- 1 day ago
A performance and interview by Ledisi
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🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00hello hello everyone happy December and welcome to our final music Monday episode for the year
00:13um you know we had to close out with the bang so I'm super excited about this next guest that
00:18we have coming today she truly truly truly needs no introduction especially to all of
00:23our essence fam out there watching she is a grammy-nominated songtress author actress she
00:30also just hit number one on billboard I mean you guys know her you love her so let's just go ahead
00:35and bring her in everyone please welcome let us see me hi everybody grab me wow the final Monday
00:43music yeah I made it we definitely I mean save the best for last is the same but like it doesn't get
00:53any better you know we love you here at essence our audience loves you so you know it's it's an
01:00honor really to do this um with you and to have you kind of close us out in this way so welcome
01:06well thanks for having me it's an honor really it is uh gosh I love essence and of course I love your
01:12fan base yeah and the love is is forever return always always welcome here and we always you know
01:21look forward to cheering you on and all the more amazing things that you're going to do
01:25but um I will not um bore everyone with my uh uh let us see fangirling any longer
01:31let's get into the fall yes yes yes so you know I'm jumping ahead of myself a little bit but I have to
01:51jump to this because I just seen it as I mentioned in your intro number one billboard anything for you
01:57I mean first of all I mean I have to say and I know everyone out there watching will agree I
02:03actually did it it's a little crazy that this is your first number one uh on billboard that you
02:09mentioned like I know I can think of you know a host of let us see songs that should have hit number
02:13one by now and I know they'll all be in the comments saying the same thing but congratulations
02:18and how does that how does that feel well it feels extra special because it's on my own label now
02:24you know with listen back entertainment taking a risk in putting out a live recording during a
02:31pandemic uh this year that was huge for me um just taking a lot of risks this year and uh going for it
02:40full-on faith and trusting my fan base and my brand so but I didn't expect number one at all that was all
02:47the listeners they they wanted it up there and and then made it happen the radio station so I I'm
02:54grateful for that my first number one I've always gotten to number two with like pieces of me and I
03:00blame you and all the other songs but this one made it to number one so it's it's special yeah it's
03:08supposed to be at number one so I thank you for that yeah and it's so deserved I saw the video has like
03:14over three million views on youtube so we filmed that pandemic too everything was
03:21wheezed around we had to sanitize that whole studio so that I can come in there
03:26and my husband filmed it and uh you know and now it's grammy nominated I mean
03:31we're just this this year has blown my mind has all the things
03:35all the things where were you when you got the news about the billboard news and you know
03:42to film a uh virtual tour is gonna happen pretty soon and I was getting ready for that early in the
03:50morning of course I'm in my jammies and everybody calls the phone just you just hear the phone going
03:56off so I was like okay what happened is it oh yeah that's right it's nominations they're announcing it this
04:02morning and the first one I saw was mom congratulations you did it again I'm like
04:07oh I don't know what I did but I'll look at it later and then I get to the virtual
04:12sleeping and everybody's going crazy so yeah anything for you was uh nominated for best traditional
04:19uh r&b performance so I'm honored honored yeah and we'll definitely be tuning in we're speaking this
04:26grammy 13 nominated 13 later i'm susan lucci for real oh man yeah that's actually a great
04:39correlation no but this won't be the one I mean you know all of the songs were definitely well
04:43deserved all those nominations were well deserved but anything for you has been very so well received
04:50um and you know we loved it I think it's definitely been one of the bright spots in our in the in the
04:54quarantine and then I'm honored honored I just you know I do this for the music and for my legacy
05:01that's what matters the most more than anything and that the people are still there I'm still here girls
05:07still here for sure now you talked about recording the whole album um and uh you know kind of piecing
05:16this together and the rollout and everything for it was done you know this year during the quarantine
05:20during the pandemic so what were some of the differences that you kind of had to step into
05:25and embrace with you know having to get this album done um and also even shooting videos you know during
05:31the quarantine period what was that experience like it was crazy because I didn't we had I had two songs
05:37left to finish to finish for the rest of the album I recorded in my closet and waiting for the equipment
05:44to get here praying that it delivers you know Amazon and waiting for the postal service to drop everything
05:52off I mean it was crazy and then setting it up in my room finishing uh songwriting via text and zooming
06:00back and forth uh wow it was crazy and I finished the last two songs which was without you and in it to win
06:08the wild card so I finished those two uh people were trying to mix it at their homes you know we had to
06:15change a lot of stuff around but you know that reminded me luckily I have the skill set that I have
06:22yeah from being an intern and learning how to create music from that aspect so I had to use my full-on
