Kool & the Gang

Kool & the Gang

Photo: Alison Buck/WireImage | Design: F Inomata/Recording Academy

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Kool & The Gang On 50 Years, The Joy Of "Celebration" & Songwriters Hall Of Fame

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"It's a blessing to be around for 50 years; some groups can't make it for 50 days. We did 50 years, that's an accomplishment," founding member Robert "Kool" Bell told the Recording Academy
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 14, 2019 - 12:59 pm

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of GRAMMY winners Kool & the Gang, the group responsible for such everlasting, dance party-ready hits as "Celebration," "Ladies Night" and "Get Down On It."

They are also one of the most sampled artists of all time; the horns from their 1973 funky jam "Jungle Boogie" horns can be heard on over a hundred other songs, including rap classics like Luniz's "I Got 5 On It" and the Beastie Boys' "Hey Ladies."

"It's a blessing to be around for 50 years; some groups can't make it for 50 days. We did 50 years, that's an accomplishment," founding member Robert "Kool" Bell said.

"The gang was Kool, and we still cool, hopefully," group member Dennis Thomas added, laughing

Jun 14, 2019 – 12:51 pm

Kool & The Gang On Turning 50, "Celebration," More

More At The Museum: Lenny Kravitz On His Biggest Influences, Love, Creativity & More

Earlier this month, the iconic funk/R&B group was honored with Philadelphia's prestigious Marian Anderson Award, joining the ranks of past recipients that include Quincy Jones, Berry Gordy, Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou. Last year, they were given the high honor of joining the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

Before they took the stage at the GRAMMY Museum's Clive Davis Theater, the Recording Academy caught up with the Gang to learn more about the magic—and the masters—behind the hits. The special event, part of the Museum's star-studded programming, led to a lively conversation celebrating their 50 years that dove deep into the creation, genesis and legacy of the group.

Backstreet Boys Talk GRAMMY Museum "Experience," 'Millennium' Legacy & Touring

Oak Felder

Oak Felder

Photo: Krystyna Felder

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Producer/Songwriter Oak Felder Wants The Music Industry To Support Creativity, Not Just Hits

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"The model needs to change to reflect that writers get paid for records that, even if they aren't big smashes, [earn them income] at a level that they will be allowed to live," the producer/songwriter recently told the Recording Academy.
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 12, 2019 - 10:20 am

GRAMMY-nominated producer/songwriter Warren "Oak" Felder knows how to craft Top 10 hits—including Alessia Cara's "Here" and "Scars To Your Beautiful" and Demi Lovato's "Sorry Not Sorry," to name just a few. Though he has the skills and experience to craft top-charting songs, he passionately believes that the music industry should foster an environment that ensures all creatives get paid—not just the ones dominating the airwaves.  

"I think it's important for creators of music to be able to create music and make a living off of it. Because right now, the only way that you are going to be able to do your job and make money to live off of is if you're getting hits," Felder recently told the Recording Academy. "How many records do you have in your life that you listened to that weren't singles, but are just as meaningful to you?"

The Los Angeles-based, Istanbul-born alt-rock lover is also dedicated to the art of mentorship and paving the way for younger creatives. Last month, he led one of the GRAMMY Museum's Summer Sessions, speaking to a theater full of high school students hopeful to pursue songwriting careers. We sat down with Felder to find out what he learned from the students, why he believes in music education and his biggest piece of advice for aspiring musicians and songwriters/producers.

You just wrapped up the GRAMMY Summer Session program. How'd it go?

Fantastic. I was sort of awed by just the concept of it. Those kids are awesome. And the program is fantastic.

Were there any good questions from the kids, or something else that stood out to you from it?

Yeah. So one of the questions really focused on working in the studio with an artist, on bringing an artist story to the forefront and how to do that.

I feel like people forget that production and music is so psychological and they say, "Oh, well you just go in the studio, you make a beat, you write a song and you record." People forget there's a psychology to it. So that awareness surprised me. I don't think I was aware of that until I was older and much less dumb than I was when I was a kid.

Music education is SO important, but often ignored or defunded in public schools. Why do you think music education is important?

