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Kehlani on Her New Self-Titled Album, Turning 30, and R&B Growth | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Apr 24, 2026
R&B icon Kehlani joins us for an exclusive playback and deep-dive conversation about her self-titled album. From her Oakland roots to her evolution as a global leader, she opens up about the vulnerability and confidence that shaped her most personal project to date.
In this special session, Kehlani shares the journey of creating music that reflects her growth and spiritual journey. She discusses the significance of releasing the album on her birthday and how turning thirty has brought a new sense of peace and groundedness to her life. We also explore her commitment to social justice and how her advocacy for those in Palestine and Sudan reflects the authentic heart behind her artistry.
The interview features exclusive previews of standout tracks, including her high-energy collaboration with Lil Wayne on Another Lover and the raw, unprocessed sounds of her favorite track, Ooh. Kehlani also reveals the incredible stories behind working with legends like Brandy, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis, and why this album pushed her vocal limits further than ever before. Whether you have followed her since the mixtape era or are just discovering her soul, this conversation captures the essence of an artist who has truly arrived.
Chapters
0:00 Welcoming Kehlani to the stage
2:45 Growth from the mixtape era to now
5:30 The vibration of the new album
8:15 Reaching thirty and feeling grounded
11:00 Overcoming a chaotic year
13:45 Using her platform for global advocacy
16:30 Staying inspired as a vessel for music
19:15 Being authentic in the public eye
22:00 Song preview: Another Lover featuring Lil Wayne
24:30 Collaborating with T-Pain and Lil Jon
27:00 Honoring Bay Area R&B legends
29:15 Song preview: Ooh and raw vocal performance
31:45 Teaming up with Cardi B for Pocky
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0:00
So that just leads y'all to apply right
0:01
now for this next young lady. I think
0:04
she redefined modern R&B. Give her a big
0:07
round of applause. Okay, with her
0:09
fearlessness, her vulnerability, with
0:12
her growth, with her transparency,
0:14
>> [cheering]
0:14
>> selling billions of streams, world
0:17
tours. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up
0:19
for the one AND ONLY, KEHLANI!
0:22
>> [cheering]
0:26
[cheering]
0:27
>> HEY! OH, HEY, HOW YOU DOING, SIS? Good
0:30
>> to see you.
0:30
>> There you go. No, we're going to have
0:32
you sit right here, Kehlani. We got your
0:33
own your own seat right here. There you
0:35
go. Look at her. GIVE IT UP, MAN.
0:37
>> [cheering]
0:39
>> FLY AS ALWAYS.
0:40
>> ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, all right. This is
0:42
great. Welcome to This is our first ever
0:45
playback with an artist with our show,
0:47
Kehlani. This is our first ever
0:49
playback, but I I just wanted to say
0:51
that she is special, in my opinion, for
0:53
so many reasons. Um since she was a
0:56
young artist, uh she always had
0:59
something that stood out. I got a chance
1:00
to introduce her um years ago at a
1:03
college event and had no idea that she
1:06
would become who she's become. And when
1:08
I say I really believe she's redefined
1:10
modern R&B with the way that she writes,
1:13
her soul, her fearless vulnerability, um
1:16
the billions of streams that she's
1:18
accumulated is for a reason. You know,
1:20
the sold-out tours around the world,
1:23
that's for a reason. You know, she's
1:25
given us anthem after anthem
1:27
uh from from Sweet Sexy Savage, you
1:30
know, uh It Was Good Until It Wasn't,
1:33
you know, uh
1:34
>> [applause and cheering]
1:35
>> all of these different even from the
1:37
mixtape era that she uh when she was
1:39
coming out independently, uh she's
1:41
always let her voice speak out in
1:45
resilience, in growth, and strength. And
1:47
um I I'm here to say, being from where
1:49
she's from, I'm happy I'm from the same
1:52
place that she grew up, Oakland,
1:54
California.
1:55
>> Town business.
1:56
>> As we celebrate her her self-titled
1:58
album, Kehlani. Give it up one more time
2:00
for Kehlani.
2:05
>> That was
2:06
That was an entrance.
2:07
>> Yo, [laughter] yo, yo, I'm saying, man.
2:09
I'm
2:09
>> Thank you so much.
2:10
>> Nah, man. So, I'm just got I got to that
2:12
age now where I can't control my
2:14
emotions.
2:14
>> [laughter]
2:15
>> Aw, a lot of spells, sweetie. Sounds
2:17
good.
2:18
>> you know how long I watched you grow and
2:20
um
2:20
>> Since I was little.
2:21
>> Since you were little, right? And to see
2:24
um
2:24
that that growth um and to watch you
2:27
go become a leader. You know, I watched
2:30
you become a leader. I watched you
2:31
utilize your voice in ways that has
2:33
nothing to do with necessarily music.
2:36
You know, and I watched you go out on a
2:37
plank uh for the for the greater good of
2:40
of others. And to me, that's just that's
2:43
indicative of what of what your heart
2:44
is. And that's what we hear in your
2:45
music. So, I have to say that, okay? So,
2:49
>> Thank you.
2:49
>> Absolutely.
2:51
We about to cry together, baby.
2:52
>> [laughter]
2:53
>> Are we doing this right now?
2:54
>> Nah, but we here to celebrate your
2:55
album. I got a chance to um
2:58
>> You heard it?
2:59
>> I heard it.
3:00
And I I text David Ali today and I I
3:04
said a lot of words. The first thing
3:05
that came to mind
3:07
uh was the vibration from this project
3:10
uh is something that's needed in the
3:11
world today. But, the musicality in this
3:14
project, the harmonies, the melodies,
3:16
uh the detail that was put into the
3:18
writing,
3:19
your voice, you know, is is is very
3:22
refreshing. And I remember looking on
3:24
your Instagram and watching you tell
3:26
your fans you're going to get prepared
3:29
for a heart that's stretched, expanded,
3:31
and grown. And when I listen to your
3:33
album, I heard all of those things. But,
3:36
but but what did that mean when you told
3:38
your fans that?
