My mom is my manager, so she literally does everything with me. My dad holds down the household when she's not home, humbly. For a lot of men that would be a very awkward position to hold, but he's always been an incredible father and always been there for us. I had to let him know that. He's incredible.
You also mentioned Tango. And you said, "Thanks for the pep talk." What's the best advice he ever gave you?
Tango is crazy and I love him for it because my family is very loud and rowdy. So is Tango, so he's fit in with my family. Everything was just drama for Tango so he always kept the studio real live. He gave me so much advice about how to carry myself with integrity, with character. He gave business pointers and different ideas to carry into the future.
When you look back on the work that you've put out so far, is there a particular song that you find it difficult to sing emotionally?
Yeah, "Your Joy" is really, really tough to sing. My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer right after I wrote that song. That was really a tough time in the family. At the same time, I'm being hit with a major lawsuit that has been made public in different places like the internet and magazines. So whenever I sing that song, it touches a nerve about that particular time of life. My dad was suffering and my family was going through an emotional time with both what he was going through and the lawsuit.
Earlier on, I was reading a lot of different reviews for your latest album. A common thread that ran through Billboard's review, as well as other outlets, is that many music critics compare your voice to that of Billie Holiday. When you hear such glowing comparisons, how do you feel?
Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, even Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, these were people that I literally would put into my headphone and play over and over again. Every single riff, every single word, every single lick, I would play until I could emulate it as my own. That's the way I studied. Some people studied Bach in front of the piano. Some people studied different opera singers, whoever. Jazz was my first love, so those are the people I love the most.
For those people who are just now discovering you for the first time, based off of the buzz and successful launch of Epiphany, what would you say to them to encourage them to go back and buy your first album, I Am?
Article comments
1 - Steven
Interesting interview. nice read