I think the kids that learn how to play the piano and play some sort of instrument when they're younger develop and demonstrate better cognitive abilities as an adult. And I think it's something that serves you, even if you're not a musician afterwards. If you've learned how to play the piano and you forgot, you still created the pathways in your brain that allow you to solve different problems, probably more efficiently than other people would.

Creativity is very important for coping with life in general. If you have an early relationship with music, it makes music as a coping mechanism a little better for you. So, education and music would apply to society as a whole. Being born and raised in another country where music is a focus educationally, I definitely see a difference between a place that doesn't focus on it as much from an educational standpoint, and a place that does.

How do you integrate teaching and mentorship into your work in the music industry?

I consider myself a natural teacher because I like to talk a lot. You kind of have to show people the ropes. I have a guy assigned to me that I consider it my responsibility to teach him. Even beyond that, after I'm done with production, I think I would continue to teach it afterwards. I definitely have the gray hairs to match with professorship, so I'm definitely going to try for that. I think teaching is important, otherwise, we'd all be sort of aimlessly walking around figuring things out by trial and error.

Did you have any mentors when you were first starting out in the industry?

The first one that comes to mind is my oldest brother Dennis. He's an amazing musician and a great guy. He definitely was an inspiration to me. I feel like I've been following him my whole life, trying to be as good as he is. I'm still not, but I'm getting there.

Another early mentor for me was an R&B producer, guy named Teddy Bishop. He gave me my initial view of what being a record producer is like, the template for what it's supposed to look like. I've been applying that to what I've been doing since.

How do you think people within the music industry can foster a more collaborative, inclusive environment?

I think there is still the perception of corruption in the music industry. I think that the day that I am not surprised when a woman walks up to me and says, "I am a producer." That shouldn't be a surprise. The moment we can get ourselves to that point as creatives, we will diversify and mutate the state of music to a point of amazingness. Because for every idea that comes from a stereotypical producer, there's an idea that wasn't heard from someone who's not a typical producer. That's going to add to the culture when we finally get to that point. I think that should be everybody's focus.

Do you have a vision to help ensure more diverse groups are working in the studio?

Absolutely. I needed somebody for my team who did pop music very well as a producer. So I asked a friend of mine if he knew anybody and he pointed me to this producer named Zaire [Koalo] Simmons from South L.A. You wouldn't typically associate a young black producer as being somebody who is immediately capable of doing pop music at a high level. You do have black producers who are capable of doing pop music. This kid floored me. And then I was like, "Well, do you do urban tracks?" And he blew me away again.

So the rule is, give everyone a shot. Because the real thing is talent, it doesn't really matter who it comes from. It's almost like a cheat because you get to look in places that other people might not be looking. And you'll find gems that exist there.

Zaire Koalo, Oak Felder & Nelly

L-R: Zaire, Oak & Nelly | Photo: Courtesy of artist

So, being conscious about when you're opening the door and that you're not just looking to the usual suspects.

Yeah. That's really important. Plus, it's our responsibility to mutate the culture. And the only way to do it is if people who typically don't have a voice are given one. That's our responsibility. I take that seriously.

You've worked with a pretty major, diverse group of artists. What's the biggest thing you've learned so far in your time collaborating as a songwriter/producer?

What I've learned is that the lack of an ego is a superpower. I'm a believer that anybody at any moment could have a better idea than you will ever have.

So I think humility is what gives you the ears to hear that idea. There have been times where I had a clear concept, direction and vision for what I want it to be. And I walked in the room and somebody says, "We should do this." My immediate reaction is no, that's not what I wanted.

[But you have to] put down your ego. That's the biggest thing that I've learned. Your ego has no space in a room of collaborators. You leave that mother***er at the door.

So, if you have 10 people in a room, and everyone has an idea, how do you foster an environment where everybody is listening, is collaborating, and isn't getting upset when their idea moves to the side?

First of all, if there's 10 people in the room, some of them are going to leave. It's easier to manage smaller groups of people. And then splits end up a little bit better if there's less people in the room. But yeah, if somebody has an idea, it gets out there.

You know what's funny, everybody has developed the concept of, "let me throw an idea out and if the room responds, then it sticks. If the room doesn't respond, no one says anything." You're in the room and people are writing songs and somebody goes, "Wearing leather pants." And it's silence, that idea was not a good idea.

