1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: And money. We all take val we are the authority 2 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:18,920 Speaker 1: all things R and B. Ladies and gentlemen, what's going on? 3 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,599 Speaker 1: I am tank and this is the R and B 4 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: Money Podcast, the authority all things and be sil silky. Yeah. 5 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: I ain't buy myself. No, you ain't by yourself. No 6 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: more quality for man hand quality. You've got to rub 7 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: your hands together for you, for you gotta you gotta 8 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: brother arms. This man is I mean, listen, before before 9 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,599 Speaker 1: the cameras came on, we were talking about the difference 10 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: between an R and B singer, an R and B artist, 11 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: and a recording artist. He's all of them. He's a 12 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 1: monster and I got a bone to big pick with him. 13 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 1: But we'll get there. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up. 14 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: Mr Kenny yea, all right. So we're gonna circle back 15 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,559 Speaker 1: to this because we we we love and are probably 16 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: we started the beginning. We go. We are informative. We 17 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: want to see where it came from, how it grew, 18 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: how it got here, and all of that stuff. But 19 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: I have to have to pick this bone with you first. 20 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: He picked this with you, okay, is I love you. 21 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: But there's a small plate of beef get called the 22 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 1: singer of this wedding. You know it well, it wasn't 23 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: quite tank yet, still the real I love it. I said, 24 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: once your singing out, wed and wants you to sing 25 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: the song by Kenny A. Lottamore for you said that 26 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: should that should be easy to do that not a 27 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: lot of vocal uh acrobatics in that one, very straight ahead, 28 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: spare them sed that out. I got the words, wrote 29 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: the worst out label. All right, it's a lot of words, 30 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: a lot of words words. Try the first verse at home, 31 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: Try the first verse. Oh yeah, I can knock this out. 32 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: All the words kind of go the same. I'll figure 33 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: it out on the spot. Get to the wedding and 34 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: start singing this song. This is the first selection. You know, 35 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: as the bride and groom look at me, they're already 36 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: posted the families looking at me outside wedding. And as 37 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: I'm getting through that first hook, I'm just feeling slightly 38 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: a little bit beat up. After the first first hook, 39 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: this man vocusing ain't vocaling right? My standing strong. As 40 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: I go midway through the second verse, I'm losing it. 41 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: I am losing My vocal is getting weary, vocal cords 42 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: are getting tired, completely my vocal cords are getting so 43 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: tired that I had the words right in front of me, 44 00:02:54,120 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: I start to go blind. I cannot read the words. 45 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: To save my life, I can't see them. I'm sweating now. Okay, 46 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: by the second hook, I'm trying to get through the hook, 47 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: I just start to add libing freestyle he doing in 48 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: that movie Welcome to the Candy Shop. I started candy 49 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:28,079 Speaker 1: shopping your record. I didn't know. I had no idea 50 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: what it took to sing that song. And I thought, 51 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: I knew it's a difficult song. And so you're okay, no, no, 52 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: because you can do so. But he could have put 53 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: all you could have put a warning leg on the record. 54 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: I know you're not, but don't try to try this 55 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: at home first before you do it at the way. 56 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: But I'm gonna tell you though, I was the same 57 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: way when I first got the song. One of my 58 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: buddies wrote this. It was literally his wedding song. Kenny 59 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: larm a very unassuming an incredible but incredible songwriter. Um, Kenny, 60 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: I got this song because I'm getting married to Ellen. 61 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: You know, I love her so much, and I wrote 62 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: the song for I was like, okay, okay, so he says, 63 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 1: hear the words first fidelity. Uh what I mean? It 64 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: was like these big words and that was and I said, wow, 65 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: I don't know how I'm going to sing these words. 66 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: So then he went back like a day later he said, 67 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: this is how the melody goes. And when he when 68 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: he sang the melody, I was like, wow, this is brilliant. 69 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I get it. I gets Then it was 70 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: going into the studio being the recording artist, I was like, 71 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: I'm glad I didn't have to sing it live like 72 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: straight down first, because how would have fallen apart? Too? 73 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: I was like, where's the breath? Okay? I got all 74 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: that out? You know, where are all of these nuances 75 00:04:57,800 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: gonna come from? And how do I take? Once I 76 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: got to the ridge, I was like, whoa, I don't 77 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 1: even know. We had to really work it out. And 78 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,160 Speaker 1: once we did, though, the great Barry Eastman produced it. 79 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,679 Speaker 1: And once we worked it out, then I still had 80 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: to figure out and this isn't every song for me live? 81 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: Where does it fit in my body? I don't know 82 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 1: if you ever feel that way, like where does it fit? 83 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: Because it's something different when you're moving and breathing and 84 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: doing everything all at once and delivering a song, and 85 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: you wanted to sound like people remember it sound. So 86 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: I had to really grow into it. And uh, thank god, 87 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: it's been the saving song. I haven't had any crashing 88 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: burns on it. I should have had one crashing burn. 89 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: I'm just giving y'all some some real R and B stuff. 90 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,119 Speaker 1: I was on tour with Barry White when I first 91 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 1: came out, and I was like constantly on the first tour, 92 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: I was Verry White, so I'm taking notes because the 93 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: maestro was coming out giving it to him. Every night. 94 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 1: He had this way of he'd walk out real slow 95 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 1: and he said good evening, and and Ecstacy was playing 96 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 1: in the background, so if you can imagine ext is dumping, 97 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: but he's walking out real So I was like, I'm 98 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: gonna do that. I'm gonna do that. O't cay, I'm 99 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:16,280 Speaker 1: taking this. I'm taking that note. But it's right right, 100 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: so everybody right out there right right. I got stuff 101 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 1: from him too, Yeah, definitely, But it was crazy. I 102 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 1: was working so hard that I remember my manager and 103 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: the label said, we want you to do for you 104 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: for a for the executives, the black executives, and at 105 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: that time. It was black, I mean powerful black executions. 106 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: We get in this room and it was the first 107 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: time that I ever was completely burned out and I 108 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: didn't know what was happening. So you're talking about I 109 00:06:54,960 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: was like, for you give a like I was. I could. 110 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:04,359 Speaker 1: I could barely say anything, like literally, I could not 111 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 1: produce a note. And I never felt that way in 112 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:09,679 Speaker 1: my entire life. And I'm in front of the biggest 113 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: executives in the industry. It works, Yeah, but in a way, 114 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: I'm feeling like I'm glad I was in front of 115 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: them instead of the audience. They were forgiving, and I 116 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: think they understood what I was going through as a 117 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: new artist coming out more than like, Oh, it would 118 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: have been crazy if it was somebody, but it was 119 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: somebody in the marketing department, Like yeah, you know he's 120 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: been on tour. You know he's starting nice in they're 121 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: covering it up. You just you have a um, you 122 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: have what I like to call a classic voice, and 123 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: it's a voice that it's it's it's straight ahead, it's 124 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: doing everything it needs to do straight ahead. Like you know, 125 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: Luther didn't have to do anything. He'll throw you some 126 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: we whoo whoo, he'll throw that in there, he'll get 127 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: that to it, you know, and that's exciting. But straight ahead, yeah, 128 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: spons he you have that kind of voice which is 129 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: straight nothing else, pure tone and broader richness like uh, 130 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: like a Josh Grobin, Like just straight ahead is enough, 131 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: like yours is. Yours isn't a tuxedo or or some 132 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: jeans and a polo shirt like it can It doesn't 133 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: matter like you've and you've and you've done it with 134 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: the textures of music or the sonics of music that 135 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,719 Speaker 1: you've performed on where you go as as a as 136 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: a for you or I'm not too pity or you 137 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: when you prove it, like yeah, I appreciate it. So 138 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: let's go back. Okay, okay, I really appreciate that. Let's 139 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: start at the beginning. Right when did somebody say my boy, nice? Right? 