Colin McGrath Talks About "Yellow Brick Man"

Colin McGrath is a storyteller. Each song in his latest CD, “Yellow Brick Man” captures a moment in life, which he expertly crafts vividly in words and music. In my recent interview with Colin, he shares the stories behind his songs, and tells of how his classical background influences his unique style of folk music.

Faith W: Was there a theme, a motivation, or a message on this CD?

Colin McGrath: The title song of the album is “Yellow Brick Man,” and that one has kind of a telling story behind it. One time I was looking for a bass in a pawnshop on Flatbush Avenue near my house, and I was trying all these basses out, and this guy comes in, and he’s got a guitar. He walks in, plops it on the counter, and slides it underneath the bulletproof glass, and he looks at the guy and says, “Yellow Brick Man, what have you got for me today?” It was just one of those things that I overheard, and I was like, “Oh wow, this is cool. What’s this story about? Who is this guy?” He looked like he was trading in his instrument, trying to see what he could get for it. He made an impression on me, so I started writing a song from his perspective. It’s about being at a crossroads in your life, realizing that you need to give up something in order to get to the next stage. I felt in some way at a similar crossroads in my life just because in the last three years I’ve become a dad, and trying to make music and have a family is a challenge.

FW: Congratulations, and congratulations on facing the realization of the challenge, too. It can be rough; those first few years especially. Let’s talk a bit more about the theme of the album.

CMcG: Yeah, that crossroads theme comes back in different ways throughout the album, particularly on songs like “Walls.” And sometimes you think you are giving up something for good and it actually comes back later on. There’s a song on the album, “St Anthony’s Return” …

FW: I was going to ask you about that…

CMcG: Yeah; St Anthony is the patron saint of all things lost. There was a time when I was swimming in this river with my wife and we hadn’t been married all that long. We were going down this river, and I looked down at my hand and I realized that I had lost my ring. I was really, really disappointed, and I was like, “Well, I gotta find this thing.”  So it was one of those moments where you’re like, “this is not a wise decision, I should just forget about it and move on.” I was just determined to find it though, and somehow when I put my mind to it, all these events came together and allowed me to get the ring back. I knew that I needed to find an underwater flashlight so that I could find it, because it was really dark and the river was really big. I walked down the road, and there just happened to be a store that sold underwater flashlights. I told the woman at the store what happened, and she said, “Well, say a prayer to St Anthony, and maybe he’ll get it back for you.” That’s the first I ever heard about St Anthony.

So I was saying this little prayer, kind of this little sing-songy thing, and I was looking into the water with the underwater flashlight, and lo and behold, there it was. I saw it twinkling there at the bottom of the river, and after some really strenuous effort, I was able to get the ring back. It felt like such a huge victory to me.

Sometimes you can intervene with fate and cause extremely unlikely things to happen. You know, people can disappear from your life for years and you realize that you really miss them, and then just like that ring, they will reappear because circumstances align themselves in these crazy ways. The ring became kind of this symbol for me, of being able to re-connect with important things that were missing.

FW: Okay. That’s exactly what I got from the song.

CMcG: Oh, really?

FW: Yeah. That’s one of my favorite songs on the CD.

CMcG: Cool.

FW: I also like, “Early Game”.

CMcG: Nice. I feel like that one is the oddball of the album, really. That one, and maybe “South 2^nd Street” are on the fringe. But those are two of my favorites on it too. I’m glad to hear that they spoke to you.

FW: Yeah, I like that and “South 2^nd Street Serenade”. The video is just very interesting.

CMcG: That’s my man JP Bouchard. He’s done some great work with a lot of famous people like Norah Jones, and They Might Be Giants. I felt very lucky to work with him, he’s an old friend of mine, getting busier and busier every day. He really liked the South Second Street Serenade, and he was like, “I’ve got some of these clips that I think would really work with this.” I’ve watched the video many times, and each time I get something new out of it.

FW: I think that it’s going to be one of those pieces that I keep coming back to. The two songs, “Early Game” and “South Street Serenade” are so different than the other songs on the album. How did they end up on the CD?

CMcG: Well, there are musical/production elements of “Early Game” and “South Second” on a lot of the other songs. Also, they are both about escapism somehow, and that relates with the crossroads theme: just wanting to escape from the weight of big decisions and responsibilities. Take off. Play the early game.