3:39
>> Um I mean, everybody's been watching me
3:41
grow up. Uh my first project dropped
3:43
when I was 19 and I'll be 31 the day
3:46
this album drops. It's been a long time.
3:49
And people have kind of seen me just
3:52
do
3:53
single part of growing up. The the good,
3:55
the bad, the ugly, the crazy, the I
3:57
don't know what's going on right now,
3:58
but we're going to pray for her. Jesus
4:00
Christ.
4:01
Um
4:03
and it's kind of really just you can
4:05
tell that I've settled and I feel
4:08
whatever that thing that happens to us
4:10
when we turn 30 and we're like, wait a
4:12
minute, like
4:13
I feel different. Like I feel
4:15
a lot of like I can cuss.
4:17
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.
4:18
>> A lot of [ __ ] I had to give fell off.
4:19
You know what I mean? Like
4:21
a lot of that, a lot of just like I'm
4:22
very confident in in in where I'm at and
4:25
who I am. I'm very tapped in with God
4:27
and very surrendered to my my my faith
4:29
journey and
4:30
very honored to be
4:32
where I'm at and just really letting
4:34
that gratitude kind of lead everything
4:36
and I I feel like I feel so different
4:38
than when I was younger and people keep
4:40
telling me that as they're like seeing
4:41
me if they've watched me from the
4:43
beginning, they're like, you just feel
4:44
really like good right now. And I'm
4:47
like, I am really good right now and
4:49
that's kind of the I feel like the basis
4:51
in the music. It It feels like I've
4:52
arrived for sure.
4:54
>> Okay. Okay. I feel it. Y'all feel it,
4:56
too?
4:59
Okay.
4:59
>> [laughter]
5:00
>> And so now and so now
5:03
and so when we look at the self-titled
5:04
album Kehlani that comes out on your
5:06
birthday, right?
5:07
>> Yeah.
5:08
>> And so it's your birthday. This album is
5:10
being released on your birthday. This is
5:12
the
5:13
Is that
5:13
>> That's a bull. That's a bull.
5:14
>> That's a bull?
5:15
>> [laughter]
5:15
>> Not the devil. Not the devil. Not the
5:17
devil.
5:17
>> Explain that, man. I was about to get
5:18
off the stage.
5:19
>> She on her
5:20
faith walk.
5:21
>> All right.
5:22
>> Thank you.
5:22
>> So it takes a lot of you know, I think
5:24
it takes a lot of courage and boldness
5:26
to name the project after yourself.
5:29
>> Yes.
5:29
>> Did you think about it for a while?
5:31
>> I ran from myself titled for so long.
5:34
There was like two other points in life
5:36
where I've been like, okay, now is the
5:37
self-titled, but
5:38
last year was so crazy. I guess maybe
5:42
not even last year cuz last year around
5:44
this time I think we just made Foled
5:45
Dat. It's like literally been a year.
5:47
But leading up to pre-Folded, that year
5:49
of my life, publicly, privately,
5:51
everything was just [ __ ] Like it was
5:55
there was so much resistance in every
5:57
single like I couldn't name one area of
5:58
my life where like it I wasn't like like
6:01
this.
6:02
And at the same time, so many cool
6:05
things were also happening. Um
6:07
After Hours got nominated for a Grammy
6:09
and people really hated the album, but
6:12
they really liked the song and like the
6:13
tour did really well, but like people
6:15
were like, "What the [ __ ] is this
6:16
music?" And like we know you got a whole
6:18
bunch of crazy political [ __ ] going on
6:20
right now, but like we really [ __ ] with
6:21
you. It was just so much chaos.
6:23
And I was like, okay, coming out of that
6:25
and getting really healthy and getting
6:26
really well and like getting really
6:28
grounded, I'm like, what better time to
6:31
reintroduce,
6:32
you know, that I have found myself and
6:35
that I am, you know, inside of my body
6:37
for the first time in years, than to
6:39
just like stamp this right now. And
6:41
Folded doing what it did, we're just
6:43
like, yeah, I have no choice, bro. Like
6:44
you get the record that changes your
6:45
life, you got to follow that [ __ ] up.
6:47
I'm not going to lie.
6:48
>> that [ __ ] up. You know she's from
6:49
[laughter] Oakland the way she said it.
6:51
You better follow that [ __ ]
6:53
up.
6:56
TOWN BUSINESS.
6:57
>> [laughter]
6:58
>> SORRY, AP.
7:01
>> YEAH, this is not right right here.
7:02
>> I almost threw a yay in there.
7:04
>> You could throw the yay in.
7:05
>> Yay.
7:06
>> [laughter]
7:06
>> I need the whole crowd to go yay yay.
7:09
>> Oh my god.
7:10
>> too much. You play too much.
7:12
Thank you so much for coming out and
7:14
doing this with us.
7:15
>> Thank you for having me.
7:16
>> Congratulations on your album and
7:19
finishing it. I'm I'm a dreamer. I I I
7:21
tell people I I dream. I remember
7:23
dreaming as a little kid. And salute to
7:26
you for starting something and finishing
7:28
it.
7:28
>> Thank you. You know, it's not always
7:30
easy to do that.
7:31
>> It's hard as hell.
7:32
>> It's hard as hell.
7:33
>> [laughter]
7:33
>> It's hard as hell. If you can share, you
7:36
don't mind sharing to all the dreamers
7:37
out here that's going to see this
7:39
conversation, that's in the room now,
7:41
what do you do on days when you just
7:43
feel
7:44
like you don't feel like it? It It just
7:46
It's heavy for whatever reason. How do
7:49
you continue to dream and push your
7:50
dream forward?
