The Funk Brothers

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10 Unsung Heroes Of Motown: The Funk Brothers, The Velvelettes & More

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To celebrate Motown's 60th anniversary ahead of Motown 60: A GRAMMY Celebration airing on CBS on April 21, we're highlighting 10 of the label's secret weapons
Bonnie Stiernberg
GRAMMYs
Apr 16, 2019 - 9:30 am

When we talk about the iconic Motown Records, there are a slew of legendary artists whose names come to mind: Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops. But—in addition to the superstars who helped cement the Detroit label's sound and launched black music into the U.S. mainstream pop landscape—there are plenty of unsung heroes who contributed to its vast legacy, many whom are at the foundation of the Motown sound.

Whether session musicians like The Funk Brothers and The Andantes, who played or sang on many of the best-known Motown hits, or The Velvelettes, who simply put out a few minor hits worthy of revisiting, the lesser-known artists associated with Berry Gordy and company are equally deserving of recognition. So to celebrate Motown's 60th anniversary ahead of Motown 60: A GRAMMY Celebration (which will air on CBS on April 21), we're highlighting 10 of the label's secret weapons.

The Funk Brothers

Motown's house band, hand-picked by Berry Gordy, played on many of the label's most iconic hits—including Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," The Temptations' "My Girl," The Supremes' "Baby Love," Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)," and Smokey Robinson's "The Tears of a Clown"—but the group of 13 session musicians didn't receive their due credit until much later. While at Motown, they would often moonlight for other labels to supplement their income (notably playing on Jackie Wilson's 1967 "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," and when the label moved to Los Angeles in 1972, the Funk Brothers were relieved of their duties. Fortunately, a 2002 documentary, Standing In The Shadows of Motown, shined a light on their legacy and in 2004 they were awarded a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Andantes

Like the Funk Brothers, you can hear The Andantes on many of your favorite Motown hits. The trio—composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps—provided back-up vocals on five No. 1 singles for the label ("My Guy" by Mary Wells, "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There" by the Four Tops, "Love Child" by Diana Ross & The Supremes, and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye). But their tenure at Motown includes far more than just those tracks; they sang on 16 Four Tops songs, 12 Martha & The Vandellas singles, eight Supremes recordings, 14 Marvelettes songs, five Temptations recordings and 15 Marvin Gaye singles. They released a single of their own, "(Like A) Nightmare," in 1964; though it was credited to The Andantes, it featured lead vocals from Ann Bogan of the Marvelettes.

Mable John

In 1959, Mable John became the first female artist signed to Motown's Tamla subsidiary. The blues vocalist released her first single for the label, "Who Wouldn't Love A Man Like That?," the following year, and unfortunately, it flopped around the same time more pop-influenced and radio-friendly Motown groups were beginning to take off. As a result, Berry Gordy decided to drop blues from the label, and he terminated her contract in 1962. She landed on her feet, however; after leaving Motown, she spent years as one of Ray Charles' Raelettes, and in 1966 she released Stay Out of the Kitchen on Stax Records and earned herself a hit with "Your Good Thing Is About To End," which peaked at No. 6 on the R&B chart.

The Originals

Often referred to as "Motown's best-kept secret," The Originals, like the Andantes, spent much of their career singing background vocals for other artists. They can be heard on tracks like Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life," Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," Edwin Starr's "War," and Marvin Gaye's "Just to Keep You Satisfied." In fact, it was Gaye who helped them branch out on their own, co-writing and producing two of their biggest singles, "Baby, I'm For Real" and "The Bells." Later in the '70s, they started experimenting with disco, earning themselves a No. 1 dance chart hit with 1976's "Down to Love Town."

The Velvelettes

The Velvelettes began recording for Motown in 1963, and though they never reached the same levels of success as their fellow girl groups The Supremes or Martha and the Vandellas, they were responsible for a few moderate hits for the label. 1964's "Needle in a Haystack" peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its follow-up, "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" topped out at No. 64. The group never released a full-length album, but in 1982 they enjoyed some newfound recognition when Bananarama covered "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" (renaming it "Really Saying Something").

