July 8, 2024 • 57 mins
On this episode of Style and Vibes we explore the connection between R&B and Reggae with Kea and Ashley, the dynamic duo behind the "Always on Key" podcast. We kick things off with fun filled trivia challenge that will test our knowledge of song lyrics explore the rich tapestry of R&B and reggae music, tracing their evolution and current trends.
We delve into the diverse subgenres of R&B, the artistic freedom that today's musicians enjoy, and the critical role of collaborations in shaping the music industry. Our discussion pays special attention to reggae's historical influences and its global resonance, all while highlighting the fusion of genres made possible by the internet. We also spotlight some areas for growth within the R&B genre, particularly around artist development and stage performance.
Finally, we address the uphill battle faced by reggae and dancehall artists in breaking into mainstream markets, particularly in the U.S. Through the stories of artists like Lila Ike and Shenseea, we examine the delicate balance between cultural authenticity and mainstream appeal.
We also discuss the role of social media in music discovery, including the resurgence of classic tracks through platforms like TikTok. Wrapping up, we celebrate the magic of iconic R&B and reggae collaborations, reflecting on how these powerhouse partnerships have influenced the music scene and live performances alike. Tune in for a blend of humor, insight, and musical nostalgia that will leave you humming long after the episode ends.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of
the Style and Vibes podcast withyours truly Makayla.
If you are new to the family,welcome, welcome, family.
And if you're returning,welcome back family.
Today I am welcoming newmembers into the family.
Kia and Ashley both have theirown podcast and I think the
(00:27):
connection between the two of usis we have the same editor,
producer for our shows.
So Kia and Ashley discuss, youknow, musical legends,
particularly when it comes tosoul R&B.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
but a lot of music lover.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
I think they throw in a little hip-hop here and there
, but I think all things blackmusic uh is what I like to call
it on their podcast always onkey.
So make sure you guys checkthat out.
I have invited them to thefamily today because, um, I
think there are so manydifferent similarities,
(01:04):
especially when it comes to thegrowth of different industries
and genres.
Particularly Black music hastransformed the way people
consume music in what trends ona very regular basis, and so I
thought this would be a reallygreat conversation across
(01:26):
collaboration, if you will.
So I'm going to let themintroduce themselves.
I introduced them as thedynamic duo.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
All right, I guess I'll go first.
What's up y'all?
My name is Kia Renee and it'syour homegirl.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Ash the the vet.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
They give you guys that late night vibes of the
intro you are tuned into, alwayson key, just like that.
Exactly, I love it, I love.
So.
You guys normally start offyour podcast with trivia, so I
(02:06):
wanted to do the same.
We don't know the questionswe're going to ask each other
and y'all got some questions forme, so I'm gonna let you guys
start and I hope I can answerthese questions All right.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Well, the way that Ash and I usually open up the
show is um, we do a little guessthe lyrics, and so, instead of
a regular trivia, that's whatI'm gonna have you do a little
guess the lyrics so you can giveme the artist or the song title
.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
All right, I am going to say the words um, not in the
same melody.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'm just going to say the words, not in the same
melody.
I'm just going to say the words, speak them poetically and you
are going to guess from there.
All right, let me know whenyou're ready.
All right, don't stop moving.
You're making me hot From headto toe.
I feel your flow.
Vibes get stronger.
(03:02):
Party seems longer.
Makes me really want you.
Don't stop moving.
Youibes get stronger.
Party seems longer.
Makes me really want you.
Don't stop moving.
You're making me hot.
Any thoughts, any thoughts, anythoughts.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
If you were to sing it for me, I still.
The first person that came tomind was Tony Braxton, but I
don't think that that's correct.
But that's gonna be my finalanswer you want to help out Ash
um, it's not Rihanna.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
It's not okay.
This always happens to me onour show.
When we do trivia, I'm usuallythe one that's just like, and
then afterward I'd be like duh.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
All right, I'll give y'all the answer.
Go ahead, move your Body byNina Sky.
Move your Body.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
I just saw them at Red Bull Culture Clash.
This is why I thought Caribbean.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Okay, now I think I know where you guys are going
with this.
Okay, the rest of them is thelyrics challenge.
Oh gosh, all right.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
One of them is very easy and one of them is maybe
the hardest.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Give me the easy one, give me the easy one.
If I don't even get the easyone, you might just switch it up
.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
All right.
It was back in 99, watchingmovies all the time.
Oh, when I went away for doingmy first crime and I never
thought we was going to see eachother.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
This is the easy one Repeat it.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It was back in 99, watching movies all the time, or
when I went away for doing myfirst crime, I never thought
that we was going to see eachother.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Not Keisha Connell.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I'll give y'all a hint.
Ooh, no, a male artist.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Well, he said 99, so it's got to be a certain age.
That's still like a long timespan, jesus.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
How you do this one going to make y'all mad.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
I'm pretty sure it always makes me mad 99, 99, and
it's a singer and it's a malesinger.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
You said he is singing.
I wouldn't call him a singer.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Oh okay, no, I can't say that close, but but LL Cool,
j, ll Cool, j ain't do a bit.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I'ma just tell y'all Beautiful girls, Sean Kingston.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Oh, I wouldn't have got that one at all At all.
No, no, I wouldn't have gotthat one, not in, no, he just
got arrested.
He about to do do another bidand his mom got arrested too,
and his mom well, I meanallegedly you know, the case got
to play out, but you know whatsong is that?
(06:21):
Beautiful girls, the one hedebuted with why don't we start
with the lyrics, like the thechorus, that wasn't easy.
Kia, that was hard.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
See, that was not easy okay, I'm definitely not
gonna get this next one then Ijust lost hope.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Let me give you a question.
Let me give you a question,alright, this Jamaican born
musician and singer is known forhis way around a saxophone, but
what was the first instrumenthe was drawn to first?
He's an R&B singer.
(07:03):
He's an R&B, he's an rb singer.
You got it.
I got the artist.
Yeah, however, I didn't play atrombone I think so he first was
drawn to the drums but he wastrying to artist yes, he was
trying to impress a girl.
(07:25):
like most of the things thatbrings inspiration to him, he
was trying to impress a girlwhich made him drawn to the
saxophone.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Love that.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Oh, my God, and here I am with my little easy
question Alright, finish thislyric.
This is how you set it up, Kia.
Don't be giving people hardones okay my bad, I'm just the
guest.
You got redemption redemptionsong alright, here we go, here
we go, ting-a-ling-a-ling, singit out, sing it out, beautiful,
(08:05):
beautiful, sing it out, sing itout.
You see, this is you giving meall these hard ones and I got
all these easy stuff for you.
Okay, now I got a hard one.
It's not a lyrics challenge,but let me see if you guys know
this who was the first reggaegrammy awarded to?
Speaker 3 (08:30):
ooh reggae, that's actually really good damn.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Can I google it?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
grammy, oh boy reggae it a woman it's a group a group
.
I'm at a loss.
I'm thinking of a duo butthat's not gonna work.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
I mean, I think I know a duo you're probably
thinking about it's probably notthem, it's older it's
definitely older.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Older group.
I'm stumped.
I ain't even going to try andembarrass myself.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
The name of the group is called Black Uhuru.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
They were the first reggae Grammy winners.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Interesting.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Yes, yes, alright.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Okay, okay, yes, interesting, yes, yes all right,
okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
So this is an easy one too.
Right, okay, okay, since I gavethe shabba away um.
This famous singer collaboratedwith dance hall artist Shava
Rains.
Name the singer Singer.
Yes, this one y'all shouldn'tknow.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
See, when you say this one, we should it brings
more pressure.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I don't want to say the wrong.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
That's alright.
That's alright.
I I mean, I didn't get none ofy'all say it go ahead go ahead
go ahead go ahead, just throw itout there nah exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
I'm thinking of a rapper.
My rapper said singer.
I'm thinking of a rapper, notrapper.
I said singer, I'm lost, andthen I'm going to be mad.
Yeah, oh, my goodness, I'mtrying to think Male or female.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Male, male.
Okay, I ain't got that I wasthinking women.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
No, it's not bobby brown, because bobby oh, it's a
reggae singer.
It's a reggae singer, shabba.
Nope, can't be bearish.
Nope, go ahead, michaela, layit on us please come on.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I know you guys know that one see, he's like yeah see
, yeah, I'm so glad I didn't saywhat I thought, what were you
thinking oh man, you got me back, alright well, I had fun, even
(11:39):
though you know the trivia waskind of hard.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
I guess this is why I really don't do trivia for real
, for real, because I wouldprobably suck.
You know, the trivia was kindof hard, like.
I guess that's why I reallydon't do trivia for real, for
real, because I would probablysuck at it, but I love to.
Google and I love to researchthings that I do love about.
You know this industry that Ican actually speaking of, like
industry and kind of genres.
(12:03):
There are definitely, I think,a lot of similarities,
especially when it comes to R&Band reggae.
In terms of its trajectory, r&bcame before hip-hop.
Reggae was the same.
There are a lot of similaritiesin terms of the amount of time
(12:25):
that the genres have been aroundand how much it has changed and
grown over the years.
So I'm curious to hear from youguys, like what do you like
about where the industry isgoing, either from a musical
perspective or a businessperspective?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
I will say, for me, I just I love the diversity in
the genre.
Now we have so many differentsubsects of what R&B is.
It's still at its core of justsoul, the rhythm and blues, but
there's, you got the trap, soyou got the R&B and house fusion
(13:07):
.
You have, you know, yourtypical just vibey, hippie type
of R&B.
And I love that diversity asmuch, as sometimes we get stuck
on just a decade, an era ofmusic, and say this is what it
should be a decade, an era ofmusic, and say this is what it
(13:27):
should be and this is what itshould continue us to be with
the genre, with art and withmusic.
It needs to grow, it's going tochange.
So I like that.
Now you have this variety ofR&B that you can listen to.
So that for me, is kind of thebig thing of what I like
currently, you know, in theindustry.
What about you, kia?
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Similar to that.
I kind of like that artistshave a little bit more freedom
when it comes to how they growthemselves.
They don't really need the bigmachine behind them, the labels
behind them, the way they usedto.
But I also like that it's alsomore collaborative now.
I think there was a time whereartists weren't really doing
duets and things like that.
Now we're kind of getting backto that.