So a room full of people who've figured that out, have learned how to regulate themselves, as a collective, works. That's what music is, a collective of creation. We're learning how to function as one unit, especially people you have good chemistry with.

What's your favorite part then about the collaborative process?

Self-discovery. And allowing the music that you make to do the same thing for yourself that it does for other people, through realizing other people's perspectives.

The story behind that is, I was in Jamaica working with Alicia Keys, she had invited a lot of us to come out and work for her project. I'm in a room with one of my producers and Miguel, who was there as a songwriter. He and I hadn't worked together up until that point. We're at this beautiful location, sitting at a table, just me, Miguel, Alicia and a couple other people. We're having a conversation about our biggest fears, going around the table.

Death is one of my biggest fears, beyond a person's rational fear of death. It gives me anxiety to even think about. I had no way of controlling that anxiety until I said "I'm scared of death." And Miguel goes, "You're scared of death? So you would want to live forever?" And I say, "Of course I would."

He was like, "Why? Where's the rush to do anything meaningful if you lived forever? If you were going to live forever, you'd probably have the most boring, unfulfilled existence."

He adds, "There's no fun in forever." And Alicia said, "That's a song." We ended up doing a song called "Where's the Fun in Forever" [by Miguel featuring Keys]. To this day, there's three songs I've produced that are my favorite and that's one of them. Because after we did the record, that anxiety lessened every time I thought about or listened to that song.

I can mark that as the first time that my own music has done for me, what other people's music, or my music, has done for other people. It's the collaboration with other people and learning their perspectives that I'm so grateful for because now I have a tool that allows me to deal with a difficult thought.

How do you foster that kind of collaborative space where everyone feels safe to share their ideas? And to talk about the things that are raw and kind of scary but can really get those amazing songs and emotions?

I think it's about trust. When a person comes to my studio, especially if it's somebody that I've never met before, I have to expose my own vulnerabilities first. To give them the signal, look this a safe space. What that ends up doing is it gives the artist an opportunity to tell me things about their personal life they would never in a million years want anyone else to know. So that we can then take those stories and turn them into music, because that's the process.

But it starts with you being comfortable enough to expose your own vulnerabilities and hoping not to be judged for whatever they are. And like I said, having no ego is a superpower, because the ego is what gets in the way of being able to do that initially.

And then you have a session where people sit in a room and it's kind of awkward, nobody's saying anything. Where it's, "So what are you working on?" "Same sh*t you're working on." As opposed to, "I woke up this morning and I was feeling like crap because my dad called me," etc. You're having this kind of conversation with somebody that you've just met. It's a disarming thing to be that vulnerable with somebody else. And when they see that they open up as well.

That's the key, vulnerability, because it creates trust. And puts them in a position where they're able to say, "You know what, let's write a song about this thing that I experienced, that I would never in a million years tell anyone, but let's write a song with that energy in it." A lot of my biggest records are records that have been written that way.

That's really cool; leading by example and setting the tone.

Absolutely. I think the best kind of leader is the one that leads from the front.

So what's your biggest piece of advice for young, aspiring artists? What about for young songwriters and/or producers, those who are more behind the scenes?

I say this to everyone: Know your history. Current music is the tip of the iceberg, it's being supported by a large group of music that proceeded it. If you are a rapper, then you should know why Tupac is important, why disco is important, and why a break beat is important and how it contributed to the culture.

Actually, my partner (Andrew "Pop" Wansel) just produced a song for Nicki Minaj that samples a classic dancehall record (called "Filthy Riddim"). This record is historically and traditionally a song that will always get the club popping, but the newer audiences haven't been exposed to it yet.

What do you want your legacy to be?

I want people to remember that he was a nice guy. And I want people who are successful in the industry to be able to turn around and say, Oak helped me do this. That's my biggest dream, wish, goal. Because I want, in 20 or 15 years, to be able to be the person who gave a shot to someone who made a difference. And in so doing that, make a difference myself.

What's your biggest hope for the trajectory of the music industry, the biggest thing that you wish to see that isn't happening yet or is just starting to happen?

I want us to get paid. I'm part of the MLC [the Music Licensing Collective], and I think it's important for creators of music to be able to create music and make a living off of it. Because right now, the only way that you are going to be able to do your job and make money to live off of is if you're getting hits. That wasn't the case in the '80s or in the '90s; you could've produced three records on an album that weren't necessarily singles. How many records do you have in your life that you listened to that weren't singles, but are just as meaningful to you?

