Up next in 10
Embark on an extraordinary musical odyssey with BJ The Chicago Kid as he unveils the soul-stirring journey that led him to Grammy recognition in "Unlock Your Soul: BJ's Journey to Grammy Gold 🏆". Be mesmerized by the raw passion, the gritty tales of R&B, and the profound connections with legends like Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire. Experience the power of authenticity as BJ opens up about his album "Gravy," his love for Soul-Train's legacy, and the defining moments that shaped his artistry. Don't miss this exclusive glimpse into the heart of a soulful maestro on Sway’s Universe. Subscribe now and feel the pulse of true musical genius. #BJTheChicagoKid #GravyTheAlbum #SoulMusic #GrammyGold
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Introduction to BJ The Chicago Kid
1:34 - Exploring BJ The Chicago Kid's Career
5:18 - Understanding "Gravy" Album
8:16 - Memorable Night at Soul-Train Awards
10:45 - Collaboration with Philip Bailey
13:48 - Behind the Scenes of Recording "Gravy"
19:09 - "Never Change" Track Insight
23:20 - Love and Relationships Discussion
25:25 - Tribute to Gladys Knight
28:05 - Durand Jones & The Indications Feature
31:34 - Robert Glasper & BJ The Chicago Kid Duo
33:45 - Andra Day & BJ The Chicago Kid Collaboration
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0:00
let's clap this man up citizens let's
0:02
clap this man up for real I remember he
0:05
came on my show and we discussed
0:07
pineapple now lers I knew at that moment
0:10
M you had a friend I had a friend for
0:12
life [ __ ] talking about pineapple now
0:15
lers and our and I we've been bumping
0:18
into each other we've been in
0:20
communication uh we've been tapping in
0:22
with each other ever since and this man
0:24
has been nominated for multiple Grammys
0:27
have been on Grammy nominated projects
0:29
have been and around uh Grammy artist
0:32
since uh Kendrick Lamar Kanye West Mary
0:35
J BL Joey Badass uh Freddy Gibbs Chance
0:40
the Rapper Vic M I'm just naming the
0:42
ones I got off the top of my head that
0:45
he's worked with um who else Khloe
0:48
Bailey um and one of the people that I
0:52
respect the most who we've interviewed
0:53
on this show and at that point I wanted
0:55
to retire cuz I didn't know what else I
0:57
could do in this game The One and Only
1:00
baile from earthwind and fire came up
1:02
here he's work with him too he in our
1:05
opinion used to be the best hidden
1:07
secret in the business now the secret is
1:09
out he's been solid I want to appeal to
1:12
the citizens if you like gritty Soulful
1:16
uh painful joyful um just high frequency
1:20
soul in R&B this is the artist you
1:24
should know if you haven't found out
1:26
about him yet that's okay cuz you're
1:28
going to find out about him now I need
1:30
music enthusiast people who really
1:32
understand music to call up to talk to
1:34
them we got the one and only BJ The
1:36
Chicago Kid come on now hey man come now
1:40
I could have heard a lot more of that
1:42
man I could have been quiet let you just
1:43
keep going keep going man I feel that I
1:46
ain't had no introduction like that ever
1:48
in my life I take that it's all truth I
1:50
take that thank you it's all true all
1:52
truth yeah I mean you've been gritty
1:53
before they caught on thank you brother
1:55
yes you know and and gritty goes through
1:57
Cycles right cuz gritty ain't always
1:59
mainstream yeah greedy do always give
2:01
you the popular Crossover hits
2:03
especially during the time when I first
2:05
started it definitely wasn't mainstream
2:07
it's um it's getting more stronger now
2:09
but man like this this even seeing my
2:11
brother again like I said outside it
2:13
reminds me I'm doing something right
2:14
again when I see my dog you come on man
2:16
me and BJ were at the uh uh we were in
2:19
Nappa yeah at the blueo Jazz Festival oh
2:22
with Robert Glaser the wasn't that where
2:23
it was with Robert Glasper and um we
2:26
passed each other on the golf carts yeah
2:29
his was going well but M was going other
2:31
way so IM trying to have a conversation
2:32
and the more time go by you got to get
2:34
louder and louder cuz y'all separate but
2:36
I got to see my dog though man man I'm
2:38
been yeah I'm trying to get Robert
2:39
Glasper invited me to be a part of next
2:41
year's blue blue no jazz festival I'm
2:43
going on tour for that HP I'm going be
2:45
hosted go I'm what's your plus ones
2:47
looking like what plus ones me I'm going
2:50
myself team talk to BJ he'll be there
2:53
that's why they put me in between y'all
2:54
so I'm I'm the referee somebody got to
2:56
do that come on BJ I don't know why she
2:58
got to go I get it I get it I get it man
3:00
she didn't invite me last night when she
3:02
went somewhere I'm sure she
3:05
went invite me nowhere you sound like
3:08
rich man problems you a nap on a golf
3:10
course passing your man that's some rich
3:12
[ __ ] I was in the hood last night you
3:14
wanted to come with me we was drinking
3:16
Brown you was going to come
3:18
out pass the bodega pass you in the
3:22
bod the [ __ ] dollar van exactly
3:26
that's where I was at that was funny SHO
3:29
he wasn't going to come with me BJ BJ
3:32
I'm sorry for this man we we we going we
3:33
going to get
3:35
these don't let her pull you to the dark
3:38
side I'm I'm St between the Middle your
3:40
whole album is about being gravy yeah it
