Episodes
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Felly The Voice Talks Songwriting Process, Penning "Good Good" for Usher, Influences
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If you haven’t heard the name Jai’Len Josey, we are sure you’ll be hearing it everywhere soon. This songwriter, producer, and all around entertainer is back with her new double-single ‘Conversations from A Payphone’, a small yet impactful glimpse into her new era of music. The insane vocals and storytelling found in songs “Mixed Signals” and “Playground” remind us of why we became fans, and why we will be fans for life. Since we last spoke to her, Jai’Len has also released her first EP under Def Jam titled 'Southern Delicacy’ and was named M&M's and Rock the Bells Artist On The Rise, both of which we were able to touch on with her. The vision she has for her music never ceases to impress us, especially now knowing how much effort, thought, and love she continues to put into it after this interview . We hope you enjoy reading about it as much as we love speaking to her about it.We talked to Jai’Len about the stories behind “Conversations from A Payphone”, working with Harold Lilly and D’Mile, what to expect from her debut album, and much more.
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Missing episodes?
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Kevin Ross has no doubt been among our favorite artists to follow who have emerged over the past decade. His ability to effortlessly blend traditional R&B with some of the current sounds has kept us impressed throughout every release.
That is no different on his latest offering "Midnight Microdose Vol. 2" EP. His creativity is on full display as he delivers to us yet another dynamic project.
We recently had a chance to speak to him for an interview to get all of the background on the new project, as well as his reflections on his industry journey, what's next, and much more.
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We last spoke to Tone Stith when he dropped his EP ‘FWM’ and ‘Still FWM’ a couple years ago. Since then, he has continued to grow in the R&B scene as more and more people recognize his incredible vocals and talent. Tone recently dropped his newest EP ‘P.O.V’, a 7 track project full of examples of why we believe he is at the top of his game in this genre. We spoke to Tone about the meaning behind ‘P.O.V’, the inspiration behind some songs, his contributions to the current state of R&B, and more.
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LAYA first stole our attention back when she released her viral hit “Sailor Moon” and her EP ‘Um,Hello’ (which we had the privilege of speaking about with her). The unique style, vocals and creativity of this R&B Diva continue to allow her to float above the flood of many rising R&B artists and songs. Clear influences of Aaliyah, Brandy, and even Missy Elliott help LAYA create a familiar yet original pocket in the genre, which is why we look forward to everything she drops. The release of ‘Bet That’, LAYA’s second EP under Warner Records, reassured us why we feel any true fan of R&B should get familiar with her name. From the smooth melodies in “Slide” to the motivational lyrical content of “Left, Right, GO!”, LAYA has a uniqueness that should not go under appreciated. After picking her brain and seeing how much she cares for her craft, we enjoyed ‘Bet That’ even more. We spoke to LAYA about what inspired ‘Bet That', her evolution as an artist, what to expect from her in the future, and much more.
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It's been 20+ years since Musiq Soulchild launched his iconic career, and he continues to build upon his legendary status. We had a front row seat for the love and admiration that music lovers have for him when we recently got to attend one of his impressive four consecutive sold out shows in NYC. This follows the epic album he collaborated with producer Hit-Boy on and released earlier this year. That "Victims & Villains" project is easily a contender for album of the year. We had the opportunity to speak to Musiq between shows and have him reflect on that album nearly 6 months following it's release, as well as get the scoop on what keeps him so motivated to keep creating, new music he has in the works, as well as an upcoming documentary.
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If you’re like us, constantly searching for new R&B songs and talent to soak up, you’re bound to have come across one of the biggest female acts right now: Maeta. If not, take some time to listen to the Roc Nation artist’s most recent project When I Hear Your Name and you’ll see just why we were so excited to dive into some details of its making with her. Maeta has received praise from huge names like Pharell, Joe Budden, Robin Thicke and more, so it's no wonder she is quickly becoming one of our favorite voices in R&B. Working with some other newcomers that we’ve highlighted in the past such as Tone Stith, Ambré and Lucky Daye, Maeta is clearly on her way to making an even bigger name in the R&B space. Maeta shared with us what inspired When I Hear Your Name, working with songwriters Fallon and James Fauntleroy, her plans for the future and much more.
