I'm usually writing or producing for other people. I'm like Burger King most of the time; I let people have it their way like "You want it like this? I'll give it to you like this."
Prince didn't want to sound like Michael Jackson. Neither of them wanted to sound like Luther Vandross. They didn't want to sound like David Bowie. They were all different, but brilliant.
People are getting record deals and they can barely sing. We have these new terms for artists that can dance, but they can't sing.
I'm really excited about breaking new acts. While I'm trying to preserve the culture and make sure I fight for the acts that the major labels have thrown away, you can't throw away Musiq Soulchild, Kelly Price and Jon B.
I believe in the synergy and sharing platforms.
I just encourage everyone to make real music and it will fuel the engine and the machine. Just make it real and put your heart into it. Don't make it because you heard someone on the radio.
If you listen to Bryson Tiller's record, there's some real music. There's some trap stuff, but if you listen to what's on top of that stuff, that's real music. I look at that and I know it's real. I respect it immensely.
The major labels, they roll with whatever is making money. I don't know if R&B turned into making banjo music and it sounded like blue grass, they'll buy it if it's selling.
I can move around the way I want to. It's a beautiful thing. I don't know how long it'll last, but I'll certainly take advantage of it and try to be part of shifting and shaping the culture and preserving it.
Don't be lazy. Learn your instrument and the kids should be learning that stuff. We have to get back to the musicianship of the music. It's called music, so at some point somebody has to learn how to play an instrument.
I think when the music and the product is amazing, people buy it.
If you're going to be called a musicianship, you have to be able to play.
I want to make music that I know that ten years from now, you can put it on and say "This is a great record".
The one thing I always loved about Michael Jackson: he had fun records, but he's also going to make some important statement with the music as well. He's not going to forsake the culture.
I think we have to change our thinking and the music industry has to shift and look at how people are acquiring their music now. They want it differently. They're getting it in a different way and you just have to adjust.
You can't say that people don't love music anymore because they do. If we say that all the music stopped, if music stops now, the world can't handle that. We need our music.
They call them performance artists, but they shouldn't be making an album. They should just be dancers. I don't know, I'm a musical snob. I feel like if you're going to record music and you're going to be a singer, you have to be able to sing.
