How did you come up with the song “Sundress?” What were the vibes of it? I was on Facebook and came across one of my friends post that read, “Now that summer is here, let me f#@k you in that sundress.” When I read it, the melody for my song Sundress popped in my head with the hook lyrics and verses. I immediately went to my keyboard and started playing the chords, created the beat and recorded the whole song within an hour.
The vibe was all natural. Sexy, cool, enduring. I knew I wanted women to feel sexy when they heard it.
How did you get your artist name? What does your name define you as? My artist name is my birth name. For years I’ve gone by my producer name “Phenomenon.” My mother would always ask me to use my real name instead and because it’s a family name, I’ve always kept it private. Before my mother passed away she asked me to use my real name if I ever decide to come out as a music artist, so I did in honor of her.
With protesting and racism that is going on, what are some encouraging words that you can say about it? What is your thinking process on it? I feel that it’s necessary. We must stand up for equality, justice and our rights. I do also believe that other actions must be taken in order to make true change. For instance, more action when it comes to financial empowerment, and financial literacy. It’s needed in our communities in order for us to have the same opportunities as more affluent individuals possess in order to make a change in policies and political affairs that predict the outcomes in lower income communities. If the playing field were even, I believe things would look a whole lot different than what we see through the telescope right now. However, it’s up to us to make that change and take the action that is required. We as black people in this country, our voices need to be heard. We’ve been quiet for far too long in order to play the game. My mother always taught me to be out spoken, but in a classy fashion. Racism on all levels it’s sickening. We all come from the same God. We all eat, breathe, live, bleed, cry. Get angry, cheer and love just the same. Therefore we are all the same, just different. A person should never be judged by their skin color or religious beliefs.
When going through the process, can you tell me how the process is by with each single you produce or make? With each single I produce the process is almost never the same. I can hear the turning single blinker in the car as I’m driving and get an idea for a track and song and I will pull our my phone to record that idea in my voice memo so I don’t forget it. I beat box the whole song with lyric and melody, rush home and put it down. When a vibe hits me like that, I have to go in immediately and produce. Sometimes it’s just sitting down and scrolling through beats that I’ve already created but never wrote a song to and all of a sudden the lyrics come rushing in my head and I lay it down. Lately I’ve been dreaming of songs and I wake up singing the lyrics, I rush to my studio while still singing the lyrics and I begin putting a track around it.
When can we expect a project? Will we be getting a project? Yes, there is a whole album project coming. The title is “Songs In The Key Of Her.” A play off of one of my favorite music artist Stevie Wonder’s album, songs in the key of life. I’m about 85% finished with the recording of the project and I’m hoping for a September or October release before I start recording my Christmas project.
When discovered by Heavy D, what was your reaction when you know your career is going up? I was right at home. It was something that I had been preparing for since I was 9 years old. I had already been in New York for 4 to 5 months opening shows for Brandy, Horace Brown, Brown Stone and others before being discovered Heavy. I was so happy to finally be right where I knew God and birth me to be.
When being discovered, did you know that your music will be your career and your inspiration to keep going. Absolutely! Music is my gift from God. It comes to me like breathing does, naturally. I feel so honored to be blessed with this gift, so I work on it daily and make no excuses. When I’m away from it, life seems mundane and as though I’m moving in the wrong direction. When I’m in God sends me extra blessings to keep me on my musical path.
You have started your business, Melee Entertainment, and Billionaire Focus Group, what were your vision behind the two businesses. Melee Entertainment isn’t my company, I worked with the company when I scored the film Life, Love, Soul. Billionaire Focus Group is my music, film and TV company. I plan to make it a multi Billion Dollar Entertainment company in all aspects. I’m a music artist, music producer, film score, composer, film and TV screen writer and actor. I’m going to use ever single gift that I have to build my company and discover other gifted people and help them to fulfill their dreams. My vision and goal is to create legacy for my children’s, children. Legacy says, how many live’s have been made better because we lived. Billionaire Focus Group is a mindset and a movement to encourage people elevate their mindset and actions to a higher level to achieve the greatness they desire to have. That’s a Billionaire’s mindset in general. I just decided to adapt that type of thinking and share it with others.
