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ou might not see him coming. Donning a pair of loose fitting jeans, a Stevie Wonder T-shirt and a bucket hat pulled below his eyes, TL Cross leans back in the small club booth as if he is patiently awaiting the opening act. Just as the room gets packed to capacity, the young artist floats to the stage with the poise of a veteran. The banter in the room is hushed. He begins to play the keyboard, and then he opens his mouth. You have crossed the point of no return.

The crooner, who can quote The Beatles, Toni Morrison, Nas, and Bob Dylan all in one sentence, fuses the past and the future, then packages it up and delivers it as the present. “I grew up listening to Marvin and Stevie, watching Sanford and Son while flipping back and forth from the Honeymooners. Of course you’ll hear some of that heritage and old school soul in my music because that’s a part of me".

TL Cross’ pure passion for music took a hold of him as a child while performing in church. Under the guidance of his father, who doubled as the minister of music, the young musician has been belting out electrifying performances since the tender age of 5. “I always knew that I would be an entertainer,” Cross reflects on his musical ambition. “Since I was a kid I never wanted to be anything else.”

It’s impossible to pigeonhole the 24 year-old artist into a box. Upon first impression one would think that he was a rapper, ready to rip the stage with heavy-handed lyrics and chest-caving percussion. But when he begins to showcase his raw vocal talent, it is clear that he has a presence that can transcend boundaries and genres. “They say I could fit in any era,” he quips beaming with natural energy. “Whether it be the Motown and Stax era of the 60's, the blues of the 50's, the Jazz of the 40's, Thomas A. Dorsey's mixture of blues and sacred music of the 30's, the 90's sound, I guess I'm pretty flexible.”

Much more than just your typical R&B singer, the Queens native, along with production partners, Da Gutta Fam, have penned and produced countless classic records for A-List artists ranging from Usher to DMX, Musiq to Ghostface Killah. It was the creation of Montell Jordan’s hit record “Get It On Tonight” that garnered the crew a Number 1 in Pop and R&B stripe while ushering them into the limelight as credible musical sources. “I like to work with artists who can make your vision come to life while adding themselves to it,” Cross comments on his musical career path. “But when I step on a stage, there’s nothing like it. Plus nobody can sing my songs like I can.”

Planning to take his musical career to the next level, the artist became a member of the group, Morrison Slick, and began to chisel out his own style of music. The band signed a deal with legendary duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Flyte Time Records (Arista), but plans of a release were derailed due to the closure of the record label.

It was this minor setback that propelled TL Cross into action. “When we would shop joints to labels they kept asking about my availability and we'd always turn them down and say 'he's in Morrison Slick.' Da Gutta Fam members suggested we get behind me as a solo act. This is how TL Cross got started.”

One listen to his latest musical offering is testimony that his impact is only beginning. Pushing beyond his role as a vocalist, the talented musician (he also plays the keyboard, guitar, and drums), alongside Da Gutta Fam, penned, produced, and performed all of the tracks on his debut solo project. Ranging from meditative ballads to up-tempo grooves, Cross makes sure that he delivers his signature personality and unbridled intensity on every track.

On the introspective song “Love Is A Hustle” Cross showcases his matchless songwriting skills while nesting his warm vocals between soothing percussion and rich piano rifts. The artist changes the flow with “When The Game Plays You,” a 70’s style mid-tempo groove that spotlights his dynamic vocal arrangements and natural cadences. With lyrics that speak to anyone that has ever been in love, Cross sings on an elevated platform for every one to relate to. “How To Make Up” explores his take on the modern ballad and adds a sense of timelessness while still drawing from music’s soulful past.

With a personality that kinetically draws people to his side, Cross is on his way to making a name for himself. “I’m just trying to bridge the gap between the living past and the living present in the minds of this generation,” he muses about his impact in the music industry. “History is just as much a part of the living present as anything we see currently.” And with an album in the works, a live show that blends live instrumentation and digital sound (Platinum Producer Needlz (50 Cent, Ludacris, G-Unit) is his DJ) the musician is well on his way to becoming a household name by making listeners Cross over one at a time.