In today's cultural climate, that is starting to become a thing of the past. Because the economic structure of the music industry only rewards people who have big singles, which means the big singles are the only ones that influence culture, i.e., there's no album record that really speaks to people.

And think about this: From a creative standpoint, when I get in the studio and I know the only thing that's going to make money is a big hit smash, that's all I'm focused on making. I'm not gonna make the "Where's The Fun In Forever" record, which wasn't a single, it was an album cut on that album. But it's a record that affected me and it probably affected other people in the same way. Those don't exist with the current model anymore.

The model needs to change to reflect that writers get paid for records that, even if they aren't big smashes, we get back to getting paid at a level that they will be allowed to live. That is my single biggest wish for the music industry right now.

Meet Ericka Coulter, The Inspirational Music Exec Amplifying Rising Talent With TheBasement

Backstreet Boys GRAMMY Museum 2019

Backstreet Boys

Photo: Rebecca Sapp | Design: F. Inomata

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Backstreet Boys Talk GRAMMY Museum "Experience," 'Millennium' Legacy & Touring

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As they unveil the interactive 'Backstreet Boys: The Experience' exhibit, we go behind the scenes with the GRAMMY-nominated boy band to look back on their 26 years together
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 18, 2019 - 3:10 pm

On April 8, the Backstreet Boys visited the GRAMMY Museum for a very special evening; the preview night of the newest exhibit there, Backstreet Boys: The Experience. AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell all played a part in making the exhibit happen, sorting through old wardrobe trunks to choose which iconic '90s and '00s looks to put on display and sifting through the countless fan photos and homemade memorabilia they've been gifted over their 26-year career.

Apr 18, 2019 – 2:26 pm

Backstreet Boys On New Exhibit, 'Millennium,' More

We went behind the scenes with the GRAMMY-nominated group right after they explored the newly set up exhibit for the first time, as they reflected on who BSB is today, their legacy, having fun in Las Vegas and their excitement for the DNA World Tour. Or, as McLean put it, their "biggest tour in 18 years," in support of 2019's DNA.

"I think [The Experience] is gonna surprise a lot of people, bring back a lot of memories…if you're a fan, this plays homage to you," Carter told us about the new exhibit. "[There's] a lot of things you can interact with, but just really cool things that remind people who the Backstreet Boys are and where we've come from, so it's a cool experience."

Speaking of looking back, the group also discussed the 20th anniversary of their record-breaking album Millennium, which was the best-selling album of 1999.

"Millennium is probably, to this day, one of the biggest album's we've ever had. I think if we weren't on the map by that time in most people's eyes and ears, we were definitely at that point," Dorough said. "I think that itself is what's continued the legacy of the Backstreet Boys."

Backstreet Boys: The Experience is currently on display at the GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles until Sept. 2. Learn how and when to have your special BSB experience on the Museum's website.

LANY Is The Modern, Thoughtful Pop Group The World Needs Right Now

Rich Medina

Rich Medina

Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images/Getty Images

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San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2019 To Feature Rich Medina, Peanut Butter Wolf & More

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The 30th anniversary of the annual Northern California music festival will feature over 100 acts across 14 stages from Aug. 9–11, with Jazz Beyond highlighting "artists redefining the contemporary jazz genre"
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 17, 2019 - 2:49 pm

On Aug. 9–11, the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest will celebrate its 30th birthday by filling the Northern California city's downtown area with world class music across its 14 stages. The newly announced lineup for the Jazz Beyond Stage will showcase "artists redefining the contemporary jazz genre in forms that future generations will carry forward to collectively embrace the timeless tradition of jazz," according to a press release.

This stage's lineup, co-curated by Tommy Aguilar, includes longtime vinyl-spinning DJs Rich Medina and Peanut Butter Wolf and experimental jazz quartets Sons Of Kemet and The JuJu Exchange. Wolf, who is from San Jose, will return to his hometown to headline Saturday at the Beyond.

