Ahsan Watts (born 1999), known professionally as Ahsan J.A., is a teenage soul and R&B singer from

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

's "

Who's Lovin' You "Who's Lovin' You" is a Motown soul song, written in 1960 by William "Smokey" Robinson. The song has been recorded by many different artists including The Miracles, who recorded the 1960 original version, The Temptations, The Supremes, Terence ...

" went viral on YouTube and again after a second video featured a surprise appearance by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

that ended in a duet of "

Ribbon in the Sky "Ribbon in the Sky" is a song by American singer Stevie Wonder. The ballad was first featured on the 1982 greatest hits album, '' Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I'', and charted at No. 54 pop, No. 21 Adult Contemporary, and No. 10 R&B in th ...

". Ahsan credits classic soul and R&B artists such as Stevie Wonder,

Frankie Lymon Franklin Joseph Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of the New York City-based early rock and roll doo-wop group Th ...

, and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

for inspiring him to join his grandfather, Bishop L. C. Terry Sr, in his Fellowship of Holiness Church choir in Newark, NJ, at the age of five. His godfather, Don Richardson, who signed a contract with

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

as a child, brought attention to Ahsan's voice. After his signing with

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...

in 2012, Ahsan performed a cover of "

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song written in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical ''Meet Me in St. Louis''. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics. In ...

," featuring Lucki Gurlz. In November 2013, his single "Under" was released. The song gave attention to Ahsan's motivation to avoid succumbing to the ghetto lifestyles of his native Newark. Among his live appearances are

Arthur Ashe Kids' Day Arthur Ashe Kids' Day is an annual tennis/children's event that takes place in the end of August at the United States Tennis Association at Arthur Ashe Stadium. (USTA) Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York. It is sponsored by IBM and the ...

and at Stevie Wonder's 17th Annual House Full of Toys Benefit Concert in 2012. He has performed in Newark as guest of Mayor

Cory Booker Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the junior United States senator from New Jersey since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Booker is the first African-American U.S. sena ...

, Newark mayoral candidate, Ras J. Baraka., and

Darlene Love Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), known professionally as Darlene Love, is an American singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist. She began singing as a child with her ...

NJPAC The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), in downtown Newark, New Jersey, United States, is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. Home to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO), more than nine million visitors (i ...

. In 2014, Ahsan toured with Ashanti to

Jackson Rancheria Jackson Rancheria is the landbase for the Jackson Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California, a federally recognized tribe of Miwok people, located near Jackson, California. It is located in Amador County, about midway between Jackson and Pine Gro ...

References

External links

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Red Soul Vibrations

Videostatic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Ahsan 1999 births Living people American soul singers Musicians from Newark, New Jersey American tenors 21st-century American singers 21st-century American male singers