Saturday, January 22, 2011
New Joint: Raheem DeVaughn "Early Mornings" featuring Phil Ade (Produced by Boola)
Classic Vibe: Destiny's Child "Temptations" (1999)
Here is one of my favourite songs off Destiny's Child second album "Writing's on the Wall".
Friday, January 21, 2011
YouKnowIGotSoul Interview With El DeBarge
One of the biggest perks about running this site has to be the opportunity to interact so frequently with a wide range of artists. Most recently, I had the absolute honor and pleasure to talk to a legend and member of r&b's elite, El Debarge. What type of questions can you ask a musical icon whose career has spanned four decades? I was just glad to be able to pick his brain on his new project in the short time we had. In this interview, we discuss his return to music and the reception fans have given him, what he tried to accomplish with the new album, how he keeps his music sounding fresh, unexpected collaborations with hip hop artists, how long he'd like to keep recording music and much more.
YKIGS: First off just wanted to congratulate you on the new album. Since this is your first album in over 15 years, tell me what the reception has been from your fans? Did you find they were waiting for you again?
El DeBarge: Oh the reception has been awesome. The fans are out there, they’re screaming, they’re yelling, I feel like they are just as excited to see me as I am to see them and that feels so great. Everybody wants to feel wanted and I really feel wanted. My fans are awesome.
YKIGS: Realistically, what type of reception were you expecting to get from your fans when you were putting this new album out?
El DeBarge: Well I didn’t know what to expect actually because I had been gone for so long, I didn’t know what to expect. I know from one city to another, I had to make sure that I was ok in every region. So it’s like if they liked me in Chicago, I absorbed that and by the time I got to St. Louis I wanted to know it was the same there, then when I got to New York, I needed to know that the love was the same there, and so on and so forth. So every city was important to me and I think that I’ve touched just about every region out there that I could possibly touch right now. I’ve been doing this promotional push, promotions and concert tours since July of 2010.
YKIGS: So as I mentioned it’s been so long between albums, did you always have intentions of continuing your music career?
El DeBarge: Yea I did, I always had intentions of continuing.
YKIGS: When you set out to create this album, “Second Chance,” what was your overall goal to accomplish with this album?
El DeBarge: My overall goal was to reach the mainstream market because I didn’t just want one genre of people, I wanted my complete audience from where I left off at which was early adult contemporary, which was urban, which was soul, which was pop. So my main goal was to do the type of album that would please everybody, please all of my fans.
YKIGS: You were nominated for two Grammy Awards, how does that make you feel?
El DeBarge: It was very emotional for me when I got the Grammy nominations and I cried, I was just very overwhelmed. It was amazing.
YKIGS: I want to talk to you about the single you have out now which is “Lay With You” with Faith Evans. What’s it been like working with her on the song? I know you guys have been performing it a lot together, so tell me about that.
El DeBarge: You know it’s been great working with Faith, she’s such a great singer and getting back on stage and doing it with someone who can really sing I think is a great compliment to the song. So I don’t get to sing everywhere with her, sometimes I have to do the song by myself, but there’s times when our schedules actually meet up and our schedules coincide.
YKIGS: Yea I love that song, it was definitely one of my favorite songs from last year and I’m glad you guys came together and did that.
El DeBarge: Thank you!
YKIGS: I had a chance to talk to Mike City who did some work on this album, he actually produced that song as well, and he was talking about how he looks up to you as a legend and royalty in r&b. What was it like working with him?
El DeBarge: Oh Mike’s a pro, he gets in there and he does his thing. He knows how to dub you in with vocals, he knows how to do music writing, he’s a real producer!
YKIGS: Do you have a favorite song from this album if you had to pick one?
El DeBarge: My favorite song…they change every week! This week is “Format” with 50!
YKIGS: *Laughs* Ok, why would you choose that one?
El DeBarge: Well I’m feeling that one this week. I don’t know, it’s like I’m real moody with music that’s why I’ve got a lot of different things on my album. I think it represents all of the different areas of emotion that I dabble into.