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Grammy Award-winning artist, Dante Bowe is tapping into R&B. Bowe recently released his self-titled album that marks his introduction into the R&B genre, while still maintaining his Christian/Gospel roots. We spoke with Dante Bowe about his inspiration, the process behind his new video for "Wind Me Up", and what's in store for the future.
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When we talk about 90’s R&B, it’s hard to ignore the impact that LaFace Records had on the genre. The trio of L.A. Reid, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Daryl Simmons created R&B classics that have proven to be timeless. These classics include “End OF The Road” by Boyz II Men, “My, My, My” by Johnny Gill and “Can We Talk” by Tevin Campbell. Daryl Simmons aka the Silent Partner also found major success after he parted ways with his production partners in the mid 90’s as he went onto produce for the likes of Dru Hill (“In My Bed”), Monica (“Why I Love You So Much”) and many other records. We talk to Daryl about his time in the music industry, his most memorable recording sessions including Toni Braxton’s debut album and also his retirement which he announced after the release of his Christmas album “Christmas With You”. He also touches on discovering Destiny’s Child early in their career and signing them to their label.
0:00 Intro1:07 Babyface's Tiny Desk performance2:20 Early origins with Babyface13:20 Developing work ethic25:50 The creation of "End Of The Road" of Boyz II Men35:18 Working on Mariah Carey's "Never Forget You"36:12 Toni Braxton's debut album41:20 Signing Destiny's Child early on52:08 Pink recorded Destiny's Child song "Stay" before the group55:15 Breaking from Babyface and L.A. Reid and success as a solo producer1:01:02 Working on Dru Hill's first album1:08:42 The Toni Braxton & Babyface joint album "Love, Marriage & Divorce" and After 7's "Timeless" album1:14:00 Christmas album release and retirement
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R&B music has been blessed with the talents of remarkable producers who have left an incredible mark on the genre. Tim Kelley, Brian Alexander Morgan, Antonio Dixon, Adonis Shropshire, Sean Garrett, and Eric Dawkins are all known for their exceptional writing and production skills and ability to create chart-topping hits. These producers embark on a journey to assemble their dream teams, resulting in an ultimate R&B experience. Let's delve into the creative minds of these producers as they envision their perfect lineup when it comes to the genre that we all love.
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Hailey Kilogore has been really grabbing our attention these last few months with the recent release of her EP “Desire and Devotion” (co-executive produced by Adam Blackstone) and her handful of singles that came out before that. Known for the role of Ti Moune on the Broadway show Once on This Island and as Jukebox on Power Book III: Raising Kanan, this singer/songwriter is now tackling a new journey of becoming an independent artist.
Although clearly an accomplished actress and individual already (she’s been nominated for a Tony Award after all), it’s now Hailey Kilogore’s time to shine as the powerhouse vocalist and songwriter she is. With songs like “Three” and “Miss U” that provide 90’s/2000’s nostalgia while keeping it fresh, Hailey is quickly becoming one of our favorite female R&B acts. Bringing back storytelling and emotion in her music through her lyrical content and vocal ability, it’s no wonder why we feel she will be a major threat in the years to come. We talked to Hailey about some artists who inspired her, the meaning behind her EP “Desire and Devotion”, working with Adam Blackstone, and much more.
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Hip-Hop Soul legend Musiq Soulchild gave us an album of the year contender when he released his new project "Victims & Villains" last month. The collaborative project with producer Hit-Boy is not only one of his best albums, but one of the best you'll hear all year.
We had a chance to catch up with him once again for an interview. During our conversation, he talked about his process for creating the album with Hit-Boy, some of the standout songs on "Victims & Villains", evolving his Hip-Hop Soul sound, and much more.
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Jai’Len Josey is one of the most unique and impressive talents we’ve come across from the new generation’s group of artists. Her music is packed with everything we look for in an R&B act: great songwriting, insane vocals, and real instrumentation. With the ability to produce, write and sing her own music, Jai’Len is an all around triple threat. Songs like “All Mine”, “When We Jump”, and “Good Soup” are the perfect showcase of these skills.
