August 16, 2022 • 12 mins
B Wise hosts multi-platinum superstar John Legend to talk about his new album Legend. Catch By Your Side with B Wise, Tuesdays 6-8pm on CADA.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Back it up the best moments from the week on Kita.
This is By your Side with Bee Wise.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Welcome back to By your Side with Bee Wise and Tino. Now,
our next guest is a very special one. We're talking
to a multi platinum artist who's won twelve Grammys, an
Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy and respectfully the list
goes on and now seven studio albums, soon to be eight,
and continues to pioneer and push the boundaries of entertainment.
We are honored to welcome to our show for the
(00:27):
first time singer, songwriter, pianist, actor and record producer mister
John Legend.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
So how are you today? I'm doing very well, especially
after that lovely intro. Thank you, no problem.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
It's a pleasure, really honestly to have you here. So
we thank you for your time.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Now.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
You've had an illustrious career that spanned for more than
a decade now and you are a true icon to
the genre.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Now, please if.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
We can talk to me just very quickly about your drive.
I mean, how do you remain consistent and stay driven
as an artist in your field and you continue to
see new success each time?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Well, I think part of staying driven is realizing that
nothing you've done before means that people are going to
love the next thing you do. So I have to
prove myself every single time. I think of every new
project as a chance to prove myself and to try
to beat myself. I want to do better than I
(01:15):
did last time. I want to make music better than
I did last time. I want to be a better
artist each time. And so if you're just satisfied with
what you've already done and think that that's enough, then
that's fine, but it won't necessarily propel you to keep
going and keep pushing to be better.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
And for me, I'm not satisfied.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I want to keep getting better and I want to
keep proving myself worthy of my fans love and attention.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I love that and spoken as a true artist. We
love the new record and all you want to do
at which we're going.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
To be playing shortly.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Of course, the single comes off the back of the
news that you're releasing your eighth album title Legend, which
is a double disc. By the way, people, no small thing,
which we'd like to say, is so here a bias
side we like to break down. I guess the creative
process behind what went into it. If you could walk
us a little bit about where your mindset as a
creative was when walking into this album and what would
(02:14):
you like your listeners to take from it.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Well, it was really the beginning of twenty twenty one
when we started creating it, and if you can try
to take your mind back to that point, it was
as we were still in the midst of the pandemic,
but there was hope for vaccinations being available. There was
kind of an optimism that things were going to start.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
To open up again.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
And I think I came into it with that sense
of optimism too, And the album feels really joyful and
soulful and celebratory and sex sy.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
In a lot of ways.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
And some of the early songs that I wrote were
really just thinking about like how excited I was to
be back in the world again, you know. Yeah, so
there's that feeling of optimism. You know, the world has
had its ups and downs with the pandemic and all
these other things since we started the album, but I
(03:09):
think there's still that sense of optimism that permeates it.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
And we were so creative and productive during that time.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, we started writing in January twenty twenty one, and
like had sessions like off and on throughout the year
and early twenty twenty two, and we wrote a lot
of songs, Like this album has twenty four songs in
the main body of the album, but we wrote probably
over eighty for it. So it was really productive and
exciting and fun and adventurous to create. Worked with a
(03:39):
lot of really great people, have some amazing featured collaborators
on the album. And I just love making music, and
I love putting my heart and soul into music and
then putting it out to the world.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Having watched you perform from Afar, I mean we say
I can see from television, et cetera, things like that,
but from what I take you know, you have always
had this ability to connect with not just a room,
but each individual from a live performance standpoint. Now you've
just kicked off the second leg of the Love and
Las Vegas residency. I mean you just mentioned as well
the pandemic before. Obviously there was all the challenges of
(04:11):
being able to perform to the fans and really touch people.
I mean, on the live stage is where I always
see you flourishing, you know, as a true musician, I mean,
how is that for you now? To be with the
people again in front of people night after night.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
So we toured Europe this summer as well. We played
in Egypt and then we did our first cycle. We
did our first cycle in Las Vegas and April and May,
and now we're back there and the Vegas show honestly
is the best show I've ever done in like multiple ways.
It's just we've never produced a show at this magnitude.