140 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: Did that boys? Or when did you in your mind 141 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: have the moment where you were like, oh, you know what, 142 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: my mom you know a lot a lot that's how 143 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: your mother is like, oh my baby can sing. And 144 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: so you know, my mom was like, hey, was that 145 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: you singing? She just heard me around the house one 146 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: day and she just said, do you want to take 147 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:25,080 Speaker 1: voice lessons. I didn't know what voice lessons was. I 148 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: was like, but whatever it is, as long as I'm 149 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: not in trouble. Yeah, yeah, why not? Twelve twelve years old? 150 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: Now I had sung, like the first time I remember 151 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: singing in front of people. I was ten and I 152 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 1: was in the neighborhood. One of my friends, Andrea, was like, 153 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: Kenny can sing or they call me Kenneth kennething like yeah, exactly. 154 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: So she got all the girls in the neighborhood together 155 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: and she asked me to sing a song. And I 156 00:09:58,160 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: sang a little song. I don't know. I think I 157 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: was singing like the emotions. Remember the emotions. They used 158 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: to have a bunch of harmony and stuff from high voice, 159 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: you're walk in the line, you turn un for. I 160 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: just started singing this falsetto kind of stuff tie yeah, 161 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: and the girls started screaming yeah. I was like wow, 162 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: you know. But it was my mom who said, do 163 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: you want to take voice lessons? And it took everything 164 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: to another level because she felt like I had something 165 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,599 Speaker 1: different and I didn't think I was in different that 166 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: everybody sang, you know, my family members saying my sister 167 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: and my my grandfather sang. I used to be intimidated 168 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: to singing from my grandfather though, because he had one 169 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: of the big, heavy voices and he'd rolled his arms 170 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 1: when he sang in the church because mainly his church stuff. 171 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: So um. She had me start doing voice lessons and 172 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: I sang songs like I Left my Heart in San 173 00:10:55,760 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: Francisco upon a hill, it called to me. So I'm starting. Yeah, nice, 174 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: it's way too easy. Bro. If you did, like, uh, 175 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: what's my vegus guy said, Vegas? If you did, Frank 176 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: so not working on it now? I record soon. The 177 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: how's the next month? It's next month. I start next 178 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 1: month on the orchestra. Bro, you go big band, Okay, 179 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. So but we're gonna do a little We're 180 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: gonna do a combination. We're gonna do some American song 181 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:41,959 Speaker 1: book like that, because that's how I started. I'm with 182 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: some classical because I did the classical and the languages 183 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: and all that. But I'm also gonna you're gonna hear 184 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: never too busy with the orchestra. So yeah, I need 185 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:55,200 Speaker 1: you invite me. I need to put my clothes will 186 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: I'm gonna let you all know when things happen just 187 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: in case, I know you got busy scatters, We're going 188 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:06,839 Speaker 1: to okay, So classes, you're you're learning, your your your perfecting. 189 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 1: And I felt like I didn't want to be a 190 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: singer with any boundaries. Um, I think Marvin from a 191 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: young age, at a young age. Once I sang I 192 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: left my heart in San Francisco and unforgettable and all that, 193 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: I started going, I wonder what else I can do? Um, 194 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: I was definitely shy growing up. Music saved my life. 195 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 1: I was definitely shot, Like I'd be very uncomfortable having 196 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: this conversation back then as a as a young kid, 197 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: and but music gave me purpose, Like people could see me, 198 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: they could see me if I sang. So when I 199 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: heard myself eventually recorded and all that, I was like, 200 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: what else can I do? So I started singing chamber 201 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: music and I was singing classical and I want a 202 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 1: scholarship for in the Maryland schools. I was a Maryland 203 00:12:56,320 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: Distinguished Scholar for singing. He can grow And if he 204 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:08,319 Speaker 1: had a loan as lead, he had a loan asleep, 205 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: he could and you know at me like I was 206 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: gonna know, Hey, I don't know, I don't so I 207 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: went to I went to Morgan State, Yes, which represented 208 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: the US and classical music. Yeah, and I got a 209 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: scholarship because he just thought I was He described me 210 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: as a major talent. He said, just come, I said, 211 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:37,679 Speaker 1: who do I talk to? You just talked to Dr 212 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: me He just talked to him. And I get to 213 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:47,199 Speaker 1: class first day of school and they passed everybody this 214 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 1: sheet these sheets. Oh boy, and Dr Conway, who was 215 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: playing the piano, comes kicks him up. Dr Carter says, okay, 216 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 1: we were grunt like this, but he had perfect pitch. 217 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: So I like that perfect pitch. Looked like James Brown 218 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 1: for everything, the jacket of the boots who So he 219 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 1: talked like Bishop he know, he talked like a combination 220 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: of Bishop Koonya and Grover. But he had imagine perfect 221 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: pitch in this. You know, I don't I need to 222 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 1: be on the side of you that you you stop it, 223 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: stop it right? He was that, and he said, and 224 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: everybody said, yeah, man, dividating. I thought y'all thought I 225 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: was king. I am not well all because I can't 226 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 1: I can't see y'all or y'all flip the page. Alright, alright, 227 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 1: so when you start saying that like I get it, 228 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 1: but I never got it. Oh man, I understand, I understand, 229 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: and I feel like I was okay. I'm an okay 230 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: sight reader. But because we didn't have we don't have 231 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 1: to use it as you got the tone you figured, 232 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: thank you, but you know I had. They kicked my 233 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: out went to Howard. You know they kicked my behind. 234 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: I went to Howard and I studied with Dr Leroy 235 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: Dorsey who taught roberta Flag and Donnie Hathaway, and I 236 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 1: was pushed all of him. And when you're talking about 237 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: that instructor, he would grandma throat. If I start singing 238 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: my throt he grandma throat. He's really flamboyant guy. He'd 239 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: be like, get off. I'd be singing drink to me 240 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: only withnine eyes. And he was like really hardcore about 241 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: things being perfect. But he said, I'm gonna work with 242 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 1: you because again somebody affirmed me and said you know 243 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: something about you, and each instructor that I had did 244 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: something different. It was a woman named Janet Helms, who 245 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: I love dearly, who also was from Howard. She taught 246 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: me regularly, like how to really be grounded as a singer. 247 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: Leroy Dorsey taught me power. There's another instructor, James Holliday 248 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: who taught me falsetto. He he was fascinated with. He 249 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: was like, I want you to be able to go 250 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: up and down from your falsetto and back without hearing 251 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: a break. So at some point in my life I 252 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 1: was able to do it, but it was like each 253 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: person found something different to challenge me on. And in 254 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: addition to all of that, I just kept feeling like 255 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: I don't I want to be able to sing any 256 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 1: type of music at any point and be really good 257 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: unless I'm not good. So they were training. They were 258 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: training your voice the same way that athletes are training 259 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: in their sport, like shooting coach or hitting coach, or 260 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. Like they were literally breaking 261 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 1: your voice down. Absolutely amazing, because you don't you don't 262 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: find that in many singers where they their story goes 263 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: back to literally somebody picking it apart and building it up. Obviously, 264 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: because you just name what five or six different teachers 265 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: who taught different things completely and the first person my 266 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: first vocals in trunth to Maryland Morris, it was just 267 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: breathing and they focused and focus on my breathing. That 268 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: was the basics. You know. She was my first vocal instructor, 269 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: but each one, definitely they gave me something different until 270 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: I got to the point where I could combine it all. 271 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: But it was the classical technique that helped me survive 272 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,840 Speaker 1: because I sang in bars and clubs too. I was 273 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:26,639 Speaker 1: in a group called Mannequin when I was back at 274 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: home in d C. And we were signed to Epic Records. 