Fresh off of opening for Ari Lennox’s age/sex/location tour (who she penned hits “Pressure”, “Stop By” and “Gummy” for), Jai’Len is getting ready to release her second EP titled Southern Delicacy this Friday (April 14th). She shared with us who she worked with on this second EP, what she learned from her time on Broadway as Pearl in Spongebob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical, her experience working with Jermain Dupri on Ari’s “Pressure”, and much more.
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Sean Garrett was already a legendary songwriter, but he’s taken things to another level over the last two years thanks to his work on Summer Walker’s sophomore album “Still Over It” as well as Usher’s new single “GLU”. Sean Garrett aka “The Pen” is no stranger to number one hits as he’s written eighteen Hot 100 number-one singles including Usher’s “Yeah”, Ciara’s “Goodies” and Chris Brown’s “Run It”.
We had a chance to talk to the songwriter about his creative process working on Usher’s new single “GLU’. The song marked a reunion for Usher, Lil Jon and Sean Garrett as the trio had previously worked on the record “Yeah” together. Sean also talks about the new Usher album which is expected to come out very soon. We also talk to him about the work he did on Summer Walker’s recent album “Still Over It” and his experience working with Neptunes on the Summer song “That Girl Right There”. Lastly we touch on his thoughts about today’s era of R&B as well as his own solo music that he’s ready to put out.
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When Diddy announced that he was starting his new label Love Records, we were excited to see the fresh new talent he'd be unveiling. The first of those artists is dynamic singer/songwriter Jozzy who just released her debut EP via the label. We had a chance to catch up with her for an interview to discuss her journey as a songwriter, working with Diddy, signing to Love Records, creating her debut EP, and much more.
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Joyce Wrice has quickly become one of our favorite R&B artists of this generation. Her debut album “Overgrown” was met with glowing reviews from R&B fans as her work with D’Mile was a breath of fresh air for the genre as it blended the nostalgic sounds of the 2000’s with what’s happening today. Joyce recently released her brand new EP “Motive” and it’s another look into her journey and progression as an artist. We had a chance to talk to the singer about her creative process when creating the new album, her experience working with KAYTRANDA in the studio on the current single “Iced Tea” as well as her experience opening up for Lucky Daye on his “CANDYDRIP” tour earlier this year.
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Legendary hitmaker Jermaine Dupri has successfully been championing R&B for decades now. He's been able to transcend generations by creating hits with veterans and younger artists alike. His most recent example of the latter is when he scored one of his latest hit records by producing Ari Lennox's "Pressure". He followed that up with an executive producing role on DVSN's new album "Working On My Karma". This of course comes along with continuing to help build out Usher's next classic, while also celebrating his work on the 25th Anniversary of "My Way". We had a chance to catch up with Jermaine Dupri once again for an interview. During our conversation, we touched on the work he did on DVSN's new album, carrying the torch for R&B music, his memories of, working on the new Usher album, and a song he can't believe he created.
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Coco Jones has established herself as one of the brightest stars in 2022. Along with her acting skills being put on full display as Hilary Banks in the “Bel-Air”, the former Disney star has also showcased her vocals. She most recently released her EP “What I Didn’t Tell You” which has received raving reviews from both critics and fans. She’s also featured on R&B legend Babyface’s brand new album “Girls Night Out” on the song “Simple”. We had a chance to talk to the multi-talented star about her challenges in the industry, her recent success as well as some of the standouts on her new EP.
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Danny Boy's smooth voice can be heard on some of the memorable songs from the 90's including 2Pac's "I Ain't Mad At Cha" as well as "Picture Me Rolling". However his story is much deeper than those hits. The singer has had quite a journey in the industry since he first signed with Death Row in the mid 90's. After many false starts, Danny Boy is looking to pick up the pieces as he gears up for the release of upcoming album "Black Heart". We talk to the crooner about his history in the industry as well as his work with the likes of R&B legends Babyface, Devante Swing and DJ Quik. We also talk about his new music as well as his ventures outside of music including his restaurant in Chicag
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We had a chance to catch up with iconic R&B legend Usher upon the 25th Anniversary of his sophomore album "My Way". During our interview, we had a chance to speak to him about the creation of the album, how it was a foundation for the success that would follow, the bond he formed with Jermiane Dupri while working on the album, his current Las Vegas Residency, plans for new music, and much more.
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