You can see certain faces oncertain people's songs and you
(14:11):
know it's, it's, you know,becoming that, that
collaborative environment again,which is cool yeah, I do think,
even from a reggae perspective,I think that that is what is
happening now too.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
There is the sound, in terms of its variety has such
a a huge range, and if youthink about reggae in terms of
where it started, a lot of itwas like if you think of like
that lovers rock era, it waslike covers of soul music, um,
and then kind of transitionedinto this message music driven
(14:44):
by Rastafarian culture, religionin Jamaica, and so that really
kind of changed what people knewof reggae music and by that
time it developed the nameitself and so the message has
definitely transpired, but itdefinitely appears a lot
(15:05):
differently than it did in the70s and in the 80s and 90s, and
I think that that progressionhas changed a lot in terms of
like sound and you can hear moreof the international influences
now, I feel.
Like music and the internet,especially from like LimeWire
(15:27):
days to now, it became soaccessible to everyone that it
allowed for new sounds topermeate from genre to genre,
and that's why you can get anR&B sound out of a reggae artist
or you can get a hip-hop ortrap sound out of an R&B artist
(15:48):
is just we're.
We're just exposed to way moregenres than we ever have been
before, and so the lines arekind of starting to get blurred
and crossed where there wasessentially like a dignified
like, if you think about likeMary J Blige, she's, she's the
queen of hip hop, so like thatwasn't even really a thing.
(16:09):
But now you say that and youkind of understand exactly what
that means, right.
So I think that that's reallyinteresting.
What do you think are someopportunities from an
improvement perspective with,with the r&b genre?
Speaker 3 (16:27):
oh man, like that's a loaded question yeah, no, I
personally um developmentoverall in an artist's career,
as well as stage presence whenthey're performing I think that
is big for me.
When I see artists performingyou know, I think Summer Walker
(16:52):
had a big for a long time waslike, oh, she's born, all she's
doing is just on the stage.
She's born, all she's doing isjust on this stage.
Right, you know singing andit's not you know giving us
something.
Right, to be like you knowcapturing us, and I think that's
the biggest opportunity for alot of R&B artists now.
(17:13):
Um is to work on thatdevelopment of just overall
being a star.
We see a lot of artists, theymake music, but we don't see too
many just superstars anymore.
That's just like they got it.
Unless you're Victoria B May,okay, because she is a star, all
right.
But just giving everythingchoral, vocals, stage presence,
(17:39):
you know, audience engagement,those those things I think those
are the biggest opportunitiesfor artists in our genre today.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I think I agree with that.
But then I would also saysubject matter of songs.
There used to be seduction.
There used to be.
You know less pride in a lot ofthe music and you know a little
bit begging and there's not toomuch of that.
You know that seduction elementis out.
People aren't dating anymore.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
You mean you want somebody singing in the rain?
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
The desert you know, the desert, the rain.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Listen, the bad boy R&B artist is good, but that's
every now and then.
That's not how you settle downwith you know what I'm saying?
You need the boyfriend R&B,okay.
And then I would also say Iwould throw in these very short
songs to where artists can'treally show their vocal ability
anymore.
People don't have the attentionspan for it, so you're not
really hearing.
(18:38):
You know, just you're nothearing that same effort.
So yeah, a 230 song is not yeah, you know like how was your
whole album 30 minutes.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
I need a maxwell seven minute.
You know I need to build that.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
That is interesting, I see.
I see that coming out a lotmore.
I was just listening to tyla'salbum and I listened to the
whole thing in about an hour, um, but I wasn't mad at it because
essentially, like, honestly, Idon't know that I have the time
span to really listen to like,and when I look at the track
listings and it's more than like15 songs, I'm like, oh, there's
(19:17):
some people who are likereleasing like 30.
I'm like there's some peoplewho are like releasing like 30.
I'm like I don't love you thatmuch to listen.
I mean, 30 is a lot, unlessyou're performing, yeah, but,
like you know, I I find thatvery interesting because I I do
think that the songs are shorter.
There are no bridges, they'rejust kind of like a lot or they,
they.
I miss the bridge.
(19:38):
Like where's the big?
bridge yeah, there's no build upin like you know, um, and kind
of leveling it off.
So I think that's really what'smissing in in a lot of these
shorter songs.
Yeah, particular to r&b is likethere's no bridge between the
second verse and and and the endof the song or the third verse
(19:59):
at the end of the song.
I think, similar to you, ash, Ithink a lot of reggae artists we
don't get to see them in person, especially if they're popular
in the region.
They don't come here and reallydo intimate shows and intimate
settings and they used to, Ithink, do like small club venues
(20:21):
and they would really traveland get to perform in front of
audiences.
I think that, particularlybecause there are so many
different reggae artists thatare coming out now.
So I think you and I we wereall talking about the Her and
Lila Ike collaboration and Ihear Lila Ike, I'm like Lila
(20:43):
should be on tour opening forher right, like that would be
her opening audience too,because essentially you can
understand what she's saying,because she's singing.
She has such a rich vocal toneand similarly she plays the
guitar like she stands there andshe sings, and so for me, I
(21:04):
think that that ability to crossover into, like that R&B space
is really missing from a lot ofour artists because they don't
take the time to actually travelhere, do smaller venue shows
here, do smaller venue shows andreally hone in on building an
(21:25):
audience.
They will no doubt do festivalsand get booked for festivals,
like if you're only familiarwith their name or one or two
songs, that's not necessarilythe place to really build an
audience, in my opinion, and Ithink we've gotten away from
that a lot, particularly when itcomes to reggae so, michaela,
(21:45):
let me ask you because I know,probably similar to us, how we
feel in R&B.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Maybe it's the same in reggae dance hall, but
there's always like a battlebetween the preservation of the
culture and allowing certainartists, you know, when they go
mainstream, of maybe changingkind of their style, aesthetic
and what you're you know so fondof their art and their work.
(22:21):
Like we find R&B artists andwe're like, oh yes, they're so
great, you know they're not onthe radio and big yet, but then
as soon as they go mainstreamyou see kind of a difference in
the art that they create andyou're like, oh, I miss this
version in a sense.
Do you have that same feeling.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
I think the biggest current situation like that is
probably Shensia, and I thinkbecause she's what we call a
sing-jay right, she can sing andshe can what we say DJ or is
rhyme right, and so she can doboth pretty well.
And if I could, you know,compare her to other sing-jay,
(22:59):
like Sean Paul is kind of youcan kind of carry a note but she
actually can sing, sing.
So I think she's displaying herDJ skills and singing skills at
(23:25):
the same time.
But I think her first projecthere based in the States.
So what happens when you kind ofsign to a label here there's
just a different working andthere's always this constant
well, how do we break throughwith this artist?
We know that they're talented,they signed them for a
particular reason, but there'salways this idea of how do you
(23:52):
break them into the market?
Additionally, she is fromJamaica.
I mean, let's put it all outthere.
She's from Jamaica, she sings,she DJs, she looks culturally
ambiguous.
And then I think record labelsreally want to be able to
(24:12):
package something in asimplified format.
But I think when peopledistinctly think of Jamaica and
sounds that come from Jamaica,they kind of have made this idea
up in their head and so whattends to happen when artists are
assigned to a label and thiskind of goes across genres is it
really depends on who is A&Ringthe project and how much time
(24:34):
they are willing to invest inyou, and it also depends on the
artists themselves and theability to one take direction
very well and adjust to whateverit is.
So it's this balance right, andI think what happened with
Shensia from my perspective, Ithink what happened with her is
(24:55):
she was extremely flexible andin being flexible and trying new
sounds, she alienated her coreaudience.
And it took her a while to kindof find her footing.
She just released her secondalbum, which I think is doing
significantly better in terms oftapping into her older audience
(25:18):
but also really driving theneedle for her for her newer
audience.
Cause Alpha was released here.
So this is her second fulllength album and I think it's
what they did differently, thatthey like they they
over-sexualized her in the firstproject.
I think.
I mean, this was like rightafter like a WAP with Megan.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
I mean this is like right after, like WAP with Megan
and.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Cardi and they did like a very WAP-esque vibe with
her and it wasn't really wellreceived by anyone really the
culture, the crossover market,to be honest.
She had a really greatcollaboration with Tyga, with
Blessed um.
(26:02):
She had a really great uhcollaboration with taiga, with
blessed, and I think that thatwas kind of what gave her like a
good boost for that first album.
But as the visuals and thesingles started to release,
people weren't, and I think shehad some really good songs on
that album.
Um.
I think what she's doingdifferently this time around is
um.
It's a shorter project, um.
(26:23):
She tapped more um productionfrom the region so that you know
her old producer.
She kind of has a couple songswith him.
Um that she originally gainedpopularity with um and then
visually she came out at a righttime, so it's like right before
caribbean heritage month hits.
So she had the album she had.
(26:45):
There was already a lot goingon and it's for the summer, it's
festival season here in thestates where she can tour and
right, right do shows yeah yeah,I think for a long time, and
even still, um, reggae anddancehall is really looked at as
summertime music.
right, it brings the vibe, itadds a little.
(27:07):
In terms of like rotation soit's easier to promote during
that time and I think her albumthe first time I think it
released in the fall, if I'm notmistaken.
But, I'd have to fact checkthat, but there are some
differences, so that, to me, isthe example that sticks out.
It doesn't happen with everyartist.
(27:27):
Um, so like PopCon was signedto Drake's OVO label and I'm
still kind of like reallywaiting to see, like, what that
has produced for him.
I think what it has done is Ithink he's done a lot of writing
for Drake and it has allowedhim to do more writing and
getting publishing credits, butI don't know that it's
(27:50):
necessarily moved the needle forhis, his actual career.
Um, you know he he hasn't beenable to perform here in the
States, but he has gone toCanada, he has gone to Europe
and has grown significantly overthe last few years.
(28:10):
But I can't say that thecollaboration or him signing
with them elevated his career inthe sense that he's seen as
like this superstar that I thinkhe wanted and I don't know what
he wanted, to be honest but Iwould position him a little bit
higher than where he is, youknow.
And then, if you think aboutlike newer artists that have
(28:31):
come out, like TJ, he's in thatsame Sing J camp with Drift.
You know the dance really tookover on TikTok, so that made a
really good impact there for him.
And then he released an EP, Ibelieve.
So it wasn't a full-lengthproject.
I know his name, I am Chippy,but that's all that I know.
(28:55):
So there are good examples thatit has happened still, but I
think that that has yet to bedefined.
I would love to see the musicmove beyond being like a
summertime vibe and just havinglike an always on rotation of
songs coming from the regionthat are intertwined with what
(29:18):
is happening here in the States.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
That makes sense.