"Since I grew up in San Jose from the age of 6 until I was 25, it's really exciting to be able to go to my hometown to play for that many people," Wolf told S.J. Jazz Fest. "I've been a big fan of jazz since I was a kid, as well as funk and soul. I learned about jazz more through hip-hop music though…This summer, I'll perform with a full multi-media video set-up where I'm spinning vinyl while projecting vintage videos and promo clips from the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s. San Jose Jazz is up to a good thing."

Related: Preservation Hall Jazz Band On Being The Evolution

This year will be the first time the Jazz Beyond artists take over the Post Street stage. Other acts include the Shigeto Live Ensemble, led by Detroit producer Zach Saginaw aka Shigeto, San Jose-based producer/engineer B. Lewis, jazz drummer/producer/DJ Kassa Overall, Chicago trumpeter/composer Marquis Hill, Oakland-born jazz bassist and singer Aneesa Strings, and others.

Lewis, who has worked with the likes of TOKiMONSTA and K.Flay in recent years, has been named the first Jazz Beyond Artist-In-Residence and will be releasing a collaborative New Works Suite album in October, with "original compositions…written as an emblem of the city of San Jose."

The event's other stages include ones dedicated to salsa and gospel and swing, respectively. The main stage will feature GRAMMY-winning crooner Gregory Porter, GRAMMY Hall of Famers The O'Jays and The Family Stone, Portland's own 12-piece jazz ensemble Pink Martini, GRAMMY-nominated R&B group En Vogue, GRAMMY-winning jazz singer Dianne Reeves and many more.

The fest has several different ticket options, including single-day or weekend options; you can find more info here.

Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Tia Fuller On Growth, Artistic Vision & Leading By Example

Ericka Coulter

Ericka Coulter

Photo: Bre Jones/Courtesy of TheBasement

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Meet Ericka Coulter, The Inspirational Music Exec Amplifying Rising Talent With TheBasement

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"I see more women being empowered, more women being highlighted. I see different types of artists being signed that usually would be stereotyped. I just love it," Coulter told us, reflecting on the changes she sees happening in the industry
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 2, 2019 - 3:52 pm

Kansas-born, L.A.-based music executive Ericka Coulter is one of those magical people who connects instantly, makes you feel like a lifelong friend and surrounds herself with an incredible crew. Above all, she is someone who turns visions into reality.

As the VP of A&R at Epic Records, Coulter not only represents big name artists such as Rick Ross, she also highlights rising talent with the event series/industry movement she launched in 2017, TheBasement. Her vision is to help connect emerging talent with what they need to keep growing—excited fans to support them, a label to amplify their work, a manager to rep them, a cool brand to partner with—and to offer them a vibey space to share their music.

Right before the doors opened for the June edition of TheBasement's artist showcase event series, Ericka sat down with the Recording Academy to discuss the spark that started it, how she stays grounded while always moving, her best advice for young artists and music professionals and more.

After the conversation, the doors opened and the exposed-brick space in downtown L.A. quickly became packed and bustling with energy, as the city's hip music creators, professionals and most in-the-know fans waited for the first artist to take the stage. The events take place, popup-style, in different spaces around the city and partner with an exciting mix of music companies and other brands. The June event celebrated Black Music Month and the BET Experience, featuring a stacked lineup of AWAL artists from their new Urban roster.

TheBasement June 2019

Attendees at TheBasement June 2019 | Photo: Bre Jones/​Courtesy of TheBasement

When did you first discover your calling for working in music?

I'm from Kansas, so I grew up listening to gospel music, and that's really where it started. Like, okay this is what makes me happy. I love to just be around it. But when I came out to L.A., I went to school for fashion and got a degree in fashion merchandising. I loved what I was doing in that, too, but my calling was always that I want to just be in music. I want to put together products. I want to close deals. I want to help people.

At one point I was trying to be an artist and had a couple of sketchy managers, let's say, that weren't the best. If anything, that made me want to go harder to be that person that, if people ever cross my desk, they wouldn't have to go through those things.

But as you get into this, you learn some things are out of your control. It's a process, and not everything works out exactly how you want it to. But if you know that your intentions are good, that's what keeps you sane. And it's like, you know, I know where my heart was. I know why I did it, although it may not have worked.

Did you have any mentors along the way that made you feel like you were on the right path?