3:43
it is gravy you know life is gravy I
3:44
love that title thank you thank cuz
3:46
gravy goes good with everything exactly
3:48
gravy so personal like you got to get
3:50
gravy right I mean for me from a cooking
3:53
standpoint gravy is that's not it got to
3:56
come from scratch it's important it's
3:58
it's important it got to come from that
4:00
right place not with that little orange
4:02
label little bought jar where people
4:05
needed to make the gravy brown gravy Mas
4:08
not that [ __ ] not that okay from scratch
4:10
bro homemade but how does that apply to
4:13
your music what what was your thought
4:14
process I think my lifestyle is gravy
4:16
the way I walk the way I talk all that
4:18
man um the people that birthe me was
4:20
gravy the people that birth them was
4:22
gravy so I had no choice I couldn't
4:24
Dodge being gravy I think um Soul music
4:28
is like you know in the hood you get a
4:30
nickname when they like you it might
4:31
come from a funny place but it's because
4:33
they love you nicknames come out of love
4:34
I think the new name for Soul music is
4:36
gravy I just think um it it has such a
4:39
old school connotation that can be
4:42
looked at or like not paid attention to
4:44
because of that so I feel like if it had
4:45
a nickname hey man that's that's my
4:47
little dog gravy right there so yeah
4:49
gravy is everything it's um it's our
4:51
persona it's our confidence it's what
4:52
make us us it's the choices we make it's
4:54
why we make them um it's that energy
4:57
being right that you was talking about
4:59
it's all of that stuff I feel like um it
5:01
Smothers it covers it's flavored right
5:04
sometimes it got the onions in it
5:06
sometimes it might not you know but I
5:07
think it always compliments and it helps
5:09
and I think um it's that it's that
5:11
language that I think the world is
5:12
finally ready to hear gravy so we going
5:14
to call this this a whole new genre
5:16
gravy the gravy yeah the gravy genre
5:19
well described you know what BJ over the
5:22
years there have been some R&B artists
5:24
male R&B artists to be specific where a
5:28
lot of us realized this was a Persona
5:30
that they were putting on in terms of
5:32
their music and when their personal life
5:35
yeah hit front sh it was like oh my gosh
5:37
you're a complete opposite of a
5:39
gentleman and I understand you know what
5:41
I mean and when I listen to your lyrics
5:43
I think it's in um the joint with Andre
5:45
day uh crazy love and you say something
5:48
about hell yeah Billy and you say
5:50
something BJ about like even if there
5:52
was like a $100 bill on the floor like
5:55
you would ignore it just to have more
5:56
time with her does it because of your
5:59
lyrical content and this gravy Groove
6:02
you got going okay does it ever feel
6:05
like pressure in your dealings with
6:07
women to be perfect all the time to
6:11
match
6:12
the perception of what a soul singer is
6:16
you know to always be romantic etc etc
6:20
are you all [ __ ] up hon soul singers a
6:22
lot of them they the worst yeah they had
6:26
bad stories from day one they had bad
6:28
stories yeah yeah it was drugs and death
6:32
and sex in between that's it right
6:35
AB definitely handcuffs was involved and
6:37
not in the sexy way but um no I think I
6:40
think it's just
6:42
um I mean I have the cross in the corner
6:45
I still have those two things just like
6:46
they had yeah um they grew up in church
6:48
and they had friends that didn't um just
6:51
like me I mean I don't I don't consider
6:53
myself any different but I I definitely
6:55
um learn from their mistakes we have
6:58
times have evolved we have evolved um me
7:00
as a person I think um to be unauthentic
7:03
they would feel and tell me like [ __ ]
7:05
this fake and we know cuz they know the
7:08
real me um they knew the real me from
7:09
the gate I think they felt that from my
7:11
first music and I think that was the
7:12
blessing in it so I didn't have to put
7:14
on a person or if I did you could tell
7:16
I'm really doing this for this album or
7:17
for this song or for this video and that
7:19
makes it even more um understandable how
7:22
dope I am artistically or creatively or
7:23
whatever they want to say but um to be
7:26
loved as your authentic self some people
7:28
die and never know what they feel
7:30
just think about it like that so I'm
7:31
honored to do it honestly it be sunny
7:35
days and rainy days like any other life
7:37
or any other occupation but can you
7:42
stand the r
7:46
done got got you got got love
7:51
you baby baby you got it got it back see
7:57
this why y ain't going to get them Plus
7:58
on y got to have
8:04
going that's that's Where's the auto
8:08
hear that [ __ ] y'all hear that [ __ ] got
8:10
Luther the fell going to get you right
8:12
they they going come and get you thank
8:13
you for getting my back on this you see
8:14
what goes on every day U you got a song
8:17
with Coco Jones salute to Coco Jones for
8:19
all those nominations Coco we see you
8:21
congrats Coco remember we had Coco Jones
8:24
ear early we had her do this thing she
8:27
sang Live on like you've done
8:29
thing went stupid viral and she's in La
8:32
when she did it she she pulled up in La
8:34
Studios yeah she did she's so incredible
8:37
you got the song called spend the night
8:39
yeah and um you're basically begging the
8:42
woman to stay the night on it and