That makes sense.
That makes sense because when Ithink about just dancehall and
reggae, what I find is usuallylike block party, you know,
house party, those type ofthings, which is and if that is
going to be our lane, like let's, let's amplify that right.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Like I feel like there's hasn't been a consistent
summer hit for the last 10years.
It's like every two years.
We get a good, a good buzz, andthen we can't carry.
We can't follow it up.
So, as a genre, if that's, ifthat's the space and place that
we're gonna play in, let's playthere and have like a slew of
hits for the summer and have itcarry for, because it can truly
(30:00):
carry over oh yeah, do y'alllisten to the radio at all, like
, are y'all still into the radiolike that?
um, I would say, like everyother, I think it's shrinking
holistically.
I think that there are still alot of people who still listen
to radio, but I think it is.
(30:20):
I think radio as a whole is ina different trajectory in a
different space.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
And.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
I would have thought that, coming from like I have
like a former radio background,I would have thought that the
whole playlist thing would havechanged a bit, but it's still
really the same.
It's the same 20 songs so Idon't know that it's really
(30:51):
driving like I don't know howthey're driving audiences under
the same format that's what I'lltouch on.
Yeah, because yeah, so I I don'ttruly know.
Radio, I think, is stillpopular with older generations,
but I think, across the board,most young people, they'll
listen to the radio because theyhave to.
Other than that, theirpair-sharing playlists, their
(31:14):
pair-sharing mixtapes onSoundCloud or sharing their own
playlist, whether they have iton like AudioMax, Spotify,
whatever it is.
That's how that is reallyhappening.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
And I think, similarly to R&B, it's now
become an environment where youhave to find the music.
It doesn't really come to you.
And then back in the days whenyou had radio, that was kind of
pushing new music to you,pushing new artists.
You had DJs breaking artistsand things like that.
It's a very different hustle.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
It's definitely a very different vibe.
I think I was talking to Carriethe other day and I still
listen to Pandora.
A lot of people don't listen toPandora, but I think
algorithmically they have hadthe longest catalog because they
were the first to really dostreaming, um, and so they they
(32:10):
algorithmically can insert a newsong every now.
So I'm an older audience, right, if I want to new, hear new
music, I say spotify is whereyou discover new music and it's
where you can just like put in amood or a vibe and you can kind
of get something and let thealgorithm feed you.
But that's also what youngeraudiences like.
(32:31):
They like to just I want to themood, the vibe, to be there, um
, whereas I grew up and and Ihave a like I would say it's as
a consumer, not as someone whojust listens to new music on a
regular basis and try toincorporate it into my platform,
but as a user I have like 60 to70 percent of my catalog
(32:56):
favorites and that's wherepandora kind of gets it right
when I put it on autopilot andfrom a reggae and dancehall
perspective, they definitelyhave a lot of the older stuff in
the catalog, and so I thinkSpotify I actually listen to
between Pandora and actuallyApple Music.
(33:19):
I think Apple Music I reallylike their ability to create
playlists.
I love that.
You can see the lyrics, you cansee the credits, you can see
videos and it's all incorporated.
I just never got on the Spotifybandwagon and I like it and I
appreciate it for what it is.
(33:39):
It's just not where I listen tomost of my my music, if I'm
just listening.
The thing about it is, too, islike sometimes there are songs
that's on Spotify that's not onApple Music that's true, yeah
and that really has to do withlike their distribution to be.
So, yeah, we went way off, butit was good conversation.
(34:00):
Um, in terms of like you guystalked a little bit about, like
the sound, what are you likingin terms of the sound,
discovering new music andperformances I think you both
kind of touched on that, butexpand on that for me.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
For me, um, for me, sometimes at night I'm going
down rabbit holes, right.
So if I'm listening to anartist or I have a plethora of
different playlists fordifferent moods, sometimes I put
on like a discovery station onapple music and I'm just
(34:41):
listening and I'm like, oh okay,who's this?
And then once I click on thisartist and then I see similar
artists and then I check themout um, it's also Kia and I
exchanging hey, this artist.
I just heard this artist.
They're from the UK check themout and vice versa.
(35:02):
Um, that's typically how itgoes for me.
Or maybe I am on social mediaand someone has a reel or video
with the song in the background.
I'm like this, this kind of gohard like for instance, the.
What's the guy's name?
The Tommy, the.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Nala yes.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
And I'm like who is this?
I just heard so many peopleusing the music that it's just
like okay, let me go check itout, which is totally different
like how we talked about earlierabout how we're discovering
music.
Usually, like Kia said, it'sthrough the radio or some push,
but that's for me.
Usually, like Kia said, it'sthrough the radio or some push,
but that's for me.
Usually, kia and I areexchanging things that we've
(35:49):
heard, so I don't know if it'sany different for you, Kia.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
For me it's all of those.
But also I let the artists findmy next artist, and that goes
back to what I said earlierabout it being now so
collaborative.
So if I hear artists I like inthis, they're featuring someone
that I don't know.
Now I'm going to research thatartist.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
I'm going to just keep going like that so that's
one of my favorite ways to findartists.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Oh yeah, do you think that the social media has?
I think it has helped incertain ways, but do you think
that it has hindered in otherways?
Like, what are your thoughtsabout the integration of music
and social platforms?
Speaker 2 (36:34):
so, okay, I think it did money long very well, right?
So hours and hours was a song.
That god damn it I mean it hadto have played for like a full,
I mean yeah that song wouldn'tstop.
You get what I'm saying?
And that's such a contemporaryr&b song, um, and it just had a
sound and you know it was aboutlove and just things we hadn't
(36:56):
heard before that it was just soeasy for people to kind of
grasp onto that and, plus, Ithink it was locked down so
people were lonely and you knowwhatever.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
So you know social media.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
It also played in when it came to that time, um,
but then I don't know thenegative side.
I think sometimes people justeither don't know how to use
their platform or sometimes theyget caught up in being a
personality and not being anartist.
Yeah, um, but yeah, I think,think those probably the two
things that I noticed.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Yeah, social media with artists sometimes it's hard
, you know of why are youfollowing?
Am I following you because ofyour lifestyle or am I following
you because of your art?
Like you said, you know themoney longs.
You know sometimes they call ittiktok music, but it's helped a
(37:47):
lot of artists get out there,um, and get their music heard.
It's just how that artist thenkeep that momentum going once
they have that exposure, um,some of them just leave it at
that and it's just, you know,social media, real music in a
sense, versus actually havinginvested in their career.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
And it's also not always new artists too Like.
Sometimes it'll be old R&Bsongs that pop up again.
Like you know, I don't everwant to hit Can we Talk Again?
But like Timmy Campbell's like,Can we Talk, like it's just
like you know want to hit, canwe talk again?
Speaker 3 (38:26):
but like, can we talk ?
Like it's just like you know,like Miguel's you know, dorn had
a reversion on social media atone point and we're like this is
old, why are these kids?
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (38:37):
yeah, I think it's interesting to there's.
There's so many things therewhen it comes to social media.
I think it's interesting.
I love how, you know, theyounger generations are
rediscovering some of ourfavorites that we have heard in
a different way.
I enjoy that, particularlybecause, you know, I have a
daughter who is at that agewhere she's discovering new
(38:59):
music.
So now we can kind of exchangenotes a little bit, um, and I
can kind of put her on, like youknow she likes Aaliyah, you
know she, and I'm like, oh well,if you like, if you like SZA,
you should listen to LaurynHill's album because like she
was our version of SZA for youguys and I do like SZA and so
(39:19):
she, you know it opens the earsa little bit, um, I think
sometimes the the song once,once it goes like viral and
everybody is attaching theirtheir daily life or songs or
dances to it.
Sometimes it gets played and I'mlike, can you just pick a
different part of that?
Yeah, so like every timebeyonce drops an album, it's
(39:42):
like I can't even listen to itright away because it's
overplayed for at least a monthand I can't really give it its
proper energy because it's beenoverwhelmingly played and
they're like I don't even know.
I haven't listened to the albumin its totality, but I know at
(40:03):
least 20 songs from CowboyCarter.
But before I have even I waslike, oh okay, well, this is the
snippet, but it doesn't.
It doesn't do, like the catalogand the albums, as much justice
as, but it's a snippet, rightso it.
I think the days of just beingfed music by one or two sources,
(40:29):
it was radio and DJs andparties.
Now it's radios, djs andparties, it's playlists, it's
curators, it's your friend.
It's been so decentralizedthrough digital and not just
social, that I think it's kindof a fragmented space to kind of
(40:52):
do discovery.
And I think it makes it harderfor artists to really find that
longevity because essentiallyyou feel you can only do that
once.
And that's not necessarily thecase, and if that's the
benchmark that they're measuringtheir success against, it could
be damaging to the art form.
(41:13):
Yeah, that's true In particularof just because, essentially,
they're like you know, well,this got a million views in one
week and it's just like, well,what if I got 500,000?
Is that not good enough?
You know what I mean.
And I think it's much tougherin this environment because,
(41:33):
yeah, it's like fast fashion.
If you're here tomorrow and atrend can literally be like a
couple of weeks and that's it,and there's no longevity around
it so you can't really build,you know.
So I applaud them forincorporating their
personalities because I mean,even like a Cardi B, I don't
(41:55):
necessarily care for all of hermusic, but I tolerate it more
because I enjoy her personalitya bit and I probably wouldn't
have if it wasn't for social.
Yeah, yeah, that's fair.
The personality makes me likeyou more, like oh gosh, yeah,
(42:17):
yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I and I'm trying to thinkI'm like who has turned me off
on social media where I don'twant to, but I think, like
reggae artists and Caribbeanartists in general, they're not
doing a good I.
I think other genres are doinga really, really good job.
I think there's only a handfulof artists that are doing a
really good job at social mediaand bringing people along for
(42:39):
the journey.
Shinsu is one of them.
Spice is one of them.
I would say Black Hero.
He's one of my newer favoritesin my catalog.
He does a really good job oflike storytelling and having
really good visuals, but it'shard for them to be consistent
and content creators in socialfirst.
(42:59):
I think Jada Kingdom does areally.
The women just do a really goodjob at social yeah, that's, true
I think the men just have havea little bit more ways to go,
like it's not necessarily so, um, but I've seen it work really
well for for a lot of artists tokind of incorporate their
personalities and andincorporating their music, like
(43:22):
you like.
