Many of you will not recognize the name J Phoenix, but I fully trust everyone will know the name J Phoenix in time.
J Phoenix is an ASCAP Award Winning Songwriter and his new album ‘Masterpiece’ also shows him as an incredible artist who can cover many genres; comfortably. Hip hop, soul and R&B seem to be no challenge for him; he can do it all and his debut album will prove that he does it all very well.
Among his accomplishments J Phoenix not only wrote and appeared on the acoustical version of the late hip hop icon Tupac Shakur’s (2Pac) Thugz Mansion (with Nas); he has also worked with such notable artists as Chaka Khan, Earth Wind and Fire, Nancy Wilson and a host of others.
His work as a songwriter has already been noticed thru his ASCAP Award and soon his work as an artist and performer will soon be recognized; simply because he is too talented to stay hidden.
His debut release ‘Masterpiece’ was released September 25th as an indie release. It is hard to understand why J Phoenix does not have a major record deal, and I ask him about all of this in this interview.
You will be able to tell from his answers that J Phoenix is a multi talented intelligent man with a great attitude and he has ‘star power’. He is just a normal guy and does not come off in any other way. He is straight forward and appealing to talk to.
I hope you enjoy ‘meeting’ J Phoenix, as I did, and that you will check out his debut album ‘Masterpiece’. Sometimes you just hear something that you feel at home with and his project seems to ease your soul. Check him out and pick up his latest release ‘Masterpiece’. You will not be disappointed.
Robert – First off let me thank you for taking time to do this with us and to congratulate you on your new album ‘Masterpiece’. The album is a remarkable project and is a great representation of your talents.
J Phoenix – Thanks and thank you for the opportunity.
Robert – Let me start off by asking: Are you a fan of Tupac (2Pac)?
J Phoenix – Absolutely, “Dear Mama” and "California Love" are two of my favorites.
Robert – You wrote and sung on the Nas acoustic version of Tupac’s (2Pac) “Thugz Mansion”; how did that all come about?
J Phoenix – Molly Monjauze brought me in early on the Better Dayz project. “Thugz Mansion” was one of the first five tunes recorded for the project. Almost a year later Molly played a few songs for Nas and “Thugz Mansion” was the song he picked to do his verse. He loved the song so much that at the last minute he decided to put it on God's Son too. That was amazing. Not only was I on one album of one of the greatest MCs ever, now I was on another. To this day I have never met Nas; that's funny ain’t it?
Robert – Yes it is, but I understand that happens often in the industry. On the new release of Tupac (2Pac), on the second CD titled ‘Life’ there is a new remix of the acoustic version of “Thugz Mansion”. Did you have anything to do with that new version and can you tell us anything about it?
J Phoenix – No Amaru just called and said they were going to release “Thugz Mansion” on a best of album. That’s a great thing because it shows the song was good and didn't require any changes.
Robert – How did writing and performing on "Thugz mansion" impact your life as an artist?
J Phoenix - It was a huge turning point. I never expected to do what I do and make it work in hip hop. That was totally unexpected. Some things are meant to be. Initially the executives at Interscope wanted me off the record.you know, who the hell is J.Phoenix? So here I am writing stuff and finally they keep everything as is, then I'm really shocked when they pick it as the lead single.
I thought I'd have so many options when that tune was all over the radio, I remember being in LA and hearing it constantly on 4 radio stations. My phone rang for awhile, with quite a few lawyers called to inquire… who are you? I met with sooo many people. No offers though, nothing. So shortly after that I made a serious decision to put out the album I wanted, and MASTPERIECE was born. Chasing this "deal" stuff was not happening for me and frankly it got old. So that was the turning point that made me Inc. my company and put out my own debut. Sometimes if you wait on people you will wait forever.
Robert – MASTERPIECE has so many ‘feels’ to it. You cover so many genres and do it all well. How would you classify your music if you had to, which genre?
