Soulback - The R&b Podcast

We recently caught up with Meelah for an interview on Instagram live. She shared with us the details of what we can expect on her long awaited solo album, memories of 702 including reuniting with the group in recent years, her history as a songwriter and background vocalist, and much more.

We were able to catch up with singer Adrian Marcel recently for an interview on Instagram Live. This comes on the heels of the release of his video for current single “Nowhere” which we were able to exclusively premiere on the site. During our conversation, Adrian discussed his four part video series that will be leading up to his next project. He gave us some background on the upcoming album which is called “2B Honest”. Adrian then took some time to reflect back on the release of his previous album “98th” which came out last year. We then talked to Adrian about how he originally linked up with Raphael Saadiq and was mentored by the Bay Area legend. This led to a discussion of Adrian’s first mixtape “7 Days of Weak” and what went into the creation of that standout body of work. The interview wrapped up as we discussed the time period that Adrian Marcel came into R&B and how things might have been different had he come out in the 90’s. Check out what he had to say in the video above!

We're back with another episode of the podcast. This week we talk about new music from Anthony Hamilton, Chloe x Halle and Ro James. We also talk about Jennifer Lopez potentially being on "What's Love" instead of Ashanti. We discuss the state of R&B album releases with the pandemic going on from Alicia Keys, John Legend and Ro James. We also talk about Victoria Monet's career as we try to figure out why she isn't a bigger star. Lastly we talk about the legacy of City High and what their careers would have looked like if they didn't split after their debit album. 0:02:00 - Chris Brown has 100 songs on the Hot 100 charts 0:03:25 - Irv Gotti and Ja Rule wanted Jennifer Lopez to be on Fat Joe's "What's Love" instead of Ashanti 0:06:20 - The technical difficulties on all these IG Live segments 0:09:00 - R&B Trivia: 90's edition 0:21:40 - Our thoughts on Anthony Hamilton's new song with Rick James "Back Together" 0:26:25 - Ro James' new album is coming out in two weeks but he's not ready?? 0:33:45 - Our

We recently had a chance to catch up with Willie Taylor from the R&B group DAY26. During our conversation, we first touched on his new single “You Are My Life”. We also talk about his solo career and how he’s been consistently putting out mixtapes and singles over the past few years. We also discussed what it’s like for him to balance life with DAY26 as well as his own solo music. We talk about new music from DAY26 as well as tours that they missed out on including the Millennium tour as well as the Bad Boy Reunion tour. Lastly we go back and revisit DAY26’s debut album which came out in 2007. Listen to Willie talk about each song and what he remembers about making the project. Watch what he had to say in the video above. Also check out his new single “You Are My Life” which just came out today.

We recently had a chance to catch up with legendary producer Troy Taylor for an interview on Instagram Live. During our conversation, we touched on his earlier work with Boyz II Men as Troy produced on their debut album “Cooleyhighharmony”. He did the songs “Little Things” and “Your Love” Delite of course has plenty of history with Trey Songz and worked with them throughout his career. We touched on the progression in Trey’s career from his debut to the “Ready” album. We also talk about the impact that the “Anticipation” mixtape had on Trey Songz’s career. We took it back to the origins to hear sessions that Troy Taylor had with the likes of 702 as well as the great Stevie Wonder. He then filled us in on his production process and what goes into creating hit songs such as “Sweet Lady” by Tyrese. The producer also talks about some upcoming music that we can expect from him including Trey Songz. Breland and Dru Hill. Watch what he had to say in the video above.

The legacy of R&B group Hi-Five is alive and well thanks to Treston Irby. We recently caught up with Treston for an interview on Instagram Live and had a lot to catch up on about the history, legacy and future of the group. We started our conversation about how Treston originally came into the group and what he remembers about the Hi-Five’s debut album. He then talked about his role in the group and the creation process which led into a talk about the second album “Keep Goin On”. Treston then took it deep about the group’s fallen member Tony Thompson and what the loss meant to him and the other members, as well as the R&B community as a whole. We then talked about what the group has been up to in recent years since the release of their return EP in 2014, as well as what to expect next from Hi-Five. Check out what he had to say in the video above!

We recently caught up with R&B artist The Bonfyre for an interview on Instagram Live. We talked to the talented vocalist about “Love, Lust & Letdowns” which is her debut album. We dive deep into the creation of the project, the reason she decided to split the album into three parts and also go through each song to find out what went into the songwriting and production for each of those records.

We were recently joined on Instagram Live by Tamika Scott of the legendary group Xscape for an exclusive interview. During our discussion, we talked about the release of her long awaited solo project “Family Affair”, reuniting with Xscape, the status of the group, and much more. Check out what she had to say below!

We recently caught up with Slim of 112 for an interview on Instagram Live. We talked to Slim about keeping the 112 brand alive, new music 112 has been working on, the possibility of adding new members to the group, the history of the group, and much more! Check out what he had to say below.

We recently caught up with Sammie for an interview on Instagram Live. During our conversation, we touched on his new single “Friend Zone”, his upcoming album “Such Is Life”, the Millennium tour and some of his history including his single “I Like It”.