7:51
>> Um I like to just remember that we're
7:54
vessels. Um
7:57
and it's always going to be while while
7:59
I feel like you start making music for
8:01
like an inherently like selfish, I need
8:04
to get this out of my body, I have
8:05
things to say, I need to get it out of
8:06
me. You reach kind of a flow state after
8:08
you've been doing it for so long where
8:10
you just kind of recognize you're
8:11
receiving something and you have to give
8:12
it away and like that's a constant I'm
8:15
receiving and I'm giving it away. And I
8:18
try to just re-tap into that whenever
8:20
I'm feeling that like there's some
8:22
little girl out there that like is
8:24
waiting on my next drop
8:26
who like is waiting to be meet me at the
8:29
meet and greet, is waiting to come to
8:30
the concert because this is like the one
8:32
concert that she wants to go. I'm
8:33
thinking about that kid, you know what I
8:35
mean? And just re-centering myself
8:37
around that. Even like you get to the
8:39
point where
8:40
everything gets really exhausting,
8:42
you're on these tours and like you're so
8:43
tired and like I can't bear to go have
8:45
to like smile and meet like a hundred
8:47
strangers and be touched and take
8:48
pictures and
8:50
I always have to catch myself and be
8:52
like, you know, this is actually a
8:53
really like special thing that's
8:55
happening. Like you came here and spent
8:57
the money that you went to work and made
9:00
to come share a moment with me and I
9:02
need to keep re-centering in that
9:03
gratitude instead of feeling like I
9:04
could complain about it. You can be
9:06
tired and exhausted. I'm tired and
9:07
exhausted all the [ __ ] time, let's be
9:08
clear. And I'm a Taurus. So I'll be in
9:11
that [ __ ] fighting for my life, okay?
9:13
I'm hungry, I'm cranky, I'm over it. But
9:16
[laughter]
9:17
it's a really special thing that one
9:19
I've been blessed to to have something
9:22
that I love
9:23
feed me every day and and and feed my
9:26
family and and feed my child and it gets
9:29
to be something that is like just a joy
9:31
for me to do and I get to meet people
9:33
who love me and receive me. So I just
9:35
have to, you know, keep my thoughts in
9:37
the right place.
9:38
>> Thank you for sharing that.
9:40
>> That's beautiful.
9:42
Kehlani, you describe this album um
9:45
both as a confident body of work, but
9:48
also as your most vulnerable body of
9:50
work. And for a lot of people, I feel
9:52
like they maybe see confidence and
9:54
vulnerability as polar opposites.
9:57
And when it comes to vulnerability, you
9:59
know, many of us avoid it because we're
10:02
trying to protect ourselves from the
10:04
risk of rejection, but then we can
10:06
protect ourselves out of real
10:08
connection.
10:09
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:10
>> Can you share how leaning into your
10:13
vulnerability was a deposit into your
10:16
confidence?
10:17
>> I like the way you talk. That was That
10:19
was just worded so good. A deposit into
10:23
my [ __ ]
10:24
>> [laughter]
10:26
>> I'm taking that.
10:27
>> Let's write a song together.
10:28
>> Let's do it.
10:29
Um
10:30
>> Bars, Kehlani.
10:31
>> No, for real. I got barred up. I'm I'm
10:33
still sitting in it, honestly.
10:35
Um
10:36
I think honestly it's it does go back to
10:39
where I'm from and how I was raised. We
10:41
are just very ourselves like to the
10:44
point where sometimes we're so ourselves
10:45
that we only relate to each other.
10:47
Sometimes I'm placed and I'm like, "Yo,
10:49
we're stuck. We are so stuck." But it's
10:51
like a quality about us that is like
10:53
it's just kind of in us.
10:55
And I have met
10:57
all the best people that love me in the
10:59
world by just being exactly who I am and
11:03
I've just
11:04
you get to the point where you you you
11:05
hit walls when you try to be anything
11:08
different. And I've tried, you know,
11:09
I've been in a public eye since I was 15
11:11
years old. So, of course, there was
11:13
years of me being like, "Oh, I have to
11:15
shut this out. Like I have to get
11:17
everybody out of here. Like I need to be
11:19
able to Some part of me has to exist and
11:21
it just be mine."
11:22
And
11:24
when I put up a wall and then try to be
11:27
public-facing with like some other
11:29
version, it just doesn't connect, bro.
11:31
Like it just
11:32
it doesn't. People are like, "I know
11:34
you're crazy. Just be crazy."
11:36
>> [laughter]
11:37
>> "I know you're a little ridiculous. Just
11:39
be ridiculous." If you walk in here and
11:41
try to talk in the interview like this,
11:42
we don't believe you.
11:44
They know I want to be like, "Hey,
11:45
what's up, guys? What the fuck?" Like, I
11:47
just
11:48
>> [laughter]
11:48
>> I just got to be myself and
11:50
it is a very scary thing and there's a
11:52
lot of things that come with it. There
11:53
is a very crazy trade-off of, you know,
11:55
people feeling like they know you when
11:57
they, you know, they know what they've
11:58
seen and
11:59
there's so many people who I If I walk
12:01
up to them right now, be like, "Tell me
12:02
about myself." They would have a lot of
12:04
things to say.
12:04
>> Yep, dissertation.
12:06
>> Oh, yeah, and I'd be like, "Wow, is that
12:07
what you think?" Like, that's Sure.
12:09
[laughter]
12:09
Sure.
12:11
Um but it's a again, it's a trade-off. I
12:13
also get people who have completely just
12:16
decided to love me
12:17
and decided to love my kid and and ask
12:21
me how my pets are doing and like show
12:23
up and be like, "You know, I'm so proud
12:25
of you because I remember when you was
12:26
16 and you said da da da da da. Look at
12:28
you doing it." It's like, that kind of
12:29
love is like, I I'll take the bad [ __ ]
12:31
cuz the good [ __ ] is really good.
12:33
>> Yeah, absolutely.
12:35
>> Jalani is here, man.
12:37
So, this is a playback.
12:39
>> [applause]
12:39
>> Right? So, we're going to get into some
12:40
songs and and and and continue with the
12:42
>> I'm nervous.
12:43
>> this Q&A.