But it's also truly like a celebration of my entire journey.
(04:49):
So it's really encompassing my entire career from get Lifted
through now.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
I talk about my story.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
A lot, So it's really like just full of heart
and soul and celebration, and people really feel the love
at the show, and we're having so much fun. It
looks doing it, It looks annecting with the audience, feeling the energy.
We've got, the answers, the full band. It's just a
big celebration and it feels really good.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I want to ask very quickly. Sweetie was a great
touch on all she want to do. I really love
that energy as she brought in over time. Your music
is no doubt you've inspired a generation, and us here included.
I want to say that with this next generation of
artists that are coming out now and answering the calls
to be a part of your next album and also
to be part of your legacy, I mean it would
be a no brainer for me forward to receive the call.
(05:37):
But what have you enjoyed most about working with some
of these new artists, such as the likes of a
Jay d or a money Long or Sweetie.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Well, I think it's good for both of us because
I think it's cool for them because it's like they're
working with an artist that they've listened to for a
long time and they respect. And for me, like I
like embracing that new energy and it keeps me fresh
and keeps me like connected to what's next and not
just resting on like I said, not resting on what
(06:03):
I've done before. And so I think it's good for
me as a more experienced artists and then for them
as a newer artist.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
It helps both of us in different ways.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah, But like I love keeping that energy fresh and
the creative energy flowing, and I think working with newer
artists helps with that.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Something I want to ask you very quickly on a
different note. It's also known that you've been a staple
in your community truth philanthropy work. You've used your platforms
to speak on issues and matters that invoke change and
things that matter to you. I wanted to ask you
a little bit about the Free American movement I believe
you started back in twenty fifteen, which is around the
discussion of mass incarceration in the United States. I mean,
(06:40):
in your own words, would you be able to tell
our listeners a little bit more about the initiative and
you know, anything we can do to help.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Well.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
You know, every country has its own issues, and domestically,
when we think about what's going on in America, one
of the things that's always been part of our national
heritage is one we started with as an essential part
of our economy and the structure of our society was built,
and then that kind of locked in place, this sense
(07:08):
of a racial hierarchy, a racial cast system essentially in
America that has really never been completely dismantled, and it's
taken different forms, but the current form in which we
see a lot of it is through the way the
criminal legal system works in America, and we are the
(07:28):
most incarcerated country in the world, so we spend more
money on it, but we also have more people caught
up in the system, whether in prison or in jail,
and it's something we need to fix because it harms
so many folks, not just the individuals who are locked.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Up, but they're families, their communities.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
It just creates so much trauma and loss, and so
many cycles of trauma and loss in so many places,
and it's such a drain on our resources when we
could be investing them in things that are more edifying.
And so we've spent a lot of time and energy
not only saying we need to decarcrate, incarcerate fewer people
(08:06):
and for shorter times, but also we need to take
the money that we're spending on jails, prisons, policing, all
these other things and focus on investing in communities and
make them safer and healthier and stronger and so pre America.
Really the mission is both look at this incarceration rate,
do our best to bring it down, but also take
(08:28):
those resources that we're pouring into punishment and pour them
into health and wealth creation, job creation, and better lives
for people.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Thank you so much for giving us the insight, and
I asked that question as well as you mentioned at
the top of the question that each country tends to
have their issues in particular, and our Black Australians and
Indigenous Australians here and continue to also face disproportion and
incarceration rights as well. And I hope that our brothers
insistance listening can also take advice on anyone in general,
take advice from what you've also said other strategies that
(09:00):
we're looking at you to make change. So applaud you
and thank you for for letting us know about that.
On a brighter note, I was doing a little reading
of your of your Spotify. I don't know the label
might disagree or something, but I saw that it says
that your third highest listener ship city is Sydney, where
we where we're out right now, So that I didn't
know that that's what I know what to say it
on your Spotify.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
So you know, I'm trying to. I'm trying to. I
know I loved Sydney. I knew I love Sydney. Sidney.