J Phoenix – It’s Authentic soul music. The album has a strong foothold in R&B, both "neo-soul" and traditional with a few songs that go in another direction. Yet within the context of an album you can clearly hear the same vocal sound, just within a different framework. Soul music ultimately evokes a feeling, and that’s what makes my music authentic. So that's the category.
Robert – You are from New York, how have you seen the music scene in New York change over the years?
J Phoenix – I've seen certain changes that are not just limited to NY. Hip hop has grown to include southern rap spins in NY. R&B, for non-adult contemporary music, has become primarily about production without much thought to the actual song. If you notice, many of the new R&B tunes are samples with new melodies on top.
Another change I've noticed, which I don't like as much as I love hip hop, is that many singers don't seem to have a shot
at radio unless there's someone rappin’ on their tune. Or that you don’t have a shot unless you’re straight from American Idol. In NY neo soul artists only seem to get played on the Quiet Storm type shows.
Robert – How do you see downloadable music – good or bad for the industry? Is it better for the artist?
J Phoenix – I see downloading music as both good and bad. Good because artists can directly get their music to the people without a brick and mortar store, indie artists don’t have to go through the expense of releasing a single. It’s also great for artists whose record companies don't know how to market them. The bad part is obviously illegal downloading. No one gets paid, not the artist, writers or
producers. Also, the not so great part about downloading is that people get the music but don't get to know the names in the credits. Can you imagine Thriller coming out in ‘07 and everyone downloading it? No one would know who Quincy Jones was. The great thing about music prior to the computer age....was that the musicians and producers were just as known as the artist.
Robert – The first track on your album, ‘For the People’ has a wonderful hip hop feel that seems to ‘suck ya into’ the rest of the album. I found myself not wanting the album to end. Was that planned or is that just how it came about.
J Phoenix – Yes that was planned. It's funny because "For The People" was one of the last three songs recorded for the album and the instant I heard the track I knew it would be a great introduction to the record. I gave careful thought to the order of songs. In my head there's a vibe from beginning to end and that was done on purpose.
Robert – One thing about the track “For the People,” usually in hip hop and rap you can tell what ‘section’ of the country the music came from. I mean you have that west coast music sound, the east coast sound and the down south crunk; this track has a ‘universal’ feel to it which would make it nationally accepted. How has the feedback on that track been?
J Phoenix – Great feedback. People really love the tune. I think it's the mixture of the harmonica and the drums that give it a unique sound. It's kinda funny ‘cause there are 20 year olds who love the tune and 40-50 year olds who love it too. The Heatmakerz are genius producers.
Robert – As an R&B artist and your wide range of genre exposure, can you tell what ‘region’ of the country a R&B artist is from; is there a noticeable difference in other genre’s or is that just a hip hop and rap thing?
J Phoenix –Sometimes when you listen to how a person sings, you can tell where they may be from but not always.
I think it's more of a hip hop thing.
Robert – I see that among the producers you have production on the album from both coasts. The Heatmakerz from the Bronx, and KP Wilson from LA (who provided the remix of ‘Mama’s Just A Little Girl’ on the Better Dayz album), do you feel that is what gives this album a national appeal feel to it?
J Phoenix – Most definitely. All of the producers are great at what they do, but the common thread is they all love music. The Heatmakerz are hip hop producers all the way. KP is a hip hop/R&B producer, with an uncanny sense for what goes where and how to get particular sound.
Robert – You also have production from Eric Codee, Bert Price, Gary Haase, and others. Did you produce or co-produce any of the tracks?
J Phoenix – No, not this time around. I would like to co-produce in the future. I stayed in my lane with the lyrics melody and vocals. Everyone came to the table doing what they do best and in the end that's the best thing.
Robert – The production MASTERPIECE is incredible. The use of real instruments is almost unheard of today, and I can not remember the last time I heard a harmonica on a music track, other than on some country or bluegrass music; how did you get hooked up with the producers you had on this project.