Now I see artists they likejust drop their song and like
all of a sudden, like link is inmy bio and it's like one post,
and I'm like, oh, I completelymissed that.
You even dropped a projectexactly.
Yeah, you never posted it again.
You posted a million thingsthat don't have nothing to do
with the music and you didn'teven use your own music as the
soundtrack, like oh gosh, thatwas very specific.
(43:47):
Shade yep, put your put yourmusic up there, so somebody can
hear you like exactly, that'sfunny no but that's a fact, yeah
, you would.
I mean, I mean, but those arelike the simple things of you
know being able to incorporateit, like you don't have to
become this full on contentcreator, but there are simple
(44:10):
ways, like people are alreadyinterested in you because you're
a celebrity.
Um, like, give us something towork with.
Like they got to work for itjust like every and I think that
that's the frustration tooRight, like they got to work for
it just like everybody else onthis algorithm.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I don't think they necessarilyenjoy that part of of promoting
(44:32):
their music.
They just want to do the artand it's become so much more
about the business yeah, I getthem, I understand yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
I understand very much business very much so.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Alright, so let's get into some fun stuff.
I know we kind of started offwith trivia, talking about R&B
and reggae and dancehall.
Share with me some of yourfavorite collaborations, if you
have any, like what comes tomind for you guys oh my goodness
, this is easy.
Speaker 3 (45:03):
you can't, this is not, you know, you can't you
can't.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
This is not trivia, that's why, you cannot think
about.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
R&B and reggae, without talking about the Beanie
man and the Mayas right.
Janet Jackson, you know likefor real the his big one on
production of that.
But just you know when thoserecords came out.
You know grow some sugar andfeel it.
Boy like you can tell me Iwasn't.
(45:31):
You know caribbean myself, youknow I was like, I was like yes
in the video whining yeslearning it, you know.
So you know those are some of myfavorites.
Who else I think it was astandard, like you got the
Beyonce Sean Paul's yeah, seanPaul I threw on mine Alicia Keys
(45:56):
and Baby Sham.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
Yes, I also threw on here Victoria Monet and Bougie
Bantan, party Girl there's asong on his album with her.
Speaker 1 (46:08):
I'm about to look it up.
I like, I love, I play it.
It's my actually my favoritetrack on his last album let me
tell you Party Girl that record.
Speaker 3 (46:21):
This is why Victoria Monet is the star.
I don't know why so many peoplehave just overlooked her, and
she's been in this business fora very long time.
Speaker 1 (46:32):
Yeah.
Body touching body.
That's a song Body.
Touching body, that's evenbetter than Party Girl.
You're going to like that one.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
You're going to like that one.
Listen to that one.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
Listen to that one.
Speaker 1 (46:44):
I love Party Girls.
Yeah, that Victoria Monet, Iwas just like where have I been
on Victoria Monet because I likeher.
Honestly, I had to go back andlisten to her old albums oh yeah
life after love, life afterlove, yeah, life after love yes
(47:08):
oh, I like this song, I like, oh, my mama, yes, back and listen
to her and then, uh, when I,when I, when I was reading the
credits of her album and sawthat she worked with, was it
Maurice of Earth Wind?
Speaker 3 (47:25):
Fire.
I was just like damn.
Speaker 1 (47:27):
This is why I love this album because I'm a 70s
soul baby to the core.
That's my favorite.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
Ariana Grande, if I could go back to the 70s.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
That would be my era.
Speaker 2 (47:40):
And they tried to sync on her, but that was
nominated for a Grammy.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
Yes, I do, yeah.
And speaking of the youngpeople things, I recently went
to a Bryson Tiller concert withmy daughter.
How was that.
It wasn't too bad.
It was interesting.
It was interesting.
Who else was there?
It was different.
It was different.
Speaker 3 (48:09):
I'm wondering who else was there.
Speaker 1 (48:10):
It was different.
It was different, wonderingwhat else who else was on his
lineup?
There was nobody, it was justhim.
It was just him.
Okay, and this is where I knewthe kids was gonna be all right.
Right, because it was um.
It was a good variety of youngadults in there.
There were a few um younger inmy daughter's age rage and they
had a dj and just him.
(48:30):
All right, so just dj and justhim.
So the dj played nothing butr&b.
He played classics and heplayed new stuff and they were
were rocking.
I was like, okay, the kids isgoing to be all right, the kids
is going to be all right.
They was out here singing TamraCampbell.
Speaker 3 (48:49):
That's like them.
Babies singing Keisha Cole.
Speaker 1 (48:51):
They were singing Keisha Cole.
They were singing Keisha Cole.
Yes, yes, yes, oh, my God, buthe also.
We've been some new songs thatI had never heard and I even
think maybe my daughter had itheard.
Um, and for me, I think, likeit was, it was really
interesting to see Bryson Tiller, because it was just him on the
(49:12):
stage and it was basically likethis light show.
The entire time.
There were no screens likeshowing his fate, so I didn't
even know what I at that point Iwas just like I don't know what
he looks like.
If you don't like, look for himon the internet or you follow
him.
I'm like I wouldn't walk awayfrom this concert knowing what
(49:33):
he looks like.
It was just like he had on likelight vest.
He was basically like Tron,mixed with that everywhere, and
I'm just like I'm glad I'm not,like you know, having birth
today.
Um, and it was, it was just himand he was he.
(49:54):
He describes his music as likea trap, trap, trap trap soul and
it was very indicative of ofhow he described it.
So it's a perfect way for himto describe it.
Um, I think my only gripe I andI don't know that it was, it was
probably a snobbish gripe isthat he was singing over tracks
(50:16):
and the thing about it is is histone is so monotone that I'm
like why do you need a track tosing your song like?
I feel like it shouldn't havebeen there.
I didn't mind it, I justobserved it and you know I'm
just like, but I did like itbecause it's almost like a light
show performance featuringBryson Tiller.
(50:38):
It wasn't.
I don't really know that.
I got to know more about himbecause he didn't really tell
any stories or talk between thethe songs or talk about the
inspiration.
I thought it was really cute.
He brought out his um, oldestdaughter to sing with him and I
still didn't know what he lookedlike, but like, look, he must
be making all the money becausehe had one dj, yeah, two dancers
(51:02):
and nothing but a light show.
Speaker 3 (51:04):
Make your money price and make your money take listen
that's something that keita andI talk about with artists and
just vocals and performanceright like you don't get the
jasmine sullivans and the arialennox that can literally, you
know, sing A lot of just.
You hear the track more thanyou hear the artist sometimes.
(51:27):
So it's like what am I payingmy money for?
I want to hear you Paying forthe vibe.
Listen Exactly, the light showis what you're paying for, the
light show.
Speaker 2 (51:38):
And not to be a snob, but I need to see you perform
in a band.
That's how I know it's real.
Yeah, if you could do it with alive band.
Speaker 1 (51:45):
He didn't have a band .
I thought that was just mebeing old.
Okay, I mean, I enjoy a goodband too, that's how you know,
but even a lot of hip-hopartists.
I'm like why are hip-hopartists performing with tracks
behind them?
Like no.
No, if you're not going towrite your own rap, at least
(52:06):
perform them.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
Too much drugs?
No, for real.
No breath control.
No breath control.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
We saw that in the verses with the locks and dipset
.
Speaker 2 (52:22):
How you winded.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
They go nowhere exactly.
Yeah, I think.
Yeah.
That's probably one of mybiggest gripes with performers
today and I'm already like asound snob, like I won't go to
particular venues.
Usher is gonna be at barclays.
I hate the sound, I hate I'mnot going yeah, not going like I
(52:50):
don't care no, I'm going, butI'm with you, it's gonna sound
the same.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
Can you stand?
Speaker 1 (53:00):
outside yeah, you know what it is.
Is that they?
Well, I went to see him inVegas, so I'm alright.
I was just going to see him fora second.
What I liked about Vegas it wasa smaller venue.
You could see him fromeverywhere.
When you can hear and reallyfeel and get goosebumps.
(53:22):
That's what I want to.
That's what I want to toexperience, yeah.
Speaker 2 (53:28):
Intimate shows.
Yeah, yeah, intimate.
Speaker 1 (53:32):
Yeah, and it can be intimate in a big space, cause I
I've seen Beyonce.
I think it was MetLife stadiumand that that girl, she put all
her money in in in the stagepresence.
Okay, she is not playing, sheis going to give you a show from
the time that you walk throughthat door the time you are about
to leave and she gives you afull almost three hours.
(53:53):
I was tired.
Is she done yet?
Speaker 3 (53:57):
Because she is like what.
Speaker 2 (54:02):
Flowing up on a horse , exactly.
I'm like girl, we know you cansing let's go I appreciate
Speaker 1 (54:13):
it though.
Yeah, I do, I do.
She was not gonna let you gohome and not have your money, so
I do, I do.
I appreciate everything thatshe puts into a huge show like
that.
So, yeah, um, yeah, I like that.
There's just so much variety inthe music and there's so, like
you would, I think it reallybrings it back to what you said,
(54:33):
ashley.
Like there's variety and we'reseeing that kind of transpire.
I'm I'm curious to see howit'll transpire in the near
future, but I'm enjoying it fornow.
Yeah, all right, we areapproaching almost an hour, guys
.
Yes, this is such a greatconversation.
(54:54):
I love talking music with youguys.
I cannot wait till you guys getback.
But if you guys get back topodcasting, I'm sure you guys
are just taking a mini break andcoming back very, very soon.
But the people that can listento you guys on your podcast
always on key um, but tell thepeople how else to kind of keep
(55:17):
up with you and what you gotcoming up.
Speaker 3 (55:19):
Yeah, we're on the social media.
You can find us on instagram,facebook, at always on key
podcast um.
We got a lot of stuff coming uphere you know, we, we get into,
you know, the fusions of gospeland r&b more trivia we do a lot
more trivia and game nights.
We got coming.
Speaker 1 (55:38):
Listen, I'm, I'm praying for you in the dream.
Speaker 3 (55:41):
You did good, she did good, yeah, so we got a lot of
stuff you know coming up in thepipeline.
So you know we'll appreciateyour audience for having us.
And check us out if you're alover of R&B, just like Kia and
I.
Speaker 1 (56:00):
Yes them love the sores.
That's what.
Speaker 3 (56:03):
I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (56:03):
Sores Not with an S but a Z.
We them love.
The sores Not with an S but a Z, we love y'all so much we do.