The Underdogs

Garage rock isn't necessarily what we think of when we think of Motown, but it absolutely is a huge part of Detroit's musical history, and The Underdogs were already hometown heroes by the time they signed to Motown's VIP label in the mid-'60s. The Underdogs were the first white band signed by Motown, and they recorded their own version of Chris Clark's "Love Gone Bad" in 1966 as well as a cover of The Temptations' "The Way You Do The Things You Do." They tapered off in 1967, but their legacy endures, earning them spots on several Nuggets compilations.

Eddie Holland

Eddie Holland had some early success as a solo artist for Motown with hits like "Jamie," but he suffered from terrible stage fright and eventually made the transition to working behind-the-scenes for the label. He became one-third of the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting and production team with his brother Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. Eddie Holland served as the team's lyricist, writing 10 out of 12 of The Supremes' No. 1 singles as well as hits like "Heat Wave" by Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye's "Can I Get A Witness" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and the Four Tops' "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)." In 1988, the trio was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and two years later, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Syreeta Wright

Syreeta Wright—also known simply as Syreeta—began her career at Motown as a receptionist in 1965. She eventually worked her way up to singing on demos of Supremes songs before singing background for that girl group as well as Martha and the Vandellas. In 1968, she met labelmate Stevie Wonder, and the two co-wrote "It's A Shame" for The Spinners in 1969. Wright also co-wrote and sang background on Wonder's iconic "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)", and in 1970, the two married. They divorced two years later, but remained close collaborators, with Wonder producing her debut album, Syreeta, as well as its follow-up, 1974's Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta. She enjoyed success outside of Stevie Wonder as well, however; she collaborated with Billy Preston on the 1979 hit "With You I'm Born Again" and recorded an album of duets with Preston in 1981. Sadly, she passed away in 2004 after a battle with cancer.

Chris Clark

One of the few white artists to be signed to Motown at the time, Chris Clark earned hits with 1965's "Do Right Baby Do Right" and 1966's "Love's Gone Bad." In the early '70s, she served as an executive in Motown's Los Angeles-based Film and Television Production Division, and in 1972, she co-wrote the screenplay for Lady Sings The Blues, the Billie Holiday biopic starring Diana Ross. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay, while Ross received a Best Actress nomination.

The Elgins

The Elgins may have had a secondhand name (Berry Gordy wanted the group to use the moniker, which was the original name for The Temptations), but they were the first ones to record the Holland-Dozier-Holland hit "Heaven Must Have Sent You" in 1966. The song peaked at No. 50 on the US pop charts, but it later enjoyed cult success within the UK's Northern Soul scene, reaching No. 3 on the UK singles chart in 1971. Bonnie Pointer later recorded a version of the song in 1979. The group broke up in 1967, but their status as hidden gems remains.

"Motown 60: A GRAMMY Celebration" Set To Film On Feb. 12 In Los Angeles

Kenny Lattimore

Kenny Lattimore

Photo: Paul Morigi/WireImage/Getty Images

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Kenny Lattimore Pays Tribute To Mentors Ashford & Simpson At GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends

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Find out what early Marvin Gaye hits Lattimore and Valerie Simpson sang together during the celebratory show
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 9, 2019 - 10:48 am

"Wow, when I think about it, [Ashford & Simpson] have been like mentors in a way, and embraced me from the beginning," GRAMMY-nominated R&B great Kenny Lattimore said while backstage at the 2019 GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends.

 During the celebration, GRAMMY nominees Valerie Simpson and her late husband Nickolas Ashford, who wrote and produced decades of hits as Ashford & Simpson, received the Recording Academy's prestigious Trustees Award.

Watch Kenny Lattimore & Valerie Simpson Duet

To pay tribute to their indelible musical impact, Lattimore and Simpson herself took the stage together to duet two early Ashford & Simpson-penned hits, originally recorded by the one and only GRAMMY-winning Prince Of Soul, Marvin Gaye.

The pair sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "You're All I Need To Get By," both of which were recorded by Gaye and Tami Terrell at Motown, in 1967 and 1968, respectively. The former song was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 1999.

"But doing this duet program tonight is just the highest honor I could do for Mr. Nickolas Ashford," Lattimore added, before offering up his smooth, rich vocals to bring the unforgettable songs to life.

Don't forget to tune into GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends on Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check your local listings) to watch Simpson's and Lattimore's full performance and many more heartwarming moments.

