Rachid (singer)
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1973 or 1974 (age 51–52)
- Singer
- songwriter
- music producer
Rachid | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Rasalus, Râ |
| Born | Rasheed A. Bell 1973 or 1974 (age 51–52) New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Universal |
Rasheed A. Bell (born in 1973 or 1974[1][2]), better known by his stage name Rachid, is an American singer-songwriter and music producer.[3] He is the son of founding Kool & the Gang member Ronald Bell.[4] He achieved a top 40 hit on the Dance Club Songs chart with his debut single, "Pride" (1998).
Rachid is one of ten children of Ronald Bell, who was a co-founding member of R&B/funk band Kool & the Gang.[4] Raised in Hillside, New Jersey,[5] Rachid graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1996.[1][6]
Career
Rachid signed with Universal Records in 1995.[2] On June 16, 1998, Rachid released his debut solo album Prototype on Universal Records.[7][8] It was noted for its mix of a range of musical genres, along with thoughtful lyrics.[9][10] His singing was compared to Prince.[11] The album's lead single "Pride", released in February 1998, peaked at number 33 on Billboard magazine's US Dance Club Songs chart and number 89 on the UK Singles Chart.[12][13] The album release also included a French-language single, "Requiem Pour Un Con" (Requiem for a Fool), a song written by Serge Gainsbourg.[1] He performed in New York City and London to promote the album.[14][15]
In early 2007, Rachid changed his stage name to Rasalus, a name he credited to abandoning his Islamic religion. Rasalus released an extended play titled My Name is Rasalus, exclusively in Germany.[16] From 2013 to 2019, he performed the under the stage name "Râ" and released a series of singles: "Whatever It Takes" (2018), "Fade Away" (2019), and "Too Late" (2019). In 2023, he returned to using his stage name Rachid.
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Prototype |
|
| My Name is Rasalus |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance [12] |
UK [13] |
UK R&B [13] |
UK Dance [13] | |||
| "Pride" | 1998 | 33 | 89 | 31 | 26 | Prototype |
| "Requiem Pour Un Con" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Charade" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Zoe's World" | 1999 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Whatever It Takes" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "Fade Away" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Too Late" | — | — | — | — | ||