8:45
probably have one of the things you said
8:46
you have the you something to you
8:48
alluded to having the best night of your
8:49
life yeah that's the opening song of
8:51
gravy man that's the opening song yeah
8:53
yeah what what is a that's the best
8:55
night right what is what's how would BJ
8:59
The Chicago Kid curate the best night of
9:03
a person's life like what would that
9:05
include a woman's life a woman's life I
9:08
would say and and basing on some of the
9:10
things you've done in your past oh wow
9:13
that made it heavy heavy back someone
9:16
watching this gonna get I said in his
9:17
past I said in his past yeah I mean I
9:20
love to cook oh yeah I love to cook I
9:22
love uh great movies I love
9:26
um slow walks on the beach fast walks
9:29
the bank okay yeah um um I like to do
9:33
simple stuff man I still like riding my
9:35
bike man I'm a very chill guy man don't
9:37
don't get me to like uh you go my
9:40
business out you
9:43
went but you gone bike riding and and
9:46
that's the kind of enter so you like M
9:48
things I like I like a little bit of it
9:50
all I still got an inner child y'all Y
9:53
got be playful if I don't feed him he's
9:55
going to turn into a tyrant so I have to
9:58
um just like if I don't be in the studio
10:00
if I don't go to the studio for so long
10:01
I have to go otherwise it's gonna
10:03
somebody like [ __ ] you need to go
10:04
record something comes out so I think um
10:07
those things are my balance okay um
10:09
music isn't just a job occupation it's
10:11
therapy for me um it's therapeutic even
10:16
in things that I'm not maybe writing
10:17
about but I'm feeling or going through
10:19
in real life um music I've never came to
10:22
the studio and not felt better never
10:24
never never even if I'm like in a
10:26
session of a friends and I'm just like
10:28
want some good energy I just want to be
10:30
around some dope creatives I've still
10:32
always felt better um at the studio um
10:35
that's that place is like a church for
10:37
the creative for for those that um be
10:40
needing that release that relief that
10:43
that's one of the outlets for us you go
10:45
to it man you got an incredible album
10:47
It's called gravy citizens we going to
10:49
talk about it where you recorded it the
10:51
significance of that and some of the um
10:54
energy you tapped into I I have to play
10:56
this song the Earth Wind and Fire is my
10:58
favorite group of all time nobody has a
11:01
problem with that in the room I don't
11:03
think they should I'm your security when
11:04
it comes to okay all right and for so
11:06
many reasons there was an artist I
11:09
worked with where I hired U one of the
11:12
um the Stringer producers from earthwind
11:15
and fire to work on that particular
11:18
artist's project and I got to know a
11:21
bunch of the members of earthwind fire I
11:23
didn't get a chance to meet Maurice
11:26
White um but Philip Bailey as I said
11:29
have been on this show um how did you
11:31
meet Philip Bailey and what was that
11:33
experience like working in a studio with
11:35
that um I have the audacity to call him
11:37
Uncle Pete I got I got the authority
11:39
call him I call him Uncle Pete but um
11:42
honestly
11:43
um my dad of course was um the vehicle
11:47
to introduce me to everything that
11:50
earthwind and fire has ever done and
11:52
just kind of started that path of me
11:54
finding you know even what we have him
11:57
for the album but um it's it started
12:00
with stop trying to be God Travis Scott
12:02
yeah yeah that's where it started so
12:04
that's he and I singing that chorus wow
12:06
I did not know that yeah laugh in here
12:11
whoa that just actually like made my
12:13
brain explode so I I the the other TST I
12:15
didn't know that the other twist is um
12:18
all right so you remember um when the A
12:20
and them had the verses right yeah yeah
12:22
so before that versus and after that
12:25
versus they were working in the studio
12:26
with um 1500 and nothing uhhuh
12:29
and I was doing some work with 1500
12:31
nothing with that situation they were
12:34
doing with I brothers and the vers
12:36
happen and maybe like the first or
12:37
second session after the verses he was
12:40
like um Philip and and and the Fellas
12:42
gonna come by you know so now I'm like
12:44
all right now they about to be in the
12:46
same room and I was like wow we about to
12:48
be in the same room finally so as um Mr
12:52
bile came in I was like yo it's really
12:57
him
12:59
child start oh man bro it it was crazy
13:03
um I met his daughter she told me um her
13:05
sons were fans of my music um I'm the
13:07
type of artist where I'm like FaceTime
13:09
him right now let's let's mess his head
13:10
up I'm that guy I like to make a moment
13:12
and have good times and um he answered
13:14
we laughed and you know we kind of
13:15
shared a moment we took pictures over
13:17
FaceTime and whatnot but um when um
13:20
Uncle P got in there and he was like
13:21
warming up the mic and picking out what
13:23
microphone he wanted just getting
13:24
adjusted to the studio for the session I
13:26
just hit that button I was like Mr lady
13:29
do you know that's me uh singing stop
13:30
trying to be God with you uh on Travis
13:32
Scott he said no way he said get in here
13:35
so when he said get in here I went in
13:36
there we just actually began to just
13:37