All right.
Thank you, kia and Ash.
I appreciate you guys on thepodcast today.
Looking forward to all that youguys have coming up, make sure
you guys check out Kia and Ashon Always On Key Podcast and
(56:26):
until next time, leah Tomepeeps.
Speaker 3 (56:29):
Thank you, bye, y'all .
Speaker 1 (56:33):
Thanks for listening to the latest episode of the
Style Vibes podcast.
If you like what you hear and Iknow you do share it with your
friends and family.
If you want more, make sure youyou visit stylingvibescom and
follow us on our social channels, twitter and instagram.
At styling vibes.
Until next time, leah tummypeeps.
Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of
the Style and Vibes podcast withyours truly Makayla.
If you are new to the family,welcome, welcome, family.
And if you're returning,welcome back family.
Today I am welcoming newmembers into the family.
Kia and Ashley both have theirown podcast and I think the
(00:27):
connection between the two of usis we have the same editor,
producer for our shows.
So Kia and Ashley discuss, youknow, musical legends,
particularly when it comes tosoul R&B.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
but a lot of music lover.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
I think they throw in a little hip-hop here and there
, but I think all things blackmusic uh is what I like to call
it on their podcast always onkey.
So make sure you guys checkthat out.
I have invited them to thefamily today because, um, I
think there are so manydifferent similarities,
(01:04):
especially when it comes to thegrowth of different industries
and genres.
Particularly Black music hastransformed the way people
consume music in what trends ona very regular basis, and so I
thought this would be a reallygreat conversation across
(01:26):
collaboration, if you will.
So I'm going to let themintroduce themselves.
I introduced them as thedynamic duo.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
All right, I guess I'll go first.
What's up y'all?
My name is Kia Renee and it'syour homegirl.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Ash the the vet.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
They give you guys that late night vibes of the
intro you are tuned into, alwayson key, just like that.
Exactly, I love it, I love.
So.
You guys normally start offyour podcast with trivia, so I
(02:06):
wanted to do the same.
We don't know the questionswe're going to ask each other
and y'all got some questions forme, so I'm gonna let you guys
start and I hope I can answerthese questions All right.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Well, the way that Ash and I usually open up the
show is um, we do a little guessthe lyrics, and so, instead of
a regular trivia, that's whatI'm gonna have you do a little
guess the lyrics so you can giveme the artist or the song title
.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
All right, I am going to say the words um, not in the
same melody.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'm just going to say the words, not in the same
melody.
I'm just going to say the words, speak them poetically and you
are going to guess from there.
All right, let me know whenyou're ready.
All right, don't stop moving.
You're making me hot From headto toe.
I feel your flow.
Vibes get stronger.
(03:02):
Party seems longer.
Makes me really want you.
Don't stop moving.
Youibes get stronger.
Party seems longer.
Makes me really want you.
Don't stop moving.
You're making me hot.
Any thoughts, any thoughts, anythoughts.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
If you were to sing it for me, I still.
The first person that came tomind was Tony Braxton, but I
don't think that that's correct.
But that's gonna be my finalanswer you want to help out Ash
um, it's not Rihanna.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
It's not okay.
This always happens to me onour show.
When we do trivia, I'm usuallythe one that's just like, and
then afterward I'd be like duh.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
All right, I'll give y'all the answer.
Go ahead, move your Body byNina Sky.
Move your Body.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
I just saw them at Red Bull Culture Clash.
This is why I thought Caribbean.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Okay, now I think I know where you guys are going
with this.
Okay, the rest of them is thelyrics challenge.
Oh gosh, all right.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
One of them is very easy and one of them is maybe
the hardest.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Give me the easy one, give me the easy one.
If I don't even get the easyone, you might just switch it up
.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
All right.
It was back in 99, watchingmovies all the time.
Oh, when I went away for doingmy first crime and I never
thought we was going to see eachother.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
This is the easy one Repeat it.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It was back in 99, watching movies all the time, or
when I went away for doing myfirst crime, I never thought
that we was going to see eachother.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Not Keisha Connell.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I'll give y'all a hint.
Ooh, no, a male artist.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Well, he said 99, so it's got to be a certain age.
That's still like a long timespan, jesus.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
How you do this one going to make y'all mad.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
I'm pretty sure it always makes me mad 99, 99, and
it's a singer and it's a malesinger.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
You said he is singing.
I wouldn't call him a singer.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Oh okay, no, I can't say that close, but but LL Cool,
j, ll Cool, j ain't do a bit.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I'ma just tell y'all Beautiful girls, Sean Kingston.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Oh, I wouldn't have got that one at all At all.
No, no, I wouldn't have gotthat one, not in, no, he just
got arrested.
He about to do do another bidand his mom got arrested too,
and his mom well, I meanallegedly you know, the case got
to play out, but you know whatsong is that?
(06:21):
Beautiful girls, the one hedebuted with why don't we start
with the lyrics, like the thechorus, that wasn't easy.
Kia, that was hard.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
See, that was not easy okay, I'm definitely not
gonna get this next one then Ijust lost hope.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Let me give you a question.
Let me give you a question,alright, this Jamaican born
musician and singer is known forhis way around a saxophone, but
what was the first instrumenthe was drawn to first?
He's an R&B singer.
(07:03):
He's an R&B, he's an rb singer.
You got it.
I got the artist.
Yeah, however, I didn't play atrombone I think so he first was
drawn to the drums but he wastrying to artist yes, he was
trying to impress a girl.
(07:25):
like most of the things thatbrings inspiration to him, he
was trying to impress a girlwhich made him drawn to the
saxophone.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Love that.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Oh, my God, and here I am with my little easy
question Alright, finish thislyric.
This is how you set it up, Kia.
Don't be giving people hardones okay my bad, I'm just the
guest.
You got redemption redemptionsong alright, here we go, here
we go, ting-a-ling-a-ling, singit out, sing it out, beautiful,
(08:05):
beautiful, sing it out, sing itout.
You see, this is you giving meall these hard ones and I got
all these easy stuff for you.
Okay, now I got a hard one.
It's not a lyrics challenge,but let me see if you guys know
this who was the first reggaegrammy awarded to?
Speaker 3 (08:30):
ooh reggae, that's actually really good damn.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Can I google it?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
grammy, oh boy reggae it a woman it's a group a group
.
I'm at a loss.
I'm thinking of a duo butthat's not gonna work.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
I mean, I think I know a duo you're probably
thinking about it's probably notthem, it's older it's
definitely older.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Older group.
I'm stumped.
I ain't even going to try andembarrass myself.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
The name of the group is called Black Uhuru.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
They were the first reggae Grammy winners.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Interesting.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Yes, yes, alright.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Okay, okay, yes, interesting, yes, yes all right,
okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
So this is an easy one too.
Right, okay, okay, since I gavethe shabba away um.
This famous singer collaboratedwith dance hall artist Shava
Rains.
Name the singer Singer.
Yes, this one y'all shouldn'tknow.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
See, when you say this one, we should it brings
more pressure.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I don't want to say the wrong.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
That's alright.
That's alright.
I I mean, I didn't get none ofy'all say it go ahead go ahead
go ahead go ahead, just throw itout there nah exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
I'm thinking of a rapper.
My rapper said singer.
I'm thinking of a rapper, notrapper.
I said singer, I'm lost, andthen I'm going to be mad.
Yeah, oh, my goodness, I'mtrying to think Male or female.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Male, male.
Okay, I ain't got that I wasthinking women.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
No, it's not bobby brown, because bobby oh, it's a
reggae singer.
It's a reggae singer, shabba.
Nope, can't be bearish.
Nope, go ahead, michaela, layit on us please come on.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I know you guys know that one see, he's like yeah see
, yeah, I'm so glad I didn't saywhat I thought, what were you
thinking oh man, you got me back, alright well, I had fun, even
(11:39):
though you know the trivia waskind of hard.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
I guess this is why I really don't do trivia for real
, for real, because I wouldprobably suck.
You know, the trivia was kindof hard, like.
I guess that's why I reallydon't do trivia for real, for
real, because I would probablysuck at it, but I love to.
Google and I love to researchthings that I do love about.
You know this industry that Ican actually speaking of, like
industry and kind of genres.
(12:03):
There are definitely, I think,a lot of similarities,
especially when it comes to R&Band reggae.
In terms of its trajectory, r&bcame before hip-hop.
Reggae was the same.
There are a lot of similaritiesin terms of the amount of time
(12:25):
that the genres have been aroundand how much it has changed and
grown over the years.
So I'm curious to hear from youguys, like what do you like
about where the industry isgoing, either from a musical
perspective or a businessperspective?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
I will say, for me, I just I love the diversity in
the genre.
Now we have so many differentsubsects of what R&B is.
It's still at its core of justsoul, the rhythm and blues, but
there's, you got the trap, soyou got the R&B and house fusion
(13:07):
.
You have, you know, yourtypical just vibey, hippie type
of R&B.
And I love that diversity asmuch, as sometimes we get stuck
on just a decade, an era ofmusic, and say this is what it
should be a decade, an era ofmusic, and say this is what it
(13:27):
should be and this is what itshould continue us to be with
the genre, with art and withmusic.
It needs to grow, it's going tochange.
So I like that.
Now you have this variety ofR&B that you can listen to.
So that for me, is kind of thebig thing of what I like
currently, you know, in theindustry.
What about you, kia?
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Similar to that.
I kind of like that artistshave a little bit more freedom
when it comes to how they growthemselves.
They don't really need the bigmachine behind them, the labels
behind them, the way they usedto.
But I also like that it's alsomore collaborative now.
I think there was a time whereartists weren't really doing
duets and things like that.
Now we're kind of getting backto that.
You can see certain faces oncertain people's songs and you
(14:11):
know it's, it's, you know,becoming that, that
collaborative environment again,which is cool yeah, I do think,
even from a reggae perspective,I think that that is what is
happening now too.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
There is the sound, in terms of its variety has such
a a huge range, and if youthink about reggae in terms of
where it started, a lot of itwas like if you think of like
that lovers rock era, it waslike covers of soul music, um,
and then kind of transitionedinto this message music driven
(14:44):
by Rastafarian culture, religionin Jamaica, and so that really
kind of changed what people knewof reggae music and by that
time it developed the nameitself and so the message has
definitely transpired, but itdefinitely appears a lot
(15:05):
differently than it did in the70s and in the 80s and 90s, and
I think that that progressionhas changed a lot in terms of
like sound and you can hear moreof the international influences
now, I feel.