275 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: Man we would do five and six forty five minutes 276 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: sets per night in bars and clubs. Totally one more time. 277 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: Today people are saying five and six forty five minutes 278 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:49,439 Speaker 1: sets her night doing covers and I didn't have to 279 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: sing every single set, every single song. But I'm sank. 280 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:55,639 Speaker 1: So even if you broke it down to like three 281 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 1: minutes sets, the extra while he was in this group, 282 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 1: which he did, he did, he was out of that. Yeah, 283 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: do you remember to the extreme cry no More? That 284 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: was my joint. That was my joint. And Johnny brother 285 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: Randy was in there that I didn't know it was 286 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: in Yeah, yeah, I didn't know that. So our DC 287 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: thing was was really special. Uh, And I feel like 288 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 1: I was really blessed because I did get a chance 289 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,199 Speaker 1: to meet like Stacy Lattison and Johnny and all, and 290 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: they're all still everybody still close, and you know, um 291 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 1: Tony Braxton. I remember Tony Braxton coming into a mannequin 292 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: session because she was a fan of mannequin when I 293 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,919 Speaker 1: was in there, and she was like, well, you know, 294 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 1: people say that sound like a boy because my voice 295 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 1: is you know, lower as rich as her voices. And 296 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:52,640 Speaker 1: she said, but there's this new lit this is this show, 297 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: how long ago this was, but this this new lady 298 00:18:54,800 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: out and the name A need a Baker. And she 299 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 1: got on the piano she started singing and the sweet 300 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 1: Love and was playing and I was like, wow, I 301 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 1: would pay to see her singing for sure. Ya got killers. 302 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: Let me tell you something, as we said, I need 303 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:24,239 Speaker 1: a Baker, I need to baker is anointed. It just 304 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:28,120 Speaker 1: stops absolutely absolutely right there, right, no question. I heard 305 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 1: her sing no question happy Birthday the other night at 306 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: the Usher concert and I and I my body, I 307 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: felt it in my body like her tone and she 308 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: she just went there just just for one note, and 309 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: I said, oh my god. And she was a person 310 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: who people said she wasn't a good thing. Oh absolutely, yeah, 311 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: because it's a style, it was something perfected through the year, 312 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:04,880 Speaker 1: and because I'd say because I remember her in chapter eight, Yeah, 313 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 1: I want to go way back right. Chapter eight was 314 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: a group she was in and she may have had 315 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: another one before. I know the people in L A, 316 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 1: No and d C because they played on the Quiet 317 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 1: Storm a lot. Um. I just want to be your 318 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:19,199 Speaker 1: girl if I find oh way, I don't know if 319 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 1: you ever hear I'm definitely yeah when you hear all that. 320 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 1: Because I studied the women too, and that's one thing 321 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 1: I talked about it in my show Phillis him in 322 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: um Anita Baker a lot of my I found that 323 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: when they were perfecting my falsetto in my lessons and 324 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: all of that, I was like, oh, what else can 325 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: I do? So I would harmonize with them and I 326 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,920 Speaker 1: would try to keep my falsetto in the shape where 327 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:46,679 Speaker 1: when I got into the studio I could sing the 328 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,440 Speaker 1: women parts too. So when I was in my own 329 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: backgrounds and stuff, I'm never too busy and I'm not 330 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: too busy. You know, as a recording art you you 331 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 1: learn your mic technique to get in, but you gotta 332 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: be able to produce that sound, So I would, you know, 333 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 1: think of Anita Baker. Sometimes I would think of other 334 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: Stephanie Mills, and for holiday, I would think of a 335 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:10,439 Speaker 1: lot of the different women who had big voices and 336 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 1: imitate their sounds to create my background. So people would 337 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: be like, who's singing your background? I'd be like me. 338 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:21,880 Speaker 1: They be like, okay, but um, I got lost. I'm 339 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 1: just I'm just having a good count were in it 340 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 1: with you, bro, like you know, just and and I 341 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,719 Speaker 1: started thinking about all the greats that event. When did 342 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: you get When did the epic thing happened for you? First? 343 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: You had Howard. At this point, I was at Howard 344 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: and it was in my first year and I got 345 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,919 Speaker 1: sad and I came out of Howard and I started 346 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: hitting the road. I was an architecture and planning and 347 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 1: I was like, I can't. There's no way I'm going 348 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: to be able to do architecture and planning. So I said, 349 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to drop out of school. And they 350 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: said no, we want you to just stay um and 351 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 1: we want you to just go to Fine Arts to 352 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: take some classes in fine arts. And I was like okay, 353 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 1: And I tried that, which kept me in school a 354 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: little long and still didn't wasn't able to stay. But um, 355 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: I remember Denise Williams came to the school, um and 356 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:17,159 Speaker 1: she was like teaching. She had people from commercials, Darryl Tooks, 357 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 1: she had engineers come in and all that, so that 358 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: we as students would not just see ourselves as artists 359 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,240 Speaker 1: because a lot of times we you know, young black 360 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: kids coming up, all you can see is I gotta 361 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: be the star. And it's like, but there's so many 362 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 1: other things out there, and she said, there's nobody that 363 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: can be a better you. I definitely took that home, 364 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: and she made me want to be like Luther and 365 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: Patty Austin and all that who could change their voices 366 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 1: and they could sing these commercials. And I got a 367 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 1: chance to do Folgers, I got a chance to do 368 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 1: um wow, Verizon you know sing James. That stuff hard? Yeah, yeah, 369 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: that stuff is really hard because you can think, oh, 370 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,239 Speaker 1: i'll I have to do is sing this melody, and 371 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 1: then it's like they want to hear the melody some 372 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: kind of way that that you it's unbelievable, like they 373 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:14,800 Speaker 1: actually it's not even like musical in a sense. What 374 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 1: they want to hear what they're asking you for. Ye 375 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: Sometimes they don't even know and you have to just 376 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:26,639 Speaker 1: keep producing that they're searching for an algorithm, you know, 377 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:28,880 Speaker 1: which which is which is the word now? But back 378 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: then when I was like even like doing soundtracks and stuff, 379 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: it's like these guys that aren't like super musical, but 380 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:36,919 Speaker 1: they're like, no, there's a thing that you should be 381 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:39,880 Speaker 1: right here. And then right after that thing, we can 382 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:42,919 Speaker 1: roll over into any like and they know when they 383 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: feel like they know it when they're here and they're like, 384 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: there it is. You do that again, we think, but 385 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: there is something there that that I always say, sometimes 386 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: people who are not as musical as we are can 387 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: just hear it a different way, you know what I mean, 388 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: And there's value. There's there's value in what they're hearing 389 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: because they're they're completely outside looking in and they're able 390 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: to see something that we some but sometimes we're blind 391 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: to it. YEA. One of the value valuable moments I've 392 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,640 Speaker 1: had this similar to that is with Matt Jones, who 393 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: was the n R guy who's who's found me and 394 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 1: brought me to Columbia Records. Um. When I first started, 395 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: I wanted to sing soft like melodies over hard hip 396 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:40,639 Speaker 1: hop beats. I knew it was something about that they 397 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:44,359 Speaker 1: hadn't been done. And uh, I remember going into Dave 398 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:46,880 Speaker 1: Dave Hall and all these producers that we were trying 399 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 1: to do all this stuff, and thank God for faith Evan. 400 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 1: She had come out and she had she had already 401 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 1: been in the direction. And I was like, oh, man, 402 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: so a lot of the producers I think that she 403 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 1: worked with they had me going and work with. But 404 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 1: Matt came to me one day he said, you know 405 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 1: that that soft, like that falsetto kind of thing that 406 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: you have. I want you to because I was doing 407 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: something I was Aaron Hall in it and and Charlie Wilson. Yeah, 408 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 1: because that's like that's how I used to sing over 409 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: up to exactly. And then he was like, no, we 410 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: want you to stand out. We want you to be 411 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:29,159 Speaker 1: different from everybody else. Oh how affirming that was to 412 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 1: you know. I needed all of that to round out 413 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:33,239 Speaker 1: who I was going to be, because I didn't know 414 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: who I was as an artist. You know, when I 415 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: did my first album, I was just a singer and 416 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: I felt like, I think I'm a good singer, and 417 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: you just go in and you do the best you 418 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:45,720 Speaker 1: can and you see what happens. And um, I didn't 419 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: think I was a great writer, never thought that. And 420 00:25:48,960 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: I got a publishing deal before how did Matt find you? Group? 