Originally from Adelaide, South Australia – Candice Monique is a talented & unique singer/rapper/poet whose individual vocal and lyrical style draws comparisons to Neneh Cherry, Me’shell Ndegeocello, Lauren Hill and Erykah Badu.
It is this distinctive style along with her stage presence & artistic depth which makes her one of Australia’s most exciting & original new artists. After being discovered by Professor Griff (Public Enemy), Candice was flown to Atlanta, Georgia to record her first demo CD produced by Griff himself. There she worked with Atlanta’s Jason Orr (The FunkJazz Kafe) in 2003 and later returned to to the US in 2005 where she recorded with Neo-Soul Producer, Rich Medina in Harlem NYC.
Candice returned to her new home in Melbourne and formed her stunning five piece band, The Optics, whose first album, In My Soul, was released on Freestyle Records UK in 2010. The band are currently recording a second album for release this year on Freestyle.
Over the last 8 years in Melbourne Candice earned her stripes and became a staple crop vocalist on the local hip hop and soul scenes singing backing vocals for a host of Melbourne bands including Diafrix, SIB, Direct Influence, Carmen Hendricks, Saritah and Traffik to name but a few. She has featured in collaborations with many local Hip-hop artists most notably the track Goodbye Gravity with M-Phazes and Muph (of Muph and Plutonic), singing the hook on the lead single to the M-Phazes album Good Gracious which won an ARIA.
She also featured on a track called Me Vs World, on the latest album by Simplex, as well as appearing on Moneykat’s single Nothing Is Safe produced by Lotek and stars in their new video clip for the song. Candice is also the front-woman for Metals (Illusive Records) who’s latest single was a collaboration written with rapper 360, and producer Styalz Fuego. She has also collaborated with 1/6, Kojo (of Culture Connect), Motley, 14 year old prodigy rapper Soliloquy. Luka Lesson on their collaboration Killing Time and US rapper Louis Logic.
Candice Monique has just released a ‘name your own price’ mixtape titled Free Me: The Mixtape. We highly recommend you pick that up, either by following the link here or below. Also, be sure to check Obese TV: Episode 2 as Candice features on the artist ‘Spotlight’.
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