YKIGS: I was a little surprised when I saw that you had collaborations with Fabolous and 50 Cent, but I was happy with the way they came out, I love the way they sound.
El DeBarge: Yea I think a lot of my fans were probably surprised at first, and I think they were even more gratefully surprised when they found out that they could be satisfied with the collabs. I’ll never ever, ever do anything that’s somebody else’s idea just to sell a record. I have to keep my convictions for music always at the forefront of every musical decision that I make. So with 50 being on the album, with Fabolous being on the album, as well as Faith, it was definitely something that I thought would work.
YKIGS: I was curious if you reached out to those artists, how did those collaborations come up?
El DeBarge: 50 and I have been on the same label and I said “Hey we need to try something, I’m a fan of yours, you’re a fan of mine, so let’s see if we can do something together.” Fabolous reached out to me and said he had a song that he wanted me to do on his album. I did that, so you’ll hear it whenever his album comes out, I don’t know if it’s out or not, it’s supposed to be out by now. So I thought that worked so good, and told him I had something I’d like him to do on my album, so that’s how that happened.
YKIGS: A personal favorite of mine is the song “Joyful.” Can you give me some background on that song?
El DeBarge: I love “Joyful”! “Joyful” describes how I feel overall about my life, about what God is doing in my life and about my album, my career. I’m so joyful about it all and that’s just one of my favorites as well.
YKIGS: As someone who is considered as an r&b legend, r&b royalty, and a household name, who are you listening to? What artists do you listen to in your free time?
El DeBarge: I sit down and I try to listen to…I intentionally try to listen to what’s going on out there, so I’m on the radio a lot and I’m listening to what’s happening out there so I can see if there’s anything that I can do to shape or help to shape any part of this musical atmosphere that I’m a part of that needs to be shaped. So I’m listening to Drake, I’m listening to Nicki Minaj, I’m listening to Beyonce, I’m listening to Taylor Swift, I’m listening to Justin Bieber, I’m listening to everybody. I’m paying attention to it all.
YKIGS: Since it’s been so long between albums and you mentioned you wanted to reach the mainstream and get back in touch with your fans, how did you get your sound up to date? How did you find out how to get back in touch with those fans since it’s been so long?
El DeBarge: Well you know what at the end of the day I just follow my heart because one thing I learned a long time ago is what comes from the heart, reaches the heart. When DeBarge first started off in the industry we were against all odds in the first place. Really nobody at the record company, nobody at Motown, believed we would do anything, but Berry Gordy did. Being the genius that he has always been and having a finished ear, which is what we call it in the industry, he has a finished ear where he can hear ahead. You know how there’s people who can see ahead? Well he can hear ahead. *Laughs* He understands things other people don’t understand and because of that, in all due respect to what’s going on in DeBarge’s career now, he gave us a chance to be ourselves. Rick James, Prince, Michael Jackson, all of that was going on when DeBarge was first coming out. We certainly were a sound that had to be embraced and handled carefully and with care. So because what comes from the heart reaches the heart, that was proven to us back then or else we would not be where we are today. So that’s just the approach I took with this album, I said I’m just going to come from my heart.
YKIGS: Final question, in terms of recording music, how long do you see yourself recording music into the future or how long would you like to?
El DeBarge: I’d like to record music forever. Even when I die and go to heaven I want to record music up there. *Laughs*
Classic Vibe: Toni Braxton "I Don't Want To"
Here is the R.Kelly written ballad from Toni's classic "Secrets" album.
Classic Vibe: Jamie Foxx "Can I Take You Home"
The song was produced by Timbaland and written by Static. This reminds me of an old Jodeci song.
New Joint: Musiq Soulchild "Anything" featuring Swizz Beatz
It's always exciting to hear some brand new music from Musiq Soulchild. When I saw Swizz Beatz was featured on the song, I wasn't sure how I felt. But after a few spins it's obvious he really brought the funk on the track. Musiq has always been an old soul and never been shy to reach back and touch on old school track, and this is no different. My only nitpick is he could have had LL Cool J rap on the track instead of Swizz as an ode to LL's "Jinglin Baby" which also uses the sample. As a bonus I've also provided the original song where the sample came from, Central Line's 1981 hit "Walking Into Sunshine."