Love you back, Sydney, love you back, bro for real.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
So when when we think we're gonna you know, so
you see you touch down, you know where we go?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
You know, that's a great question. I really do want
to come back.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
We always have a great time down there, and you
know we haven't been there since the pandemic, but we've
got to come back soon. Yeah, And Christy loves it
down there too, and my kids haven't been to Australia yet,
so I think we got to plan a trip, all right.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Well, we're ready to have you more than certain about that.
And what's your take? Do you have much of a
take on the Australian music scene? Does anyone put you
on any R and B from here or any rap music?
Speaker 1 (09:59):
And if not, not really.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Honestly, not really, So I need to be put on you.
You could educate me, I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
So we're going to send you some links one hundred percent. Lastly,
I want to ask you, look while we have you,
all right, because we have this conversation on our show
all the time, all the time, I'm Produce looking at
me like he's like Quizzard No, but real talk. I
want to ask you, as an icon, as a as
a as a leader to true R and B himself,
what's your type on R and B now and in
(10:27):
it's trajectory. What how do you say, how do you
feel about it?
Speaker 3 (10:30):
You know, I'm never good at doing the big macro
conversation about the whole genre. It's really like it's really
just driven by the artists and are we making music
that's important and vital and then sometimes we're bending the genre.
Like you know, Beyonce is an icon and R and B,
but she made an album that's not really an R
and B album, but it's incredible and it's you know,
(10:52):
forward thinking and kind of experimental sound for her.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
And I think there's so much good music.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Out right now in you know among you know, R
and B artists are soulful artists, and you know, I
think R and b's in good hands right now. There's
some really great artists making great music lately. You know,
I've been listening to like Leon Bridges and Jazmine Sullivan
and Money Long and Pink Sweats and Summer Walker, and I.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Feel like her. There's you know, I feel like Daniel Caesar.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
There's really a lot of really talented artists making fresh
music right now that feels really good, and some that
aren't really making explicitly.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Like stereotypical R and B.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
But are kind of pushing the boundaries of the genre
as well, and I think all of that is great
and fun and exciting.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
I mean that is is that I feel we're in
good hands, and it is in good hands. So mister Legend,
thank you so much again for joining you. It's a pleasure,
it's honored to have you man, and thank you very much.
The album Legend out now.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
You've been listening to a cat podcast.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Catch Morevie videos, interviews, news and shows at cater dot
com dot au, Australia's home of hip hop and R
and B.
Back it up the best moments from the week on Kita.
This is By your Side with Bee Wise.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Welcome back to By your Side with Bee Wise and Tino. Now,
our next guest is a very special one. We're talking
to a multi platinum artist who's won twelve Grammys, an
Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy and respectfully the list
goes on and now seven studio albums, soon to be eight,
and continues to pioneer and push the boundaries of entertainment.
We are honored to welcome to our show for the
(00:27):
first time singer, songwriter, pianist, actor and record producer mister
John Legend.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
So how are you today? I'm doing very well, especially
after that lovely intro. Thank you, no problem.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
It's a pleasure, really honestly to have you here. So
we thank you for your time.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Now.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
You've had an illustrious career that spanned for more than
a decade now and you are a true icon to
the genre.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Now, please if.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
We can talk to me just very quickly about your drive.