Watch Asia Ashford Honor Her Parents, Ashford & Simpson, At GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends

Asia & Nicole Ashford

Asia & (sister) Nicole Ashford

Photo: Donna Ward/Getty Images

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Watch Asia Ashford Honor Her Parents, Ashford & Simpson, At GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends

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Tune into GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends on Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check your local listings)
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 8, 2019 - 10:00 am

GRAMMY nominees Valerie Simpson and her late husband Nickolas Ashford contributed to countless soulful hits for decades as the powerhouse songwriting and production duo (and sometimes as the performers themselves) Ashford & Simpson. At the 2019 GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends earlier this year, they were honored with the Recording Academy's Trustees Award.

During the celebration, Simpson served up a powerful rendition, along with Kenny Lattimore, of one of the songs they penned and produced while working at the iconic Motown, "You're All I Need To Get By." The love song was recorded by none other than Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1968.

Asia Ashford Celebrates Ashford & Simpson's Legacy

Asia Ashford, the daughter of the two honorees, was there to celebrate with her mother, rocking her dad's fabulous vintage gold, beaded jacket.

"I'm pretty sure that he would've been be elated and just so happy to be here, and it's well deserved," Ashford said, smiling. "[My parent's] wrote melodies and they wrote really good lyrics together. I feel like future generations are not writing lyrics as poignant as we're used to hearing, so I hope that [their legacy] effects it well."

The fourth annual GRAMMY Salute extravaganza took place in the heart of Hollywood to honor all of the Recording Academy's 2019 Special Merit Award recipients. Ashford & Simpson were two out of four artists presented with the Recording Academy's prestigious Trustees Award during this year's show. Lou Adler and Johnny Mandel were the other recipients of the honor this year, given to celebrate exemplary contributors to music, outside of performance.

Black Sabbath, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Billy Eckstine, Donny Hathaway, Julio Iglesias, Sam & Dave and Dionne Warwick are the 2019 recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, and were also celebrated at the show.

Don't forget to tune into GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends on Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check your local listings) to watch Simpson's and Lattimore's full performance, plus more magical moments.

Watch: Lalah Hathaway Honors Late Father Donny Hathaway In Moving GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends Performance

Ramblin' Jack Elliott at The Freight & Salvage

Ramblin' Jack Elliott at The Freight

Photo: Hail McGrath

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Historic Berkeley Folk Venue Freight & Salvage Welcomes A New Generation Of Music Fans

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"There's kind of a special feeling when you walk in. It's like you are walking into someone's extra-large living room with a bunch of your close friends," Sharon Dolan, the historic venue's Executive Director recently explained
Lily O'Brien
GRAMMYs
Oct 4, 2019 - 9:20 am

When The Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse opened its (original) doors in 1968 in Berkeley, Calif., the intention was to create a cafe and gathering place for the community. Housed in a former used furniture store (thus, the name of the venue), it began to attract local musicians—acoustic guitar strummers, banjo pickers, fiddle players and more. It soon became the nexus for the burgeoning traditional folk and old-time music scene that was rooted in the anti-establishment, counter-culture, radical and experimental ethos of the iconic '60s and '70s eras.

Now, 51 years later, this legendary establishment is still going strong. The Recording Academy spoke to several of the people who help run the venue to learn how it's still shining bright.

In 1983, the popular club became a nonprofit, "the Berkeley Society for the Preservation of Traditional Music," to be exact. Five years later, the Freight moved to a slightly larger venue nearby, in 1988, eventually moving to its current home at 2020 Addison St. in 2009. The newer space offers an inviting, architect-designed 400-plus seat performance hall with a state-of-the-art sound system from Berkley's Meyer Sound. Yet even as they've grown, their space—and those who perform there—retains the rustic and intimate atmosphere.

Read: Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY: Fantastic Negrito

Just down the block from other popular cultural institutions—Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Aurora Theater Company and the California Jazz Conservatory—it is firmly planted in the heart of the Downtown Berkeley Arts District. A large, eclectic group of local and international artists, like Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Teresa Trull and David Grisman, have graced its stage, in genres ranging from traditional folk, blues, jazz, bluegrass, world and classical music.

GRAMMY-nominated Windham Hill Records artist Barbara Higbie has served on the Freight's Board of Directors for 14 years, and is currently its Co-Chair. A pianist, composer and fiddler, she began performing there 42 years ago, alongside fiddler Daryl Anger and guitar and mandolin player Mike Marshall.