talk in the room and um the same bond
13:40
that I kind of formed with his daughter
13:41
and his grandson I formed with him fast
13:43
forward us working on gravy at the time
13:49
um I don't want to give you too many I
13:51
want
13:52
to okay cool tell me everything so damn
13:56
and working on the album gravy we pretty
13:58
much went to um Memphis to record at um
14:01
Al Green Studio Royal studi that's right
14:03
um boo Mitchell uh same Studio daylight
14:06
saw recorded that and I'm still
14:08
beginning to learn other history that
14:10
took place in that place but when we
14:11
went in there we could tell
14:13
that there was a responsibility of
14:16
absorbing The Vibes and leaving
14:17
incredible Vibes for somebody else to
14:19
absorb when you leave that's the yeah
14:20
that's almost like when you going to the
14:21
bathroom clean up out of yourself it
14:22
makes sure presentable for someone else
14:24
it's the same type of mentality but it's
14:25
more respectful more um responsible
14:29
AR
14:32
all was gone days but we only in that
14:35
studio for pretty much 98% of that album
14:39
was recorded in 5 days no rewrites no
14:42
crazy adjustments music changed far as
14:45
we wanted to you know do production but
14:47
lyrically not much has changed at all
14:49
since that day so we did 17 songs in 5
14:52
days um when I first did never change um
14:57
I thought about my dad right so I was
14:59
like man this dude would have Love This
15:00
Record but what the record sound like to
15:03
me was earthwind and
15:04
fire I didn't try to write it any I
15:07
didn't overthink writing these songs I
15:09
just wrote them I just wrote them I just
15:10
wrote them I wasn't trying to overthink
15:12
overthinking takes too much time I just
15:13
wanted just to be Instinct and know what
15:16
my instinct was kind of test my instinct
15:17
to see where I am now what's the real me
15:19
in real time real fast without thinking
15:21
what I'm going get love and that's and
15:23
um yeah so when I got back I was just
15:26
like I'mma call him like what's the wor
15:28
that could
15:29
happen no I don't call him BJ called him
15:32
I love calling him so I called I like yo
15:33
I got this song that I would love to
15:34
send you we just did it um and I would
15:37
just love to see what you guys think
15:38
she's like send a song I sent the she
15:40
called me back in five minutes which is
15:41
his daughter um she called me back in
15:43
five minutes she was like I'm sending
15:44
him the song right now it's like 10 at
15:45
night bro so that said a lot to me for
15:47
her to be that excited at such a late
15:50
hour of somebody so respectable that I
15:51
don't even know what he could be doing
15:53
in this hour she sent him the record he
15:55
called me that next morning was like um
15:57
well I love these kind of and telling me
15:59
what he like in his Studio sessions I
16:00
was like [ __ ] is this about to happen
16:02
oh my God he start giving you mics not
16:04
mics but his his um what does he sing on
16:07
bro I can't tell you
16:10
um that in I was he he he pretty much
16:13
start telling us that the song was going
16:16
to happen and um MAA is one of the first
16:19
people I caught I was like [ __ ] it's
16:21
going down we go get it and honestly
16:23
y'all I will tell you this that man came
16:25
to the
16:26
studio like he know me for 10 years he
16:28
was there fast handle his business time
16:32
to reply um I mean it's some that I'm
16:36
still waiting for versus back and the
16:37
album is out yet the album been out for
16:39
five years I'm still waiting on the
16:40
verse Oh my God Uncle P came and and and
16:43
showed up showed out I've never heard
16:46
myself sing with somebody such our tones
16:49
blend so well it's just so many man
16:52
y'all we got two days to be here cuz I
16:53
could talk about this for a long time
16:55
did you he we ain't stopping you man
16:56
listen so uh n Uncle P came and honestly
17:00
after we did the record and I sent him a
17:03
version of it just for him to ride to
17:04
and kind of he sent me a video dude and
17:07
it it kind of made me shed tears for
17:08
real
17:11
because my dad was the one
17:14
that showed me like this the road all
17:17
that stuff I was showing you this is the
17:18
road musically so like so music those
17:22
stories those yeah Sam the way Sam C
17:25
pass and all that but the music is like
17:26
all of that this is where they came from
17:28
and I I really realized like I had some
17:30
of the same
17:31
Roots excuse me I don't have to make
17:33
some of the same decisions that they've
17:35
made but musically where I sing from why
17:39
I sing that way we share very much very
17:41
much the same from Sam Cook to Al Green
17:44
to Ronald isy to I mean I asked Ronald
17:48
isy I said if was is there a song
17:52
or or anything that you heard back in
17:54
the day that you wish was
17:56
yours he said
17:58
anything Sam
18:01
Cook who just turned into him he said
18:03
anything Sam Cook uhhuh and when I sit
18:07
back and thought about it I said
18:09
the Sam Cook [ __ ] yeah yeah Our Heroes
18:14
Have
18:15
Heroes and like that was one of the
18:18
first times that I felt like I did the
18:19
best at maximizing the time that I had
18:21
with um my elders and I wanted to ask
18:25
those questions um when my father passed
18:27
away I swear to one of the first things
18:29