I mean, how do you remain consistent and stay driven
as an artist in your field and you continue to
see new success each time?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Well, I think part of staying driven is realizing that
nothing you've done before means that people are going to
love the next thing you do. So I have to
prove myself every single time. I think of every new
project as a chance to prove myself and to try
to beat myself. I want to do better than I
(01:15):
did last time. I want to make music better than
I did last time. I want to be a better
artist each time. And so if you're just satisfied with
what you've already done and think that that's enough, then
that's fine, but it won't necessarily propel you to keep
going and keep pushing to be better.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
And for me, I'm not satisfied.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I want to keep getting better and I want to
keep proving myself worthy of my fans love and attention.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I love that and spoken as a true artist. We
love the new record and all you want to do
at which we're going.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
To be playing shortly.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Of course, the single comes off the back of the
news that you're releasing your eighth album title Legend, which
is a double disc. By the way, people, no small thing,
which we'd like to say, is so here a bias
side we like to break down. I guess the creative
process behind what went into it. If you could walk
us a little bit about where your mindset as a
creative was when walking into this album and what would
(02:14):
you like your listeners to take from it.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Well, it was really the beginning of twenty twenty one
when we started creating it, and if you can try
to take your mind back to that point, it was
as we were still in the midst of the pandemic,
but there was hope for vaccinations being available. There was
kind of an optimism that things were going to start.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
To open up again.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
And I think I came into it with that sense
of optimism too, And the album feels really joyful and
soulful and celebratory and sex sy.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
In a lot of ways.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
And some of the early songs that I wrote were
really just thinking about like how excited I was to
be back in the world again, you know. Yeah, so
there's that feeling of optimism. You know, the world has
had its ups and downs with the pandemic and all
these other things since we started the album, but I
(03:09):
think there's still that sense of optimism that permeates it.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
And we were so creative and productive during that time.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, we started writing in January twenty twenty one, and
like had sessions like off and on throughout the year
and early twenty twenty two, and we wrote a lot
of songs, Like this album has twenty four songs in
the main body of the album, but we wrote probably
over eighty for it. So it was really productive and
exciting and fun and adventurous to create. Worked with a
(03:39):
lot of really great people, have some amazing featured collaborators
on the album. And I just love making music, and
I love putting my heart and soul into music and
then putting it out to the world.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Having watched you perform from Afar, I mean we say
I can see from television, et cetera, things like that,
but from what I take you know, you have always
had this ability to connect with not just a room,
but each individual from a live performance standpoint. Now you've
just kicked off the second leg of the Love and
Las Vegas residency. I mean you just mentioned as well
the pandemic before. Obviously there was all the challenges of
(04:11):
being able to perform to the fans and really touch people.
I mean, on the live stage is where I always
see you flourishing, you know, as a true musician, I mean,
how is that for you now? To be with the
people again in front of people night after night.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
So we toured Europe this summer as well. We played
in Egypt and then we did our first cycle. We
did our first cycle in Las Vegas and April and May,
and now we're back there and the Vegas show honestly
is the best show I've ever done in like multiple ways.
It's just we've never produced a show at this magnitude.
But it's also truly like a celebration of my entire journey.
(04:49):
So it's really encompassing my entire career from get Lifted
through now.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
I talk about my story.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
A lot, So it's really like just full of heart
and soul and celebration, and people really feel the love
at the show, and we're having so much fun. It
looks doing it, It looks annecting with the audience, feeling the energy.
We've got, the answers, the full band. It's just a
big celebration and it feels really good.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I want to ask very quickly. Sweetie was a great
touch on all she want to do. I really love
that energy as she brought in over time. Your music
is no doubt you've inspired a generation, and us here included.
I want to say that with this next generation of
artists that are coming out now and answering the calls
to be a part of your next album and also
to be part of your legacy, I mean it would
be a no brainer for me forward to receive the call.
(05:37):
But what have you enjoyed most about working with some
of these new artists, such as the likes of a
Jay d or a money Long or Sweetie.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Well, I think it's good for both of us because
I think it's cool for them because it's like they're
working with an artist that they've listened to for a
long time and they respect. And for me, like I
like embracing that new energy and it keeps me fresh
and keeps me like connected to what's next and not
just resting on like I said, not resting on what
(06:03):
I've done before. And so I think it's good for
me as a more experienced artists and then for them
as a newer artist.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
It helps both of us in different ways.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah, But like I love keeping that energy fresh and
the creative energy flowing, and I think working with newer
artists helps with that.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Something I want to ask you very quickly on a
different note. It's also known that you've been a staple
in your community truth philanthropy work. You've used your platforms
to speak on issues and matters that invoke change and
things that matter to you. I wanted to ask you
a little bit about the Free American movement I believe
you started back in twenty fifteen, which is around the
discussion of mass incarceration in the United States. I mean,
(06:40):
in your own words, would you be able to tell
our listeners a little bit more about the initiative and
you know, anything we can do to help.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Well.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
You know, every country has its own issues, and domestically,
when we think about what's going on in America, one
of the things that's always been part of our national
heritage is one we started with as an essential part
of our economy and the structure of our society was built,
and then that kind of locked in place, this sense
(07:08):
of a racial hierarchy, a racial cast system essentially in
America that has really never been completely dismantled, and it's
taken different forms, but the current form in which we
see a lot of it is through the way the
criminal legal system works in America, and we are the
(07:28):
most incarcerated country in the world, so we spend more
money on it, but we also have more people caught
up in the system, whether in prison or in jail,
and it's something we need to fix because it harms
so many folks, not just the individuals who are locked.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Up, but they're families, their communities.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
It just creates so much trauma and loss, and so
many cycles of trauma and loss in so many places,
and it's such a drain on our resources when we
could be investing them in things that are more edifying.
