YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast

Jon B. is an artist we've been anticipating a new album from for many years. So we are excited that he's finally on the verge of dropping the new album "Waiting On You" later this year. It's no secret that he's been one of our favorite artists to support over the past decade. So we were excited to once again catch up with him for an interview ahead of the project's release. During our conversation, we touched on how he's been inspiring the younger generation, what to expect on the new album, working on music with Tank once again, his creative process, and much more.

YouKnowIGotSoul interviewed production duo The Avila Brothers to discuss their history in music, some of their biggest hits, their work with Usher, and much more. 

As part of our “Behind The Collaboration’ series, we talked to Case and Bob Robinson (of the production duo Tim & Bob) about their work together as well as the creative process in the studio. Learn about how all the Case and Tim & Bob songs came together including the singles “Not Your Friend” and “Missing You”. 00:00:14 – The story behind “Missing You” 00:14:18 – The longevity of the song 00:17:40 – Creating songs for Case’s third album “Open Letter” 00:21:36 – The story behind “Not Your Friend” and the label politics behind it with Def Jam 00:27:40 – The story behind “Conversate” and how Jazz from Dru Hill ended up on the song 00:32:10 – The story behind “Sex Games” 00:36:49 – The story behind “Even Though” 00:39:44 – Going back into the studio to work on “Deja Vu” 00:44:48 – What’s their favorite song that they created together?

Felly The Voice Talks Songwriting Process, Penning "Good Good" for Usher, Influences

If you haven’t heard the name Jai’Len Josey,  we are sure you’ll be hearing it everywhere soon. This songwriter, producer, and all around entertainer is back with her new double-single ‘Conversations from A Payphone’, a small yet impactful glimpse into her new era of music. The insane vocals and storytelling found in songs “Mixed Signals” and “Playground” remind us of why we became fans, and why we will be fans for life. Since we last spoke to her, Jai’Len has also released her first EP under Def Jam titled 'Southern Delicacy’ and was named M&M's and Rock the Bells Artist On The Rise, both of which we were able to touch on with her. The vision she has for her music never ceases to impress us, especially now knowing how much effort, thought, and love she continues to put into it after this interview . We hope you enjoy reading about it as much as we love speaking to her about it. We talked to Jai’Len about the stories behind “Conversations from A Payphone”, working with Harold Lilly and D’Mile, what to expect from her debut album, and much more.

Kevin Ross has no doubt been among our favorite artists to follow who have emerged over the past decade. His ability to effortlessly blend traditional R&B with some of the current sounds has kept us impressed throughout every release. That is no different on his latest offering "Midnight Microdose Vol. 2" EP. His creativity is on full display as he delivers to us yet another dynamic project. We recently had a chance to speak to him for an interview to get all of the background on the new project, as well as his reflections on his industry journey, what's next, and much more.

We last spoke to Tone Stith when he dropped his EP ‘FWM’ and  ‘Still FWM’ a couple years ago. Since then, he has continued to grow in the R&B scene as more and more people recognize his incredible vocals and talent.  Tone recently dropped his newest EP ‘P.O.V’, a 7 track project full of examples of why we believe he is at the top of his game in this genre. We spoke to Tone about the meaning behind ‘P.O.V’, the inspiration behind some songs, his contributions to the current state of R&B, and more.

LAYA first stole our attention back when she released her viral hit “Sailor Moon” and her EP ‘Um,Hello’ (which we had the privilege of speaking about with her). The unique style, vocals and creativity of this R&B Diva continue to allow her to float above the flood of many rising R&B artists and songs. Clear influences of Aaliyah, Brandy, and even Missy Elliott help LAYA create a familiar yet original pocket in the genre, which is why we look forward to everything she drops. The release of ‘Bet That’, LAYA’s second EP under Warner Records, reassured us why we feel any true fan of R&B should get familiar with her name. From the smooth melodies in “Slide” to the motivational lyrical content of “Left, Right, GO!”, LAYA has a uniqueness that should not go under appreciated. After picking her brain and seeing how much she cares for her craft, we enjoyed ‘Bet That’ even more. We spoke to LAYA about what inspired ‘Bet That', her evolution as an artist, what to expect from her in the future, and much more.

It's been 20+ years since Musiq Soulchild launched his iconic career, and he continues to build upon his legendary status. We had a front row seat for the love and admiration that music lovers have for him when we recently got to attend one of his impressive four consecutive sold out shows in NYC. This follows the epic album he collaborated with producer Hit-Boy on and released earlier this year. That "Victims & Villains" project is easily a contender for album of the year. We had the opportunity to speak to Musiq between shows and have him reflect on that album nearly 6 months following it's release, as well as get the scoop on what keeps him so motivated to keep creating, new music he has in the works, as well as an upcoming documentary.

If you’re like us, constantly searching for new R&B songs and talent to soak up, you’re bound to have come across one of the biggest female acts right now: Maeta. If not, take some time to listen to the Roc Nation artist’s most recent project When I Hear Your Name and you’ll see just why we were so excited to dive into some details of its making with her. Maeta has received praise from huge names like Pharell, Joe Budden, Robin Thicke and more, so it's no wonder she is quickly becoming one of our favorite voices in R&B. Working with some other newcomers that we’ve highlighted in the past such as Tone Stith, Ambré and Lucky Daye, Maeta is clearly on her way to making an even bigger name in the R&B space. Maeta shared with us what inspired When I Hear Your Name, working with songwriters Fallon and James Fauntleroy, her plans for the future and much more.