Event Recap: Bobby V. "Fly on the Wall" Album Listening Session
This past week I was fortunate to attend a listening session for Bobby V.'s upcoming fourth solo album "Fly on the Wall" which is due in stores March 22nd. During the event, Bobby previewed tracks from the upcoming album and spoke a bit about each track before playing it. Although I won't comment specifically on individual songs, I will say that from listening to him speak, he is focused on making real r&b music. That will become even more evident once you see the production lineup which is headed by Bryan-Michael Cox, The Underdogs, and frequent collaborators Tim & Bob. One thing that really stood out to me is when he spoke on the need to release a commercial single to remain relevant, although the rest of the album doesn't really fit the same style as that single. He felt this may turn some people off, but if they took the time to listen to the whole album, they definitely would find something for them; and I agree. Another thing I'd like to highlight is the fact he's involved in all of the writing on his album, which allows him to make it very personal and something I admire.
Check out this video below where he took questions from members of the press. He was very candid and humble in the way he took the questions as you can see below. Also click below for the full picture set.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
New Joint: Josh Xantus "I Don't Care" West Cost Remix featuring Nipsey Hussle & Ghostface Killah
Nipsey Hussle adds a West Coast touch to Josh Xantus' single "I Don't Care"!
New Joint: Bobby V. "Good Girls"
Bobby V. Returns with Week 3 of "Fly On The Wall Wednesdays"
An unfinished version of this track leaked awhile ago but now Bobby is giving his fans the full version. Take a listen and find out whether Bobby finds that good girl he's looking for!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
YouKnowIGotSoul Interview With Nicci Gilbert of Brownstone (Part 1 of 2)
I recently had the pleasure to interview Nicci Gilbert; from the group Brownstone, for YouKnowIGotSoul. Nicci is back on the Scene with a new Musical Play, a managing role for an all-girl band by the name of “The Gee Gees,” and new music in the works for all her fans. Please join us in this amazing interview as Nicci discusses how Brownstone got signed by Michael Jackson, inspiration from her mentor Tyler Perry, the future of Brownstone, all her new endeavors, and an "Up Close & Personal" explanation on the origins of some of her greatest hits. Make sure you follow Nicci on Twitter @niccigilbert. To purchase Nicci's new Musical Play "Soul Kittens Cabaret" on DVD, please click here. "Soul Kittens Cabaret" was written and directed by Nicci and it stars Faith Evans and Fantasia. If you are a Nicci Gilbert/Brownstone fan, this is an interview that you don't want to miss. Enjoy!
YouKnowIGotSoul: First of all I wanted to congratulate you on the release of your DVD “Soul Kittens Cabaret.” How are you feeling with the release of the movie?
Nicci Gilbert: Well it’s a play; it’s the taping of a Musical Stage Play. A lot of people think that it’s a movie but it’s not a movie, it is in fact a Stage Play. I feel really good about it; I’m exited about the growth that I think will come with it. It’s my first project as a Writer and Director so I’m interested to see what the reviews are.
YKIGS: Will it be available in stores and online?
NG: Yeah. It is available in Wal-Mart, Target, and online.
YKIGS: That’s amazing, congratulations!!
NG: Thank you very much!
YKIGS: Let’s start from the beginning. Could you please tell us how you got your start in the music business and what inspired you to pursue this career?
NG: I got started by working with Michael Jackson. He actually decided that he wanted to sign a group, which I kind of put together; called Brownstone. We got a record deal with Michael Jackson in the early 90’s, which was amazing. We were nominated for a Grammy Award, won Billboard Music Awards, and sold platinum records. After that, I started acting a little bit; I did the TV Shows “Martin,” “Living Single,” and “Sister Sister.” From there, I moved to Atlanta. I’m originally from Detroit but I lived in LA while pursuing my music career. Once my music stuff slowed down a little bit, I moved from LA to the South and I started working with Tyler Perry. Tyler basically cast me for his stage play “Meet The Browns” and that’s how I fell in love with the idea of doing Urban Theater and Stage Plays. I worked under Tyler for awhile, learned a lot; and wrote “Soul Kittens Cabaret” as my first project. The rest is history; here we are seven years later releasing it to the world through Target and Wal-Mart. I’m very excited about that.