"The City of Berkeley really wooed the Freight to come down there [to the current area], because they wanted to create an arts district, and at the time, the club was bursting at the seams," Higbie explained. "The Freight has so much goodwill. In the East Bay there are a few big communities that have supported it in a big way—the bluegrass community, the women's community, the blues community, the people who really love singer/songwriters and the alt-country community." 

Deeply passionate about preserving the integrity of the club, she initially had some concerns about the new venue, based on what she had seen happen to other spaces in the Bay Area. Now, 10 years later, she believes they are on the right track.

"I had experienced so many clubs getting bigger and either going out of business or changing beyond recognition," she explained. "I am so loyal to the Freight and I want it to survive, so it was a really a big concern to me that we didn't become just a commercial venue." 

Three years ago, Peter Williams was hired as the new Program Director at the Freight and has been giving their programming a fresh, worldly spin. With a resume that includes prominent positions at the Green Music Center in Sonoma, the Napa Valley Opera House, and Yoshi's in Oakland, his eclectic musical background made him the perfect choice.

"When the position became open I was really excited about it, because they wanted to diversify the programming and the audience a bit, so it sounded like a great opportunity for me to get creative and put all my musical tastes to work," Williams said over the phone. 

He explained the Freight's focus for many years had mostly been Americana and bluegrass music before he came on board. He began mixing it up by booking a healthy mix of Latin and world music artists, including bands from Haiti, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

"Since Peter came, it's been phenomenal—he's such an expert at booking," Higbie revealed. "He is balancing it out amazingly between big draws, keeping all the constituents happy, bringing in new communities and trying to expand. He is a really visionary booking person and I think it has made a huge difference."

Not long before Williams, current Executive Director Sharon Dolan came onboard in 2015, after many years as a patron and volunteer. She is committed to preserving the Freight's original ideology of diversity.

"When I first got there, I saw the potential to fully live out our mission of preserving and promoting traditional music from a variety of cultures around the world," she said. "Historically we had focused on music from the folk revival from when we were founded in 1968—bluegrass, old-time and Celtic music. We still continue to do all that, but we also saw an opportunity to broaden our thinking and reach more people, partly by community outreach and partly by what we were putting on stage."

Dolan feels that the newer venue has maintained the comfortable, welcoming atmosphere it has always been known for. "There's kind of a special feeling when you walk in. It's like you are walking into someone's extra-large living room with a bunch of your close friends—a shared experience that we have. It's different from being in a large stadium show where the audience is so far away. You are right there, and there's much more of a connection between the performers and the audience, and that's a really key part of what happens here."

Along with the innovative and eclectic programming, the Freight also offers music classes for adults and kids, open mic nights and education and community outreach programs, to further its mission. 

"Our new education programming is part of our longer-term planning. We are continuing to work with adults, but the new part is the collaboration with middle schools in Berkeley, and we are definitely reaching a more diverse population," Dolan added. "The program is about mashing up traditional music with something more contemporary that the kids can relate to. For example, we have a program mixing traditional Indian vocal percussion with rap that the kids are really enjoying. We have only just started it and it's really cool."

They are also set to work on a new project with their local Recording Academy chapter in early 2020. PC Muñoz, who was recently hired as the Freight's Director of Education and Community Engagement has been an active member of the Recording Academy San Francisco Chapter.  He explained by email they are working on the details of a collaboration with Academy members who are educators, for a professional development event for the Freight's teachers.

With an exciting and ever-expanding roster of performers, classes, events and numerous other collaborations, the Freight seems to have found a sweet spot in the arts community that has helped it to retain its vitality and relevance in the Bay Area.

"I think music and the arts right now are critical," Dolan emphasized. "Music is one of the ways we build empathy for each other and for each other's cultures—we learn about each other that way. It's a way to share with a room full of other people, your despair or your hope about what's happening in the world."

Wide Open Bluegrass Celebrates Past, Present & Future In Raleigh, N.C.

SiR 2019

SiR

Photo: Christian San Jose

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SiR Is 'Chasing Summer' And, With A Little Help From Kendrick Lamar & Others, Making His Dreams Reality

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"It feels different, it feels evolved and it feels like a great direction. And I'm really proud of the work to say the least," the Inglewood singer/producer says of his vibey new album 
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 24, 2019 - 3:08 pm

You may have already jammed out to SiR's big 2019 summer mood single, "Hair Down," featuring the one and only Kendrick Lamar. If so, you already have a good starting place for understanding who the smooth R&B singer/producer, born Sir Darryl Farris, from Inglewood is. The vibey track is driven by SiR's warm, rich vocals over a slow-bubbling trap beat, elevated even further into the golden summer sunset by Lamar's verse. It's confident but laid-back—two words which also describe the artist himself well—a true slow-burn of a fire track.