I did was like man there's so many
18:30
questions I didn't have answers to about
18:33
myself about life about him and Mom just
18:36
as a man me getting older and finding
18:38
more about myself I I hate I didn't have
18:42
a chance or just to think about those
18:44
questions and I I made a vow of myself
18:46
when I'm around people that I really
18:47
admire I'm I really want to ask the best
18:50
questions that I could ask and that was
18:51
the best one I could asking myself was
18:53
there anything back then that or just
18:55
now period that you like you would have
18:56
been like N I wish that was mine he said
18:58
anything s did you ask Philip Bailey
19:01
that question uh no because that was a
19:04
previous day I was too busy trying to
19:06
let him know that was me and then we got
19:07
to talking and it went away but no I I I
19:09
got that phone number so I could
19:10
definitely ask more questions let's play
19:12
that song never change and I want to
19:13
hear that Travis Scott song after that
19:15
it is yeah hey man that that that what I
19:20
was Travis Scott but you and Philip
19:21
Bailey partner collaborate on that on
19:24
those harmonies and but that song we
19:26
played early uh right before it never CH
19:28
with Philip Bailey yeah uh ladies and
19:30
gentlemen introducing to you man you got
19:33
a chance to introduce Philip Bailey um
19:37
and that means you'll get a chance to
19:39
perform with Philip Bailey yes that's
19:41
what the hope and prair is too you know
19:43
but if not I'm already still on such a
19:46
high even just the more I realize what
19:48
really took place and is taking place I
19:51
think it's just such a beautiful thing
19:52
but hell yeah I love to more than once
19:54
if I can but they in Vegas handling
19:56
business so we going we going to try to
19:57
figure it out we're going to figure that
19:58
out man when you go see them perform in
20:00
Vegas U Can you take me with you oh now
20:03
you you want to
20:05
be table turn hey man don't don't say
20:10
thank you dog I know what it is you want
20:11
to get on Heather's bad side you see how
20:13
me she's mean to me imagine she likea
20:16
still going to give me a meal together
20:17
she said so I'm still going to hold
20:19
that d i coming
20:24
tomorrow I don't know why I thought he
20:26
was coming tomorrow you thought he
20:28
thought he was coming tomorrow yeah I
20:29
didn't know he was
20:30
coming what what would you bring for me
20:32
like if you knew I was coming you had
20:34
the proper time to prepare something
20:36
real s always ask people ahead of time
20:38
what they like what if I said surpris me
20:40
what you think I would like wow read
20:43
them Prof yeah what he look like he from
20:46
Chicago you know he like meat right and
20:48
gravy's got to
20:50
be hey cam don't get him don't get him
20:54
don't stall him out stall him out stall
20:56
him out hey don't let me out okay hold
20:59
hold on don't worry that the confuses
21:01
he's a carnivore no so I make a really
21:03
I've been told I make a really nice
21:06
smothered bone and turkey chop I'm into
21:09
that yes and then I would just I'm I'm
21:11
big into my vegetables so I would do
21:13
like a nice steamed veg and I really
21:16
like I'm a I'm a sweet potato girl over
21:20
mashed potato so that's what I would do
21:22
my mom is is super Southern um oh so I'm
21:25
I'm into all that um my mom made hot
21:27
water I knew what hot water cornbread
21:29
was when I was little I knew it was a
21:30
difference between regular cornbread and
21:32
hot water cornbread don't mean I wanted
21:33
hot water cornbread hot water cornbread
21:34
wasn't sweet enough but um about to have
21:37
the Grits conversation again we had a
21:39
whole show about this I mean and and
21:40
it's all preference it don't make nobody
21:42
wrong I just think everybody feel like
21:43
they way is the way that's what it
21:45
really is how did she Instagram and
21:46
Twitter is full of that you know
21:47
everybody thinking they way is the way
21:49
yeah how did your mom cook her hot water
21:50
cornbread you remember um no I don't um
21:53
you remember a skillet though yes for
21:54
sure my mama made high water cornbread
21:56
and it looked like pancakes with Grit in
21:58
it that's what it looks like yes my mom
22:01
even made Regular cornbread like that
22:02
when she was had to go to church fast
22:04
and we try to want some cornbread she'll
22:06
make regular cornbread that looks like
22:07
pancakes sometimes but it's oh man
22:09
smacks tough she had a Kool-Aid game too
22:12
what we handled that though the kids
22:13
handle that that she going to do that we
22:15
go ahead whip up the Kool-Aid but yeah
22:17
man those those was the days but that's
22:18
how I learned to cook that was my learn
22:20
like the way I learned to love to cook
22:22
um have she got to run to the store and
22:24
I got to make sure that macaroni don't
22:26
burn yeah you learn ibility you got the
22:29
whole you got one of the most important
22:30
meal parts of the meal on your back bro
22:33
at the age of 11 yeah watch that oven
22:36
Playboy watch that don't ruin it don't
22:39
ruin it I couldn't stump when she was
22:41
baking otherwise something will fall and
22:42
it'll be a problem it's just like
22:43
certain things the way we grew up I had
22:45
to learn about food a little bit more
22:46
than other people but I kind of fell in