YKIGS: That’s a beautiful story!!
NG: Thank you!
YKIGS: Could you take us back to the time when Brownstone got signed to MJJ records? And how did Michael Jackson give the group a deal?
NG: Yeah, we auditioned for him. We met Jerry Greenberg first. I can’t tell the full story because we are doing a book; that’s going to be exiting. The short story is that we met Jerry Greenberg, we auditioned for him, and he said he had someone else that he wanted us to meet. At the time we did not know who it was. We auditioned for a second time in a pitch black conference room. After the second audition was over, we discovered that Michael was there; of course we were extremely excited. Later on, we were told that Michael fell in love with us and wanted us to be the first artists signed to his record label.
YKIGS: Wow, very impressive. Do you have a fond memory of Michael Jackson that you could share with us?
NG: Yeah, I remember the first time that I met him. He gave us the advice that, like Coca-Cola; we should always conduct ourselves as a brand. Growing up in Detroit, as an artist; I would always say that one day I was going to be able to Michael. *Laughs* I remember going to the store and buying a fake picture of Michael Jackson just to say that he gave it to me. To meet him was crazy, there was a tremendous amount of pressure, like its cool that you a singer but how do you impress Michael Jackson? I remember him saying, “Don’t try to impress me because you’ve already impressed me enough to sign you and give you a record deal. Work on building a brand and building a name that people will remember forever.” That was the strongest advice that we ever got from him, it’s something that motivates me to this day.
YKIGS: Thank you for sharing that with us. Let’s go back to the Brownstone’s Grammy Nomination for the single “If You Love Me.” Do you remember the exact moment when you found out and your feelings and emotions at the time?
NG: Yeah, We were in New York at Sony’s executive offices. They were telling us that we were up for a Grammy; *Laughs* we were like “Ye yeah right, yeah right, whatever. We’ll believe it when we see it.” A little after, we received a letter from Michael Greene congratulating us for our “Best Vocal Performance” on “If You Love Me.” I just remember being overwhelmed and it’s funny because I believe that you have to be careful with what you speak and what you truly believe. I remember believing “We are not gonna get it, we’re not gonna get it. They are gonna give it to another group.” And you know, I think Take 6 won that year. You never know, maybe if we would’ve been a little more optimistic and convinced that we were going to win; that could’ve been a possibility. But it’s a testimony of being careful what you speak.
YKIGS: Very true. Let’s talk about your transition going from singing into acting and theater. What inspired you to go this route?
NG: Tyler Perry. I had a conversation with him in New York at The Beacon; I’ll never forget it, he came to my dressing room and basically told me that there were amazing things waiting for me. He told me that I had to treat my career better, treat myself better, to be more responsible with my career; and that once I learned that, it was going to take off and be bigger that I would’ve ever imagined. I always knew that I had a passion for acting. I had a Theater Major in College so I was always excited about the whole theater and acting thing. When the opportunity came to put my own show together, I spent the last seven years really beating the pavement, grinding, and doing everything that I needed to do to put this musical together.
YKIGS: Tell us about your solo album “Grown Folks Music.” How do you compare the recording process being a solo artist vs. recording with a group?
NG: It was different because I’m used to having my girls around. At the time I recorded “Grown Folks Music,” I was really going through a situation in a relationship and I just wanted to write what was in my heart. Initially, I didn’t want to be a solo artist; I was just writing. My first love has always been writing, most people might think that it would be singing but my first love is writing and creating content. When I wrote the album, it was for other people to sing; I wanted to have somebody else’s interpretation of my stories. Instead, MCA offered me a deal and I went ahead and recorded the album. Unfortunately, before the album was released; MCA went under and this was around the time where things pretty much ended for MCA. I asked for my masters and they gave them to me. I own the masters to the album and it’s available on iTunes. I’m actually about to work on a Nicci Gilbert live project for the Spring and it will include some music from that album and some Brownstone stuff also.