421 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: Matt was this is? This is years later? Actually I 422 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: had recorded, I had written for Glenn Jones and John 423 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: Lucy and I had done all kinds of things before 424 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: my solo deal came. And I think people probably thought, Oh, 425 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,439 Speaker 1: he's gonna he's not gonna do this solo thing. He's 426 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 1: just gonna stop there. And I was like, no, I'm 427 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: gonna I'm gonna keep on rolling. And um So I 428 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,919 Speaker 1: did this demo tape and I gave it to a 429 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: friend of mine who uh was my manager for years 430 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 1: after that great friend of mine, Colin Gale, and I said, Colin, 431 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: this is what I think I should sound like. Now 432 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:41,359 Speaker 1: it's a longer story. I guess I don't. The longer 433 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: story is when I was in d C, I felt 434 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,360 Speaker 1: like God said to me, your producers in New York, 435 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:50,119 Speaker 1: and you're gonna have to leave DC to go to 436 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:55,640 Speaker 1: New York. And I said, okay, I'd never Nobody would 437 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:57,399 Speaker 1: ever tell YO Kenny's coming to them talking about God 438 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:01,479 Speaker 1: said anything. I wasn't that person, but in that moment, 439 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 1: I said, no, God saying to go to New York. 440 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,879 Speaker 1: My producers there. So I went and I started telling 441 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:12,640 Speaker 1: people and some people were like, you know, okay, yeah, yeah. 442 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: And even the church I was going to and all that, 443 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:17,679 Speaker 1: they were very supportive though, and they said, well, if 444 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 1: you're leaving, we're gonna We're gonna give you some money 445 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: to go. We're gonna give you all this stuff. That 446 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: put some pressure on me. I was like oh, and 447 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:27,399 Speaker 1: they were like, we're gonna send you off. I had 448 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:29,040 Speaker 1: done a hole that was gonna send you off to 449 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: the secular world. They were sending me to the secular 450 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: because my pastor at that time said, it's nothing in 451 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:35,960 Speaker 1: scripture that that will say anything bad about a love song. 452 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 1: You can't go lift the standard. So if you can 453 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:47,440 Speaker 1: imagine when you yeah, say yeah, and I hope you fail, 454 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I can imagine come back to God, 455 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 1: because where you're getting ready to go, yeah, God ain't there. 456 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: You see. Mine was like take God there, and I 457 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 1: thought I was taking God there and it was a 458 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 1: hard that's a hard place the Lord, you know, but 459 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: I did. I said, I'm gonna go. I wanted to 460 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:16,199 Speaker 1: be like B, B and C C Whinings. Actually, I 461 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 1: was really coming from a gospel thing. I didn't understand 462 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:22,959 Speaker 1: the R and B thing fully. Uh, And I had 463 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,360 Speaker 1: a lot of problems in d C. I think because 464 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:29,359 Speaker 1: people have vision and they say, oh, this is what 465 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: you look like, this what you sound like, this is 466 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:34,679 Speaker 1: how we can market you. I never saw myself the 467 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: way other people saw me. So and they kept saying, 468 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: all the women are gonna do this, and the women 469 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:42,479 Speaker 1: are gonna do that, and I was thinking to myself, really, 470 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 1: I just I really did not see myself. I never 471 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 1: grew up with people saying you're handsome and you're he's 472 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: fine and blah bla blah, what you know all this 473 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,239 Speaker 1: all the stuff that I got later on when I 474 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: became Kenny Lattimore. I did not grow up like that. 475 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 1: So I never took it seriously. I'd be like, oh, 476 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 1: that's cool, that's really cool. So I went to New 477 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: York and um, I went to just pursue so I 478 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 1: get the support because my pastor and my mom at 479 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: that time said go lift up a standard. So if 480 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 1: anybody wants to know, why are his lyrics like you know, 481 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,719 Speaker 1: for you, I give a lifetime of stability, Never Too Busy. 482 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,280 Speaker 1: Can we find forgiveness in the throws? If I misunderstanding, 483 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,920 Speaker 1: what is the point of all that? Because r Kelly 484 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: was the hottest thing ever during that time period, and 485 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 1: it was you know, and I was in a whole 486 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 1: different area area, so it was like, how do you 487 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,239 Speaker 1: how do you even fit into what's going on in 488 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: the world when you're kind of like, not really gospel, 489 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:46,720 Speaker 1: but you're almost so um. That caused a lot of 490 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 1: problems for me. Actually, um, even with the even with 491 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: the beginning with Never Too Busy, Even in the beginning, 492 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: it was a lot of people that were like, I 493 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: don't get it. I don't get it. Now when Never 494 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 1: Too Busy hit being, everybody understood. Everybody was like, we 495 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: kind of get it. But still meeting me, I was 496 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: the nice guy who came in. I think they wanted 497 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 1: me to be a bad boy more. That was just 498 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:17,080 Speaker 1: the image as a black, young black guy in the nineties, 499 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: the being, you know, having my hair braided, thug out. 500 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 1: That was what was happening. And I was I kept 501 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: fighting because I was like, but Whitney Houston exists. I 502 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:30,320 Speaker 1: was like let me be a male version. And I'm 503 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,240 Speaker 1: not comparing my voice or anything to her, but let 504 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 1: me be a male version of what she's representing because 505 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: she comes from the church too. That was, but I 506 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: wasn't out campaigning, like at every interview going I'm Church 507 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 1: that I was. I was just behind the scenes going, 508 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 1: y'all kind of get it? Do you kind of get it? 509 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 1: And it was difficult. So when I did my second 510 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: project and it was more of the same, I think 511 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: people were just like, Okay, okay, we have to figure 512 00:30:57,760 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 1: it out. But by then I did have an audience 513 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,360 Speaker 1: who immediately came to the table when from the solo 514 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: man my second project came and we developed from there. 515 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: But it was difficult to be seen differently as a 516 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: black man, as a young black man at that time period, 517 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 1: and to say why can't we be all of these things, 518 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 1: you know, as opposed to being one image or like 519 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 1: a caricature or cartoon. Why why aren't we all these 520 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: So What's for You? First hit record? No, Never Too Busy, 521 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:31,080 Speaker 1: Never Too Busy was the first single, and then I 522 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 1: had a song called just what it Takes that great 523 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: time recording you Keith for You Yes and Um and 524 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: I'm this is one of the few platforms I'm really 525 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: throwing out names and stuff because we know that come on, appreciate, 526 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 1: I appreciate. Yeah, yeah, yeah, what do you feel an 527 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 1: immediate shift? Because Never Too Busy was one of my 528 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 1: favorite records. Uh the sonic on it. Like, I'm a 529 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,959 Speaker 1: producer too, So when I made Dave oh Man, I 530 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 1: was like, I was like, who's doing that? It's pitch 531 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:17,560 Speaker 1: bending right there. That's that's not cool. It was that there. 532 00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 1: I'm like, it was haunting lutely so because when we 533 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: finished recording it not to because I want to hear 534 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 1: you your whole It felt like, Okay, I didn't want 535 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: to sound like anybody else. We didn't want to be 536 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,840 Speaker 1: and this is something. This is different. It's haunting, like 537 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: those the voicings in the track alone, and then you're 538 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: dancing the way you're dancing and like none of it 539 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:47,800 Speaker 1: is interrupting. It's all complimentary placement. All the placement is great. 540 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 1: I'll say thank you for them because they really great record. 