Like music and the internet,especially from like LimeWire
(15:27):
days to now, it became soaccessible to everyone that it
allowed for new sounds topermeate from genre to genre,
and that's why you can get anR&B sound out of a reggae artist
or you can get a hip-hop ortrap sound out of an R&B artist
(15:48):
is just we're.
We're just exposed to way moregenres than we ever have been
before, and so the lines arekind of starting to get blurred
and crossed where there wasessentially like a dignified
like, if you think about likeMary J Blige, she's, she's the
queen of hip hop, so like thatwasn't even really a thing.
(16:09):
But now you say that and youkind of understand exactly what
that means, right.
So I think that that's reallyinteresting.
What do you think are someopportunities from an
improvement perspective with,with the r&b genre?
Speaker 3 (16:27):
oh man, like that's a loaded question yeah, no, I
personally um developmentoverall in an artist's career,
as well as stage presence whenthey're performing I think that
is big for me.
When I see artists performingyou know, I think Summer Walker
(16:52):
had a big for a long time waslike, oh, she's born, all she's
doing is just on the stage.
She's born, all she's doing isjust on this stage.
Right, you know singing andit's not you know giving us
something.
Right, to be like you knowcapturing us, and I think that's
the biggest opportunity for alot of R&B artists now.
(17:13):
Um is to work on thatdevelopment of just overall
being a star.
We see a lot of artists, theymake music, but we don't see too
many just superstars anymore.
That's just like they got it.
Unless you're Victoria B May,okay, because she is a star, all
right.
But just giving everythingchoral, vocals, stage presence,
(17:39):
you know, audience engagement,those those things I think those
are the biggest opportunitiesfor artists in our genre today.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I think I agree with that.
But then I would also saysubject matter of songs.
There used to be seduction.
There used to be.
You know less pride in a lot ofthe music and you know a little
bit begging and there's not toomuch of that.
You know that seduction elementis out.
People aren't dating anymore.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
You mean you want somebody singing in the rain?
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
The desert you know, the desert, the rain.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Listen, the bad boy R&B artist is good, but that's
every now and then.
That's not how you settle downwith you know what I'm saying?
You need the boyfriend R&B,okay.
And then I would also say Iwould throw in these very short
songs to where artists can'treally show their vocal ability
anymore.
People don't have the attentionspan for it, so you're not
really hearing.
(18:38):
You know, just you're nothearing that same effort.
So yeah, a 230 song is not yeah, you know like how was your
whole album 30 minutes.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
I need a maxwell seven minute.
You know I need to build that.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
That is interesting, I see.
I see that coming out a lotmore.
I was just listening to tyla'salbum and I listened to the
whole thing in about an hour, um, but I wasn't mad at it because
essentially, like, honestly, Idon't know that I have the time
span to really listen to like,and when I look at the track
listings and it's more than like15 songs, I'm like, oh, there's
(19:17):
some people who are likereleasing like 30.
I'm like there's some peoplewho are like releasing like 30.
I'm like I don't love you thatmuch to listen.
I mean, 30 is a lot, unlessyou're performing, yeah, but,
like you know, I I find thatvery interesting because I I do
think that the songs are shorter.
There are no bridges, they'rejust kind of like a lot or they,
they.
I miss the bridge.
(19:38):
Like where's the big?
bridge yeah, there's no build upin like you know, um, and kind
of leveling it off.
So I think that's really what'smissing in in a lot of these
shorter songs.
Yeah, particular to r&b is likethere's no bridge between the
second verse and and and the endof the song or the third verse
(19:59):
at the end of the song.
I think, similar to you, ash, Ithink a lot of reggae artists we
don't get to see them in person, especially if they're popular
in the region.
They don't come here and reallydo intimate shows and intimate
settings and they used to, Ithink, do like small club venues
(20:21):
and they would really traveland get to perform in front of
audiences.
I think that, particularlybecause there are so many
different reggae artists thatare coming out now.
So I think you and I we wereall talking about the Her and
Lila Ike collaboration and Ihear Lila Ike, I'm like Lila
(20:43):
should be on tour opening forher right, like that would be
her opening audience too,because essentially you can
understand what she's saying,because she's singing.
She has such a rich vocal toneand similarly she plays the
guitar like she stands there andshe sings, and so for me, I
(21:04):
think that that ability to crossover into, like that R&B space
is really missing from a lot ofour artists because they don't
take the time to actually travelhere, do smaller venue shows
here, do smaller venue shows andreally hone in on building an
(21:25):
audience.
They will no doubt do festivalsand get booked for festivals,
like if you're only familiarwith their name or one or two
songs, that's not necessarilythe place to really build an
audience, in my opinion, and Ithink we've gotten away from
that a lot, particularly when itcomes to reggae so, michaela,
(21:45):
let me ask you because I know,probably similar to us, how we
feel in R&B.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Maybe it's the same in reggae dance hall, but
there's always like a battlebetween the preservation of the
culture and allowing certainartists, you know, when they go
mainstream, of maybe changingkind of their style, aesthetic
and what you're you know so fondof their art and their work.
(22:21):
Like we find R&B artists andwe're like, oh yes, they're so
great, you know they're not onthe radio and big yet, but then
as soon as they go mainstreamyou see kind of a difference in
the art that they create andyou're like, oh, I miss this
version in a sense.
Do you have that same feeling.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
I think the biggest current situation like that is
probably Shensia, and I thinkbecause she's what we call a
sing-jay right, she can sing andshe can what we say DJ or is
rhyme right, and so she can doboth pretty well.
And if I could, you know,compare her to other sing-jay,
(22:59):
like Sean Paul is kind of youcan kind of carry a note but she
actually can sing, sing.
So I think she's displaying herDJ skills and singing skills at
(23:25):
the same time.
But I think her first projecthere based in the States.
So what happens when you kind ofsign to a label here there's
just a different working andthere's always this constant
well, how do we break throughwith this artist?
We know that they're talented,they signed them for a
particular reason, but there'salways this idea of how do you
(23:52):
break them into the market?
Additionally, she is fromJamaica.
I mean, let's put it all outthere.
She's from Jamaica, she sings,she DJs, she looks culturally
ambiguous.
And then I think record labelsreally want to be able to
(24:12):
package something in asimplified format.
But I think when peopledistinctly think of Jamaica and
sounds that come from Jamaica,they kind of have made this idea
up in their head and so whattends to happen when artists are
assigned to a label and thiskind of goes across genres is it
really depends on who is A&Ringthe project and how much time
(24:34):
they are willing to invest inyou, and it also depends on the
artists themselves and theability to one take direction
very well and adjust to whateverit is.
So it's this balance right, andI think what happened with
Shensia from my perspective, Ithink what happened with her is
(24:55):
she was extremely flexible andin being flexible and trying new
sounds, she alienated her coreaudience.
And it took her a while to kindof find her footing.
She just released her secondalbum, which I think is doing
significantly better in terms oftapping into her older audience
(25:18):
but also really driving theneedle for her for her newer
audience.
Cause Alpha was released here.
So this is her second fulllength album and I think it's
what they did differently, thatthey like they they
over-sexualized her in the firstproject.
I think.
I mean, this was like rightafter like a WAP with Megan.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
I mean this is like right after, like WAP with Megan
and.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Cardi and they did like a very WAP-esque vibe with
her and it wasn't really wellreceived by anyone really the
culture, the crossover market,to be honest.
She had a really greatcollaboration with Tyga, with
Blessed um.
(26:02):
She had a really great uhcollaboration with taiga, with
blessed, and I think that thatwas kind of what gave her like a
good boost for that first album.
But as the visuals and thesingles started to release,
people weren't, and I think shehad some really good songs on
that album.
Um.
I think what she's doingdifferently this time around is
um.
It's a shorter project, um.
(26:23):
She tapped more um productionfrom the region so that you know
her old producer.
She kind of has a couple songswith him.
Um that she originally gainedpopularity with um and then
visually she came out at a righttime, so it's like right before
caribbean heritage month hits.
So she had the album she had.
(26:45):
There was already a lot goingon and it's for the summer, it's
festival season here in thestates where she can tour and
right, right do shows yeah yeah,I think for a long time, and
even still, um, reggae anddancehall is really looked at as
summertime music.
right, it brings the vibe, itadds a little.
(27:07):
In terms of like rotation soit's easier to promote during
that time and I think her albumthe first time I think it
released in the fall, if I'm notmistaken.
But, I'd have to fact checkthat, but there are some
differences, so that, to me, isthe example that sticks out.
It doesn't happen with everyartist.
(27:27):
Um, so like PopCon was signedto Drake's OVO label and I'm
still kind of like reallywaiting to see, like, what that
has produced for him.
I think what it has done is Ithink he's done a lot of writing
for Drake and it has allowedhim to do more writing and
getting publishing credits, butI don't know that it's
(27:50):
necessarily moved the needle forhis, his actual career.
Um, you know he he hasn't beenable to perform here in the
States, but he has gone toCanada, he has gone to Europe
and has grown significantly overthe last few years.
(28:10):
But I can't say that thecollaboration or him signing
with them elevated his career inthe sense that he's seen as
like this superstar that I thinkhe wanted and I don't know what
he wanted, to be honest but Iwould position him a little bit
higher than where he is, youknow.
And then, if you think aboutlike newer artists that have
(28:31):
come out, like TJ, he's in thatsame Sing J camp with Drift.
You know the dance really tookover on TikTok, so that made a
really good impact there for him.
And then he released an EP, Ibelieve.
So it wasn't a full-lengthproject.
I know his name, I am Chippy,but that's all that I know.
(28:55):
So there are good examples thatit has happened still, but I
think that that has yet to bedefined.
I would love to see the musicmove beyond being like a
summertime vibe and just havinglike an always on rotation of
songs coming from the regionthat are intertwined with what
(29:18):
is happening here in the States.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
That makes sense.
That makes sense.
That makes sense because when Ithink about just dancehall and
reggae, what I find is usuallylike block party, you know,
house party, those type ofthings, which is and if that is
going to be our lane, like let's, let's amplify that right.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Like I feel like there's hasn't been a consistent
summer hit for the last 10years.
It's like every two years.
We get a good, a good buzz, andthen we can't carry.
We can't follow it up.