"Hair Down" is the first track and the lead single to SiR's third album, Chasing Summer, which he dropped during Labor Day Weekend, on Aug. 30. It is his second LP released since he was signed to heavy-hitting Los Angeles label Top Dawg Entertainment. As he explains, it sets the tone for the rest of the album and also marks a major point of growth in his musical career and self-confidence.

"This time I was more direct about what I wanted, and I think that's huge. Your intentions when you go into things have to be put in the forefront if it's important. So this time around when I went into sessions, I was very vocal about exactly what I wanted, and the sessions went a lot better when I did that," he recently told the Recording Academy over the phone.

You recently dropped Chasing Summer, which is just such a perfect mood as summer comes to an end. What has the experience of this release felt like for you?

Man, it's one of a kind. Being the type musician I am, I'm very involved with each release, and this one feels different than the last two. Everybody around me was locked in, not just me. All the musicians and all of my team, my management had the common goals set almost a year ago, and just were building on this idea. So, it feels different, it feels evolved and it feels like a great direction. And I'm really proud of the work to say the least.

That's amazing, and I'm sure that's a really just great feeling to sort of be marinating in right now.

Yeah. It's awesome. It's definitely new territory for me. I'm just trying to keep up with myself now, which is fun.

 "It's a very honest album, and I think that's a big reason why people gravitate towards it because I didn't really hold back this time around. I kind of made sure I was as honest as I could be and I think that's shining through for sure."

I love that. Can you speak to what your main vision for this album was?

The vision for the album is, it was all based off of my life on the road and all my experiences that I had accumulated over the last three or four years. With seeing my peers and just dealing with personal relationships, business relationships and trying to balance home and the road, and just my evolution as a human. I kind of put a lot of it into wax. It's a very honest album, and I think that's a big reason why people gravitate towards it because I didn't really hold back this time around. I kind of made sure I was as honest as I could be and I think that's shining through for sure.

I feel like it really does. I wanted to talk about the producers on the album. You worked with a handful of different people including Kal Banx and Sounwave from TDE as well as Boi-1da and a few others. How do you feel that working with these different creative minds helped challenge you and shape the trajectory of the album?

I'm going to answer this question, but I have a very specific thing about me that I really like. I work with people that want to work with me, so I don't chase beats; there's no rhyme or scheme. I didn't select certain people. I just put my head down and kept writing songs until we felt like we had a body of work. And then, what I do with most of my production is I'll get players to come in and add actual instrumentation to a good beat so that it has more life to it. I'm hands-on with all my mixes and masters. With all of the production, I was blessed to have really talented musicians around to help just elevate the sound, and I think that helps so much, man.

Working with cats like Boi-1da was an honor, of course, but I wouldn't hold him in higher regard than I would a Kal Banx, who damn near had six records on the album that he helped me produce and work on. So, I feel like everybody added their own sauce to it and it ended up being way bigger than I expected. But as far as like who produced what, I think that's not as important as the overall body of work, and we all knew that. With Kal, he wasn't worried when I told him I got a new base plate on the recipe. He didn't ask any questions, he just knew it was going to be saucy. You know what I mean?

I think, like I said, we all had a common goal. Once I laid out the plan and the vision for everybody, they were on board. So, we went into the every session with a specific goal in mind and we executed properly and I think it's going to pay off for all of us in the long run. I'm so excited for Kal. I'm excited to share this moment with him and see the response to his hard work, and it's all a blessing, really and truly.

It really seems like it was everything you would hope for in the studio, that everything is moving forward and flowing together, even with all the different people.

Yeah. I learned a lot from November and just how I kind of let a lot of people in the process in certain points where I didn't really necessarily mean to. This time I was more direct about what I wanted, and I think that's huge. Your intentions when you go into things have to be put in the forefront if it's important.

