‘Ilike casting spells,” James says. “Nina Simone, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Michael Jackson, Prince – people who are really powerful, they cast spells.” On his debut EP, Whutcha Want, the Harlem singer-songwriter lives up to that bravado with a futuristic blend of gutbucket soul and modern groove, recalling Elvis as much as Frank Ocean. James grew up in Albany, New York, the son of a prostitute. He learned to DJ by age 10, and by 17 he’d moved to New York City, where he started a performance group, the Harlem James Gang, that mixed singing, dancing and magic. The crew’s gigs included private shows for Madonna. But James eventually turned his focus to recording. “I like to meld the past with the future,” he says. “I’m trying to take moments that…