So, as a genre, if that's, ifthat's the space and place that
we're gonna play in, let's playthere and have like a slew of
hits for the summer and have itcarry for, because it can truly
(30:00):
carry over oh yeah, do y'alllisten to the radio at all, like
, are y'all still into the radiolike that?
um, I would say, like everyother, I think it's shrinking
holistically.
I think that there are still alot of people who still listen
to radio, but I think it is.
(30:20):
I think radio as a whole is ina different trajectory in a
different space.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
And.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
I would have thought that, coming from like I have
like a former radio background,I would have thought that the
whole playlist thing would havechanged a bit, but it's still
really the same.
It's the same 20 songs so Idon't know that it's really
(30:51):
driving like I don't know howthey're driving audiences under
the same format that's what I'lltouch on.
Yeah, because yeah, so I I don'ttruly know.
Radio, I think, is stillpopular with older generations,
but I think, across the board,most young people, they'll
listen to the radio because theyhave to.
Other than that, theirpair-sharing playlists, their
(31:14):
pair-sharing mixtapes onSoundCloud or sharing their own
playlist, whether they have iton like AudioMax, Spotify,
whatever it is.
That's how that is reallyhappening.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
And I think, similarly to R&B, it's now
become an environment where youhave to find the music.
It doesn't really come to you.
And then back in the days whenyou had radio, that was kind of
pushing new music to you,pushing new artists.
You had DJs breaking artistsand things like that.
It's a very different hustle.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
It's definitely a very different vibe.
I think I was talking to Carriethe other day and I still
listen to Pandora.
A lot of people don't listen toPandora, but I think
algorithmically they have hadthe longest catalog because they
were the first to really dostreaming, um, and so they they
(32:10):
algorithmically can insert a newsong every now.
So I'm an older audience, right, if I want to new, hear new
music, I say spotify is whereyou discover new music and it's
where you can just like put in amood or a vibe and you can kind
of get something and let thealgorithm feed you.
But that's also what youngeraudiences like.
(32:31):
They like to just I want to themood, the vibe, to be there, um
, whereas I grew up and and Ihave a like I would say it's as
a consumer, not as someone whojust listens to new music on a
regular basis and try toincorporate it into my platform,
but as a user I have like 60 to70 percent of my catalog
(32:56):
favorites and that's wherepandora kind of gets it right
when I put it on autopilot andfrom a reggae and dancehall
perspective, they definitelyhave a lot of the older stuff in
the catalog, and so I thinkSpotify I actually listen to
between Pandora and actuallyApple Music.
(33:19):
I think Apple Music I reallylike their ability to create
playlists.
I love that.
You can see the lyrics, you cansee the credits, you can see
videos and it's all incorporated.
I just never got on the Spotifybandwagon and I like it and I
appreciate it for what it is.
(33:39):
It's just not where I listen tomost of my my music, if I'm
just listening.
The thing about it is, too, islike sometimes there are songs
that's on Spotify that's not onApple Music that's true, yeah
and that really has to do withlike their distribution to be.
So, yeah, we went way off, butit was good conversation.
(34:00):
Um, in terms of like you guystalked a little bit about, like
the sound, what are you likingin terms of the sound,
discovering new music andperformances I think you both
kind of touched on that, butexpand on that for me.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
For me, um, for me, sometimes at night I'm going
down rabbit holes, right.
So if I'm listening to anartist or I have a plethora of
different playlists fordifferent moods, sometimes I put
on like a discovery station onapple music and I'm just
(34:41):
listening and I'm like, oh okay,who's this?
And then once I click on thisartist and then I see similar
artists and then I check themout um, it's also Kia and I
exchanging hey, this artist.
I just heard this artist.
They're from the UK check themout and vice versa.
(35:02):
Um, that's typically how itgoes for me.
Or maybe I am on social mediaand someone has a reel or video
with the song in the background.
I'm like this, this kind of gohard like for instance, the.
What's the guy's name?
The Tommy, the.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Nala yes.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
And I'm like who is this?
I just heard so many peopleusing the music that it's just
like okay, let me go check itout, which is totally different
like how we talked about earlierabout how we're discovering
music.
Usually, like Kia said, it'sthrough the radio or some push,
but that's for me.
Usually, like Kia said, it'sthrough the radio or some push,
but that's for me.
Usually, kia and I areexchanging things that we've
(35:49):
heard, so I don't know if it'sany different for you, Kia.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
For me it's all of those.
But also I let the artists findmy next artist, and that goes
back to what I said earlierabout it being now so
collaborative.
So if I hear artists I like inthis, they're featuring someone
that I don't know.
Now I'm going to research thatartist.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
I'm going to just keep going like that so that's
one of my favorite ways to findartists.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Oh yeah, do you think that the social media has?
I think it has helped incertain ways, but do you think
that it has hindered in otherways?
Like, what are your thoughtsabout the integration of music
and social platforms?
Speaker 2 (36:34):
so, okay, I think it did money long very well, right?
So hours and hours was a song.
That god damn it I mean it hadto have played for like a full,
I mean yeah that song wouldn'tstop.
You get what I'm saying?
And that's such a contemporaryr&b song, um, and it just had a
sound and you know it was aboutlove and just things we hadn't
(36:56):
heard before that it was just soeasy for people to kind of
grasp onto that and, plus, Ithink it was locked down so
people were lonely and you knowwhatever.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
So you know social media.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
It also played in when it came to that time, um,
but then I don't know thenegative side.
I think sometimes people justeither don't know how to use
their platform or sometimes theyget caught up in being a
personality and not being anartist.
Yeah, um, but yeah, I think,think those probably the two
things that I noticed.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Yeah, social media with artists sometimes it's hard
, you know of why are youfollowing?
Am I following you because ofyour lifestyle or am I following
you because of your art?
Like you said, you know themoney longs.
You know sometimes they call ittiktok music, but it's helped a
(37:47):
lot of artists get out there,um, and get their music heard.
It's just how that artist thenkeep that momentum going once
they have that exposure, um,some of them just leave it at
that and it's just, you know,social media, real music in a
sense, versus actually havinginvested in their career.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
And it's also not always new artists too Like.
Sometimes it'll be old R&Bsongs that pop up again.
Like you know, I don't everwant to hit Can we Talk Again?
But like Timmy Campbell's like,Can we Talk, like it's just
like you know want to hit, canwe talk again?
Speaker 3 (38:26):
but like, can we talk ?
Like it's just like you know,like Miguel's you know, dorn had
a reversion on social media atone point and we're like this is
old, why are these kids?
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (38:37):
yeah, I think it's interesting to there's.
There's so many things therewhen it comes to social media.
I think it's interesting.
I love how, you know, theyounger generations are
rediscovering some of ourfavorites that we have heard in
a different way.
I enjoy that, particularlybecause, you know, I have a
daughter who is at that agewhere she's discovering new
(38:59):
music.
So now we can kind of exchangenotes a little bit, um, and I
can kind of put her on, like youknow she likes Aaliyah, you
know she, and I'm like, oh well,if you like, if you like SZA,
you should listen to LaurynHill's album because like she
was our version of SZA for youguys and I do like SZA and so
(39:19):
she, you know it opens the earsa little bit, um, I think
sometimes the the song once,once it goes like viral and
everybody is attaching theirtheir daily life or songs or
dances to it.
Sometimes it gets played and I'mlike, can you just pick a
different part of that?
Yeah, so like every timebeyonce drops an album, it's
(39:42):
like I can't even listen to itright away because it's
overplayed for at least a monthand I can't really give it its
proper energy because it's beenoverwhelmingly played and
they're like I don't even know.
I haven't listened to the albumin its totality, but I know at
(40:03):
least 20 songs from CowboyCarter.
But before I have even I waslike, oh okay, well, this is the
snippet, but it doesn't.
It doesn't do, like the catalogand the albums, as much justice
as, but it's a snippet, rightso it.
I think the days of just beingfed music by one or two sources,
(40:29):
it was radio and DJs andparties.
Now it's radios, djs andparties, it's playlists, it's
curators, it's your friend.
It's been so decentralizedthrough digital and not just
social, that I think it's kindof a fragmented space to kind of
(40:52):
do discovery.
And I think it makes it harderfor artists to really find that
longevity because essentiallyyou feel you can only do that
once.
And that's not necessarily thecase, and if that's the
benchmark that they're measuringtheir success against, it could
be damaging to the art form.
(41:13):
Yeah, that's true In particularof just because, essentially,
they're like you know, well,this got a million views in one
week and it's just like, well,what if I got 500,000?
Is that not good enough?
You know what I mean.
And I think it's much tougherin this environment because,
(41:33):
yeah, it's like fast fashion.
If you're here tomorrow and atrend can literally be like a
couple of weeks and that's it,and there's no longevity around
it so you can't really build,you know.
So I applaud them forincorporating their
personalities because I mean,even like a Cardi B, I don't
(41:55):
necessarily care for all of hermusic, but I tolerate it more
because I enjoy her personalitya bit and I probably wouldn't
have if it wasn't for social.
Yeah, yeah, that's fair.
The personality makes me likeyou more, like oh gosh, yeah,
(42:17):
yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I and I'm trying to thinkI'm like who has turned me off
on social media where I don'twant to, but I think, like
reggae artists and Caribbeanartists in general, they're not
doing a good I.
I think other genres are doinga really, really good job.
I think there's only a handfulof artists that are doing a
really good job at social mediaand bringing people along for
(42:39):
the journey.
Shinsu is one of them.
Spice is one of them.
I would say Black Hero.
He's one of my newer favoritesin my catalog.
He does a really good job oflike storytelling and having
really good visuals, but it'shard for them to be consistent
and content creators in socialfirst.
(42:59):
I think Jada Kingdom does areally.
The women just do a really goodjob at social yeah, that's, true
I think the men just have havea little bit more ways to go,
like it's not necessarily so, um, but I've seen it work really
well for for a lot of artists tokind of incorporate their
personalities and andincorporating their music, like
(43:22):
you like.
Now I see artists they likejust drop their song and like
all of a sudden, like link is inmy bio and it's like one post,
and I'm like, oh, I completelymissed that.
You even dropped a projectexactly.
Yeah, you never posted it again.
You posted a million thingsthat don't have nothing to do
with the music and you didn'teven use your own music as the
soundtrack, like oh gosh, thatwas very specific.
(43:47):
Shade yep, put your put yourmusic up there, so somebody can
hear you like exactly, that'sfunny no but that's a fact, yeah
, you would.
I mean, I mean, but those arelike the simple things of you
know being able to incorporateit, like you don't have to
become this full on contentcreator, but there are simple
(44:10):
ways, like people are alreadyinterested in you because you're
a celebrity.