J Phoenix – Well my entrance into music came as a songwriter. Over the years I've worked with so many artists and producers. Every producer on this record I've worked with on some project over the years. It's all about relationships in the end.
In many ways doing this first record, with these producers, has come full circle. I've knew ert Price for more than 10 years before I was truly in the music business. I've known and worked with Gary Haase for more than a decade on various projects. Eric Codee is nother talent who 've worked with on various projects, ome at the beginning of my career. KP I met through a good friend of mine, Molly Monjauze, after Tupac’s Better Dayz came out. I met The Heatmakerz while working with an MC that was signed to their production house. I've been incredibly blessed not just to work with these producers, but to some degree introduce them to the public as well. All of them should be household names in my opinion.
Robert – Who did the mastering and mixing of the album?
J Phoenix – Igor Kisil who I met singing in Russian Clubs in Brighton Beach Brooklyn. He heard the final product and with his skills and talent took it to a whole other level. He has his own company called Sweet Rains.
Robert – Where was the album recorded?
J Phoenix – Every song was recorded at home studios in LA & New York
Robert – Since the loss of music greats like Gerald Levert and Luther Vandross do you see yourself, as I do, able to fill the ‘void’ they have left in music?
J Phoenix – Well let me first acknowledge that as a huge compliment! While on the one hand I feel I have a long way to go to be mentioned in the same sentence as a Luther or Gerald, it's a great start. It says to me that I do music that will stand the test of time, which is what I've always been about. I'd definitely like to have that shot. There is huge void in music, not just with the loss of Luther, Gerald and Barry, but because the focus of most record companies is on immediate sales. Long gone are the days of growing an artist so that they have longevity. Very few get that these days so you see them fall off.
Robert – Are you comfortable being compared to those artists or do you feel that may be over stated?
J Phoenix – I'm cool with that comparison. They're legends. I'll take comparisons to legends all day long.
Robert – Are you ‘more comfortable’ in one genre over another?
J Phoenix - No. I like singing and writing in various styles. I’ve written for Jazz, R&B, Pop and Hip Hop artists, and had a gospel song nominated for an award. Let me just say this....it's the music business that makes you pick this box, but if you have the ability to write in different styles and that is part of who you are...then that’s the way it should be. I see it as a plus.
Robert – How does it work being a writer? Do you submit songs to artists you feel would like them or do the artists come to you?
J Phoenix – For the most part, I submit songs to artists but sometimes the artist come to me.
Robert – Are the ‘songs’ written as just lyrics or do some artists supply the music to write around?
J Phoenix – Well most writers have songs already done and demoed. I have dozens of songs I pitch all the time.
Sometimes I write from scratch with the artist present.
Politics play a huge part when writing for an artist signed to a major. I've been fortunate because on the vast majority of projects I've been brought in by the producer, and in some cases, as with Nancy Wilson, I’m brought in by the artists.
It can be rough sometimes, there are no guarantees. A huge artist can record your song and it never makes the
Album or a new artist my record your song and the album never gets released.
Robert – Do you enjoy writing over performing or are you comfortable doing either?
J Phoenix – Two totally different disciplines. I love writing songs. It's a whole other thing performing songs you've created. They are two different kind of highs and I enjoy them both.
Robert – I am surprised at all the songs you have written for other artists – Earth, Wind and Fire and Nancy Wilson, among others. Do your talents as a writer hurt your talents as an artist? What I mean by that is that I can not imagine you not having a major record deal. Are you caught in a situation like Kayne West was when he could not get A&R people to recognize him as anything other than a producer?
J Phoenix - I don’t think my talent as a writer hurts my talents as an artist. I think when it's all said and done that will be my greatest asset. Look at the longevity of Smokey Robinson. I truly believe everyone has their time to shine.
There is a reason why record companies didn't know what to do with me. While it was rough, all of these experiences brought me to a moment where I decided to make my own record. If those things hadn't happened I don't think it would have moved in this direction. Part of this music business thing is about hit records. Before the world knew who Kanye West was he had a string of hits, so eventually they were forced to notice him. Same thing with Babyface. Same thing with Lionel Richie. For me it's happened a little different. I've had some hits but singing and writing my own songs will ultimately take me in the same direction as these artists.