Oh, absolutely. I got to work at Interscope during some of the most amazing moments. When Lady Gaga was discovered and Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Black Eyed Peas and Eminem were all fire. It was just so much all at once, and to see what Jimmy Iovine did, even building Beats.

To see what Beats turned into now, and for Apple Music to be so influential in today's culture, it's incredible. So to see him do that, and when I started I worked for a guy named Step Johnson who was the President of Urban Music. I can honestly say that from him, I learned how to be in this and also know that you can get out at some point, but leave a legacy. And I think that's the most important part, like "what are you doing this for?"

When I was working on Rick Ross' last album, Rather You Than Me, we were in the studio one day and JAY-Z was there, and he was talking about his last project, 4:44. He was playing a couple of records before it dropped and the main thing that he was saying was like, "Yo, you can't be in this if you're not doing it for something." Like as much as we love music because it makes us feel good, what are you doing it for? What are you wanting to leave behind? 

And after that, it just made me look at things differently, okay, why am I going so hard? That's what led to TheBasement. 



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Learning to smile a lot more #Lifeisgood

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Can you speak a little more to the beginnings of TheBasement and the spark that lead you to starting it?

I wanted to create an environment for people to network, vibe and discover. A room where artist can meet the right people to help them move forward. So maybe you leave TheBasement Series with a record deal out the gate. But maybe you leave with a manager, attorney, producer or writer; something else to help you move further. That's what made me be like, "Okay, there's a need for this."

I found my first sponsor, and then our first venue, a photo gallery. And that's been our thing, to find venues that people wouldn't regularly perform at, something that didn't feel so familiar. Somewhere you can feel inspired, and learn about new artists. Where is it at that you feel like you're discovering something, that you don't feel like it's familiar or that you know what it's going to be. You want to go and feel either inspired or like "I didn't know that person was that dope and I'm going to come back." Or "Now I'm going to go look up that person and start listening to their music." That's what I want you to leave with.

Lu Kala performs at TheBasement June 2019

Lu Kala performs at TheBasement June 2019 | Photo: Bre Jones/​Courtesy of TheBasement

What are some lessons you've learned along the way? I'm sure it's one of those things that keeps going, but could you speak to TheBasement's growth a little bit?

This was literally an idea that has not become a movement that I feel is my responsibility to keep it going.

The one thing that I had to learn is that every conversation is not going to turn into that deal that you wanted it to turn into. But you can't let that stop you. There's been moments where I feel like other people probably would have given up. Where I feel like I'm showing it to you exactly what it is, but you're still not getting it; but I'm a true believer in that whatever is for me is going to be for me. God is going to make sure that happens, and when that door doesn't open that just wasn't the door that was supposed to be there. And no hard feelings, you know what I mean? It is what it is.

I think when you have that mentality, you're going to make it work. Cool, all right, that person, that sponsor didn't come through right now, we're going to get this sponsor, and we're going to put this together. Or you know I've been blessed to have a team of kids that literally we can take $50 and make it look really good. Sometimes too good, but you know that's what makes you be like, okay I'm not doing it for nothing; there's no way that something this good is not going to get where it needs to be.

I use metaphors for a lot of things, but it's like cooking chicken. You cook the chicken, it starts to look really good on the outside, you might open it up just to check on it, and it might be a little pink inside, that means we not ready yet. So we cooking. And we're going to cook until it's time. When that timer hits off, and it's time to go, people will feel it.

So you have two pretty major jobs; how do you stay grounded when you're always moving?

Right. My faith is strong. My parents are in Kansas City and they've built me up to be strong. And you know, you just never look at something like it was a failure. You always look at it like, all right cool, that just wasn't it. So we're going to figure out the next one, but I have a really good team of friends and a foundation around me that even if I wanted to beat myself up, they wouldn't even allow me to do it. And I think that's the thing, and you don't realize that you really have friends. Because you can have a group of people around you. You can throw a party and everyone will be there, but to have people that you actually call your friends. Like who you invite to your house when you have on no makeup and don't feel like putting on clothes. Those are your friends. You know?

They make me feel secure and even when I am down on myself they'll talk to me like, "You're bugging. Like are you serious right now? I'm not going to have this pity party with you. So cry, get your thug tears out for a couple minutes, and then we back at it again."