I also wanted the end of the album to go into a wordless space. When “Early Game” hits, I feel that there is a kind of launching that happens. I write a lot of instrumental music, and sometimes I don’t like to have any words at all. Just music.

FW: Sometimes you don’t need the words. You know, I actually wanted to thank you because in listening to your CD and reading your bio I was inspired to break out the String Quartet in F Major by Ravel that I had not heard in many, many years.

CMcG: Oh yeah? You’re a fan of that stuff?

FW: Yeah!

CMcG: Cool! I’m thinking about Le Tombeau de Couperin. Michael Holt from The Mommyheads  performed that at a show I saw recently and it just totally blew me away. I remember in college one of my housemates was an amazing piano player and he would play that piece, and I would just lie down, sometimes underneath the piano and just float away.

FW: Yes, Ravel’s work can cause you to do that. And I want to thank you for reminding me because I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to classical music in some time because I’ve been listening to so many other things. I can see glimpses of your musical influences here and there, and it melds well within your work.

CMcG: Thank you.

FW: You’re welcome. I have a question, and it may seem a little weird, but I’m going to go with it. I’m going to give you a choice of several words to describe your songwriting, and I want you to pick one and tell me why you picked it. The words are: snapshot, sketch, and painting.

McG: Well, my album “Window Seat,” was more of a snapshot. It was about making observations and taking pictures of things that were going on outside of myself. “Yellow Brick Man,” is more like a painting. I say that because it’s taken a long time to give birth to this album, and there are so many layers on it. It’s a little bit like one of those old paintings where somebody’s head has been painted in two different directions and if you dig deep enough behind those layers of paint, you’ll see that the picture looked entirely different. These songs are like that; they’ve gone through lots of changes and lots of revisions.

FW: What’s in the future? What are you working on?

CMcG: I have a friend who sings a lot of the harmony on the album, his name is Jason Harrod. He used to be in a pretty well known duet called Harrod and Funck, and we’re actually working on some hymns. There’s something that I’ve always really liked about hymns; the way the harmonies move, the lyrics are heartfelt and innocent in a way. And I’m not a particularly religious person myself, though I definitely think a lot about spirituality. For some reason when I hear hymns it kind of connects me with the place that I’d like to go spiritually. So we’re working on that. And I’ve got a bunch of instrumental stuff that I’d like to put out too.

FW: I’d like to hear that. You have such a diverse musical background, and it really shines through.

CMcG: Thanks Faith, it’s been a pleasure talking with you!

Leon Finney III Inspires Inner-City Youth Through Art

On occasion, The Lobes will stumble upon someone who uses an art form other than music to make a difference in the world, and deserves to have their voice heard. Leon Finney III is an artist from Philadelphia, who inspires the lives of inner-city youth through art. I had the opportunity to speak with Leon about his inspiration, his art, and the work he does to keep art in public schools through his “1 Touch of Color” foundation. 

Faith W: Thanks for taking the time to talk to me about your work. Let’s start with the piece that you have at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Leon Finney: That piece has been there since I was 17, since 1997. I won an art contest and the president of the museum pulled me aside and asked me if she could have the piece.

 That piece is part of their private exhibit. It’s actually inside of one of their corporate offices, and every year, during the month that I originally entered that contest, they bring it out for public viewing and it sits on the wall that’s across from the cafeteria.

FW: This is not a painting, and most people who know your work think of you as a painter. Tell me how you created it.

LF: It’s a collage, and it was done with paper bags, newspaper, and trash that I found. It’s a self-portrait. I also used a lot of different types of glue so that I could get different textures, and tones.

FW: Are you still doing collages?

LF: I still experiment with collages, and I want to do some projects, but I haven’t had the time to actually sit down and get back into that zone. I’ve been doing a lot of portrait work, and that’s been taking up a lot of my time.

FW:  You also do something in conjunction with Citibank for Black History Month, correct?

LF: Yes. Four years ago I started doing an annual art exhibit at Citibank for Black History Month. I’d go to different schools and teach the kids a few things about Black History, and then we’d express ourselves through artwork. After they learned some things, and created a painting, we would have an exhibit to show what we’d learned.

FW: How did you get started with that?

LF: I like to be involved with my kids, and since they started taking art out of schools, I wanted to do something that would allow me to bring it back. So, I donated myself and my time and the supplies; then it was just about finding a place that wanted to go in on it with me. Citibank was really good, and they said they wouldn’t mind helping me out, and they actually came up with a few dollars to give to the kids, so that all the kids were winners just for participating.

