00:00Since the first album, World Outside My Window and Don't You Forget It and all that, you know, and had the opportunity, of course, to be in Made in Manhattan with Jennifer Lopez and Fall Again on the soundtrack and being in the movie itself, I was always working on music.
00:13After that whole situation, you know, I amicably separated from Sony. It was mutual. There was a lot of shifts and changes in the game, and a lot of the people that were spearheading my project, World Outside My Window, had left, gone in different directions, and, you know, it ended up being a lot of the new people that came in.
00:35Obviously, they had their own vision, people they wanted to bring in, things they wanted to do, and sometimes you can get lost in the mix, so separated from that situation, I've been in and out of different deals, but, you know, for one reason or another, I guess the timing wasn't right, the stars didn't align, but, you know, now with Rough House Capital, and it seems like the time is right, I got the new one, Moment of Truth, coming out October 15th.
00:57The meantime, in between time, I was always working on music. You know, I had a couple singles, like, you know, Storm and Good One, but now it's for real. You know, got the new one, Can't Say Love, got the new album, October 15th, Moment of Truth, so I'm excited.
01:11Yeah, yeah. What do you think you are coming, because I know you've been in the industry, obviously, but to many of us, it's like a comeback, right? So what do you think you, how are you approaching it differently than you did back then to how you're doing it now?
01:27That's a great question. Really, it's, I respect the business more. Not to say that I didn't then, but I was pretty green. Coming in, it was all about, I just wanted my music to be heard, and, you know, I wanted to touch people in the same way that a lot of the artists that I had admired affected my life.
01:47Along the way, I've kind of gained an appreciation for the creativity behind the scenes of, you know, being true to who you are, but, you know, creating looks for yourself or just learning the ins and outs of the business and learning about the game.
02:04And I think that kind of took, it kind of took, you know, front and center stage for me, you know, sort of in the past several years and getting into this new situation.
02:16So I'd have to say that that's probably the main thing right now that's kind of been like, okay, cool, like I'm a lot more focused and, you know, I've definitely matured in that area and a lot of other areas.
02:27I'm sure you're thinking everything happens for a reason.
02:30Sure, absolutely. I mean, you know, at the time, while you're going through it, no, you know, you're just like, really? Why am I sitting here?
02:36It was hard for me to even watch award shows. Like, I'm not a hater or nothing, but, you know, it was difficult because I always felt like I should be there, you know.
02:45But then after a while, it's like, you know, you see, you know all of what it takes for those artists to get to where they are.
02:52And from that standpoint, I would really cheer them on.
02:55But, you know, I guess eventually it was just sort of that thing.
02:59There was no guarantees, but it was sort of that thing where, you know, it was either going to happen or it wasn't.
03:05And I felt like it was a part of my purpose, you know, in life.
03:09And I was fortunate enough to be, you know, blessed with the opportunity to be back out, you know, with the sophomore effort.
03:16And, yeah, so, you know.
03:18So what do you think kept you positive all through those years?
03:22What kept you positive and what keeps you, you know, what made you not say, you know what, I give up?
03:28It was a couple times I was close.
03:30It was a couple times where, you know, I kind of felt like, you know, I don't know if this is for me.
03:35Fortunately enough, I had people placed around me from family to friends to even occasionally just going out on the street or I might be in a department store or a restaurant.
03:48A fan might walk up and be like, oh, or even an email, you know, where somebody's like, man, when you're coming back out, you know, you have no idea what your music has done for me.
03:55And I really hope you're coming back out.
03:57And, you know, people would have a lot of encouraging things to say.
04:00And that really, and it was always at a timely point, you know, so that really kept me going.
04:07And, I mean, just watching your career and seeing how fans can really, they don't forget, you know.
04:14You know, you may have had moments where you wanted to give up, but people don't forget, like, when you made such good music, you know, or you are continuing making it.
04:21No, definitely.
04:22Actually, it's crazy, too, because, you know, fans can be fickle, you know.
04:26So the fact that, you know, some of the music I've done thus far remained relevant with fans and they still, you know, check for me.
04:34I mean, it means everything because it's why any artist or musician, I would think, you know, would do it is for the fact of being able to affect people's lives the way that music has affected us, you know.
04:48So, you know, for somebody to let you know, it's, you know, that your music has, or my music has, you know, had an effect or impact on their life.
04:57And it's like, you know, it's really kind of hard to sum up in words, but it's definitely one of the most rewarding feelings.