So this time around when I went into sessions, I was very vocal about exactly what I wanted, and the sessions went a lot better when I did that, and I think that helped give people an idea of what they should be doing when they come around. If you're a producer, I might not need you to make a whole beat, but I might need you to make these drums, or I might need you to play keys. Just be prepared to translate what I need, I'm not coming to you to get what you need. I produce myself, so I think this time around I was able to really fine-tune things the way I like, and it shows, man. This is my baby for sure. I feel like this is a very special project.

The album opens with "Hair Down," featuring Kendrick Lamar, which you also released as the lead single. Can you give a little bit of the backstory on that song and video and what it was like working with him?

That was probably the first song I wrote for the album that we were probably going use as a single. We usually don't try to shoot for singles, you know what I mean? When we're building a project, we'll make sure that the songs can all stand on their own two legs. As soon as I did that one, it just felt like what I wanted the album to look like, and to me it was the perfect starting point. It was the perfect launch point for what we were trying to accomplish, and I didn't get the [Lamar] verse until two months ago or something like that. I wrote that song probably a year ago while we were on the road at [TDE's 2018] Championship Tour.

That's not something you ask for. It was something that we talked about, but that's not something that you ask for. It's like the Jill Scott thing, I didn't really ask for that. You got to let them make that decision. I think with working with artists like Kendrick, Jill Scott and Lil Wayne, it's a blessing and I think I do everything I can to just make myself someone that people want to work with. I think I do a good job of standing on my own two feet, and that's something that I had to embrace over the last two years.

Just working with your idols is always awkward. It's weird. I met [Childish] Gambino at the BET awards. I wish I could take that back because it was so awkward, you know what I mean? And I still go through the everyday life stuff of I'm human and if I see somebody that I'm not used to seeing, it's going to be weird. This year, I had to really step outside of that and become SiR, and really accept that. I think it shined through when I sat and talked to people about the project, they were more open to it because I was more confident in myself, and that really helped a lot, just giving me that confidence. [Lamar's] conversations are more important to me than that verse ever will be. I'm appreciative of the verse for sure, but I can really say that's my mentor. This dude really takes care of his team and really cares about us, man. So, it's definitely a blessing to have him on deck.

And what would you say the biggest thing you learned from the collaborators on this project?

Spread love. Because I feel like most of them, they didn't have to do what they did. Miss Jill, she's getting so much love on her acting career, as she should be. She really doesn't need to feature on anything. All of these artists, they got their own things. People are looking for them and checking for them.

When I get on, if I'm ever in a position to bless somebody, and I feel like they are working hard and they've got their thing together, I definitely would want to be what they are to me. I'd want to be a blessing and give back to the community. They see that I'm a part of the same community, I have the same common goal with music. It's not me trying to get on or be a flashy type. It's not that. I really care about the music. So, I think they saw that and they wanted to reciprocate the same kind of love I'm trying to get off it.

That's all it's really about, is spreading love and giving back to what you want to see thrive and flourish. And I think they really see something in what we got going, and I was just lucky. I really feel like it's the right place at the right time, but I don't want to make it that simple. But I feel like they really are just spreading love, man, and they blessed me. I'm still in shock. I can't really process it. It's all new territory for me. It's lovely though. I don't take it for granted.

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How would you describe the L.A. music community now? From that explanation, it sounds very supportive and nurturing, but I'm interested in your perspective, whether it's just like that with TDE or just in your experience with who you've worked with.

L.A. is a weird place. It's very divided, with the people that are actually from L.A. to the people that come out here and claim L.A. The music industry's a weird place in general. I'm from L.A., so I definitely abide by the L.A. rules before I abide by the music industry rules. But when it comes to the music scene, there's a small community. What I'm learning is the further along I go in my career, the community gets smaller and smaller, and that's a great thing. You find people that are like-minded, and you got to let some friends go sometimes.

But for the most part, the goal is to find common ground that you can really build on. And I feel like I've found my community of people, from Mind Design to Kiefer to D.K. the Punisher to Kal Banx to all of my musician friends, The Catalyst, my band. My brothers, and just all of the musicians that I've been working with for the last 10 years, I still work with the same cats. L.A. is small, it's big, but at the time it's small, and I really want to keep it that way. I'd appreciate it if it stayed that way.

What does that summer mood look and sound like to you?

Well, summer mood has that sunset tint to it. It's like, to me, this album is best listened to riding down Malibu about six o'clock sunset. That's the vibe. I'm a Cali kid through and through, and I hope it translates through with the music. I think we hit it on the ball. If you want a glimpse at what summer's supposed to be, just take a listen to the album, close your eyes, and it should do the trick.