As cliché as that may sound I think it's just important. Because everyone in L.A. is always from somewhere different so if you don't have that little core team of people, although we may be from different places, that is your family, it's a struggle. Like I'm not going to lie. Like sometimes, you don't have the balance. I still don't know what the balance is even, but I feel like some days when I can just breathe and be like, "All right."

Sitting with you here right now, usually, I'd be like, "Girl, I can't do this because I got to figure out what's going on in there." But I have to trust my team. And I have to trust that they know that I've got them and they got me.

When you are working on a project like this, where it's something you created from the ground up, how do you bring in people that you know are going to work with your vision and keep the vibes positive?

I'm honest with what our vision is. This is no disrespect, but this is not a talent show, and I think you have to look at it in that way to know what type of talent you want in there, what the vibe is supposed to be. That sets the tone, especially in Los Angeles. That'll make you like, "Am I leaving my house?" Because you know people are in their bubbles and I think when I've been honest with my team about that, and then they've seen the results of it, that people need motivation and inspiration as well. For my team, some of the people I don't even get to see until the next Basement, because we're all so busy, but I can count on them. For them it's like, "TheBasement's coming, I have something to look forward to. I have something that I'm a part of that's growing."

I always tell them, "This is not just for me; this is all of us. If you're a part of this team, and you're going into an interview you tell them, I'm a part of TheBasement. I'm your reference. Use me as much as you can so that I can help you or it will be pointless." I think that's why we've been able to form the talent that's coming on the stage, to the team that I'm building or even the sponsors that are coming on now. Because there are brands out there that want to support the emerging artist.

Yes, you need the artists that are already established because that is something that is a part of it as well, but we also got to help these acts that like don't have it yet, that are really, really talented, and they just need their moment. So if they can get their moment on TheBasement stage, I did my job, and that makes me go to sleep at night. Knowing I may not have been able to take over the world, every project might not be perfect, but at least I was able to give somebody some hope, because hope is what keeps us going.

What's your favorite part of your jobs?

Favorite part, I would have to say, from the A&R side of things, is when you get to hear the finished product and everybody else agrees on what you heard. Because sometimes we can move with our hearts and then sometimes you've got to move with your ears. So it's exciting to get the finished products of that part of it. For TheBasement, it's exciting when these artists get off the stage or they hit me up, like, "That was a moment for me, E. Thank you." And some of them have already been performing on stages, but I think it's just such a home kind of feel, like it makes you feel like you're at a party with your friends. And you get to just be free, be yourself, rock out and not overthink it, and that's what this is supposed to be.

Is it important to you to have TheBasement be a safe space, sort of a container for creativity? If so, how do you foster that?

Yeah, it's definitely a safe haven for creatives. And even for the people that work within the industry that come in here. For them, they're like, "Hey, there's a lot of people in there that are from different industries, but I don't feel like I'm at an industry event. I feel like I'm at a kickback." And that's when I was like, how can I make one room feel like Atlanta, New York and L.A. all at one time? I get a vibe every time I go to Atlanta. When I go to New York I feel like I can take over the world and when I'm in L.A., it's like, "All right cool, I'm vibing, I'm chilling." That's what I feel what we're creating. I'm still adding on to it, learning every show. There's always something to be like, Okay, we could have done that better.



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What's your biggest hope or vision for TheBasement, in the next six months or year?

To get it on the road, that's been my biggest thing. I want to get this to New York, Atlanta, Toronto. Also, we're working on a lot of content pieces that we're going to be launching very soon and I want to make sure that we get that out too because I don't want people to think that this is just a showcase. It's a movement; I want it to be a creative agency that literally, whatever you need help with we're here to help you, we work with everybody. We're not working against anyone, this is not for us to be the next thing and next that. We want to be that thing that's not there and actually be the glue for a lot of people.

I feel that. I think there's kind of two lines of thought, one is when there's someone at the top, no one else can be up there. That feels counter-intuitive to me, especially if you are living your truth, being honest and helping other people along the way. Do you see that in the music industry, that it's a bit more like, "This is THE person and they're the best"?

I don't want to say it's the music industry. I just think it's industries in a whole. We as people tend to put things into boxes and it's not until you step outside of that box for people to see you. It happens everywhere, not just in entertainment. That's where you have to live your best life and color outside the lines, be humble and be the best you.