12:44
>> For real?
12:45
>> Yeah.
12:46
>> I haven't played it for like people that
12:48
aren't like my in my peer group or like,
12:50
you know, we've been This is like the
12:51
first like
12:53
I hate the fan, but like listening
12:55
experience in this kind of way. So, it's
12:57
really cool.
12:58
>> Exclusive.
12:59
>> You got bangers on there, right?
13:01
>> It's dope.
13:01
>> I won't spoil it. I'll let you do it.
13:04
Uh
13:05
Do we want to get to this first song?
13:07
>> Let's do it. I'm going to play about
13:08
five songs, so just remember there is
13:10
17.
13:12
Go listen to the whole thing when it's
13:13
out. It's important to me. It was very
13:15
intentional.
13:16
>> So, what's the first song?
13:18
>> The first one is Another Lover featuring
13:20
Lil Wayne.
13:21
>> Oh, yeah.
13:22
>> Yeah. Weezy the [ __ ] up, baby. Yes.
13:26
And I want you to all know he flicked
13:27
the lighter in the intro, so that's all
13:29
I'm going to say.
13:30
>> Classic.
13:30
>> [cheering]
13:31
>> And it's produced by um my boy Chris
13:34
Riddick Tynes who did the whole album
13:35
with me and Rich Harrison.
13:38
Rich Harrison came out retirement for
13:39
your boy.
13:40
>> [ __ ] the crate with that.
13:41
>> Yeah.
13:43
>> And who the What's the first name you
13:44
said that produced it?
13:45
>> Chris Riddick Tynes who I did Folded
13:46
with and he actually executive produced
13:48
this whole album with me, so yeah.
13:50
>> Yeah, he's incredible. Here it is,
13:51
Another Lover.
13:53
>> Turn it up.
13:54
>> [cheering]
13:55
>> Come on.
13:56
>> LET'S GO.
13:57
>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
13:58
>> LET'S GO.
14:00
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, thank you.
14:01
>> How y'all like that? How y'all like
14:03
that?
14:04
Okay.
14:05
>> Let's go.
14:06
>> Okay, we got one and we got one, okay.
14:09
We know we got one.
14:10
>> Uh-huh. I don't care. Like, was you in
14:12
the studio with Wayne or he um cuz you
14:14
still got to be tripping hearing a verse
14:16
from Wayne on your song?
14:17
>> I I said I I said I would never tell you
14:19
what to do in this life, king,
14:22
but you must flick that lighter.
14:25
>> [laughter]
14:25
>> So, that is my one request. And he sent
14:28
it I said, "Uh this is real."
14:31
>> [laughter]
14:32
>> Wheezy F
14:33
>> But y'all I remember uh Khaled had the
14:35
location song.
14:36
>> Yeah, which I also couldn't believe I
14:38
was on a song with Lil
14:39
>> You was on that remix, right?
14:40
>> Yes, but I was that was crazy to me
14:42
then, so it's super crazy to me now. And
14:44
I just DM'd him.
14:45
>> Yeah, Wayne?
14:46
>> That's kind of how every feature
14:47
happened.
14:48
>> What?
14:49
>> You be DM'ing the artists?
14:51
>> Hypothetically speaking, if I had a
14:52
song,
14:53
right?
14:54
Say I had a song,
14:58
would you get on said song?
15:00
And they all did.
15:01
>> They all did.
15:01
>> They all did.
15:02
>> That's a testament to who you are.
15:05
>> [applause]
15:06
>> I I remember T-Pain did his apology
15:09
tour. Y'all remember that?
15:11
>> He's on my album, too.
15:12
>> Yes, he is.
15:16
>> Him and Lil Jon together.
15:18
>> [cheering]
15:19
>> And and and Ludacris on the remix.
15:21
>> Oh my god. That's the Is that the call
15:23
>> [laughter]
15:23
>> I didn't know about the remix. If we're
15:25
feeling a little Atlanta.
15:28
>> Wow, but that's what T-Pain did. He said
15:30
he had to apologize to everybody who
15:33
DM'd him
15:34
and he didn't respond to the DM.
15:36
>> where that tab was in the verified.
15:38
That's a fact.
15:39
>> You remember that?
15:39
>> That helped me find my verified missing
15:41
messages tab.
15:42
>> Yeah, right? And now you got him on a
15:45
track.
15:45
>> Yes.
15:47
>> Called "Call Me Back".
15:48
>> "Call Me Back".
15:49
>> Right?
15:50
>> Yeah.
15:51
>> That ain't one you was going to play?
15:52
>> I was not going to play that for y'all.
15:54
You can wait till next week.
15:55
>> Okay. [laughter]
15:57
>> Enjoy.
15:58
>> Okay. So,
16:00
uh
16:00
working with T-Pain, working with Lil
16:02
Jon. Lil Atlanta and the Bay got a a
16:06
kindred
16:08
>> Right? You feel that, right?
16:09
>> Yes. I also feel like we were some of
16:12
the leading like when R&B was super
16:15
influenced by hip-hop. It's always been
16:16
like regionally influenced by hip-hop
16:18
and like in that crunk era and like it
16:22
leaked over into R&B and we got like
16:23
Ciara and Cherish and all the things. It
16:26
was also super Bay Area heavy at the
16:28
time, too. And we had all the R&B coming
16:30
out on the like West Coast kind of
16:32
stuff. So, yeah, I feel like we're super
16:34
similar.
16:35
>> I love when you talk about the R&B
16:37
impact on the West Coast in particular,
16:39
the Bay Area. And if if we can, can we
16:42
name some of those artists? We can't
16:44
name them all, but like the the Lettuces
16:46
or
16:47
>> Yeah, Lettuces. I mean, we have Goapele,
16:48
of course. I was just talking about how
16:50
we don't talk enough about En Vogue.
16:52
>> Mhm.
16:53
They're on tour right now.
16:55
>> Right. Hello.
16:56
>> The Tonys.