541 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: Do you see the shift then, or do you see 542 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 1: the shift? And for you in terms of the size 543 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:01,600 Speaker 1: of the artists that you are in the response to 544 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 1: you Wow. When Never Too Busy came, I think I 545 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:14,760 Speaker 1: had my first glimpse of fame because I remember going 546 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 1: to um a store or something and I walked into 547 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 1: the store and this this young lady was standing there 548 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 1: and she just went and I was like again, because 549 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: I never took anything seriously, I laughed. I was like, oh, 550 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 1: that's really sweet. And I went and I hugged her 551 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: start screaming and she started screaming, and she screaming. She 552 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 1: kept screaming, and I was thinking to myself, Okay, now 553 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: I'm geting ready leave you alone because they arrest me. 554 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:45,920 Speaker 1: They're gonna be like something he's doing, you know, so 555 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,960 Speaker 1: you have, we're gonna take you away. So I um, 556 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 1: and I thought to myself, wow, um, something has changed. 557 00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: And then I got a call to when Never Too 558 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 1: Busy came out from Michael Jordan's and so to Michael, yeah, 559 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:08,560 Speaker 1: you're just gonna get you know, because we've seen the 560 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 1: last dance. But yeah, I know you was yeah, but 561 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: our shoes. He's never called, but I was really like 562 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,799 Speaker 1: he called because he wanted Never Too Busy to be 563 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:28,440 Speaker 1: the theme song for the Michael Jordan cologne. Do you 564 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 1: remember the yes, Yeah, Michael everything, Yeah, everything, because I 565 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:39,040 Speaker 1: didn't write that song. Yeah, Mike, Mike, that's why I 566 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: won't call your right there, the Big James out, you know, 567 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 1: the Big James. Come on, man, he got a lot 568 00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 1: of money. Put it all in Big James. I maybe 569 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 1: there's boot cut and then there's Michael Jordan's cut. Come on, Jordan, 570 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: come on, black Cat with your What are you trying 571 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: to hide? Okay, you got all the nice shoes. Why 572 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 1: wouldn't you want to put a slightly skinny gen, you know, 573 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 1: so you can show the shoe you wear. Get out? 574 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:11,840 Speaker 1: All right? So I call you He's he starts with 575 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 1: the first album, the first album, yet I didn't write 576 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:19,440 Speaker 1: the song. Publishing so no, this isn't even about Kipper 577 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:25,560 Speaker 1: and Dave Hall. The publishing company turns it down and says, no, 578 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,200 Speaker 1: good job. Yeah. I was like, whoa, what just happened 579 00:35:31,239 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 1: to me? So I thought, oh, I'll never well never 580 00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:35,920 Speaker 1: see him, like I just thought, hey, that's you know, 581 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 1: and yeah it was as a new artist, it was 582 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: kind of devastating, like, but at the same time, I 583 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:44,680 Speaker 1: was very optimistic that I'm just starting my capering from 584 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:48,440 Speaker 1: I think, because now this I'm I'm totally speculating when 585 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:51,680 Speaker 1: I say this. So I think that any time anybody 586 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:55,160 Speaker 1: said Michael Jordan's name and meant money, yeah, obviously it 587 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:58,759 Speaker 1: was the feat whatever. So they're not thinking, but this 588 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:02,400 Speaker 1: is not Michael Jordan's man. This is a business that 589 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 1: is one of his separate holdings, and that budget may 590 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 1: not be You can't look at that that company and 591 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:13,520 Speaker 1: say it's the same as whatever he's making to do it. 592 00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 1: It's not Nike. It's a totally different business. Um. So 593 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:21,399 Speaker 1: they turned it down and they used something else. Um. Now, 594 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:24,200 Speaker 1: as years later we can go into this story. Years later, 595 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:30,920 Speaker 1: you know, continue to be called to do um launches 596 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,040 Speaker 1: for the shoes and you know, different kind of stuff. 597 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:34,920 Speaker 1: That's how that whole thing started. But it started with 598 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:40,719 Speaker 1: that song and They'm too Busy became a he was 599 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:44,600 Speaker 1: a fan, man. I was like, wow, So to have 600 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:46,840 Speaker 1: somebody that he wasn't just a fan, but he was 601 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:50,880 Speaker 1: somebody who went through the industry, Like y'all heard this 602 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:53,719 Speaker 1: Kenny Latimore record, but just like he like he was 603 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:57,800 Speaker 1: promoting me. I read it Charles Barkley one time. He 604 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:00,880 Speaker 1: was like, you know who was single handedly promoting you 605 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: in the in the whole N B A. And I 606 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:07,359 Speaker 1: was like, you say it because he was like, yeah, 607 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 1: m JA man. I said, wow, I didn't know that 608 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,960 Speaker 1: he really had talked to as many people about the music, 609 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:15,360 Speaker 1: but that he was into it is an R and 610 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,839 Speaker 1: B guy. Yeah, but that's what this music does though. 611 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: That's music does it. It gets to people, and it's 612 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:25,359 Speaker 1: and when somebody can promote you, yeah, that's a whole 613 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:27,759 Speaker 1: another thing. It's one thing to like something, but it's 614 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,360 Speaker 1: another thing to be like have you heard? Yeah? You 615 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:33,839 Speaker 1: know what I mean. That's when somebody really invested. Yeah, 616 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:36,359 Speaker 1: that's when it really invested in what you're doing. Yeah, 617 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:38,440 Speaker 1: And I thought, I thought, well, maybe he likes for 618 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:41,200 Speaker 1: you and he likes you know, and I prepare to 619 00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 1: set because he had me sing at a luncheon one 620 00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 1: day and the first time I sang and he was like, 621 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:52,880 Speaker 1: you know what my song really is, it's um Forever. Okay. 622 00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:55,800 Speaker 1: I was like, if you know forever, you can you 623 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:58,040 Speaker 1: put an album because you really really do those album 624 00:37:58,360 --> 00:37:59,799 Speaker 1: He was like no, no, no, really, I really love 625 00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:03,759 Speaker 1: the album. And Barry Eastman happened to be with me 626 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:06,960 Speaker 1: on that first time meeting him and singing for him 627 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:10,960 Speaker 1: and I was like, Barry, how can we even pull 628 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:14,360 Speaker 1: this off? Because do you know forever for whatever reason, 629 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 1: Barry knew they read he didn't produce that song, and 630 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:19,239 Speaker 1: I guess he was just listening to the album and 631 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:22,920 Speaker 1: he knew the progressions and all that. And Mike Michael 632 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 1: Jordan was like, I want to bring my buddy and 633 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 1: mad Shot in and I just want you to sing 634 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:31,240 Speaker 1: it for us, just right now. And I said, okay, 635 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:33,400 Speaker 1: this is this is something else, this is something on 636 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:36,759 Speaker 1: some other levels. The King and his friend. That was it. 637 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:39,920 Speaker 1: I did the v and then he said, then everybody 638 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 1: else can come in and you can. You can sing 639 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:47,719 Speaker 1: for the most of them. So that's at this point 640 00:38:47,960 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 1: for you, like you said, for you is out and 641 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:55,239 Speaker 1: you're starting to really receive that admiration. Yeah that this 642 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:57,920 Speaker 1: is from the world now. Yeah, like wow, have you 643 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:00,600 Speaker 1: have you embraced it though? Because I'm remember you going 644 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:04,719 Speaker 1: into the shy thing and not really understanding the compliments 645 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:07,839 Speaker 1: or so to speak, and like, that's cute, but are 646 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:11,360 Speaker 1: you embracing it? Are you starting to uh own it 647 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,279 Speaker 1: as we are? And b cats sometimes sometimes we do 648 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 1: that song I got control it and have you heard 649 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:26,080 Speaker 1: it right? It's the choirboy moment for five parties. I know, 650 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:32,640 Speaker 1: the part did you start having? Do you ever have 651 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:40,439 Speaker 1: that moment where you're like, Okay, I've arrived. I don't 652 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:44,279 Speaker 1: think so. No, I don't think so. Even now, I 653 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:47,320 Speaker 1: go like, as I'm sharing these stories, it makes it 654 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:51,880 Speaker 1: like whoa, Yeah, that did happen. Wow, that happened. I 655 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:54,200 Speaker 1: can tell you another thing that happened to me huge, 656 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:56,840 Speaker 1: probably the biggest thing that happened to me. All of 657 00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:00,480 Speaker 1: this was happening kind of around the same same time too. Um. 658 00:40:02,160 --> 00:40:06,600 Speaker 1: I get a call and social media and websites and 659 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:10,200 Speaker 1: stuff is new, and I'm one of the first artists, 660 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:13,200 Speaker 1: maybe the first R and B artists, if not Maxwell 661 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:17,240 Speaker 1: macbel might have been or me doing social media at Sony, 662 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 1: and um, we start getting messages from South Africa and 663 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:27,719 Speaker 1: I'm like, what is this we're reading? Somebody goes, oh, 664 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 1: Kenny Latin was one of my favorite artists, Whitney Houston, 665 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:40,000 Speaker 1: Michael Jackson, and Kenney Lattimore, And I'm going, how how 666 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:44,440 Speaker 1: did I get into that? You know? And my mother 667 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:48,640 Speaker 1: had a huge affinity with Africa. We had we had 668 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:52,480 Speaker 1: African borders growing up where she would have them live 669 