Stay tuned for part 2 coming later this week.
New Joint: JoJo "Touching Me"
Stuck in a highly publicized feud with her current label Blackground, music from JoJo continues to surface; perhaps on her own doing as a protest. In any case, I think we can all agree the best case scenario would be for both sides to work out the disagreement and for her to release a new album!
New Joint: Raphael Saadiq "Good Man"
Rumored second single from his upcoming album "Stone Rollin."
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Exclusive: Mike Keith (of 112) Names His Top 10 Favorite Songs He Recorded With 112 To YouKnowIGotSoul
We already had one member of 112 (Daron) reveal his favorite songs recorded as part of 112, now it's Mike's turn to pick his.
Click Here to read my interview with Mike Keith Part 1
Click Here to read my interview with Mike Keith Part 2
Mike Keith's Top 10 Favorite 112 Songs:
1. "Only you" - B.I.G. didn't do a lot of features for R&B and for him to do that for us put us on the map.
2. "Cupid" - We wanted a "Babyface like" song but we lacked the budget so we did the next best thing, we wrote it.
3. "Now That We're Done" - This song truly defines the "112 sound" with the background harmonies being as important as the lead vocals.
4. "Peaches & Cream" - It was a song about going down on a girl...nuff said!!
5. "It's over now" - This was our coming out record. We were successful before then but this song stamped us as the group every other group had to base themselves on.
6. "Cry on" - The remake of this song was very therapeutic for us as a label.
7. "Playa" - This song signified the evolution of 112 where we were headed. However, it didn't manifest.
8. "Dance With Me" - This song is one of the main reasons why we are still able to eat!! Still a club favorite overseas.
9. "Missing You" - I love hearing myself sing.
10. "Smile" - Just a beautiful song. I love it every time I hear it.
Top 10: Favorite 112 Songs (Guest Editor/Mike Keith Feature)
My good friend Lisa put together this great list of her favorite 112 songs for us. She's the owner of AMN Magazine and you can check out the latest issue which features my interview with Sunshine Anderson here.
1. Cupid - (from 112) This is my all-time favorite 112 song!! I fell in love with this song the first time I ever heard it; definitely a 112 classic!
2. Missing You - Mike killed it on this record!! I can definitely hear the gospel influence in his voice. Love it! Love it! Love it!
3. Your Letter - (from Room 112) This is such a beautiful song. Imagine.. he finds a letter, reads it and thinks that his woman wrote it for him. His excitement is flat-lined when he realizes that the beautiful words of the letter are for someone else. (Aww...) This song not only displays 112's vocal talent but their willingness to show a man's vulnerability.
4. Anywhere - (from Room 112) I love this song because I believe every woman can appreciate a man who can toss his inhibitions out the door every now and then and be down to do it...anywhere! Sexy, sexy song!
5. Last 2 Know - (from Pleasure and Pain) This song speaks to one of the biggest problems in relationships---communication! Or should I say, lack thereof. LoL! Even if you don't want the relationship anymore, don't let your mate be 'the last to know.'
6. It's Over Now - (from Part III) This is the song you pump when you've declared that you're done with the lies, the games, and unappreciation...exhale and say it loud, 'It's Over Now!'
7. Knock U Down - This song was definitely a part of my "sexy, love making playlist" back in the day! LoL! HOT.
8. Slip Away - (from Hot & Wet) Okay, how many of us have had that one in our life who didn't appreciate what he/she had when they had it, and when they finally did, it was far too late and they let you slip away? Oh, how this song resonates with me! LoL! Love the message and 112's beautiful harmonies on this record.
9. U Already Know - (from Pleasure and Pain) Another sexy song from 112!
10. Love you Like I Did (from Room 112) - "Ain't nobody gonna do the things I did, ain't nobody gonna kiss the way I kiss, ain't nobody gonna love you like I did! Yes, indeed! Love it.
Click Here to read Mike's list.
New Joint: Mya "Fabulous Life"
Interesting direction Mya chose to go in on this one; I would almost call this dance music.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)