06:30not just my CEO I had to be become hands-on again like the like the original days yeah artist again so
06:39I'm full circle in it and it was beautiful it's beautiful it's made me a stronger um entrepreneur
06:45a stronger businesswoman a stronger human just being what I do when you create something with your hands
06:52it makes you feel proud I recorded those vocals honey that's warm right here in this room so it's it's
07:00and you know in this quarantining time it's just taught me how to just find out other skill sets we're
07:07now we're our own lighting director our own yeah we're editing ourselves we're putting on our face
07:14and makeup ourselves we're our stylists so we make it work it's been a a climb but putting out the album
07:22on the internet you have to trust online uh services you had to figure out how to get bright great lighting
07:30be more interactive with your fan base uh share uh other forms of streaming with other
07:37platforms I'm learning a lot about algorithms it's been you asked so I told you it's no no I mean that's
07:47that I mean you I think you kind of said it in the in a nutshell like so many people have been saying
07:53that like you know it's been a time to you know I think as artists you guys roll up your sleeves anyway so
07:57much more than we as fans know but you know during quarantine you know it's really been a time to
08:03you didn't have a choice either you know you're going to do it yourself or it's not going to get
08:06done so and we're so happy that you got this done the album is phenomenal so we're loving loving loving
08:12that um and then also you know when I think about longevity and I think about respect and artists that
08:20are you're so well respected even across genres and I think you're just a name that um comes up you
08:26know no matter who it is that's really yes like I hear I don't know that I just work in my little
08:32bubble so really Rachel what else no yeah I mean you know I work I work on essence fest so I hear you
08:40know we get a lot of um you know just feedback and requests and and things like that and a lot of love
08:46from the from the essence fest audience of course and you know where the essence fest is we love
08:51edicy like let's see so see I'm changing the edicy no we love that so as an artist who's so well
08:59respected across genres I mean I think I see a little bit of everyone gospel I think I actually
09:04seen you um in a concert one time um I think it was in Brooklyn a couple years ago you were opening for
09:09Kirk Franklin so you guys have been you were on tour with Kirkland yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah so it's
09:16is there anything and I feel like you've done so much Grammy you're act you're Grammy nominated
09:20you're acting you have books out um what is something or is there anything that you haven't
09:26done yet that you're like I gotta do that or I want to do that or I can't wait to do xyz oh there's
09:32so much happening that I can't put it all into words but I do know more acting has already started
09:41I'm in between the world and me you know I wrote a song for that I've done um I've done
09:48two television shows since quarantine I'm also working on a film uh coming up I start that next
09:56week so I can't talk about it right now I'm I'm gonna be when the world opens up I'll be doing the
10:03life directed by Billy Porter on Broadway there's a lot of stuff happening for me I'm I'm recording
10:10more as well there's more music coming uh I'm just excited about my life I can't complain about the
10:17journey what I what I what I do know is I want to write more books I do want to be still become more
10:24of an educator um to a generation I didn't realize people are listening to me so I need to do more of
10:33that and helping others out I love helping where I where if someone needs me I want to be there for them
10:40so um using that other side of my voice um but the acting thing has broken me out of my shell this
10:47year broken me out of my shell by interacting with people I would never even speak to being on shows I
10:53would never speak to and there's a whole generation that's looking up to me that I didn't know about
10:58so I'm learning a lot about things by being of service and being open on to try new things and that's
11:07what this year was about transparency so I'm I've learned so much this year and it's been a painful
11:14year meaning a lot of loss but also a glorious year of great things that have happened for me
11:21so whatever I want to do is just going to happen when it's time I just do it and I say guys when it's
11:28time I'll do it but right now I'm just happy there's a fan base that still enjoys what I'm bringing to the
11:34table so yeah no more quitting for me I'm here I'm in there certainly is a fan base I would even
11:42venture to say it's growing um because of you spoke about transparency and you also spoke about
11:47and when you say transparency I also think about longevity and when you think about longevity you know
11:55there is seems to be a a key to that to that success a little bit um and to making timeless art in
12:02the way that you do like you you make the music that you make you could put it on um you know you
12:07could put your records on from five ten years ago and it could feel like something that could fit you
12:12know live in in today's climate and then vice versa with your new project so how do you think you've
12:17been able I guess what's that key or what's that for any of our aspiring artists um out there that are
12:21watching or even aspiring on folks looking to get into the music industry and help artists create that
12:26formula like what are some of the I guess keys that you've leaned on over the years to to make that
12:32happen people love authenticity they love you to be whoever you are be that all the way yeah um embrace