22:48
love with it and man for my grandma
22:51
showing her and her showing us and both
22:53
my brothers cook my cousins cook my male
22:55
cousins know how to bake the yeast roll
22:56
from scratch and all like so my really
22:58
really into the stuff did y'all do the
22:59
nasty chillins too uh I never ate
23:02
chillins but my my middle brother ate
23:03
chillins I ain't going to tell y' his
23:04
name but if y'all know how to family my
23:06
middle brother is y'all know who eat
23:07
chillins
23:09
but if you do your homework then you EST
23:12
you know who it is yeah my brother SC
23:14
crazy he crazy he chill
23:18
slave you know what I'm he's the only
23:21
one I've always like thought to myself
23:24
because as a singer love is a primary
23:28
Muse for you right if you have a song
23:30
that's written about an ex and that
23:32
becomes a hit and you're singing over
23:33
and over again does it make you think
23:35
about your
23:37
ex not really writing a song maybe but
23:40
once you get to singing a song it's the
23:41
conviction it's the place you at um
23:43
every venue is different in Soul music
23:46
honestly the songs ain't really played
23:47
the same every time it's not Sayang the
23:49
same every time it's something some
23:50
little Nuance is different every time um
23:53
so no but I think the cool part is if it
23:55
is at least I get the money for the
23:57
heartache whatever the case may be paid
23:59
for the pain make it count if this is
24:01
going to count Make It Count type of
24:03
alchemy I mean
24:05
um that's a good question but n it's n
24:08
it's it's kind of cool do you feel like
24:10
you fall in love faster than the average
24:12
person I don't think I fall in love
24:15
but I I like what I like yeah and I know
24:19
what I like it when I see it I might not
24:20
even know I like that by like I like
24:21
that she you go by Vision you could go
24:24
by side alone no oh cuz at some point
24:27
there has to be a Vibe mhm and there's
24:29
no vibe I mean it's almost like glass is
24:32
clear and glass is beautiful but you
24:34
can't do [ __ ] with it word right yeah
24:37
that's kind of what that is you can't
24:38
just have an empty shell you can't just
24:39
have a something that has nothing in it
24:43
um what you say this gra this gravy been
24:46
been been been been brewing this whole
24:47
time it's finally ready so how I'm going
24:49
take all this time Brewing my gravy and
24:50
there's no gravy near around
24:52
and nah it's not it's going to crash at
24:55
some point if you if we just there
24:56
because of a shape of woman woman or how
24:58
she we this that's that's that's too
25:00
Hollow I need something some Foundation
25:02
you need something with some you know
25:04
some hot water cornbread type grip you
25:06
smell me you know I already know man at
25:09
least or somebody that that that's
25:10
willing to learn you know I mean this
25:12
definitely is a definitely a different
25:14
generation yeah so um no I don't fall in
25:17
love like fast fast I think um I like
25:21
fast though I like I like that but I
25:23
don't F love fast all right HB you look
25:25
like you want to chime in on something
25:26
no because see you said you said
25:28
something earlier you shared your
25:30
experience with Philip biley and it's so
25:31
funny because I was just telling Sway
25:33
and Tracy and the citizens here about
25:35
gladus night I went to go see her Sunday
25:39
night and I was telling them I found out
25:41
she was 79 years old BJ she walked out
25:45
on stage on
25:48
time she sang every song hit every note
25:53
engaged with the
25:55
audience gave us some jewels and sh her
25:58
life and her experience and I walked
26:00
away saying to my friends like what is
26:02
it about these Legends and these icons
26:05
where they've been in it for so long but
26:08
they still got more to give us they take
26:11
it so
26:14
this the their gratitude it's just the
26:16
gratitude for it all like what else
26:19
everybody's doing that they can't show
26:21
up one time like and somebody 79 can
26:25
she's glad as freaking night yeah you
26:28
know um and when you said that about Mr
26:31
phip Bailey I she immediately came to my
26:33
mind and it's like you can't help but be
26:36
inspired when you get around that and
26:39
did you have that same sense of even
26:41
though he's Philip freaking Bailey he
26:43
still has so much more yeah I was
26:46
incredibly happy that I even got to
26:48
witness it and see it firsthand um you
26:50
got to hear certain stories yes
26:53
um he said the songs that we loved is
26:56
probably seven D versions of those songs
26:59
oh wow and they didn't record them to
27:03
any
27:04
metrodom so so they might they might
27:06
they might have loved the second verse
27:07
from the 36th take of the song they
27:10
might have liked the first verse from
27:11
the eighth take of the song and the
27:13
whole rest of the song was probably from
27:14
the
27:15
demo like they were really like in there
27:18
and they had key changes song six seven
27:20
minutes they were in there so like to
27:22
hear these stories yes it doubles down
27:25
on the genius it doubles down on the on
27:27
the the coldness like how ill they are
27:30
it just doubles down oh my God yeah so
27:33
they are virgins out there sitting on on
27:35
real tape machines with they did before
27:37
