O'Neal McKnight

As a little boy in Lynchburg, South Carolina, O'Neal McKnight knew that he was destined to touch people through song and dance. Growing up, there wasn't a single school or neighborhood talent contest that O'Neal didn't win. "I've been singing and dancing since before I knew how to write," recalls O'Neal. "It wasn't until I met DJ Cassidy and Dub-L, however, that I wrote a record."

With the help of production team, Cass & Dubs, O'Neal has created a true sound of his own. Having grown up listening to everything from R&B to New Wave to Hip Hop, O'Neal's tracks transcend genre both lyrically and musically. He explains, "As a child, I'd be just as likely to have Duran Duran in my walkman as Bobby Brown." These unique influences shine through in O'Neal's debut release, Prom: 2088. "The prom is a party. It's a time to dance, reminisce, and look ahead. The prom is a celebration of where you've been and where you're going and that's exactly what my music represents - the journey and magic of past, present, and future."

O'Neal's journey began in a mobile home where he spent time wowing his friends and family with jaw-dropping dance moves and eye-popping outfits. Always the center of attention, the young performer attracted crowds wherever he went earning a well-known reputation around town. Still, O'Neal dreamed of bigger and better things. After saving up enough money for a bus ride North, O'Neal left Lynchburg for New York City. Although he quickly learned much about the entertainment industry from his cousin, legendary music mogul, Andre Harrell, O'Neal remained determinNed to pay his dues, find his own niche, and fulfill his own dreams.

A young man lost in the city that never sleeps, O'Neal had no idea that his flair for fashion would eventually lead him to become one of the most sought after stylists in the entertainment industry. After receiving inspiring words from Emil Wilbekin during a chance encounter with the former Editor-In-Chief of Vibe Magazine, O'Neal was inspired to give styling a shot. He soon ascended to the top of the industry styling ad campaigns, music videos, films, and personal wardrobes for an elite roster of clients including Sean "Diddy" Combs, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Jessica Alba, Robin Thicke, Russell Simmons, and many more. While O'Neal's first single Check Your Coat is becoming the hottest record in the clubs, his music has also gained significant exposure in film, television, fashion, and print media.

In early 2007, renowned music journalist, Nelson George, heard O'Neal's song She Said and licensed the tune for his HBO film Life Support produced by Jamie Foxx and starring Queen Latifah. In September 2007, Conde Nast used O'Neal's entire catalogue of songs as the soundtrack to its primetime CBS Fashion Rocks special. His single, Check Your Coat was the theme song for the show. In addition, publications such as In Touch, LTD, OK!, and Hamptons Style have all covered O'Neal's music, while websites like billboard.com and allmusic.com have featured the Check Your Coat music video.

O'Neal already has plans to merge his music with his fashion background when he launches the spring collection of O'Neal McKnight in 2008. Inspired by his late mother, Gracie Mae, a seamstress whom O'Neal describes as "a woman of true style, elegance, and flair," the line will evoke nostalgia with fresh interpretations of classic material and design. O'Neal explains, "My designs are very much like my songs. They would have been as fly twenty years ago as they will be twenty years from now." O'Neal's silhouette is the line's logo and is incorporated into many of the first collection's pieces. O'Neal explains, "Think of the silhouette as the polo player for Generation Now. It represents the class of past and the sass of the future."

Whatever the medium, it is O'Neal's spirit of timeless energy that shines through everything he creates. "To me, life is not about the destination; it's about the journey. When you stop dreaming, you stop living. That's what my music brings out in people - the beauty of the journey and the magic of the dream."