16:57
>> The Tony Of course, Tony Toni Toné. They
16:59
raised me. Yeah.
17:01
We don't talk about how much time Alicia
17:02
Keys spent in the Bay.
17:04
>> Oh, wow. For real?
17:05
>> Yeah, D'wayne Wiggins from Tony! Toni!
17:07
Toné! She made all the early Alicia
17:09
stuff in the Bay. Destiny's Child
17:12
>> Mhm.
17:13
>> Wow.
17:13
>> in Oakland. Also D'wayne Wiggins.
17:16
>> Wow.
17:16
>> Um and then you know, have Raphael and
17:18
all the
17:19
all the everything he's done. Santana's
17:22
from
17:23
>> All of that.
17:23
>> All of Santana?
17:24
>> Yeah, Sheila E.
17:25
>> Like we could just keep going.
17:27
>> [laughter]
17:27
>> Well, you just keep talking about how
17:29
you from the Bay. You don't you don't
17:30
get no credit IN NOBODY'S
17:32
>> [laughter]
17:33
>> HE'S LIKE, "WELL, I'M WAITING FOR YOU TO
17:34
SAY ME."
17:36
>> I'M JUST waiting cuz I didn't mention
17:37
[laughter] me at all. I was like I was
17:39
>> You know who you are.
17:42
>> Jane Hancock, too.
17:44
>> Shout out to Jane.
17:45
>> You know, I went to I went to school
17:46
with her.
17:46
>> I Yes.
17:47
>> Yeah, she was like I always looked up at
17:49
her cuz she was she's older than me and
17:50
she always was like always had this
17:52
crazy voice. And I was like this little
17:55
tiny kid and I was like that lady sings
17:57
her ass off. What the hell? She used to
17:59
make me nervous. She could sing so good.
18:01
>> Yeah.
18:01
>> And she's always just been quiet and
18:02
humble, but then she opens her mouth to
18:03
sing and it's like
18:05
Yeah, love her.
18:06
>> We had her perform here, too, not too
18:08
long ago.
18:09
>> Right on this stage?
18:10
>> Okay, so I want to get to the next song.
18:12
Y'all want to hear another song?
18:14
>> [cheering]
18:16
>> It's duh. I don't know whose playing. Is
18:18
it Ooh?
18:19
Ooh.
18:19
>> Ooh.
18:20
>> This is This is my favorite song on the
18:22
album.
18:23
>> Nice.
18:24
>> Why?
18:25
I think I just sound really good.
18:27
>> [laughter]
18:28
>> Talk your [ __ ]
18:30
>> Uh I was I was challenged to use the
18:32
least amount of vocal um
18:35
What is the word? Like effects.
18:38
Yeah, it's it's it's it's very
18:39
unprocessed, it's very raw, and it's
18:42
very nice, I think. So, I'm just going
18:44
to I'mma go ahead and say I think this
18:46
has the ingredients to be a classic.
18:48
>> Let's go.
18:50
>> [cheering]
18:51
>> If I can say that.
18:53
You can press play. I'M NERVOUS.
18:57
>> [screaming]
18:57
>> YO.
18:59
>> GET YOUR KNEES TOGETHER.
19:03
>> [applause and cheering]
19:04
>> YEAH.
19:05
>> ALL RIGHT, HOLD UP. I GOT
19:08
NO, NO, GIVE it up for Coline. That was
19:09
a beautiful That's an amazing song.
19:12
>> [cheering]
19:15
>> What What comes after 69? No, I didn't
19:17
know that was
19:18
>> [laughter]
19:20
>> Ooh.
19:21
>> 70.
19:23
>> [laughter]
19:25
>> 70 actually.
19:26
>> Yeah.
19:28
>> What was the vibe in the studio? Did you
19:30
record that morning, afternoon, night?
19:32
Like what was the vibe?
19:33
>> You know what? I like just lived with
19:36
that song for a while and like
19:38
found ways to just like keep recreating
19:40
it and then I forgot about the song. And
19:43
we were like towards the end and I was
19:45
like, "I don't have a [ __ ] sex song."
19:47
I was like, "I don't really know what my
19:49
like a Kehlani album is without
19:51
something a little nasty."
19:53
And um I said, "Wait a minute. I have
19:55
this song. We should pull it back up and
19:56
work on it." And we did it and it was so
19:59
funny cuz we did it the same day we did
20:00
like the brightest song on the album. So
20:02
it's such a stark ass contrast between
20:04
like
20:05
what we were doing and the vibe we went
20:07
into. But it was so fun and it was like
20:10
so fun to like challenge myself in that
20:12
way. And then when I had to do the money
20:13
part and I had to kick everybody out the
20:15
room.
20:16
>> Okay. I always wonder how those go.
20:18
>> I was like, "Everybody get the [ __ ] out
20:19
and give me a second." [laughter]
20:21
And then my engineer, she's so funny.
20:23
She's like, "Ready? I'm going to press
20:25
record and then"
20:26
>> [laughter]
20:27
>> And I just kept seeing her turn over
20:28
like
20:30
I'm like, "Don't laugh." Cuz then I'M
20:32
LIKE, "UH"
20:34
IT JUST KEPT happening but you know,
20:36
thankfully we we [ __ ] got it
20:37
together.
20:38
>> It sounds amazing.
20:40
You You got um
20:43
When I first heard Ooh and then I heard
20:45
Still
20:46
>> Y'all good.
20:47
>> And then I heard um I want to say
20:49
Unlearn
20:51
and it made me think about the different
20:53
inflections that you had to perform with
20:55
the to to accomplish those songs. And
20:59
and that you know, those are kind of
21:01
like challenges you go into. What are
21:03
those What are those challenging records
21:04
to make?
21:05
>> This is the hardest album to sing that
21:08
I've ever made for sure just because
21:11
there was so much I pushed myself.
21:13
Good luck for tour. It's [ __ ] hell.
21:15
It's hard to sing. There's a lot of key
21:17
changes. There's a lot of bridges.
