At 19, Question, a.k.a. Courtney Akins, seems kind of shy when you meet
her. But when you listen to her debut album, Vital Energy, her strong, “keep it
real” personality and her burning, questing intensity comes through loud and
clear. This is a young lady with something to say, and she’s not afraid to ask
some tough questions: Why is this world the way it is? ...and Is it possible to
build a life and find love in the midst of the madness?

The youngest of three, born in Memphis Tennessee, Question spent much of
her childhood on the Westside of Chicago, raised by her mother. In 1998,
while attending Orr High School in Chicago, Question began rapping in the
group “Panic,” and subsequently met her producer, Akin Akintunde, owner of
Women’s World Entertainment. Akin spent three years developing and
nurturing her soulful, sultry style, combining her strong vocals and heartfelt,
insightful lyrics with his hot, in-the-pocket, African-influenced tracks. The
result, Vital Energy, released through Lightyear Entertainment and WEA, reveals a multi-talented singer, rapper,and lyricist who weaves an intense spell throughout her entire album,captivating the listener. Personal, yet universal, Question’s debut indicates a
maturity way beyond her tender years. In short, it’s off the hook.

Sometimes autobiographical, Vital Energy evokes pain and joy, darkness
and light, the realities of life, and a vision of hope. “I know we could live
forever,” she sings in the title track. Come on and get into her Vital Energy!

Comparisons have been made to Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Lauren Hill,
perhaps because of her ability to combine a real singing voice with a strong
melodic and rhythmic sense and the hip-hop sensibility of a rapper with true
skills. But there’s something unique and new here, something about the way
it all comes together, something about the way the album reveals itself, song
after song, to be one of those few CDs that sustains itself all the way through,
leaving the listener wanting more.