Robert – Don’t you feel that it is the job of a good A&R person to ‘market’ their artists talents? Or is it that everyone in music right now is so ‘comfortable’ in the lil box that they cannot think outside the box.
J Phoenix – Yes a good A&R gets it done, but honestly, and I can speak on this ‘cause I've worked with many A&Rs on projects, most A&Rs are trying to keep their jobs. They look at who's hot on the chart and follow what they think is a formula. Very rarely is it about songs or artist development. Many A&Rs are so focused on finding someone who sounds like this and that they totally ignore the unique sound they heard from someone new. Yes the little box, especially for R&B, needs to be shattered.
Robert – It seems with your range that the ‘market’ would just be wider and that since you can cover so many different genre’s that the fan base would be huge.
J Phoenix - I think so too. I think as time goes by people will catch on to J. Phoenix.
Robert – I know your song , “Be Around” was in the film The Brothers – but songs like “Ghetto Love Song”, “Masterpiece,’’ “Just Like You,” and “Reflections of You” seem as though they could be movie music or soundtrack music as well. Do you ‘shop’ music to many film makers?
J Phoenix – I’m glad you noticed. Yes I've had a lot of success with songs in movies and hope to have much more.
Robert – The track “Sweet Freedom,” off of Masterpiece is a powerful song. Is there a ‘story’ behind that track?
J Phoenix – “Sweet Freedom” is my vision, through song, of ultimate world peace. I remember going to my hotel room with a cheap CD player playing that track on repeat. When I woke up the song was in my head. I called KP, not sure if I liked what I'd written. The next day I sang it for him and he flipped. So I guess it was better than I thought. Everyone had the same reaction, so that was my confirmation it was a good song. Further confirmation came when it was placed on hold for both Beyonce and Santana. Like I said, it can be tough and political sometime.
Robert – I could ask about every track on this album, as I enjoy every one of them; but the track ‘Just Like You’ seems so personal. What I mean by that it seems that you must have had an experience that made you put that thought on paper. True or not?
J Phoenix – Absolutely. There’s been many unfortunate events, and I really have an issue with the media image of black men. If you go by the media you’ll believe we are all criminals and thugs and its sooo wrong. Unfortunately we constantly get caught up in the images perpetuated.
Robert – I know I can not pick a ‘favorite’ track off the cd, I find every one enjoyable, but do you have one or one that means a lot to you?
J Phoenix - I love all the songs for different reasons. Sweet Freedom is the one the best songs I've written to unite. MASTERPIECE, for me personally, is one the best songs I think I've ever written ...it's in my personal top ten.
Robert – They say that good music is ‘timeless’ and withstand time, that said this collection of songs is over what kind of time frame? Were they all written for this project or are some of them songs you had wrote sometime back and recorded them for this project?
J Phoenix – Most of the album was written over a two year period.
Robert – What is next for J Phoenix?
J Phoenix – Promoting the album, performing, songs on other artist’s albums, songs in movies and on television, and at some point you'll hear or see J.Phoenix everywhere.
Robert – Is there anything you would like to add or anything we failed to mention?
J Phoenix – I’d like to thank my current fans, all of those who purchased MASTERPIECE, and welcome those who read this piece to my fan base.
Robert – Well I can say I totally enjoyed this project and I wish you all the best with it and hopefully the industry will take note of your talent as a singer and you will fill some of the void there is in music today. You are truly a wonderful talent and I would like to thank you and your people for exposing me to you and your talent. Much appreciated. Please stay in touch.
J Phoenix – I will. Thanks again for this wonderful opportunity and stay with me at www.jphoenixmusic.com www.myspace.com/jphoenixsongs.com and www.music.blackplanet.com/jphoenix
*Also check J Phoenix out on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/jphoenixflying