05:04It's the reason why we do it.
05:05Nice, nice.
05:06So, 2013.
05:07Yep.
05:08State of R&B.
05:09Right.
05:10You wrote that op-ed piece and you said, R&B dudes lie to women.
05:15Tell me what you, like, let's talk about that op-ed and where you see the state of this genre being.
05:23Right.
05:23Well, actually, there's a record.
05:28Actually, I made that quote from a De La Soul record.
05:33And if I'm not mistaken, I want to say that it was off of Stakes is High, and I think it was Long Island.
05:40And Paz said, R&B dudes lie to women.
05:44And it was at a time where, like, I was honed in, locked in.
05:48That's what I, you know, I was like, I made the decision, like, yeah, this is my life's pursuit.
05:52This is what I want to do.
05:54So, I heard that line and I was like, man, really?
05:57But if you really think about it, art, oftentimes, you know, you hear the reference of art imitating life and vice versa.
06:06But, I mean, really, sometimes, I don't, I didn't think, over time, I was like, I don't think that's fair.
06:14I think, you know, life is perspective, you know.
06:18And I think people speak about, you know, what they know or what they wish to have or even just their whole expression with regards to primarily the two things that we, I would imagine every human being pursues.
06:34Love and happiness, you know, to love and be loved and, you know, whatever their definition of happiness or success is.
06:42And everyone has their own voice, you know.
06:45And mind you, you know, you got cats in R&B that, you know, they might make it seem like it's a whole lot more going on than there really is.
06:54But that happens in pretty much every genre of music.
06:56I think as far as where R&B is concerned and, you know, what's missing right now, I find that more and more there seems to be a lack of vulnerability, like people move away from it.
07:09And don't get me wrong, obviously, a woman appreciates a confident man, you know.
07:13But to have those moments timely, I ain't saying, you know, because somebody got to wear their pants, somebody, well, yeah, I'm going to leave that alone.
07:23But, yeah, I just think that there's nothing wrong when that moment arrives.
07:29To be able to let somebody know and be able to show them that, listen, this is what this relationship means to me.
07:35Like, you know, there's something to be said for somebody that a level of self-respect, self-love, and understanding of self-value and meeting that equivalent that they don't want to jeopardize what they have with that person.
07:48That person is their best friend, and they know why they're in it.
07:54And with respect to each other's time, energy, and making that choice to be there with one another, that, you know, that that's, I mean, if that's what they're looking for, that that's, you know, that would be, that's the ideal situation or the situation that I would imagine most people look for.
08:13You know, but I think, funny enough, society and the reflection of what's happening in the music, it's like most people have become almost narcissistic.
08:23I mean, that's, you know, I don't want to make it sound all negative, because I think it's all relative anyway.
08:26I think it's just like, you know, people are going to get to where they're supposed to, you know what I'm saying, people on their journey, when they're ready for it.
08:32If, you know, somebody's not necessarily ready for a relationship, just be real, you know what I'm saying.
08:35And if you are, then, you know, that's, you know, that's going to be your life's pursuit or your search.
08:42So, I don't know, it's, it's, it's, honestly, this is a topic that we should probably, you know, this is a whole other thing, you know, a whole other, we could be on this forever.
08:54So, my last question to you is just tell us more about Moment of Truth and what you're saying in the album and who you're working with.
09:01The Moment of Truth really is, you know, the focus going in was just, I wanted to have fun.
09:11I wanted it to be an album that, in translating it live, that, you know, I could really, like, reach out, touch the fans, have fun with the fans, a real personal body of work.
09:23I mean, all, you know, pretty much, I would imagine any artist, it's, it's personal, but I think for, for the hiatus that I've been on, it was really important for me to be able to show a different side.
09:36I figured maturity and all that stuff would just come through naturally because it's been so much time.
09:39So, I figured the maturity as an artist and the evolution as an artist would come through, but I paid specific attention to crafting an album that would show fans and would-be fans a different side.
09:55And, you know, each song, you know, you leave that, you leave a little piece of your heart and your soul in the booth, you know, and funny enough, that's kind of like how the title came about.
10:07Like, each song is sort of like a conversation piece or a moment of truth, and that's how I kind of arrived at the title.
10:14Wonderful.
10:15October 15th.
10:16October 15th, yeah.
10:17All right.
10:19All right.
10:19Let's cut.
10:20All right.
10:22Sorry, I got a little wordy.
10:23I was feeling the eyes and I was like...
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