00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:55,280 Speaker 1: with us and teach how to become acclimated to America 670 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:57,719 Speaker 1: and things like that. When she's an educator and she 671 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:00,840 Speaker 1: worked at Howard and she worked at Lincoln University, and 672 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:05,359 Speaker 1: she did not live. That's the one thing I didn't 673 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:08,520 Speaker 1: say so far as my mom passed. Also during the 674 00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:12,080 Speaker 1: time that Mannequin's album during during the time I actually 675 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 1: arrived at recording and having something on a label, my 676 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:20,279 Speaker 1: mother passed, But she had put so much in me, 677 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:25,720 Speaker 1: so much love for me, my character, um for people, 678 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:30,320 Speaker 1: all of that. So I arrived in South Africa and 679 00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 1: it's like I set foot on the continent as a king, 680 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 1: and I'm thinking to myself, what is really going on? 681 00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:41,480 Speaker 1: They had promoted this music so much, and there was 682 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:45,479 Speaker 1: a political thing going because as an American artist, most 683 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:49,080 Speaker 1: of us can step foot on the continent of Africa 684 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:51,239 Speaker 1: or particularly South Africa, They're gonna love you because they 685 00:41:51,320 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 1: love R and B. They love it. But when I 686 00:41:55,200 --> 00:42:02,480 Speaker 1: got there, men were being told that they could rape 687 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:06,200 Speaker 1: a virgin and be cured of AIDS. So, if you 688 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:09,320 Speaker 1: can imagine, that was a myth in South Africa and 689 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:12,920 Speaker 1: night if you rape a virgin you could be cured 690 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:16,920 Speaker 1: of AIDS. So this is spreading AIDS rapidly through the country. 691 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:21,440 Speaker 1: And then I set foot on this continent and and 692 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:25,000 Speaker 1: and I'm all nostalgic thinking about my mom and all that, 693 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:28,240 Speaker 1: and everything was so much bigger than me. They needed 694 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,239 Speaker 1: the guy who was saying for you, I give a 695 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:35,239 Speaker 1: lifetime of stability. The women needed to hear me say 696 00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:38,960 Speaker 1: these words to them. So it was like a political 697 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:44,680 Speaker 1: movement around the record, around the record. So I was 698 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:49,520 Speaker 1: there to sing for Nelson Mandela's eightieth birthday. So of 699 00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 1: course you did. Of course you did. So it was 700 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:57,400 Speaker 1: a it was it was a very powerful and it 701 00:42:57,480 --> 00:42:59,880 Speaker 1: was it was other great artists. I'm Drew Hill was 702 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:02,080 Speaker 1: with the Shaka Khan, Steve you Wonder was with us 703 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:07,040 Speaker 1: Um Nagi was with us Um. But I just was like, 704 00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:10,400 Speaker 1: I want to go everywhere, and I want to see everybody, 705 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:14,920 Speaker 1: because if this is how this music is actually affecting people, 706 00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:18,640 Speaker 1: it has to I have to be everywhere. I have 707 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:20,480 Speaker 1: to use my It was like I had a superpower 708 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:23,759 Speaker 1: that I didn't know. You just stayed over there. I 709 00:43:23,880 --> 00:43:26,279 Speaker 1: stayed over there as long as I could, and I 710 00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:30,480 Speaker 1: frequently went back. I convinced Anthony Hamilton to go for one. 711 00:43:30,719 --> 00:43:33,239 Speaker 1: He's like huge, huge over there now. But I remember him. 712 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:37,600 Speaker 1: We went over together for his first visit, and you 713 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:41,400 Speaker 1: go and you do stadiums and you do you know, um, 714 00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:44,120 Speaker 1: the people are crying. It was the whole Michael Jackson, 715 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,320 Speaker 1: the thing that you associated with Michael Jackson. I was 716 00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:50,040 Speaker 1: kind of happy to see what that was like early 717 00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:52,040 Speaker 1: in my career. It's like, Oh, this is what it's 718 00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:54,439 Speaker 1: like to not be able to go out of your room. 719 00:43:55,239 --> 00:43:57,200 Speaker 1: People are I mean, these women are coming to my 720 00:43:57,360 --> 00:44:00,040 Speaker 1: room and just crying. I mean they're just you know, 721 00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:02,760 Speaker 1: if they knock and they can see me, they're just crying. 722 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:05,960 Speaker 1: And it was it was overwhelming. I was getting some 723 00:44:06,080 --> 00:44:09,640 Speaker 1: of that in the US, but over in Africa it 724 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:13,880 Speaker 1: was on a whole different level. Um. But then I 725 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:16,640 Speaker 1: felt like, okay, I'm really famous. Messed my head up 726 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:19,360 Speaker 1: a little bit. The next stop, I was going to 727 00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:23,359 Speaker 1: Amsterdam and then through Europe, and I wasn't singing because 728 00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:25,840 Speaker 1: I wasn't promoted. That's a whole different story, was not 729 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 1: promoting Europe. But I got to Europe and they were like, um, 730 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:32,799 Speaker 1: get out the way, move out, And I was like, oh, 731 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:36,120 Speaker 1: I'm back down to earth. Now. But it was an 732 00:44:36,160 --> 00:44:39,680 Speaker 1: extreme just like that that I needed. I needed that 733 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:43,480 Speaker 1: because one thing one of my aunts, my my blessed, 734 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:46,520 Speaker 1: my my aunt told me who I love so much, gosh, 735 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:50,960 Speaker 1: my auntiebe. She said, everybody's not gonna like you. She 736 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:52,880 Speaker 1: told me that before Never too Busy came out and 737 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:54,680 Speaker 1: I used to feel like, why why are you telling 738 00:44:54,719 --> 00:44:57,280 Speaker 1: me that? You know? But it was it was a reality. 739 00:44:57,440 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 1: You know that every everybody's not gonna like you, so 740 00:44:59,239 --> 00:45:04,360 Speaker 1: just be humble and enjoy the ride, enjoy the experience. 741 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:07,040 Speaker 1: And then in that moment, going from King to nobody 742 00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:10,960 Speaker 1: knowing me again was a sense of reality and grounded 743 00:45:11,040 --> 00:45:14,520 Speaker 1: nous and I was like, you know what, let me 744 00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:17,640 Speaker 1: take a deep breath and pull my pants up like 745 00:45:17,680 --> 00:45:21,040 Speaker 1: everybody else and start walking. And I got a lot 746 00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:23,719 Speaker 1: of work to do, so I never felt like I 747 00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:28,920 Speaker 1: arrived musically, I and I've been affirmed by some of 748 00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:34,239 Speaker 1: the greatest artists in the world. But it's just and 749 00:45:34,320 --> 00:45:48,799 Speaker 1: I always was just grateful. So here we go, Mr 750 00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:50,680 Speaker 1: King More. You do a lot of you do a 751 00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:52,640 Speaker 1: lot of history talking when you talk. I said, you 752 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:55,600 Speaker 1: draw a lot of historical names when you talk. We 753 00:45:55,800 --> 00:46:02,600 Speaker 1: want to know your top five R and B singers 754 00:46:04,040 --> 00:46:07,320 Speaker 1: male or female. Your top five. I know it changes 755 00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:09,120 Speaker 1: that fluctuates, depends on the day. And now you can 756 00:46:09,200 --> 00:46:11,239 Speaker 1: I can I put mail in a different category it 757 00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:13,759 Speaker 1: used to be today with separated and I know the 758 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:21,960 Speaker 1: Grammys don't separate. Yeah, yeah, they don't separate this stuff. 759 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:24,520 Speaker 1: The more like, it was very hard to compare women's 760 00:46:24,560 --> 00:46:26,759 Speaker 1: voices and men's voices for me, but I'll try. If 761 00:46:27,360 --> 00:46:29,279 Speaker 1: it's your top five, I just said it could be 762 00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:32,360 Speaker 1: a list with men and women. But if, however, you 763 00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:37,960 Speaker 1: want to do five, UM, let me give you my guys. Um, 764 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:41,799 Speaker 1: I can't not in this order, in particularly Stevie's there, 765 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:49,160 Speaker 1: Luther Van Drosses, Marvin Gaye's voice. It's gotta be gotta be. Um, 766 00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:58,600 Speaker 1: you know what. I gotta give people rices. Yeah, man, 767 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:00,759 Speaker 1: I only have one more that I just to put 768 00:47:00,840 --> 00:47:10,960 Speaker 1: in the mix. Um, Teddy Pendergrass. And the reason why 769 00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:15,120 Speaker 1: I think all those five is because they had the 770 00:47:15,239 --> 00:47:18,400 Speaker 1: ability to do so many different things with their voices. 771 00:47:18,840 --> 00:47:22,000 Speaker 1: They could caress a song and they can blow a 772 00:47:22,120 --> 00:47:27,600 Speaker 1: song out so much versatility. And that's that's not all that. 773 00:47:27,719 --> 00:47:31,320 Speaker 1: I'm an honorable mention. This is on the gospel side, 774 00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:34,360 Speaker 1: somebody I listened to quite a bit who is amazing 775 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 1: and who totally shaped my idea of singing. And as 776 00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:41,560 Speaker 1: Daryll Coley, I was getting ready to say you are 777 00:47:41,680 --> 00:47:46,400 Speaker 1: from the tribe of Daryl Coley, and I'm sorry I 778 00:47:46,440 --> 00:47:48,759 Speaker 1: didn't say Donny had the way either. Okay, oh god, 779 00:47:49,040 --> 00:47:52,680 Speaker 1: he's going And I got because I just started started 780 00:47:52,719 --> 00:47:56,960 Speaker 1: looking into the tribe of Darryll Coley and I was like, Okay, 781 00:47:57,200 --> 00:48:00,560 Speaker 1: there's Joe, there's Mario. And then when you were just saying, 782 00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:04,240 Speaker 1: I was like, you got a lot of Darrell Koley 783 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:11,279 Speaker 1: only man. I mean his control was nice. Yeah. He 784 00:48:11,440 --> 00:48:14,879 Speaker 1: was the first on demand singer i'd ever seen, absolutely 785 00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:25,960 Speaker 1: just on demand dial up whole and just break out 786 00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:29,520 Speaker 1: of going to chamber music. Like you know what, that's 787 00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:32,080 Speaker 1: just not being afraid. Even if I had cracked or 788 00:48:32,120 --> 00:48:35,359 Speaker 1: whatever it is, when you get to a certain time 789 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:38,239 Speaker 1: in your life, it doesn't matter. It's like a human. 790 00:48:38,280 --> 00:48:41,080 Speaker 1: MoMA Shaka was like that in Echoes of an Era 791 00:48:41,440 --> 00:48:45,600 Speaker 1: in the eighties. I remember reading a liner note where 792 00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:47,879 Speaker 1: she said, I want people to hear my voice crack. 793 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:49,920 Speaker 1: I want them to hear the wrongness of my voice. 794 00:48:50,480 --> 00:48:52,920 Speaker 1: And at that particular time. I think it was very important. 