J.Holiday Speaks On New Album, Grammy Nomination.

On December 3, 2008 nominee’s for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards were announced in a live television special. One of the artists nominated was Washington D.C. native J Holiday.

The R&B singer’s debut album Back Of My Lac’ was announced as one of the nominee’s for the Best Contemporary R&B Album category. Pitting the singer against veteran’s like Mary J. Blige and other newcomer’s such as Jazmine Sullivan, both of whom are also nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

“It feels good,” J Holiday told BET.com of his Grammy nomination. “For me I was on the grind, for a lot of people who don’t know, [for years] just to get my name out there. Just to finally come from 2005 to 2009. And now my peers are like, ‘Yo aight, J he’s the new cool kid’. So it feels good.”

Aside from the Grammy nomination, J Holiday is also looking forward to releasing his sophomore album entitled Round 2.

“It’s a lot more R&B,” J Holiday explained to BET.com after his show at New York’s SOB’s. “I feel like the first one we were just trying to solidify me as an artist without scaring the crowd because we didn’t know if the people really still wanted to hear straight up and down R&B. So now that we know that they do now that’s what you’re gonna hear on this album.”

J Holiday’s first single off of Round 2, “It’s Yours”, has already reached radio and is even available for download on iTunes.

“It’s not that I feel R&B is dead I just feel like for all the people that love it and love to do it and love to write it it’s hard for us to get through now because you got so many people out here that water it down,” J Holiday explained. “It’s more so for the money for them, and for me it’s the love. I don’t feel like it’s dead. I just feel like it’s tainted.”

J Holiday’s sophomore album Round 2 will be released in March and the 2009 Grammy Awards will air on February 8.