00:00Oh, I hope I'm in the story you wrote
00:07On a path that only fear knows
00:10Oh, we can bust till it's dust
00:19Hello, I'm Almeen. I don't dance firstly, but I do sing and I do rap music and I'm here with
00:24Ebony.
00:25My upbringing has benefited my sound a lot, mostly because there wasn't, I think in the scarcity of R&B,
00:33where I grew up, is why I know as much about R&B as I do.
00:38Because it wasn't there and I had to find it myself and it ended up making this really fun relationship
00:44with the music where I felt like it didn't belong to anyone else but myself.
00:48I think now's the perfect time for this project, selfishly, because I feel like I haven't arrived yet, as Almeen,
00:58particularly with the music that's out right now.
01:00It's kind of, some people say that's crazy to say.
01:03But I feel like this is the first project that I'm proud of as a project, like a whole body
01:09of work that I feel like I've put work into being intentional with where I put songs on, even with
01:15a set list or like with the themes that I'm speaking about.
01:19So I've been very anxious and excited to release it, more than any other project I've ever done.
01:24I realise I need no one in the room that is not serving the song.
01:28I hate the big studios and the other stuff, when people just have like 17 people in the room for
01:34the vibe.
01:35No, please, ever, ever away from me.
01:37Because really what I need is just me, keyboard, ideally like an upright piano, and just a conversation.
01:45That's all I need with the people that are there to write the song.
01:48And I can go off from there.
01:49And the only way that I know that a song is there and true and right is if I start
01:54crying.
01:54That's the ultimate symbol.
01:55It happens every time.
01:56It's the moment when the mumbling of the melodies and what's happening.
02:00And one of the conversations we might have had before, and suddenly the words start to form in the middle.
02:05And it just kind of, there's this harmony moment where it just clicks.
02:08And it's very overwhelming.
02:10But that's when the song is done.
02:12The favourite part about my journey.
02:13Number three, meeting Rafael Sadiq.
02:15Working with Rafael Sadiq.
02:16That's big.
02:17Massive.
02:18Number two, working with No ID.
02:21Massive.
02:21Incredible.
02:22The mentor.
02:23The goat.
02:24And then number one, the real goat.
02:26Sorry, No ID.
02:26But you'd say the same thing.
02:29Having dinner at Stevie Wonder's house.
02:31My dream collaboration with right now.
02:33The last person that made me cry while I listen to their song is Dave.
02:39Chapter 16.
02:40Volcanoes.
02:41Probably the craziest song I've heard in the past, like, three years.
02:43I'm currently listening to, and always have and will be listening to, Mr. Stevie Wonder.
02:49All the time.
02:50My underground hero, Lewis Taylor.
02:53D'Angelo.
02:54Always.
02:55Man, this tour.
02:56It's going to be really fun.
02:58I have an amazing new band playing on this tour.
03:02We have been really excited about making, like, a different cover for every C.
03:08But, like, in a way, it's not just, like, playing the chords and doing whatever.
03:11Like, we're trying to do, like, even weird covers.
03:13I'm trying to do, like, rap covers in the middle of my tour set.
03:17I think what people should be excited for is just, is actually me being excited for a tour.
03:21Because I hated touring up until this point.
03:22But for the first time, I feel like I'm actually excited for one.
03:25Thank you for letting me ramble in your ears today.
03:30Especially if you had headphones on.
03:32Much appreciated.
03:33This has been Elmene with Ebony.
03:36And there are three people behind the camera right now.
03:39Two from New York, one not from New York.
03:40We are outnumbered.
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