12:41who you are and and enjoy your lane or your lanes because I have several lanes enjoy them all and embrace
12:49them and balance them where you can and just know your fan base may not like everything you like or you
12:56want to be but be that because that's authentic to who you are um nobody changed me I've always been
13:04made the lanes that I want to go in and just did it took a risk uh don't be afraid of risks
13:11and uh because when I took a risk I got a whole new fan base that I never knew would even listen to
13:17my voice like that blew me away when I high came out every I got a whole new younger audience that I didn't
13:26know knew who I even was you know so that opened the door for me so just have fun if you're not
13:32having fun quit because nobody wants to see a bitter artist you know um but I'm having a lot of fun
13:40I take time for me and I do it because I love it if I do it for accolades and for people I can't make
13:47people like me I can't make them buy my music all I can just be a great example of what I love to hear
13:53and what God put me on this earth do after that whether you like it or not has nothing to do with
13:59me that's your opinion what has to do is did I put out quality work that when I I'm no longer here that
14:06people can go to and say like you said classic longevity is I am a classic artist I am an artist
14:15that's timeless and that I can go to any genre I want to go to I made that path for me I worked hard
14:21I worked hard on it I kick butt at it and I'm good at it and I know my purpose so I'm I'm in that lane
14:28walking with high heels sometimes combat boots sometimes
14:31yeah or a leather jacket and a hat like today listen you'll let us see you get what I mean
14:40so walk your walk talk your talk and be whoever you are fully unapologetically um I've been black
14:47since I started black black before black was in before it was oh yeah yeah I'm the same band to
14:57knots I started with now it's the thing it's the thing to do but for me it's always been the thing
15:04so just enjoy all of yourself and let the world catch up to you don't chase anybody I'm not chasing
15:11anybody I'm gonna be right where I am great great great advice definitely great advice for someone
15:17who's kind of looking to find their footing and just getting into things so that's with anybody
15:22anything you're in whatever you're doing whether it be editing or behind the scenes or in front of
15:28the camera like you Rachel there's only one you they'll never yeah and I was going to say the other
15:35thing that I hear coming through that you didn't say it but you exude it is confidence like you know
15:39you know carrying that confidence like you know and I know that that for all of us you know it's
15:44a journey you have to get there nobody kind of wake you don't you know just step up you know well some
15:48people are bless them some people can wake up and just you know have it or they you know but for most
15:53of us you know it's a journey and sometimes it's a restart button right you have to push yeah you know
16:00that is you there's no one else is beautiful and gorgeous see we we forget as black people how incredible
16:08we are how much royalty we are we we let all the outside of the world tell us who we are
16:14but we're born incredible no matter what I don't care what you say we have to fix those things that
16:21we allow in to keep chopping away the world experience is going to bring us back down but
16:26when we're kids we're free we're we're vibrant we even oh what's that what you got I don't want to
16:33see you know and then we lose you know don't don't lose that keep finding we come back to it we go
16:41through hell to come back to being grown to say bye mm-hmm no that's the truth yes no that is that is
16:52the god honest truth for sure I hope y'all taking notes because I'm you know I can't write right now
16:58but I'm taking these notes taking these mental notes I'm just happy I'm growing I love getting grown
17:03it's just another level of what do I have to lose what do you have to go for it yeah go for it yeah
17:11and so speaking about classic timeless music we're getting ready to get into a performance of stone
17:17so I know for all of us out there and I'm pretty sure there's everyone that's watching that has heard
17:21the album has the album you know all of those things that stream the album um tell us a little bit
17:27about well we've got a chance to hear but tell us a little bit about stone and about the performance
17:31we're going to see yes Joan is a song that's written by Diva Mahal Taj Mahal's daughter she's a wonderful
17:37songwriter but she's also an incredible artist and I asked her if she can write a couple of songs for my
17:43new project the wild card when and it took me three years to just figure out what kind of lane I want to
17:49be in on this project and the wild card is basically about me being my version of soul which is all over
17:56the place it can be old school soul it can be new it can be classic r&b brown liquor it could be whatever
18:04or a little bit of rock edge to it and stone has that little rock blues edge and we forget that this
18:10is all of our music it's not just all of our music is colorless blues to classical to jazz to whatever
18:18and so for me this version of soul stone is about I'm stronger than stone my will is my own my soul
18:26is free sometimes it's too fast for y'all to see that means catch up sometimes people can't catch up
18:34that's how strong and powerful I am I'm so ahead of my time and I love that song and that that you have
18:40your ancestors over here and over here and around here they they help build your way so you have to
18:47continue that and not everybody's going to understand you so just move forward and that's
18:52what stone is about and I recorded this with a friend guitar friend of mine xavier um an acoustic