Um, like, give us something towork with.
Like they got to work for itjust like every and I think that
that's the frustration tooRight, like they got to work for
it just like everybody else onthis algorithm.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I don't think they necessarilyenjoy that part of of promoting
(44:32):
their music.
They just want to do the artand it's become so much more
about the business yeah, I getthem, I understand yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
I understand very much business very much so.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Alright, so let's get into some fun stuff.
I know we kind of started offwith trivia, talking about R&B
and reggae and dancehall.
Share with me some of yourfavorite collaborations, if you
have any, like what comes tomind for you guys oh my goodness
, this is easy.
Speaker 3 (45:03):
you can't, this is not, you know, you can't you
can't.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
This is not trivia, that's why, you cannot think
about.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
R&B and reggae, without talking about the Beanie
man and the Mayas right.
Janet Jackson, you know likefor real the his big one on
production of that.
But just you know when thoserecords came out.
You know grow some sugar andfeel it.
Boy like you can tell me Iwasn't.
(45:31):
You know caribbean myself, youknow I was like, I was like yes
in the video whining yeslearning it, you know.
So you know those are some of myfavorites.
Who else I think it was astandard, like you got the
Beyonce Sean Paul's yeah, seanPaul I threw on mine Alicia Keys
(45:56):
and Baby Sham.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
Yes, I also threw on here Victoria Monet and Bougie
Bantan, party Girl there's asong on his album with her.
Speaker 1 (46:08):
I'm about to look it up.
I like, I love, I play it.
It's my actually my favoritetrack on his last album let me
tell you Party Girl that record.
Speaker 3 (46:21):
This is why Victoria Monet is the star.
I don't know why so many peoplehave just overlooked her, and
she's been in this business fora very long time.
Speaker 1 (46:32):
Yeah.
Body touching body.
That's a song Body.
Touching body, that's evenbetter than Party Girl.
You're going to like that one.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
You're going to like that one.
Listen to that one.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
Listen to that one.
Speaker 1 (46:44):
I love Party Girls.
Yeah, that Victoria Monet, Iwas just like where have I been
on Victoria Monet because I likeher.
Honestly, I had to go back andlisten to her old albums oh yeah
life after love, life afterlove, yeah, life after love yes
(47:08):
oh, I like this song, I like, oh, my mama, yes, back and listen
to her and then, uh, when I,when I, when I was reading the
credits of her album and sawthat she worked with, was it
Maurice of Earth Wind?
Speaker 3 (47:25):
Fire.
I was just like damn.
Speaker 1 (47:27):
This is why I love this album because I'm a 70s
soul baby to the core.
That's my favorite.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
Ariana Grande, if I could go back to the 70s.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
That would be my era.
Speaker 2 (47:40):
And they tried to sync on her, but that was
nominated for a Grammy.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
Yes, I do, yeah.
And speaking of the youngpeople things, I recently went
to a Bryson Tiller concert withmy daughter.
How was that.
It wasn't too bad.
It was interesting.
It was interesting.
Who else was there?
It was different.
It was different.
Speaker 3 (48:09):
I'm wondering who else was there.
Speaker 1 (48:10):
It was different.
It was different, wonderingwhat else who else was on his
lineup?
There was nobody, it was justhim.
It was just him.
Okay, and this is where I knewthe kids was gonna be all right.
Right, because it was um.
It was a good variety of youngadults in there.
There were a few um younger inmy daughter's age rage and they
had a dj and just him.
(48:30):
All right, so just dj and justhim.
So the dj played nothing butr&b.
He played classics and heplayed new stuff and they were
were rocking.
I was like, okay, the kids isgoing to be all right, the kids
is going to be all right.
They was out here singing TamraCampbell.
Speaker 3 (48:49):
That's like them.
Babies singing Keisha Cole.
Speaker 1 (48:51):
They were singing Keisha Cole.
They were singing Keisha Cole.
Yes, yes, yes, oh, my God, buthe also.
We've been some new songs thatI had never heard and I even
think maybe my daughter had itheard.
Um, and for me, I think, likeit was, it was really
interesting to see Bryson Tiller, because it was just him on the
(49:12):
stage and it was basically likethis light show.
The entire time.
There were no screens likeshowing his fate, so I didn't
even know what I at that point Iwas just like I don't know what
he looks like.
If you don't like, look for himon the internet or you follow
him.
I'm like I wouldn't walk awayfrom this concert knowing what
(49:33):
he looks like.
It was just like he had on likelight vest.
He was basically like Tron,mixed with that everywhere, and
I'm just like I'm glad I'm not,like you know, having birth
today.
Um, and it was, it was just himand he was he.
(49:54):
He describes his music as likea trap, trap, trap trap soul and
it was very indicative of ofhow he described it.
So it's a perfect way for himto describe it.
Um, I think my only gripe I andI don't know that it was, it was
probably a snobbish gripe isthat he was singing over tracks
(50:16):
and the thing about it is is histone is so monotone that I'm
like why do you need a track tosing your song like?
I feel like it shouldn't havebeen there.
I didn't mind it, I justobserved it and you know I'm
just like, but I did like itbecause it's almost like a light
show performance featuringBryson Tiller.
(50:38):
It wasn't.
I don't really know that.
I got to know more about himbecause he didn't really tell
any stories or talk between thethe songs or talk about the
inspiration.
I thought it was really cute.
He brought out his um, oldestdaughter to sing with him and I
still didn't know what he lookedlike, but like, look, he must
be making all the money becausehe had one dj, yeah, two dancers
(51:02):
and nothing but a light show.
Speaker 3 (51:04):
Make your money price and make your money take listen
that's something that keita andI talk about with artists and
just vocals and performanceright like you don't get the
jasmine sullivans and the arialennox that can literally, you
know, sing A lot of just.
You hear the track more thanyou hear the artist sometimes.
(51:27):
So it's like what am I payingmy money for?
I want to hear you Paying forthe vibe.
Listen Exactly, the light showis what you're paying for, the
light show.
Speaker 2 (51:38):
And not to be a snob, but I need to see you perform
in a band.
That's how I know it's real.
Yeah, if you could do it with alive band.
Speaker 1 (51:45):
He didn't have a band .
I thought that was just mebeing old.
Okay, I mean, I enjoy a goodband too, that's how you know,
but even a lot of hip-hopartists.
I'm like why are hip-hopartists performing with tracks
behind them?
Like no.
No, if you're not going towrite your own rap, at least
(52:06):
perform them.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
Too much drugs?
No, for real.
No breath control.
No breath control.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
We saw that in the verses with the locks and dipset
.
Speaker 2 (52:22):
How you winded.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
They go nowhere exactly.
Yeah, I think.
Yeah.
That's probably one of mybiggest gripes with performers
today and I'm already like asound snob, like I won't go to
particular venues.
Usher is gonna be at barclays.
I hate the sound, I hate I'mnot going yeah, not going like I
(52:50):
don't care no, I'm going, butI'm with you, it's gonna sound
the same.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
Can you stand?
Speaker 1 (53:00):
outside yeah, you know what it is.
Is that they?
Well, I went to see him inVegas, so I'm alright.
I was just going to see him fora second.
What I liked about Vegas it wasa smaller venue.
You could see him fromeverywhere.
When you can hear and reallyfeel and get goosebumps.
(53:22):
That's what I want to.
That's what I want to toexperience, yeah.
Speaker 2 (53:28):
Intimate shows.
Yeah, yeah, intimate.
Speaker 1 (53:32):
Yeah, and it can be intimate in a big space, cause I
I've seen Beyonce.
I think it was MetLife stadiumand that that girl, she put all
her money in in in the stagepresence.
Okay, she is not playing, sheis going to give you a show from
the time that you walk throughthat door the time you are about
to leave and she gives you afull almost three hours.
(53:53):
I was tired.
Is she done yet?
Speaker 3 (53:57):
Because she is like what.
Speaker 2 (54:02):
Flowing up on a horse , exactly.
I'm like girl, we know you cansing let's go I appreciate
Speaker 1 (54:13):
it though.
Yeah, I do, I do.
She was not gonna let you gohome and not have your money, so
I do, I do.
I appreciate everything thatshe puts into a huge show like
that.
So, yeah, um, yeah, I like that.
There's just so much variety inthe music and there's so, like
you would, I think it reallybrings it back to what you said,
(54:33):
ashley.
Like there's variety and we'reseeing that kind of transpire.
I'm I'm curious to see howit'll transpire in the near
future, but I'm enjoying it fornow.
Yeah, all right, we areapproaching almost an hour, guys
.
Yes, this is such a greatconversation.
(54:54):
I love talking music with youguys.
I cannot wait till you guys getback.
But if you guys get back topodcasting, I'm sure you guys
are just taking a mini break andcoming back very, very soon.
But the people that can listento you guys on your podcast
always on key um, but tell thepeople how else to kind of keep
(55:17):
up with you and what you gotcoming up.
Speaker 3 (55:19):
Yeah, we're on the social media.
You can find us on instagram,facebook, at always on key
podcast um.
We got a lot of stuff coming uphere you know, we, we get into,
you know, the fusions of gospeland r&b more trivia we do a lot
more trivia and game nights.
We got coming.
Speaker 1 (55:38):
Listen, I'm, I'm praying for you in the dream.
Speaker 3 (55:41):
You did good, she did good, yeah, so we got a lot of
stuff you know coming up in thepipeline.
So you know we'll appreciateyour audience for having us.
And check us out if you're alover of R&B, just like Kia and
I.
Speaker 1 (56:00):
Yes them love the sores.
That's what.
Speaker 3 (56:03):
I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (56:03):
Sores Not with an S but a Z.
We them love.
The sores Not with an S but a Z, we love y'all so much we do.
All right.
Thank you, kia and Ash.
I appreciate you guys on thepodcast today.
Looking forward to all that youguys have coming up, make sure
you guys check out Kia and Ashon Always On Key Podcast and
(56:26):
until next time, leah Tomepeeps.
Speaker 3 (56:29):
Thank you, bye, y'all .
Speaker 1 (56:33):
Thanks for listening to the latest episode of the
Style Vibes podcast.
If you like what you hear and Iknow you do share it with your
friends and family.
If you want more, make sure youyou visit stylingvibescom and
follow us on our social channels, twitter and instagram.
At styling vibes.
Until next time, leah tummypeeps.
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