We recently caught up with Dante “Chi” Jordan of Ruff Endz for an interview on Instagram Live. Unfortunately his partner David “Davinch” Chance was unable to make it due to the social distancing we’re all going through! During our conversation, we touched on the group’s latest album released “Soul Brothers”, the origins of how they originally formed Ruff Endz, creating their debut album, their hit single “Someone to Love You”, and what’s next.

Emerging R&B star Porcelan joined us for an exclusive interview on Instagram Live recently. The singer has been keeping us impressed with each song she’s put out over the past few years including “Real Thing Don’t Change”, “Lois Lane”, and her most recent “Act Out”. Her unique blend of timeless R&B meshed with progress elements from the genre have kept us anticipating each new single. She had the most success with her hit “Lois Lane” which reached the Top 15 on the Billboard Adult R&B Charts. However, some don’t realize that Porcelan’s journey started many years before this. Porcelan began pursuing her dreams years ago which led to an appearance on 106 & Park, working with Timbaland, opening for Tank, and even touring in China. During this interview, we discuss all that and more. We even touched on her upcoming debut album “Mood Ring” and what to expect on there. Check out what she had to say in the interview above.

We recently caught up with Nokio of the legendary group Dru Hill for an interview on Instagram Live. During our conversation, we touched on the solo projects he’s been putting out recently, his skills as a vocalist and a producer, his work throughout the years on the Dru Hill albums, the status of the group going forward, and much more. Check out what he had to say below and in the video.

Netta Brielle joined us on Instagram Live recently for an expansive interview detailing her career in music. During our conversation, she talked about her origins in music including almost signing to Def Jam after catching the attention of Shakir Stewart followed by his untimely passing. She discussed her “Electrik Rebel Sounds” EP which caught a lot of attention in her hometown Bay Area and eventually led to her landing a deal at Atlantic Records. We then got into her “580” and “880” EP’s after things didn’t work out at Atlantic Records and she moved on as an independent artist. Netta explained her unique sound which has been something that has had our attention for many years. The conversation then turned to her latest project “An EP by Netta” which she released last year. Netta told us what we can expect next from her to wrap up the interview. Check out what she had to say in the video above!

We recently caught up with Marsha Ambrosius for an interview on Instagram Live. During our conversation, we touched on her history at A Touch of Jazz in Philly, her skills as a songwriter, getting respect from the hip-hop community, being featured on Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River”, her upcoming project and much more.

We caught up with our friends Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony aka Louis York recently for an interview on Instagram Live. During our conversation, we went in depth on the duo’s debut album “American Griots”. Claude and Chuck really got into the musicality and unique sound of the project which sounds like nothing else there. We then reflected back on the five years since the pair originally introduced us to their group Louis York starting with a special listening party. They shared the plans they have in store for us as they approach their next five years of Louis York. The interview then went to how the pair originally linked up and formed a tight bond. We talked about some of the biggest hits they’ve created together including “Bittersweet” for Fantasia, “Pieces of Me” for Ledisi, and “Blame it on Me” for Chrisette Michele. Finally, we wrapped up the interview by discussing their process in the studio and the challenges they face in creating hit songs. Check out Louis York’s #WelcometotheWorkshop series,

We caught up with Kevin Ross recently for an interview on Instagram Live. It’s no secret that Kevin is among our favorite R&B artists who have emerged out of the genre in the past decade. He’s super talented in all aspects and just happens to be an old soul. The singer is now an independent artist and recently put out his EP “Audacity Vol. 1”. He talked to us about that project which contains the hit single “Thing Called Love”. Kevin also filled us in on the next volume of that EP series that he’s currently working on. Finally, he touched on his songwriting skills that allow his music to appeal to audiences young and old. Check out what he had to say in the video above! Also in case you missed it, Kevin Ross recently began a weekly music series to keep us occupied during the quarantine. He’s already released covers of Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill so be sure to check those out!

We recently caught up with Kelly Price for an interview on Instagram Live. The conversation with the legendary singer/songwriter began with the creation of her latest single “What I Need (Give Me What I Need)” and the status of her upcoming album. We then took a look back her history, discussing how she originally linked up with Puff Daddy and Bad Boy, how she got signed, and the creation of her debut album “Soul of a Woman”. Finally, we discussed her songwriting process.

We caught up with John John of the group Silk recently for an interview on Instagram Live. During our conversation, we talked about the solo album he’s working on, new music from Silk, the history of how the group came together and was discovered by Keith Sweat, the history of some of Silk’s biggest albums, and much more.

We recently had a chance to catch up with the legendary Donell Jones on Instagram Live for an interview. The conversation started around his huge collaborative single with Jon B. last year on “Understand”. The song ended up being #1 on our list of the Top 100 R&B Songs of 2019. Donell then talked about the new music he had been working on as a follow up to his 2013 album “Forever”. We then took it back to his origins in the music industry, and he talked about his songwriting for other artists like Usher and 702. He then shared the story of how he originally got signed to LaFace after linking up with DJ Eddie F and The Untouchables. The discussion then turned to reflections of each of the albums Donell Jones has released over the years, from the debut “My Heart”, to “Where I Wanna Be”, to “Life Goes On”, to “Journey of a Gemini”, to “Lyrics”, to “Forever”. We ended our discussion by talking about how his music has been sampled quite a bit in recent years and some of the younger generation has been sho