18:58version of it so you can hear my voice right here just like well my hair my hair a little different on
19:04video but i'm still cute i figured it would be a good song for you guys to a performance for you guys to
19:14have so all right well we certainly cannot wait let's get into this performance of stone from
19:20lettucy's new album the wild card
19:25be the wisdom of the ages quick baby turn my pages
19:35i wear my heart on my sleeve ain't no use
19:39so being close to all life's possibilities though you may not understand me i know who i am
19:49life ain't full of soft landings still strong i stand i'm stranded by water and i shall not be moved
19:59and the blood of my ancestors lie deeply in these roots i've traveled a good distance and i got a ways
20:09to go yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah i'm stronger than stone stone stone my will is my own
20:23oh my soul is free free sometimes it's too fast for y'all to see
20:37oh life passes you by though you are frequently chasing time with my two feet on the ground
20:53and i'm gonna march on i'm gonna march on hard open wide i'm stronger than stone hey
21:01strong stone my will is my own
21:05oh my soul is free free free sometimes it's too fast for y'all to see
21:19oh my will is my own
21:27hey can't nobody tell me now my soul is free
21:32oh yeah yeah yeah sometimes it's too fast too much
21:41oh my soul is free
21:45oh my will is my own
21:47hey can't nobody tell me now my soul is free
21:54oh yeah yeah yeah sometimes it's too fast too much i'm just so much that i can't stay one place i've gotta fly
22:07be me hey stronger stronger than stone
22:12all right i hope you guys enjoyed that i know i did i hope you'll be ready to you know press rewind
22:28um that was that that was amazing that was that was amazing thank you so much for for sending that
22:35and sharing that um with us uh for sure so before we go we do have a few fan questions that i wanted to
22:41ask you um so really quickly so our first fan question is from facebook and the question is
22:48were there any songs that did not make the cut for the wild card yes actually there were probably four
22:55songs but we may bring back one later in the year top of next year 2021 and um so that people can hear
23:04what did make the uh project i think it would be a good um way to you know tell people about some of the
23:11songs that did the reason they didn't make it is because probably not enough time that's probably it
23:18but yeah there are some songs that didn't make it okay so i'm sure they'll be all in your comments
23:23looking after those you know the fans love to be like you said
23:29i promise you one of them will definitely come out in 2021 okay and then we have a question from
23:36twitter i think you kind of already answered this but is it will we see you acting again and so i
23:42think you mentioned um that you're there's a film that you're working on and but i did see and you
23:47mentioned broadway um a little bit and what you're doing there but you give a little preview of
23:53that right on instagram with yeah if you go to my instagram page uh the life billy uh porter is
23:58bringing that back it's a revival version of the life that new york city center is putting together
24:05we were gonna do it in march of this year but you know covet happened so it's gonna be moved to when
24:11the world opens up broadway world opens up so we'll be able to do that and billy porter's directing it
24:17so and i'm playing the part that the legendary lilius white uh played in in uh the life so
24:26it's big shoes but you know i'm gonna do what i do and hopefully i'll get by yeah and hopefully the
24:32world lets us back outside and we get to come back to work girl musicians
24:41listen you guys have been grinding it out though because there's been so much great music that came
24:44from this period yes during this crazy time crazy years so well thank you so so much let us see
24:51um before we get out of here definitely let people know where they can find you on social media and if
24:57there's anything else that you have coming up that you want to share that people should check out
25:01um just please stay connected with me online um especially on my instagram i like to hang out there
25:09and facebook and twitter is just let us see and let us see dot com purchase my um music that helps me
25:16stay afloat while we're still here waiting to play outside and um yeah i'll be doing a virtual tour uh
25:23online that you can see and um gosh i check out my pbs special where i tribute the great nina simone
25:30i was executive producer on that it's been a lot of things that i finally had out there so you can find all
25:37those things at let us see dot com essence thank you again to everyone at essence for always giving
25:42me a platform a voice to speak to my beautiful black women women of color and uh just thank you rachel
25:51for for the day letting me be a part of music monday i appreciate it no thank you and thank you for
25:58being here thank you for all the love you always show to essence fest so we look forward to you know
26:03hopefully getting essence back in person next year if you guys didn't see um let us see's performance
26:09um you i think you can believe you can check it out um on uh essence.com as well still from this
26:14year's festival it was an amazing performance actually anything for you and then that was the
26:19first time i ever heard my voice was like what are you doing and we were like we can't
26:25oh thank you we love you looking forward to seeing what 2021 brings for you and thank all of you guys
26:40out there for tuning in hanging in with us this year for music mondays and that's going to be a
26:46wrap on music mondays and we'll see you in 2021. bye
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