795 00:48:52,960 --> 00:48:55,239 Speaker 1: I listened to that, and that also made me not 796 00:48:56,000 --> 00:49:03,480 Speaker 1: care as much because we're human. Listen, uh. J Blige 797 00:49:03,600 --> 00:49:07,400 Speaker 1: made me is that what we're doing right? Okay, we 798 00:49:07,480 --> 00:49:13,040 Speaker 1: don't give it all no matter what got it. She's 799 00:49:13,120 --> 00:49:17,239 Speaker 1: she's the queen of I'm giving you everything I got 800 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:20,680 Speaker 1: very true. You're gonna like it. And that's what That's 801 00:49:20,719 --> 00:49:23,360 Speaker 1: what the originators did. That's what the James Browns of 802 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:27,640 Speaker 1: the world did. They went there. Yeah, James, man, I mean, 803 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:29,279 Speaker 1: think of all the stuff he could do with his voice. 804 00:49:29,280 --> 00:49:31,160 Speaker 1: I mean, we know him. He was a monster. We 805 00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:35,479 Speaker 1: know yeah, because we know the You don't, but he's 806 00:49:35,520 --> 00:49:38,759 Speaker 1: a monster. It's the same way they don't give Rick 807 00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:43,600 Speaker 1: James his credit. Oh monster vocalists super talented. Yeah, okay, 808 00:49:45,680 --> 00:49:53,200 Speaker 1: top five R and B songs. Man, you get tricky, 809 00:49:54,880 --> 00:50:00,239 Speaker 1: go back to the guys and go as for Stevie. Yeah, Um, 810 00:50:02,080 --> 00:50:06,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say because the song was translated many times, 811 00:50:06,719 --> 00:50:10,239 Speaker 1: the House is not at Home because of its ability 812 00:50:10,400 --> 00:50:20,520 Speaker 1: to be transformed as well. Songs though great songs Purple 813 00:50:20,680 --> 00:50:26,440 Speaker 1: Rain Um shout out to Kenny Burns inviting us to 814 00:50:27,360 --> 00:50:42,920 Speaker 1: we were able to go to the page. You know, 815 00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:46,279 Speaker 1: very simple but great song that's been covered so much 816 00:50:46,320 --> 00:50:50,799 Speaker 1: to love valid Jeffrey Come on Jail, but I think 817 00:50:51,120 --> 00:50:54,839 Speaker 1: think of his um and another. These these are cover 818 00:50:54,960 --> 00:50:56,880 Speaker 1: songs because I gotta go back to Donnie Hathaways. A 819 00:50:56,920 --> 00:51:01,399 Speaker 1: song for you, A great song straight ahead, Yeah, straight 820 00:51:01,440 --> 00:51:04,920 Speaker 1: a has simple Those are the Simple for You by 821 00:51:05,040 --> 00:51:14,320 Speaker 1: Kenny Lero. Yeah. The Kennys did it, didn't want honestly, 822 00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:17,520 Speaker 1: one of the most brilliant songs I've ever heard. Yeah, 823 00:51:17,719 --> 00:51:20,560 Speaker 1: so did you sing it at their wedding too? Yes? 824 00:51:20,880 --> 00:51:22,920 Speaker 1: I sang it at their reception. Actually they're Catholics, so 825 00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:25,239 Speaker 1: you couldn't sing it in the church. At least back 826 00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:27,200 Speaker 1: then you could. But I sang it at their reception. 827 00:51:27,840 --> 00:51:29,560 Speaker 1: And this is before it ever comes out, before it 828 00:51:29,640 --> 00:51:31,839 Speaker 1: ever came out, And I asked him, I said, could 829 00:51:31,840 --> 00:51:35,239 Speaker 1: I could I put this on my demo? I was like, yeah, sure. 830 00:51:35,320 --> 00:51:38,440 Speaker 1: But we were in that kind of uh space anyway, 831 00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:42,000 Speaker 1: writing and we we were trying to make it together. 832 00:51:42,160 --> 00:51:44,120 Speaker 1: And my mother used to say it. She said, something's 833 00:51:44,120 --> 00:51:46,399 Speaker 1: gonna happen. It's gonna be glad of more Ly. Yeah, 834 00:51:46,560 --> 00:51:51,359 Speaker 1: she said that, So it's so it's it's true. If 835 00:51:51,440 --> 00:51:53,680 Speaker 1: someone tells you, you know, I was at this reception 836 00:51:54,080 --> 00:51:56,520 Speaker 1: back in the day, and you know I told him, 837 00:51:56,760 --> 00:51:57,880 Speaker 1: and then they go to you know they do the 838 00:51:58,000 --> 00:51:59,960 Speaker 1: lebron thing. Well, I told him, and I knew already 839 00:52:00,040 --> 00:52:03,279 Speaker 1: that it was gonna happen before it happened. So they 840 00:52:03,400 --> 00:52:05,520 Speaker 1: really did, really did you really did sing this song 841 00:52:05,640 --> 00:52:10,200 Speaker 1: and somebody's reception, which makes it authentic and just different. 842 00:52:10,239 --> 00:52:11,839 Speaker 1: We can sit down and go, you know, let's come 843 00:52:11,880 --> 00:52:13,600 Speaker 1: with a with a wedding song. It's gonna make us 844 00:52:13,600 --> 00:52:15,600 Speaker 1: a bunch of money. And it wasn't that, it was 845 00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:22,319 Speaker 1: just true sentiment. It was literally, okay, um, we're gonna 846 00:52:22,320 --> 00:52:25,440 Speaker 1: do R and B voltron. Okay, we're going to create 847 00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:30,200 Speaker 1: your perfect R and B singer. We're gonna ask you 848 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:32,759 Speaker 1: where you want to get who you would get the 849 00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:38,560 Speaker 1: vocals from, who you would get the styling from, who 850 00:52:38,640 --> 00:52:42,120 Speaker 1: you would get the performance style from, and who you 851 00:52:42,160 --> 00:52:45,840 Speaker 1: would get the passion from. Let's start with the vocal 852 00:52:45,960 --> 00:52:48,399 Speaker 1: Who are you Who are you getting the vocal from? 853 00:52:49,160 --> 00:52:54,919 Speaker 1: To build your R and B artists. Wow, I would 854 00:52:55,040 --> 00:53:02,320 Speaker 1: start with the voice of m hmm. Okay, let me 855 00:53:02,400 --> 00:53:04,239 Speaker 1: let me think. Let me go outside of the where 856 00:53:04,280 --> 00:53:07,160 Speaker 1: I've been We'll start with you ask me, Sullivan, I'm 857 00:53:07,160 --> 00:53:11,560 Speaker 1: gonna take her. It's a whole lot of those qualities 858 00:53:11,600 --> 00:53:14,600 Speaker 1: that are all in her. I know what you're saying, 859 00:53:14,680 --> 00:53:17,160 Speaker 1: Like all the pieces that are coming for her are 860 00:53:17,239 --> 00:53:23,440 Speaker 1: more already there into her. Okay, okay, but um the 861 00:53:23,560 --> 00:53:26,680 Speaker 1: next was the next one was performance? Now no next 862 00:53:26,719 --> 00:53:29,360 Speaker 1: one as well? We can go performance stuff okay, performancetyle 863 00:53:29,400 --> 00:53:39,000 Speaker 1: meaning stage stage Eric fearless and the crowd Eric about 864 00:53:39,080 --> 00:53:43,319 Speaker 1: to controls the crowd even when she's not on stage. Opener, 865 00:53:44,280 --> 00:53:48,319 Speaker 1: And it seemed like they were told or they knew 866 00:53:48,880 --> 00:53:52,880 Speaker 1: not to like me, not to like anything happening until 867 00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:56,959 Speaker 1: she came on stage. I'm sweating. I know, I'm singing great, 868 00:53:57,640 --> 00:54:03,719 Speaker 1: great at the hips they're like that, ain't it. You 869 00:54:03,760 --> 00:54:09,520 Speaker 1: ain't got no instance, chap. And she walks out there 870 00:54:09,640 --> 00:54:13,240 Speaker 1: with with with with some says Bernie. It starts pulling 871 00:54:13,280 --> 00:54:21,160 Speaker 1: her tea and they go yeah, turns them out. But 872 00:54:21,239 --> 00:54:24,400 Speaker 1: at the same time, the confidence owns it. She owns it. 873 00:54:25,200 --> 00:54:28,440 Speaker 1: Jill Scott has the same it's the same kind of 874 00:54:28,719 --> 00:54:30,680 Speaker 1: it's the same kind of standard and look you in 875 00:54:30,760 --> 00:54:34,359 Speaker 1: your face like here and it's like no matter how 876 00:54:34,400 --> 00:54:37,160 Speaker 1: many thousands of people it is. It feels like they're 877 00:54:37,200 --> 00:54:41,400 Speaker 1: looking you right in your face. Yeah, it's very personal, 878 00:54:41,600 --> 00:54:44,320 Speaker 1: very personal, very personal love. Yeah, you know that. That 879 00:54:44,680 --> 00:54:46,640 Speaker 1: microphone video she did was very personal. I watched I 880 00:54:46,719 --> 00:54:52,800 Speaker 1: was like, oh, this is great, this is great. Um styling. 881 00:54:53,520 --> 00:54:56,840 Speaker 1: Who do you want your artists to look like? But 882 00:54:56,960 --> 00:55:01,279 Speaker 1: they're putting on? Who? Who put that thing on? Shot? 883 00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:07,680 Speaker 1: We're gonna keep it just clear, clean, bull clean, sexy. 884 00:55:07,960 --> 00:55:12,879 Speaker 1: It's just it's beautiful. Yeah. Yeah, it's always beautiful. It's 885 00:55:12,880 --> 00:55:17,080 Speaker 1: a ponytail. Yeah, it's a ponytail. Yeah, it's not. It's 886 00:55:17,120 --> 00:55:21,000 Speaker 1: never too much, never too much. Yeah, it's always right. 887 00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:24,759 Speaker 1: How did she do that? Always right? I've never seen 888 00:55:24,840 --> 00:55:27,959 Speaker 1: shot out of pocket? Yeah, have you seen in person? 889 00:55:28,280 --> 00:55:32,719 Speaker 1: I have not. I got I got something over, yeah, 890 00:55:34,480 --> 00:55:40,920 Speaker 1: one thing. I got one thing. I felt like, I'm like, 891 00:55:41,080 --> 00:55:50,520 Speaker 1: is he searching? He's killing? Like nine one? All right? Um? 892 00:55:51,040 --> 00:55:53,719 Speaker 1: Now who you getting the passion from the heart of 893 00:55:53,719 --> 00:56:05,320 Speaker 1: the arts? Mhmm. I think the passion has got to 894 00:56:05,440 --> 00:56:08,200 Speaker 1: come still. I think I'm thinking the passion has got 895 00:56:08,280 --> 00:56:14,800 Speaker 1: to come from an older artist like Aretha who argument 896 00:56:14,880 --> 00:56:20,920 Speaker 1: and that? Yeah, who is another who would leave it 897 00:56:20,960 --> 00:56:22,760 Speaker 1: all on the floor too, like it was like Mary. 898 00:56:22,920 --> 00:56:27,080 Speaker 1: That's why they comparison. I believe that she was a killer, yeah, 899 00:56:27,640 --> 00:56:31,239 Speaker 1: ahead of her, so far ahead of her, and could 900 00:56:31,360 --> 00:56:37,080 Speaker 1: do everything anything a killer though you could like there 901 00:56:37,120 --> 00:56:40,480 Speaker 1: are certain singers that can sing and that will do 902 00:56:40,600 --> 00:56:43,680 Speaker 1: what they can do, you know, performing the shows and 903 00:56:43,760 --> 00:56:47,640 Speaker 1: do all this. But I always got the sense that 904 00:56:47,760 --> 00:56:54,200 Speaker 1: A Wrentha was making sure you knew this is different. Yes, yes, 905 00:56:56,840 --> 00:56:58,799 Speaker 1: I don't know who what what? What? What? The mother? 906 00:56:58,840 --> 00:57:03,799 Speaker 1: People do this right head different differently, and I think 907 00:57:03,840 --> 00:57:06,640 Speaker 1: she was that way all the way to the end, 908 00:57:08,200 --> 00:57:11,000 Speaker 1: all the way yep, crazy, I like, I like, I 909 00:57:11,080 --> 00:57:13,359 Speaker 1: like what you did though, you know he used all 910 00:57:13,400 --> 00:57:17,440 Speaker 1: the male top five male and then he went back 911 00:57:17,440 --> 00:57:21,680 Speaker 1: to because it's like if you want to compare men 912 00:57:21,800 --> 00:57:26,080 Speaker 1: and marmoted voices, because there's so many different nuances and 913 00:57:26,120 --> 00:57:30,160 Speaker 1: I have to give some honorable mentions. This person had 914 00:57:30,240 --> 00:57:38,480 Speaker 1: the passion, the look, the uniqueness, fearless Phillips Simon and 915 00:57:38,720 --> 00:57:41,920 Speaker 1: was so studied. And when she did jazz she was 916 00:57:42,480 --> 00:57:45,040 Speaker 1: just impeccable. And when she did R and B she 917 00:57:45,120 --> 00:57:48,680 Speaker 1: was I mean just another like monster, like when you 918 00:57:48,800 --> 00:57:51,880 Speaker 1: just sit back, but then you want also I got 919 00:57:51,920 --> 00:57:54,280 Speaker 1: the one gospel person at least and put Karen. Karen 920 00:57:54,320 --> 00:57:59,080 Speaker 1: Clark shared in just to Say Fearless Mama. I saw 921 00:57:59,080 --> 00:58:00,720 Speaker 1: her an interview. She said, Mom told me to just 922 00:58:00,920 --> 00:58:02,960 Speaker 1: bust that place wide open every time my song. That's 923 00:58:03,000 --> 00:58:05,960 Speaker 1: the kind of passion that she had every time because 924 00:58:06,240 --> 00:58:09,680 Speaker 1: we come from that gospel route, a lot of us, 925 00:58:09,760 --> 00:58:12,919 Speaker 1: did you know, the gladdest nights and so many people 926 00:58:13,120 --> 00:58:16,880 Speaker 1: that um, when you think of why people can flatfoot 927 00:58:16,960 --> 00:58:21,440 Speaker 1: stand there, everybody has a story, you know, everybody has 928 00:58:21,560 --> 00:58:24,640 Speaker 1: as a great story too. But I think it the 929 00:58:24,800 --> 00:58:31,880 Speaker 1: fearlessness right it. I was watching an interview with with 930 00:58:32,160 --> 00:58:36,760 Speaker 1: a man Schumper and he was talking about Carmelo Anthony 931 00:58:37,440 --> 00:58:40,600 Speaker 1: and he was like, man, I'm I'm I'm I'm yelling him. 932 00:58:40,640 --> 00:58:42,439 Speaker 1: I'm like, bro, I'm wide open. You know what I'm saying. 933 00:58:42,560 --> 00:58:44,439 Speaker 1: They're collapsing two on you. You know what I'm saying, 934 00:58:44,520 --> 00:58:47,080 Speaker 1: and you you just you're shooting the ball. And he's like, 935 00:58:47,320 --> 00:58:50,080 Speaker 1: he's like, he's like and he's in. Carmelo looked at 936 00:58:50,080 --> 00:58:53,880 Speaker 1: me and said, listen, I work on that. Mm hm. 937 00:58:56,280 --> 00:59:02,440 Speaker 1: He trained for those difficult moments. So you're fearless because 938 00:59:04,480 --> 00:59:09,720 Speaker 1: you work on impossible things. You're at the house pushing yourself. 