, have a long history together, most recently officially teaming up for his 2015 album Compton.

CASABLANCO is different in both sound and structure from today’s trap beats and atmospheric R&B. Eight of the eleven songs are over four minutes long, with three over five minutes, including extensive instrumental breaks and creative, non-traditional verse, bridge and chorus arrangements. Many of the tracks feature jazzy instrumentation before switching to Dre’s distinctive hip-hop sound, which he describes as “tux and chucks.”

But the project, backed by a 27-piece live orchestra and filled with intricately interwoven samples from a wide range of artists including Michael Jackson, Duke Ellington, George Benson, The Wu-Tang Clan and Nas – and even Ambrosius himself – took more than a year to release. Singles from CASABLANCO include “The Greatest,” “Greedy” and the love-struck “One Night Stand,” which samples Mary Jane Girls’ “All Night Long.”

“I thought to myself, ‘What if it was ‘one night’ instead of ‘all night long’?” Ambrosius said. “That’s still the reason we made the record: It was like if we were going to make another album, what would it be? So it felt like a moment that only lasted for one night and could ultimately turn into an eternity. And it did for me.”

While “Best I Could Find” is reminiscent of Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions,” “Cloudy With A Chance Of …Real” is a dramatic longing for her lover as she sings, “It feels like it’s someone else, I’m living this pain right through me/And I’m carrying the weight of this falling rain and it’s oh so lonely.”

Of the song, which was written during the pandemic, she said, “It was that fog, that haze, that uncertainty, that question: What’s going to happen if I can’t love you the way I want to love you, or if you’re not ready to accept my love because of the situation we’re in in the world right now.”

Despite a solid solo career with songs like “Far Away” and “Late Nights & Early Mornings,” singing hooks for major artists like Kanye West, Nas and Nipsey Hussle, and writing lyrics for HER and Alicia Keys, many fans still associate her with the duo Floetry.

Floetry (Ambrosius and Natalie “The Floacist” Stewart) emerged during the neo-soul movement of the early 2000s and had success with songs like “Say Yes,” “Getting Late” and “SupaStar” with Common. Ambrosius, 46, understands the nostalgia fans feel for this music.

“We were young and fearless and didn’t conform,” said Ambrosius, who also wrote Jackson’s “Butterflies.” “I’m glad I can say I made some timeless classics. And 24 years later, with Dr. Dre and ‘CASABLANCO,’ I feel the same way now as I did then.”