I think we all are going to get into coloring outside of the lines. Not only giving people opportunities but also taking risks on ourselves. We get so caught up sometimes in being in one spot and being comfortable, but comfortability is not necessarily going get to the success that we need it to.

"I think we all are going to get into coloring outside of the lines. Not only giving people opportunities but also taking risks on ourselves."

What is your biggest hope for the music industry in the near future, the biggest changes you wish to see?

I think it's happening. I see more women being empowered, more women being highlighted. I see different types of artists being signed that usually would be stereotyped. I just love it. You know, I feel like there is no genre, because all genres are all pretty much going together. You got country music and hip-hop doing records together. You have people redefining themselves doing jazz or doing R&B; to see what things are evolving into is exciting. I know about more R&B singers right now than I've ever known in at least the last two years. There's more festivals, which means more visibility for new artists, which is incredible. Yeah, I think everybody just got to start having fun and not taking this sh*t too seriously. We making music, it's supposed to make us happy and free, and that's all I want.

How do you believe women who work in music can help support each other and other less historically represented groups in the industry?

I think for things like that, it's hard to be like, "Oh, we got to all come together and we got to do this." My girlfriends and I struggle to see each other in person because we're all working so much. But we check in on each other and encourage each other. Sometimes, just sending somebody a text to say, "Hey girl, I don't know what you're going through this week, but I want to let you know that you're going to be great. And whatever it is, we're going to get through it."

Those little things, even if it's a stranger. I might want to send you a text one day and be like, "Just letting you know that today is going to be the day and you're going to be great." I think it's about being more encouraging and also being more vocal if we don't know each other, to reach out to each other and just be, "Hey girl, hey!"

Starting TheBasement, I've met some of the most incredible women in this industry, I didn't even know what they did and they didn't really know what I did, but now like I consider that person a friend or a colleague. I've had more women hit me up and be like, "Hey, just checking on you." That goes a long way because sometimes we get so caught up in this and we'll run ourselves down and we don't check on ourselves or each other. I think that that's important, those little words of encouragement, and I think we're going to get there. And yes, you'll see more things of women coming together and doing things, but I think it starts with just a little gesture of "Hello, how you doing, you need help with anything?"

It's really easy to get caught up in the "I'm so busy and don't have enough time." But you never know what the other person is going through, and that little encouragement could be just what they need to hear to do the thing they're afraid of.

I feel like they can do it. I hope seeing this makes somebody be like, "Okay, I don't have to be just one thing. I can be a lot of multiple things."

Pharrell reinvents himself every year! I mean he's the G.O.A.T., but to see this man take it so many different places, that's my motivation to be like, "Oh I don't need to stop, I just need to be like smarter in the moves that I make and just make them make sense." And have fun while I'm doing it.

What's your biggest piece of advice for young women interested in a career on the business side of the music industry? And what about for an up and coming artist, someone that just isn't really sure how to get their name out there or how to meet the right people?

For that young girl, she has to be fearless, and she has to understand that sometimes it's not going to be that full plan on the vision board just in that order, but you will cross out all those dots, know that.

For that new artist, if you are in a little town somewhere in your bedroom making music, and you've graduated from school, it might be time to move. It might be time to take that risk and go to L.A. or New York or Atlanta. That place that you've been like, "Maybe I'm not ready." Well maybe you are ready, and maybe when you get there you might not be, but at least you did it.

I always tell myself this, "I can go back home. If this sh*t don't work out, my mom will gladly be like, "It's okay; we're going to figure this out." I think that's the beauty of it, just knowing that you can go back home. And if you can't go back home, that's going to make you work harder.

And I think it's also being honest with yourself. If you're an okay singer, let's go to being great, let's get the proper training to do that. Don't just settle to be an okay singer. There are artists like H.E.R. who didn't rush the process. She trained herself, so that now, she's on a roll, because she practiced to be great at whatever it is that she needed to do.

Beyoncé practiced to be a beast. So I think you have to use things like that to be like, "Okay, I can't just be mediocre at it, I've got to be great." And that takes time. It goes back to the chicken. We're cooking, so let's just let it bake, let it get all ready and marinated, and then we'll be ready to go.

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