939 00:59:10,840 --> 00:59:13,760 Speaker 1: You're pushing the boundaries and and and and continuing to 940 00:59:14,120 --> 00:59:16,800 Speaker 1: push the line of what of what of what even 941 00:59:16,840 --> 00:59:19,760 Speaker 1: what you think you're capable of. So by the time 942 00:59:19,800 --> 00:59:24,080 Speaker 1: you get in front of an audience, doesn't matter, It 943 00:59:24,160 --> 00:59:30,000 Speaker 1: doesn't matter. Oh can I say a man's wife. Tiaa 944 00:59:31,600 --> 00:59:36,960 Speaker 1: a full talent, full gift, special little flex though, and 945 00:59:37,080 --> 00:59:41,760 Speaker 1: she grew up as my cousin. Look that's family. That's family, 946 00:59:42,560 --> 00:59:46,720 Speaker 1: but through marriage and our families are not connected in 947 00:59:46,800 --> 00:59:49,280 Speaker 1: the same way that they were. But I got a 948 00:59:49,400 --> 00:59:54,120 Speaker 1: chance to see her from the beginning, and to see 949 00:59:54,200 --> 00:59:59,800 Speaker 1: her from the beginning. Um, she's the same. It's like 950 00:59:59,880 --> 01:00:05,640 Speaker 1: she came into the world. Yeah, she just like she 951 01:00:05,800 --> 01:00:07,960 Speaker 1: came in. I was at her showcase. Yeah, I was 952 01:00:08,000 --> 01:00:10,520 Speaker 1: at her first showcase in l A, the one down 953 01:00:10,600 --> 01:00:20,520 Speaker 1: in Santa Monica. Yeah, she's done. Google me baby, and sometimes, UM, 954 01:00:22,320 --> 01:00:23,760 Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't know if you got it. 955 01:00:24,000 --> 01:00:27,840 Speaker 1: Definitely she needs to tell her story about how to 956 01:00:28,080 --> 01:00:31,960 Speaker 1: manage artistry because to be associated with some of the 957 01:00:32,120 --> 01:00:36,440 Speaker 1: huge giants and craft a career, and it was at 958 01:00:36,480 --> 01:00:40,040 Speaker 1: a strange time when when her career was starting. Um, 959 01:00:40,080 --> 01:00:42,000 Speaker 1: and I can't. I can't really tell her her story 960 01:00:42,040 --> 01:00:44,360 Speaker 1: anything like that, but it would be interesting. I should 961 01:00:44,760 --> 01:00:47,320 Speaker 1: probably be asking these questions, like when I think about 962 01:00:47,400 --> 01:00:51,480 Speaker 1: new artists coming. Um, she was just a force, I think, 963 01:00:51,520 --> 01:00:55,760 Speaker 1: a force that could not be stopped. Yeah, and she 964 01:00:55,880 --> 01:01:00,040 Speaker 1: still is so everything she touched, everything she did. I 965 01:01:00,120 --> 01:01:03,320 Speaker 1: think people understood that this isn't a true influencer and 966 01:01:03,360 --> 01:01:07,400 Speaker 1: it's organic again. And we're in that age where artists 967 01:01:07,440 --> 01:01:10,080 Speaker 1: have to be that where I didn't have to be 968 01:01:10,200 --> 01:01:13,240 Speaker 1: that necessary. I guess I did. We had time to 969 01:01:13,320 --> 01:01:16,960 Speaker 1: grow into it. We had listen. We were the last 970 01:01:17,640 --> 01:01:21,600 Speaker 1: generation where it was kind of served up to us. Yes, yeah, 971 01:01:21,880 --> 01:01:27,160 Speaker 1: here's your here's your directors, pick one. Yeah, here's the treatment. Yeah, 972 01:01:27,280 --> 01:01:36,480 Speaker 1: he tells out here she is the stylist. She's gonna choose. 973 01:01:36,600 --> 01:01:39,520 Speaker 1: You know, this is the right person. And Brown and 974 01:01:39,680 --> 01:01:46,360 Speaker 1: that those alien kids, they're just different. Yeah. And I 975 01:01:46,520 --> 01:01:49,360 Speaker 1: and I love him to death. My baby's right there. Yeah, 976 01:01:49,400 --> 01:01:53,600 Speaker 1: I love him absolutely, get him. I know he got something. 977 01:01:54,040 --> 01:01:56,760 Speaker 1: I know he got something. I want to see. If 978 01:01:56,760 --> 01:02:00,360 Speaker 1: he's gonna go there with us, don't go there. Believe 979 01:02:00,440 --> 01:02:04,120 Speaker 1: we got a segment of the show, very important segment. 980 01:02:06,600 --> 01:02:13,840 Speaker 1: Important man it's cart I ain't saying no names. Yeah, yes, 981 01:02:17,640 --> 01:02:20,720 Speaker 1: you know, and you know it's it's it's a story. 982 01:02:20,960 --> 01:02:24,400 Speaker 1: It can need to be funnier, fucked up, funnier, fuck up. Okay. 983 01:02:25,640 --> 01:02:28,440 Speaker 1: The only rule to the story and the game is 984 01:02:28,640 --> 01:02:31,120 Speaker 1: just can't say the name. You can't. You can't say 985 01:02:31,160 --> 01:02:35,400 Speaker 1: who's with you. You can't say who's with you. You 986 01:02:35,480 --> 01:02:40,080 Speaker 1: know who was against you, whose house it was, who 987 01:02:40,160 --> 01:02:43,560 Speaker 1: shoot program? It was a part of none of that. 988 01:02:46,000 --> 01:02:48,200 Speaker 1: So yeah, you know, right now we're gonna introduce it. 989 01:02:48,640 --> 01:02:55,840 Speaker 1: This is Kenny Lattimore's I ain't saying no names. Oh boy, 990 01:02:57,360 --> 01:03:04,920 Speaker 1: m HMMI many nots wrong with that. It's a veteran 991 01:03:04,960 --> 01:03:09,120 Speaker 1: takeas time modeling over his trying to keep it classy. 992 01:03:09,320 --> 01:03:14,680 Speaker 1: Let's see him names. You know, technically you might not 993 01:03:14,840 --> 01:03:22,360 Speaker 1: even be man. I'm really thinking, y'all really really trying 994 01:03:22,360 --> 01:03:28,240 Speaker 1: to We're here, baby here, do you want to jogle 995 01:03:28,360 --> 01:03:30,440 Speaker 1: out me? He might be like, oh that happened? Oh 996 01:03:30,640 --> 01:03:41,800 Speaker 1: whoa um, I gotta give you something simple. I give 997 01:03:41,880 --> 01:03:54,400 Speaker 1: something simple. Let me thank you. This was a funny 998 01:03:54,520 --> 01:03:57,800 Speaker 1: moment for me. This may not be Yeah, I'm gonna 999 01:03:57,840 --> 01:03:59,880 Speaker 1: keep it simple. This is a funny moment for me, 1000 01:04:00,040 --> 01:04:03,120 Speaker 1: but it's an early moment this person, if they if 1001 01:04:03,160 --> 01:04:05,920 Speaker 1: they realize who they are. I love you. I love 1002 01:04:05,960 --> 01:04:14,400 Speaker 1: you tremendously. But this really did happen. A person is 1003 01:04:14,520 --> 01:04:21,400 Speaker 1: sound checking and they don't want anybody to look at them. 1004 01:04:22,280 --> 01:04:25,000 Speaker 1: M hm. Why they're sound checking because I think they're 1005 01:04:25,080 --> 01:04:29,200 Speaker 1: still evolving. This person is an amazing artist too. Yeah, 1006 01:04:29,800 --> 01:04:31,400 Speaker 1: and I and somebody who I'd love to work with. 1007 01:04:31,720 --> 01:04:36,360 Speaker 1: But they didn't want people to look at them. So 1008 01:04:36,600 --> 01:04:41,000 Speaker 1: we're sound checking and we're sitting and the persons like, 1009 01:04:41,280 --> 01:04:45,920 Speaker 1: m M, I don't want people looking at me, because 1010 01:04:46,920 --> 01:04:49,920 Speaker 1: you know, you want There's a group of people traveling together. 1011 01:04:52,880 --> 01:04:57,000 Speaker 1: Can you lower the lights? And the lights go down 1012 01:04:57,880 --> 01:05:01,040 Speaker 1: to maybe like where they are now, and the person 1013 01:05:01,120 --> 01:05:04,320 Speaker 1: is still not comfortable, and they're like, can you lower 1014 01:05:04,520 --> 01:05:10,280 Speaker 1: the lights more? And the sound people get upset, and 1015 01:05:10,320 --> 01:05:12,520 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, boom, the whole places pitch black 1016 01:05:14,480 --> 01:05:16,520 Speaker 1: and we all are just sitting there and pitch black 1017 01:05:16,680 --> 01:05:21,320 Speaker 1: darkness in an arena, and then lights come back on. 1018 01:05:21,480 --> 01:05:23,520 Speaker 1: Of course, the person like just walks off the stage. 1019 01:05:24,560 --> 01:05:26,240 Speaker 1: So do they sing when it goes pitch black? Are 1020 01:05:26,240 --> 01:05:29,320 Speaker 1: they don't sing thing either? No, they're pissed. They're pissed. 1021 01:05:29,880 --> 01:05:31,880 Speaker 1: It's like you just embarrassed me in front of everybody, 1022 01:05:31,960 --> 01:05:36,200 Speaker 1: just determined, but as opposed to just making a sensual 1023 01:05:37,640 --> 01:05:40,440 Speaker 1: and they just shoot and they're gone, and it's like 1024 01:05:40,760 --> 01:05:46,080 Speaker 1: next and we're all like like whoa, oh, okay, okay, 1025 01:05:47,520 --> 01:05:49,240 Speaker 1: and this is the only business you can get away 1026 01:05:49,280 --> 01:05:52,000 Speaker 1: with that. You can't get away with that anything. I 1027 01:05:52,080 --> 01:05:54,320 Speaker 1: want my shoot around in the dark, yea. But but 1028 01:05:54,480 --> 01:05:57,680 Speaker 1: the but the sound stuff and the lighting people. I'm 1029 01:05:57,680 --> 01:06:02,480 Speaker 1: not saying no names. I'll give you one more. I'm 1030 01:06:02,600 --> 01:06:07,120 Speaker 1: out on a tour and I'm helping to promote some 1031 01:06:07,240 --> 01:06:13,160 Speaker 1: new accent around Columbia. And we're touring and one of 1032 01:06:13,240 --> 01:06:18,240 Speaker 1: the acts decides to choke out the sound man. Mhmm, 1033 01:06:18,880 --> 01:06:21,880 Speaker 1: choke out the sound man. Okay, don't playing with my 1034 01:06:22,040 --> 01:06:24,200 Speaker 1: don't play with my sound. And of course it's kicked 1035 01:06:24,240 --> 01:06:29,640 Speaker 1: off the tour. And but it's always interesting when somebody's 1036 01:06:29,640 --> 01:06:31,560 Speaker 1: advertised and all the kind stuff you gotta come in. 1037 01:06:31,720 --> 01:06:34,800 Speaker 1: You can't really say what happened, You can't really, you know, 1038 01:06:35,280 --> 01:06:36,760 Speaker 1: And all we can do a smile, and you just 1039 01:06:37,120 --> 01:06:39,720 Speaker 1: the show must go on, and you go on and 1040 01:06:39,840 --> 01:06:45,040 Speaker 1: you do what you gotta do. Yeah, so we got 1041 01:06:45,080 --> 01:06:47,840 Speaker 1: the lights off. Oh yeah, we got the lights off 1042 01:06:47,960 --> 01:06:51,080 Speaker 1: and the choke out ke out. Those are my my 1043 01:06:51,320 --> 01:06:55,040 Speaker 1: arm being, you know, my nice This is crazy. How 1044 01:06:55,320 --> 01:07:01,000 Speaker 1: artists be like like don't look at me, or clear 1045 01:07:01,080 --> 01:07:06,120 Speaker 1: the hallways or clear the hallwaysays, clear the hallways is 1046 01:07:06,160 --> 01:07:12,680 Speaker 1: hilarious and I'd be like, what what why? I think 1047 01:07:12,760 --> 01:07:18,560 Speaker 1: I feed off of people in the energy I'm walking 1048 01:07:18,600 --> 01:07:21,760 Speaker 1: to the stage like it's like but even seeing the 1049 01:07:21,840 --> 01:07:24,840 Speaker 1: other artists that are on you know that are on 1050 01:07:24,960 --> 01:07:28,000 Speaker 1: the bill, like what what you killed? I'm gonna try 1051 01:07:28,040 --> 01:07:31,160 Speaker 1: to do a little something. I heard you what I'm saying, 1052 01:07:31,240 --> 01:07:33,600 Speaker 1: I'll see you. I'll see like all of that energy. 1053 01:07:33,640 --> 01:07:36,160 Speaker 1: I think it's so dope and needed. But you know, 1054 01:07:36,240 --> 01:07:38,400 Speaker 1: I guess, you know, maybe people getting in their zone. 1055 01:07:38,480 --> 01:07:42,360 Speaker 1: It's just yeah, everybody's own is different. I can't be mad. 1056 01:07:42,520 --> 01:07:46,840 Speaker 1: But um, this is my brother, Mr Kielletta more. Um, 1057 01:07:47,440 --> 01:07:51,280 Speaker 1: You're awesome, brother, Thank you. Both of you are awesome. 1058 01:07:51,720 --> 01:07:53,760 Speaker 1: I appreciate you having me. Let give me a voice 1059 01:07:53,800 --> 01:07:59,280 Speaker 1: to well you deserve that. And you know, there are, 1060 01:08:00,360 --> 01:08:03,000 Speaker 1: of course more than you know, people who look up 1061 01:08:03,040 --> 01:08:06,320 Speaker 1: to you, people who respect you, and people who want 1062 01:08:06,320 --> 01:08:08,400 Speaker 1: to hear from you, right. I was. We were talking 1063 01:08:08,440 --> 01:08:10,320 Speaker 1: to Mike City the other day and we were like, 1064 01:08:10,760 --> 01:08:16,479 Speaker 1: we were like, the information that we have is so necessary. UM, 1065 01:08:16,880 --> 01:08:21,760 Speaker 1: it is necessary to preserve UM the art form. It's true, 1066 01:08:22,000 --> 01:08:24,480 Speaker 1: It's very true, and so we have to be proactive 1067 01:08:25,240 --> 01:08:30,639 Speaker 1: with making sure that information in those teachings continue. Yeah, 1068 01:08:30,920 --> 01:08:32,800 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. My son wants to be 1069 01:08:33,200 --> 01:08:35,080 Speaker 1: a part of this industry and will and it is 1070 01:08:35,120 --> 01:08:39,040 Speaker 1: a part of it actually already because I've given him 1071 01:08:39,040 --> 01:08:42,760 Speaker 1: the opportunity to work professionally in it and everything. UM. 1072 01:08:43,120 --> 01:08:48,360 Speaker 1: But I agree with you because one he has the 1073 01:08:48,400 --> 01:08:52,200 Speaker 1: benefit of me. But I still don't just put him on. 1074 01:08:53,920 --> 01:08:57,120 Speaker 1: I want to see do you have the passion for this, 1075 01:08:57,160 --> 01:08:58,920 Speaker 1: because a lot of times people don't really have the 1076 01:08:58,960 --> 01:09:02,360 Speaker 1: passion for this. And the first little thing to happen 1077 01:09:02,360 --> 01:09:05,400 Speaker 1: is I'm tired, I'm this, I'm gonna and and the 1078 01:09:05,560 --> 01:09:08,680 Speaker 1: respect of what we've done through the years and what 1079 01:09:08,760 --> 01:09:12,519 Speaker 1: we've sacrificed UH is so important. I think that some 1080 01:09:12,640 --> 01:09:15,880 Speaker 1: of the talent shows UM have been rough to as 1081 01:09:15,960 --> 01:09:19,439 Speaker 1: much as they've made some identified some really amazing are 1082 01:09:19,560 --> 01:09:22,040 Speaker 1: just like American Idol and stuff like that. Identified some 1083 01:09:22,240 --> 01:09:27,439 Speaker 1: amazing artists. Um, all those other people that didn't make it, 1084 01:09:28,800 --> 01:09:31,519 Speaker 1: that may have gotten some television exposure or what have you. 1085 01:09:31,800 --> 01:09:36,280 Speaker 1: Sometimes I think some of them, not all of them, 1086 01:09:36,320 --> 01:09:38,600 Speaker 1: of course, have come in a little jaded that this 1087 01:09:38,680 --> 01:09:40,920 Speaker 1: is gonna be my instant. It's been a part of 1088 01:09:40,960 --> 01:09:46,080 Speaker 1: that instant thing. And um, and I don't take my 1089 01:09:46,240 --> 01:09:49,120 Speaker 1: son through unnecessary things, but in order to teach him, 1090 01:09:49,160 --> 01:09:51,880 Speaker 1: I tell them, struggle will make you stronger. If you 1091 01:09:51,920 --> 01:09:55,160 Speaker 1: don't exercise muscles, if you're not pushing against anything, your 1092 01:09:55,240 --> 01:09:57,760 Speaker 1: muscles will be weak and you're not going to be 1093 01:09:57,920 --> 01:10:01,439 Speaker 1: ready for what the world gonna throw at you because 1094 01:10:01,479 --> 01:10:06,160 Speaker 1: there will be opposition. Absolutely absolutely Well, listen, man, we 1095 01:10:06,280 --> 01:10:12,240 Speaker 1: love you, appreciate. I am Tank, I'm Jay Valentine. UM. 1096 01:10:12,360 --> 01:10:14,240 Speaker 1: And this is the R and B Money Podcast, the 1097 01:10:14,280 --> 01:10:19,120 Speaker 1: authority on all things. I've been waiting to say that, 1098 01:10:21,000 --> 01:10:33,320 Speaker 1: and we have living proof right here and Mr Kenn Money. 1099 01:10:36,000 --> 01:10:37,719 Speaker 1: R and B Money is a production of the Black 1100 01:10:37,760 --> 01:10:41,759 Speaker 1: Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, 1101 01:10:42,200 --> 01:10:45,679 Speaker 1: visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever 1102 01:10:45,800 --> 01:10:49,080 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe 1103 01:10:49,120 --> 01:10:51,640 Speaker 1: to and rate our show. And you can connect with 1104 01:10:51,800 --> 01:10:55,040 Speaker 1: us on social media at Ja Valentine and at the 1105 01:10:55,120 --> 01:11:00,840 Speaker 1: Real Tank. For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com, Forward, 1106 01:11:00,960 --> 01:11:02,360 Speaker 1: slash r and b Money