protour ladies and gentl 2 inexs and and
27:40
and they somewhere just and that's what
27:41
I mean like I was telling them she came
27:43
out and sing Take me to the king the
27:45
Tamila Man song and I'm looking like
27:48
glad Knight could have easily sang this
27:50
song she sing Stan you know um Donnie
27:53
mcclerkin it's like you asked uh Mr isy
27:56
what songs would it's like you can
27:59
they're still in tune they know what's
28:01
going on and they sharing it with us
28:03
it's just I'm so glad you got that
28:05
experience yeah man this album is called
28:07
gravy um BJ The Chicago Kid you work
28:10
with so many people Yeti beats yeah come
28:14
on get Yeti beats a round of applause
28:17
come on so I I would tell you this the
28:20
idea to go to Memphis and recorded at
28:22
that particular Studio was Yeti beats
28:25
Yeti be Yeti beats uh called the
28:27
indication as well that if for those
28:29
that don't know who the indications are
28:30
the indications are an Inc um Soulful
28:33
band group Artist as well but um they
28:37
were them and Charlie Bell were the two
28:40
entities that pretty much musically made
28:42
this possible um Yeti beats is like
28:46
responsible for Doja cat and the likes
28:48
of uh some of the songs that we pretty
28:49
much know her as but um when it com
28:52
music yep and and that happened a lot of
28:55
that stuff happened in the means of
28:56
making Gra as well so Yeti was damn
29:00
getting busy where's Yeti from um from
29:04
California yeah
29:07
yeah any affiliation of Oakland you know
29:09
any specifically where Yeti is from uh
29:12
no you want me to call him I call him
29:13
call Yeti Beast let's find out oh my
29:15
gosh let's see if he answer and I'm
29:17
going to call him just because I'm doing
29:19
come on man I mean I don't think he
29:21
ain't from Oakland I just he's from the
29:23
West Coast you know but a no way you
29:25
would have asked if you Ain you why you
29:28
what was that other I'm sorry ain't no
29:29
way you would have asked that question
29:32
you Z toan's from the bay you know but
29:36
and people think he from the ATL I I
29:38
don't know where City Edie beats is from
29:40
he in La he on La time let's see if he
29:41
let's see if he up it's 9:30 what is it
29:44
8:30 8:30 good luck might have had a
29:47
late session all right at least he
29:49
didn't send you straight to voicemail
29:50
well well he's not answering your phone
29:52
BJ after y'all did a whole album
29:54
together right I'm Happ went the game
29:56
which which friend you $5 if you was
29:58
like dead bro I know right that would I
30:00
would have been like just met I lost but
30:02
he had great vision uh reached the world
30:05
yeah reach the world we pretty much
30:06
wanted to bring our Two Worlds together
30:08
introduce my fans to him introduce his
30:10
fans and um a lot of his musical
30:13
expertise that I probably didn't know I
30:15
wanted to look Beyond the Veil and learn
30:17
from the popular side of music as well
30:19
so um I
30:21
think the balance and the um the
30:26
reception of the people I think allowed
30:29
me to really understand that we both are
30:32
um getting what we came for and putting
30:34
in the pot what the people needs at the
30:36
same time and here's Jay on the line
30:38
from Richmond i j j up J what you what
30:42
are your thoughts Jay we got BJ up in
30:45
here yeah I I just wanted to say yo bro
30:48
got some good soulful music is it's
30:51
bringing back that feeling that element
30:54
that's been missing for so long in the
30:56
music game I just wanted to you know
30:58
give my shout outs and salute to him and
31:00
shout out to y'all too as well than
31:03
thank you appreciate
31:04
that yeah but get the the album is out
31:07
now bro check it out gravy it's a great
31:09
especially for the holiday season cuz
31:12
before BJ came on I said yo your
31:14
frequency is is on a high level I feel
31:16
good even if you're singing about pain I
31:18
feel good that's what Al Green and them
31:20
possessed they sang about a lot of pain
31:23
but they did it in a way where you just
31:25
felt good about it cuz Hey man releasing
31:28
this I could relate to it you got
31:30
somebody I consider R equivalent and I'm
31:32
going go out on the limb to say this and
31:34
I know lot of people you got Robert
31:36
Glasper who I consider I give him Quincy
31:40
Jones like props Secret Garden Quincy
31:45
Jones you feel me cuz what Quincy did
31:48
with secret garden and brought all the
31:50
musicians the writers and different
31:52
vocal performers together is what what
31:54
Robert Glasper has been doing this for
31:56
years
31:57
right and I think he had a vision that
32:00
for us to continue on this path of
32:03
Performing and not become P we need each
32:05
other because the kind of music he makes
32:08
doesn't get the kind of radio play or
32:10
whatever or you know the type of
32:11
exposure that can ensure you know a
32:13
concert and acquired taste and acquired
32:16
taste right and so even when we're at
32:18
the blueo jazz festival and when he does
32:20
these months here uh Rob toober months
32:23
and all of these he brings in a lot of
32:26
collaborative artist right and and makes
32:28
these sounds you guys collaborate on the
32:30
song smoke break did he produce it or he
32:32
just came on to it he came on to it um
32:35
smoke break was a very random thing that
32:36