And so we've spent a lot of time and energy
not only saying we need to decarcrate, incarcerate fewer people
(08:06):
and for shorter times, but also we need to take
the money that we're spending on jails, prisons, policing, all
these other things and focus on investing in communities and
make them safer and healthier and stronger and so pre America.
Really the mission is both look at this incarceration rate,
do our best to bring it down, but also take
(08:28):
those resources that we're pouring into punishment and pour them
into health and wealth creation, job creation, and better lives
for people.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Thank you so much for giving us the insight, and
I asked that question as well as you mentioned at
the top of the question that each country tends to
have their issues in particular, and our Black Australians and
Indigenous Australians here and continue to also face disproportion and
incarceration rights as well. And I hope that our brothers
insistance listening can also take advice on anyone in general,
take advice from what you've also said other strategies that
(09:00):
we're looking at you to make change. So applaud you
and thank you for for letting us know about that.
On a brighter note, I was doing a little reading
of your of your Spotify. I don't know the label
might disagree or something, but I saw that it says
that your third highest listener ship city is Sydney, where
we where we're out right now, So that I didn't
know that that's what I know what to say it
on your Spotify.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
So you know, I'm trying to. I'm trying to. I
know I loved Sydney. I knew I love Sydney. Sidney.
Love you back, Sydney, love you back, bro for real.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
So when when we think we're gonna you know, so
you see you touch down, you know where we go?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
You know, that's a great question. I really do want
to come back.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
We always have a great time down there, and you
know we haven't been there since the pandemic, but we've
got to come back soon. Yeah, And Christy loves it
down there too, and my kids haven't been to Australia yet,
so I think we got to plan a trip, all right.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Well, we're ready to have you more than certain about that.
And what's your take? Do you have much of a
take on the Australian music scene? Does anyone put you
on any R and B from here or any rap music?
Speaker 1 (09:59):
And if not, not really.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Honestly, not really, So I need to be put on you.
You could educate me, I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
So we're going to send you some links one hundred percent. Lastly,
I want to ask you, look while we have you,
all right, because we have this conversation on our show
all the time, all the time, I'm Produce looking at
me like he's like Quizzard No, but real talk. I
want to ask you, as an icon, as a as
a as a leader to true R and B himself,
what's your type on R and B now and in
(10:27):
it's trajectory. What how do you say, how do you
feel about it?
Speaker 3 (10:30):
You know, I'm never good at doing the big macro
conversation about the whole genre. It's really like it's really
just driven by the artists and are we making music
that's important and vital and then sometimes we're bending the genre.
Like you know, Beyonce is an icon and R and B,
but she made an album that's not really an R
and B album, but it's incredible and it's you know,
(10:52):
forward thinking and kind of experimental sound for her.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
And I think there's so much good music.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Out right now in you know among you know, R
and B artists are soulful artists, and you know, I
think R and b's in good hands right now. There's
some really great artists making great music lately. You know,
I've been listening to like Leon Bridges and Jazmine Sullivan
and Money Long and Pink Sweats and Summer Walker, and I.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Feel like her. There's you know, I feel like Daniel Caesar.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
There's really a lot of really talented artists making fresh
music right now that feels really good, and some that
aren't really making explicitly.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Like stereotypical R and B.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
But are kind of pushing the boundaries of the genre
as well, and I think all of that is great
and fun and exciting.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
I mean that is is that I feel we're in
good hands, and it is in good hands. So mister Legend,
thank you so much again for joining you. It's a pleasure,
it's honored to have you man, and thank you very much.
The album Legend out now.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
You've been listening to a cat podcast.
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