21:18
There's a lot of like you're singing and
21:19
it's going to the next key and the next
21:21
key. I think one of the songs I'm going
21:22
to play has two key changes in it. Um
21:25
I just really wanted to see what I could
21:27
do if I really like just pushed my
21:31
limits and thankfully I have people
21:33
around me who were like, I think you can
21:35
do that again.
21:37
And I was like, damn. I think I tried my
21:39
best. They said, no, no, no, I've heard
21:40
you do something cooler than that live.
21:41
So, what I'mma need you to do is go in
21:42
there and do it again. I'm like
21:45
I'm so stubborn, but it was really,
21:47
really cool to like get out of that
21:49
comfort zone. But it yeah, it's hard as
21:50
[ __ ] to sing for sure.
21:52
>> Uh you did your thing. The whole album.
21:54
It's a couple songs
21:55
uh
21:56
that I wanted to talk about. I know
21:57
we're limited on time, but I'm enjoying
21:59
this conversation. When you talk about
22:01
your live show, I saw you make an
22:02
appearance at Coachella, I think it was.
22:05
>> Yeah. We give you on.
22:06
>> Yeah, give give you on. Give that man
22:08
that that dude is incredible.
22:09
>> He's great.
22:10
>> Yeah. Um
22:11
>> He's great.
22:12
>> saw you and Teyana Taylor backstage just
22:14
hobnobbing. And she made a comment about
22:18
we're going to get we're going to get
22:19
this tour together.
22:20
>> Oh.
22:21
>> Are you working with her on that or
22:23
>> I'm not. We just keep trying to talk
22:24
about it. We just keep being like, this
22:26
would be so cool. This would be so cool.
22:27
But we're just both busy and it's just
22:29
hard to catch each other. And honestly,
22:30
everything she's doing like I want her
22:32
to just keep doing it cuz I'm like, yes,
22:35
also give your energy to all of us. But
22:36
like selfishly as a fan, like I kind of
22:39
just want to see you just do you also.
22:41
And so, I'm always like, yes, sis. But
22:43
also
22:44
your album just came out and you got to
22:46
go on a tour and like you got to you
22:48
know what I'm saying? I'm I'm I'm a huge
22:50
Teyana Taylor fan, always have been. So,
22:51
I'm I'm kind of coming from that
22:52
perspective.
22:53
>> And it's good to hear that you're so
22:54
supportive. That's that's amazing.
22:56
That's amazing.
22:57
>> Shout it from the mountaintops.
22:58
>> But if Usher and Chris could go on tour,
23:00
she and Teyana should be able [laughter]
23:02
go on tour.
23:03
>> I think girls should do more [ __ ] like
23:05
this all the time. It's a little
23:07
all the time. We only win by doing it.
23:10
Like it's nobody loses.
23:12
>> Mhm.
23:12
>> Yeah, you got you even you teamed up
23:14
with Cardi B on this project.
23:16
>> Yeah, is that what we're playing next?
23:17
That was a great segue by the way.
23:19
>> how I did
23:20
>> He's a Hall of Famer.
23:21
>> Y'all sound great together by the way.
23:23
>> Thank you.
23:24
>> you should continuously collaborate.
23:26
>> Yes, it's one collab album. You know
23:27
what I'm saying? We're three for three.
23:28
This is called Pocky. I love Cardi. She
23:31
was literally postpartum and in tour
23:34
rehearsals and like left like she was
23:36
leaving tour rehearsals like 3:00, 4:00
23:38
in the morning. Like I'm rehearsing in
23:39
the same place and I'm leaving at like
23:41
7:00 or 8:00. Cardi's there till 4:00 in
23:42
the morning and still found time to like
23:45
leave and cut this verse for me. So, I'm
23:46
really I'm excited for you guys to hear.
23:48
It's so fun.
23:49
>> Let's do it, man. Pocky.
23:51
>> Pocky.
23:52
>> Yeah. [cheering]
23:53
>> Let's go.
23:56
>> COME ON.
23:57
>> YEAH.
23:57
>> [cheering]
23:57
>> POCKY.
23:59
>> POCKY.
24:00
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
24:01
>> POCKY.
24:02
>> It's so fun. That's probably like the
24:03
funnest one
24:04
>> Yeah.
24:05
>> on there for sure. Some of them are very
24:07
serious and I was like I got to I got to
24:08
unserious us for a second.
24:10
>> But you got range.
24:11
>> Thank you.
24:12
>> Yeah, and like when it comes to
24:13
expressing yourself, obviously on
24:15
record, you are an expert at this. And
24:17
whether it's, you know, showcasing your
24:20
strong side, your soft side, your sassy
24:22
side, your sexy side. Outside of the
24:24
studio, does expressing yourself to a
24:26
loved one, whether you're sending them a
24:28
text or what [laughter]
24:30
You want my dick? You having a serious
24:31
conversation, does it COME AS EASILY?
24:36
DOES IT COME BACK? DOES IT COME AS
24:37
EASILY to you?
24:38
>> Oh, yeah. I'm just I'm just so me.
24:41
>> Mhm.
24:41
>> Like I really can't help it. Like I
24:43
really wish I could. Like it just it it
24:45
doesn't I can't hide it.
24:48
To the point where everybody around me
24:49
even knows my very me. So, she accused
24:51
the other day she's I'm sitting on set.
24:52
She's like, you know how I knew you was
24:53
tired? You start planking.
24:56
She said I know if you go plank on
24:58
something or you do the robot, it's time
25:00
to go. Like
25:01
>> [laughter]
25:03
>> Or my song comes on at the club AND I'M
25:05
LIKE
25:06
HIDING UNDER THE TABLE.
25:08
>> What's a robot look like? I'm curious.
25:10
Let me
25:10
>> You can actually Google this actually.
25:12
>> Okay, that's your robot?
25:13
>> There's so much robot evidence on the
25:15
internet of me. I I don't I don't know
25:17
what to do with myself when I get
25:18
anxious, so I just do the robot. You try
25:21
it if you're anxious, it works.
