Meet Guordan Banks, Philly R&B singer and songwriter

Meet Gourdon Banks: a songwriter and R&B singer with a very bright future. it’s a future that’s actually here right now, as the Philly musician recently scored his first number one Billboard hit with “Keep You In Mind,” on the Adult R&B charts surpassing the likes of Maxwell, Johnny Gill, Anthony Hamilton and others. He did it as an independent artist and after being on the charts for 30 weeks.

So, who is Gourdan (pronounced Jordan) Banks? The North Philly musician is one of eight children whose musical influences include artists like Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, and Musiq Soulchild. He grew up singing in choirs and playing the trumpet, and pursuing a life in music has always been in his heart. After he went to high school in Virginia Beach, Banks moved back home to Philly and began to dedicate his life full time to songwriting. It was Banks’ songwriting that caught Meek Mill’s attention and they worked together on the song “Used To Be” on Mills’ mixtape Dreamchasers 2, and “Heaven And Hell” on Mills’ Dreamchasers 3.

Banks has since collaborated with 50 Cent (“Winners Circle”), K. Michelle (“Maybe I Should Call”), a couple of songs with John Legend (“Caught Up,” “Who Do We Think We Are”), Keyshia Cole’s Woman To Woman album, Young Chris, and others. In 2014 Banks released a mixtape and EP – A Song For Everyone, including the song “Keep You In Mind,” a tune that could fit nicely on Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreaks.

Banks just released a new single, “#WYWDT (Where You Wanna Do This),” featuring Detroit rapper and singer DeJ Loaf, on which he grabs the melody and line from the classic Shaggy song “It Wasn’t Me,” turning it into a late night satin sheet smooth jam. Another new song, “We Can’t Be Friends,” fits in a soulful continuum where Luther Vandross and The Weeknd coexist in perfect R&B harmony.

Sample a few songs below, and be on the lookout for some more music soon from this incredibly talented young man.