Stepping back, who are your biggest influences?

Oh man, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway. These are people that my mother listened to when I was growing up. I grew up in the church, so I love Fred Hammond and Noel Jones. I don't know if you know who Noel Jones is, he's a preacher from L.A., his voice is so crazy. My mom sang background for Chaka Khan back in the day, and Michael Jackson. So, I grew up with an ear to R&B for sure, from the '60s, '70s, '80s. Of course I have hip-hop influences, but my spectrum is wide. We could have a 30 minute conversation about all the music I listen to, I promise you.

Lately, I've been listening to a lot of The Beatles. "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" has been on repeat for a couple of weeks, then Innervisions [Wonder's 1973 album]. I go back and forth between [Wonder's] Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. Then, my real guilty pleasure is John Mayer, I'm a huge fan.

I love it.

I think with music, and this is my advice to young people, it's like careers almost, you won't know what you want until you taste a few things. I think Gary Gee says that. You got to taste things to know what you want to be. I feel like music is like that too. You can't just listen to country music because you're from the South. You've got to listen to something else just to try it. You don't know, you might like classical music. If you never listen, you will never know.

I did a lot of that when I was younger and I found my vibes for sure. But I listened to some stuff that people probably wouldn't expect. But I think that helps to shape me as a musician in general. I definitely don't shy away from exploring and trying to find different vibes that I really like. One of the most fun parts about music to me, is exploring and finding new things that you never would expect you to enjoy, you know? So, yeah, my spectrum is wide, it's a rainbow for sure.

Growing up in a musical family, how do you feel like that impacted your journey to becoming an artist?

I can't really explain it because it's weird for me to be the artist in my family. I still wake up and kind of laugh because I never expected this. When I was younger, I didn't want to do music. When I was 14, my mom would make us sing in church every Sunday, and I got sick of it. That's when I kind of decided I didn't want to do music. I went on about my life, at about 19, 20 started working dumba** jobs and that turned into me wanting to find something that I was passionate about, and turns out it music was it all along. I had to step away to kind of find it for myself.

But I started really getting serious about music when I was 22, and then I ended up going to school, graduated in 2011 from film school, and just never looked back from there. I think that was what I needed was to really find it for myself, because my brothers' all sing or write songs, and my mother is still active in the industry, and they always said it was what we needed to be doing. I just had to see it for myself and I think that made me a better musician. My life experiences helped shape how I write songs. I appreciate my time away from music, but also I'm glad I found my way back because I don't know what I'd be if I wasn't a musician. I'd probably be—let's not even talk about that.

I'm blessed. My family is amazing. My brother is an amazing singer/songwriter. My older brother Daniel, he's an amazing rapper and he's the writer, and we're all supportive of each other. I know that I probably wouldn't be where I am today without the support of my family and them pushing me to be a better writer and a better musician.



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You come back to where you're supposed to be at some point. You touched on it a little when you talked about your influences, but what advice do you have for younger people that have a passion for music but aren't really sure where to start to pursue music professionally?

Don't be afraid to be wack. Don't be afraid to fall on your a**. You got to start somewhere. But it's just like anything else in life, and I could preach this to the ends of the earth. It doesn't matter what you decide to do or when you decide to do it, but it's about staying dedicated to it and really working at what you want. If you want something then put it in the universe. Write it on a piece of paper, say it every day when you wake up and just don't worry about when it's going to happen. Just keep working.

I think that's the best thing I ever did for myself. I put my head down, I shut the f*** up and I worked for five years on music, and didn't try to release anything, didn't try to do anything. I got to the point where I was so ready to go that I had three projects worth of music ready to go, and we started with Seven Sundays and from there worked our way into being with TDE and all that.

I really developed my craft first and made sure I was confident in what I wanted to hear. So, I think for anybody that wants it, just don't be afraid to fail, and keep working at it. It's not easy, none of this is. But I feel like if you want something, you can just really work at it and it'll come. You just got to be willing to f***ing eat dirt and mud for a little bit. Eventually, hard work pays off, no matter what you do. If you want to sell ice cream, sell ice cream every day. Get up, get your cones right, make sure your freezer's at the right temperature, make sure your music's playing and hit the block and get on that ice cream.

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