25:23
>> Do the robot. All right, I like
25:24
>> doubt.
25:25
>> Do the robot.
25:26
>> Robot robot. All right.
25:27
>> Uh you put together R&B album
25:31
that can easily qualify as a hip-hop
25:33
album to me, a dope ass hip-hop album as
25:36
well. You know, the way you mashed and
25:38
blended on these genres. Big Anybody who
25:41
put Big Sean on a track.
25:43
>> Are we playing the Big Sean one?
25:44
>> No, I'm just talking about it.
25:46
You know,
25:47
I just know the tracks. I mean
25:50
>> You just spilling tea, too.
25:51
>> Yeah, I'm just spilling a little bit.
25:52
>> Big Sean gave me an outstanding verse.
25:54
>> He did.
25:55
>> So good. Everybody Everybody like did
25:58
their biggest one. Like every single
26:00
time we got a feature back, everybody
26:01
was like that's really [ __ ] good.
26:03
Like
26:03
>> Have you ever gotten something back that
26:06
you didn't like or a song that you How
26:08
did you say no?
26:11
>> Um
26:11
>> That's the tea.
26:13
>> My gosh, all of my business everywhere.
26:16
>> [laughter]
26:17
>> Of course. I think we've all we've all
26:19
had the moments that it just wasn't our
26:21
best. I actually learned this really
26:22
really valuable on this album because I
26:25
had just announced on Apple Music that I
26:26
was doing I had a Usher feature.
26:29
>> Mhm.
26:30
>> We paused because we take breaks and
26:32
during all the commercial breaks or
26:33
whatever, and Usher FaceTimes me. And
26:35
I'm like there's no way you just heard
26:37
that. That was 5 seconds ago. And he's
26:39
like, "No, I called to tell you I don't
26:40
like our song."
26:41
>> Wow.
26:42
>> But it's because I think we can make a
26:44
way better song. And I believe in you
26:47
and I like you and I like really wanted
26:49
to be the best that we can do. And we
26:51
went back and forth for days playing
26:54
music. And like I kept going over to the
26:56
crib and just being like I'm there for 6
26:58
hours and we're just going through
26:59
sounds and music and playing the whole
27:00
album. Be like what is the perspective
27:02
we really want to take and like what
27:03
does this look like? And I'm carrying
27:04
that into the rest of my life because it
27:06
was such a compliment to me that he
27:09
didn't want to just give me
27:11
anything. Like just take my little verse
27:13
and just go whatever. I think we could
27:14
do something way better and and I really
27:16
like our song.
27:18
Yeah.
27:18
>> Doo should we play it?
27:19
>> one.
27:20
>> No?
27:20
>> Is that on the list?
27:21
>> Is it on the list?
27:22
>> It's not on the list but Doo should we
27:23
play Usher?
27:24
>> Usher.
27:25
Should have been.
27:26
>> got a good rap on there, too.
27:27
>> Yeah.
27:28
>> Yeah. Hey, oh he did his little Usher
27:29
rap [ __ ] Oh yeah.
27:31
>> [laughter]
27:31
>> I did it, too. I had to match the
27:33
energy. [ __ ] it. We could play it.
27:35
>> All right. There we go.
27:36
>> Let's go.
27:37
>> That's a town boss right there.
27:40
Come on, man.
27:42
>> Get your knees up.
27:44
April 24th.
27:45
Get your knees together.
27:47
>> We've got a classic.
27:49
>> Get them together, Sway.
27:51
>> We've got a classic. What I need my
27:52
knees together for, Heather?
27:54
>> Because you got a ooh. You don't want
27:57
nobody to waste their time.
27:58
>> That's right.
27:59
>> Your knees got to be they righteous?
28:01
>> Yeah, I'm shaking them.
28:03
>> [laughter]
28:05
>> How big are your pockets? I mean are
28:06
they pockets?
28:07
>> You know [laughter] you know what it is?
28:09
I I I've I've been we've been very
28:11
blessed where we've been around a lot of
28:14
artists who have made some really
28:15
classic music.
28:17
>> And I remember listening to The
28:19
Miseducation album
28:21
>> before it came out. My Life before it
28:24
came out.
28:25
>> Uh Running with Biggie and those dudes
28:26
in the Bay. Matter of fact, before it
28:28
came out and going oh catching a
28:30
feeling.
28:31
>> Yeah.
28:31
>> You know, I caught that feeling when I
28:33
listened to your to to the album um when
28:36
I when I when I texted David Ali.
28:39
I know we're in the middle of something
28:41
special right now. And you guys are
28:42
hearing something
28:44
>> I receive it.
28:45
>> Yes. Receive it. Stand the test of time.
28:48
>> Yeah.
28:48
>> It would be
28:49
you know, uh 10 years um when Sweet Sexy
28:53
Savage came out in 2017, was it? It
28:56
would be 10 years
28:58
next year since that album came out and
29:02
it feel like your career is really at
29:04
its genesis to me uh with this project.
29:07
>> Thank you.
29:07
>> You know, and when you reflect on
29:09
longevity cuz we were talking up you
29:11
know, Brandy and Monica and all these
29:12
different people who've been really
29:14
singing and folded and you see how long
29:16
they've been at it, 25 years, they're
29:18
selling out tours now and you see New
29:20
Edition on the road, everybody's
29:22
>> Yeah, they got jerked by the Rock and
29:24
Roll Hall of Fame.
29:25
>> by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but
29:27
when you reflect on your leg your
29:29
longevity in the years to come, what are
29:31
you seeing?
29:34
>> You know,
29:35
I just try to be present because it
29:38
really freaks me out.
29:39
>> Yeah.
29:40
>> In a good way. Not like a scared way,
29:42
but in like a I don't ever want to lose
29:45
the excitement and the joy and like the
29:47
inner child
29:48
excitement that I have about everything.
