Clarksdale Mississippi native Duane Scott started out in a group called Neutral, but eventually struck out on his own.

 He released his debut CD, New Luv, in 2004. Since then, he has been touring around the country, honing his skills as a performer. He recently released his sophomore CD Sycamore and Riley, named after the neighborhood where he grew up, on which he pays homage to his past and sings about his life experiences.

On the first full track, “Rap Music”, Scott lays blame for some women's wild behavior: “Jigga, Kanye, Ricky Rosay/Man ya’ll the reasons why girls ain’t the same/Souljah Boy, Travis Porter, DJ Paul/Man I blame all of ya’ll”. On “Luv U My Way”, Scott tries to get a girl to accept him in spite of his financial shortcomings: “Ain’t got no Hummer to make you wanna be my friend/ Shorty, I’m just trying to get in”. “No Dishes” is a humorous song where Scott pleads with his woman to clean house while he’s at work. Another standout track is “Hello”, where Scott is waiting on his lover to call after a nasty argument: “Save me from this madness/Why I gotta find out how you’re doing on your Facebook status?” “This Is Your Favorite Song” is a fast-paced, fun track made for the dance floor: “Follow my lead/Let me bring you up to speed/Make your back arch out/Then you bend both of your knees”.

Sycamore and Riley is a balanced, entertaining collection of songs that cover a variety of moods and emotions. Scott is an honest, straightforward, and witty songwriter. Unlike a lot of today’s singers, he gets his point across without being overly explicit or profane. Duane Scott makes R&B music for “grown folks”, but the kids can enjoy it as well. Hopefully, his songs will get heard by a wider audience. Sycamore and Riley can be purchased here.