even happened in the studio uh they were
32:38
resetting the mics making sure technical
32:41
stuff are together my homie Steve got on
32:44
drums they probably when he supposed to
32:45
be playing drums that day and Shuffle
32:47
and I was like yo and the mic that I was
32:50
talking into I could like talk to
32:53
everybody or I could talk to one person
32:54
yeah so I was like Chuck what you got
32:55
you got something for this and I was
32:57
like all right Chuck we could use this
32:59
if you use your microphone and call out
33:01
what keys to go to and go from there and
33:04
um they got the tempo so it was very
33:06
random a very sporadic thing uh car Rob
33:09
and he helped us complete it and just
33:12
easy but I'm starting to
33:15
um not be afraid to call my Super
33:17
Friends yeah I used to just be in my own
33:19
little bubble my own little world call
33:21
who was close to me who I saw last week
33:23
sometimes you know
33:25
um the easy way yeah mhm the
33:29
unchallenged way the easy way yeah but
33:32
it felt good to get that call back from
33:35
Mr Philip Bailey and from you know I
33:38
mean I I work a rob a thousand times
33:40
live um Studio A lot of times for him
33:43
but for me to call and get the back
33:45
again I said I'm still waiting for some
33:46
rap versus from pineapple annihilators
33:49
so um I mean even Andre day an
33:52
incredible beautiful soul her gift we
33:55
did this um celebration for Marvin Gay
33:59
in
34:00
DC my what was that five years ago six
34:03
years ago I stayed up all night to learn
34:05
these two Marvin Gay songs they have me
34:07
seen because you when you in your car
34:09
you don't know the song [ __ ] you think
34:11
you do you think you do in the shower
34:13
either nobody's challenging the words
34:15
that you might be mistaken right so
34:17
people in the car sing along they're not
34:18
even s you don't you don't know it until
34:20
you're looking at this paper and you're
34:22
reading it word for word as he's singing
34:25
and I I stayed up all night
34:28
and I just couldn't like let that
34:32
moment not be what it was supposed to be
34:34
the respect I have for Marvin Gay yeah
34:37
the admiration of always wanted to work
34:38
with her because I always thought she
34:39
was just so dope and some people really
34:42
do put you on those stages for people
34:43
that you want to work with sometimes it
34:45
don't always be like oh let me go ahead
34:46
and knock this out for them and when I
34:48
do my part I'mma leave it ain't always
34:50
that sometimes you really get set up in
34:51
a dope moment and in soundcheck we did
34:54
the first song and me and her looked at
34:55
each other like tonight about to be so
34:57
far to be crazy right yeah and and it
34:59
wasn't any reir energy it was just pure
35:02
Magic from like art and see respect in
35:05
real time and like having a call and
35:08
response in such a dope way with
35:09
somebody that's giving you dope stuff to
35:10
sing back to it was just so dope we knew
35:12
we work together again not knowing when
35:14
and Yeti was like yo you know Andre I
35:17
was like do I do I he's like what you
35:20
think about being on I was like where
35:22
she at right the next day she showed up
35:24
to the studio and and that was the very
35:26
first song recorded for gravy really
35:28
crazy love was the very very very very
35:30
very first song and that was done in La
35:32
that was before we went to Memphis so
35:34
crazy love was done we talked about it
35:35
more we gonna figure Memphis out blah
35:36
blah blah quarantine happened and we was
35:38
in Memphis but Andre day was the first
35:41
person that no money down you know what
35:44
I'm saying no money down wow I love
35:47
these hey man you got great stories this
35:49
is because it's a great project man it's
35:51
called gravy love you man and um DJ The
35:54
Chicago Kid we've been doing this for
35:56
years man thank you man yeah no hey man
35:59
listen you you you've been solid all the
36:01
way through thank you thank you've been
36:03
a solid individual all the way through
36:04
you ever need anything brother you ever
36:06
fill away know I'm here for you man I
36:08
appreciate you same here too man okay
36:10
cool cuz I want to make sure I'm I'm I'm
36:12
your guest list when come on I'm going
36:15
to make sure I get extra I'm going get
36:16
an extra three long as we got some
36:18
tubble wear though how long are you here
36:20
for uh I leave I'll tell you after we go
36:23
okay all right yeah yeah crazy these
36:26
days going with smoke break because I
36:28
want to give Robert Glasper his PR what
36:30
can you say about Rob and his position
36:33
in this game today honestly bro
36:35
Rob I've always admired Rob's work but
36:38
um when Rob reached out to me honestly
36:40
it was right after quarantine live I
36:42
wasn't doing a bunch of stuff live music
36:43
wise and um personally I was going
36:46
through a whole lot yeah and the style
36:48
of Robert's
36:50
music allowed me to really use that
36:53
stage and his stage and his fans as
36:56
another form of therapy
36:58
um man rob don't really really
37:01
understand like but I love Rob I love
37:03
the hell out of Rob as a brother um as a
37:07
Creator that's my [ __ ] man there you go
37:10
man here it is smoke break man thank you
37:12
BJ The Chicago Kid get the new album
37:17
[Music]
37:20
gravy
#Arts & Entertainment