29:50
Like a lot of things that are happening
29:51
to me right now are happening for the
29:52
very first time and I don't ever want to
29:55
lose that. So, I'm trying to just take
29:56
everything as it comes and have no
29:58
expectations and and still be excited
30:00
and I'm just I want to be able to play
30:02
tours when I'm you know, 20 years from
30:06
now, in 20 years from my first album, 30
30:07
years from my first album and I really
30:10
just got to put points on the board
30:11
every day and just stay with my eyes on
30:13
God and just just you know, work hard
30:16
and receive.
30:16
>> Get out of round of applause.
30:18
>> Yes.
30:19
>> That that folded record is incredible,
30:21
right?
30:22
>> Play it every day.
30:23
>> And we play it every day.
30:24
>> Grammy award winning.
30:25
>> Kehlani didn't come here to sing
30:26
[clears throat] for y'all today
30:27
necessarily. She came to play music. But
30:30
my partner King Tech from the Bay who I
30:32
started with on KMEL and every Tech, you
30:34
there?
30:35
>> Tech.
30:36
>> He literally drove from Tarzana just to
30:39
hear that hook. [laughter] I'm not going
30:41
to ask you Tech
30:42
Look at Tech. But maybe the audience if
30:45
the audience sing it.
30:46
>> [laughter]
30:48
>> He's begging on the glass. Y'all know
30:50
the hook. The glass king Tech.
30:52
>> Who knows the hook?
30:53
To fold it.
30:55
>> Our clothes.
31:11
Our clothes.
31:13
Yes.
31:16
>> Bring it home.
31:19
>> [singing]
31:23
[singing]
31:25
>> There you go Tech. There you go man.
31:27
>> I'm done.
31:28
>> That's the best I can do.
31:29
>> That's all you got?
31:30
>> That's all you got.
31:31
>> Yeah.
31:31
>> All right. We got one more song we can
31:33
play. We got time.
31:34
>> Can I please play it? It's the best one.
31:37
Let's go. Y'all I got THE BRANDY VOCALS.
31:41
>> [cheering]
31:42
[screaming]
31:43
>> YES. I was in a restaurant in Miami when
31:46
they came through and I was I have
31:48
literally a video of me just crying with
31:50
the phone to my ears at the table like
31:52
she's my number one. She's my favorite.
31:53
She's really embraced me and just been
31:55
like
31:56
such a dream of a hero to have. Like
31:59
[snorts] zero bad things to say. Zero
32:01
bad experience. Has always loved me. Has
32:04
always championed me and like
32:06
isn't just like oh I'm saying this on
32:07
the internet. Like text me in the
32:09
morning and is like hey good morning. I
32:10
love you. I hope you have a good day.
32:12
Like you're the best. Like she called me
32:14
the the New Testament.
32:16
>> [laughter]
32:16
>> She said if I'm the vocal Bible you're
32:18
the New Testament. I said that's a
32:19
really large thing to say.
32:21
And uh we're just going to keep that in
32:23
between us. I did just spill the beans.
32:25
But yes.
32:26
Um and I have nothing to say but this is
32:28
just one of something I'm super proud of
32:30
and I made it with Jimmy Jam AND TERRY
32:32
LEWIS.
32:33
>> WOAH.
32:34
CRAZY.
32:35
>> And funnily enough it's their first time
32:37
ever working with Brandy.
32:39
>> Wow.
32:39
>> So, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis' first
32:41
song with Brandy is with me and I kind
32:44
of just the little dog in the room just
32:46
stoked to be here. So, we'll play it for
32:48
you now. It's called I Need You.
32:50
>> so much history on one track.
32:53
>> Yeah.
32:54
>> Come on.
32:55
Get out of here.
32:56
>> COME ON, MAN. Make some noise. COME ON,
32:59
MAN.
33:01
HOLD ON. LET'S GIVE HER A STANDING
33:02
OVATION. Come on.
33:05
>> [cheering]
33:05
>> We got a classic. Kehlani, we got A
33:08
CLASSIC.
33:10
>> [applause and cheering]
33:15
>> HOLD UP.
33:17
FIRST OF ALL,
33:19
thank you for being you.
33:21
>> Thank you.
33:22
>> That's all we ask. Thank you for being
33:24
you. You've been very healing. You've
33:26
been very educating.
33:28
And your music is outstanding.
33:30
>> Thank you so much.
33:30
>> And damn it, man, we from the Bay,
33:32
Y'ALL.
33:35
WE
33:36
WE GOT you some flowers right here.
33:38
Currensy
33:39
is going to hand you those and
33:41
>> Yes. Every season has been your season,
33:43
but it has all led to this tremendous
33:45
season and it is just gorgeous to see
33:46
you in bloom. So, congratulations, for
33:49
real. What a gift you're giving us on
33:50
your birthday.
33:52
>> Embrace it. Embrace it. Embrace Receive
33:55
and embrace it. You deserve
33:56
>> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you guys for
33:58
being here. I appreciate you listening.
33:59
>> All right.
34:00
>> What you saying, J. Won?
34:02
>> This is J. Won. First of all, salute to
34:05
J. Won. When we started doing these
34:06
series, he helped me put it together.
34:09
Salute to Ryan and all the people in
34:10
talent as well.
34:12
Um our A&R sales team, our production
34:14
team, our programming team. We love you
34:17
all for making this special for Kehlani.
34:19
>> Salute to the wine. Truffles and wine.
34:21
>> Truffles and wine.
34:23
We got you a bottle, by the way.
34:24
>> Thank you. I want to I want to say one
34:26
thing. I know you heard a couple things
34:28
today. Again, it's 17 songs. It would
34:30
mean a lot to me before you say anything
34:32
to anyone to just allow yourself to
34:34
digest 1 through 17. It really means a
34:37
lot. There's plenty of other really cool
34:39
features, a lot of other energy on the
34:40
album, and I again, I thank you for
34:43
being here today. Thank you.
34:46
>> Yes, let's get some pictures here.
#Arts & Entertainment