FW: Are your children artistically inclined?

LF: My daughter is. My son, he’s color-blind, so he gets a little jealous when he can’t figure out colors, but he can draw pretty well. My daughter, she’s an artist. She’s even better than me when I was her age. She’s really talented.

She sits down with me, and I really don’t want to teach her. I just want her to watch, and pick up her own stuff. She’ll just draw, and paint, and do her thing. The thing I tell all my students, and it’s kind of like what I live by is, “I can teach you how to draw and how to paint, but creativity comes from within.” So, looking at her work you can really see where the creativity comes from.

FW: What motivates you in terms of creativity?

LF: Prayer, and my dreams. I’ll dream about some crazy thing and I’ll wake up and say, “I have to paint it.”

Like the “Anticipation of War” piece;  I had a dream about it, and I woke up and just painted it. Something just sparks while I’m asleep and I just go in on it.

FW: So, you just wake up and say, “That’s it. I have to get this out of me…”

LF: I don’t care what time of night it is. I started “Anticipation of War” at 2 o’clock in the morning, and it was finished a day and a half later.

FW: I don’t know how many people know this, but “Anticipation of War” has a companion piece, doesn’t it?

LF: Yeah, it does. And it’s a painting of the person that he’s looking at. So, unless you’re friends or family, that piece has not been shown to you.

FW: Will that piece ever go public?

LF: Yes. I’m going to bring that out when I come back to Philadelphia.

FW: Excellent. You also have a foundation called “1 Touch of Color”. Tell me about that.

LF: The 1 Touch of Color Foundation is based on what I told you that I was doing with Citibank. But in The 1 Touch of Color Foundation  we were painting murals inside of inner city schools like Potter-Thomas, Fairhill and Houston. I believe that blank walls leave blank minds.  Kids that see nothing around them all day, more than likely they are going to do nothing.

I wanted to take the effect that the outdoor murals have on people and bring it inside. When you see a mural, it brightens up the area, and it causes you to stop, and talk about it. That’s the feeling that I think should be going on inside of schools, so that the kids feel appreciated.

FW: What else inspires you?

LF: The thing that inspires me is God. I feel like what I do is a gift. I can be as creative as I want, but I am nothing without God. My second inspiration is my grandmother. When I was 3 I drew my first picture and she put it her wall, and she put the next picture on the refrigerator, and it made me feel so good. After that, I just wanted to draw anything to make her happy because she made me feel like I was the best artist in the world.

My favorite artist is Raphaelle Peale. I love his use of color and I really love his still life. I like another artist named Frederic Church. I started doing landscapes because of Frederic Church.

FW: Do you still have work at the Lucien Crump Gallery? Tell me about your connection to this gallery.

LF: I still have a few pieces there. Lucien was a really good friend of mine, and a great artist. After he passed away I kept in touch with his wife, and I ran a lot of the programs on his behalf. Lucien Crump was the first African American art gallery in Philadelphia. So it was pretty cool for her to choose me to continue his legacy.

 

The work of Leon Finney III can be seen at The Lucien Crump Art Gallery, 6378 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Adam Cross Talks About Sirens

Interviewing  AdamCross was like interviewing an old friend; he has an easy-going personality, and a great sense of humor. We often went off on tangents, and talked things that won’t make it to The Lobes. The subject matter jumped from relationships, to Meat Loaf (the singer, not the food) to the scary mental image of Adam with Tina Turner’s legs. At one point, Adam actually interviewed me, which totally caught me off guard.

In this interview, we  discuss  what made him drop out of law school to play music, and everything that went into the making of his new album, Sirens.

Faith W: Thanks for taking the time to talk to me today.

Adam: Thanks for taking the time to interview me.

FW: It’s my pleasure. So, like I was telling you on Twitter, I was checking out your music and it’s really good.

Adam: I’m glad you liked it.

FW: It’s better than me saying, “I was listening to your music, and it gave me a stomachache…” (laughing)

Adam: “…and I kind of wanted to kill myself.” (laughs)

Haikaa Talks About "A Work of Art"

After interviewing singer/songwriter Haikaa, I was reminded of the opening lines of one of my favorite Walt Whitman poems, “A Song of Myself”:

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you

Haikaa’s song, “I am Work of Art” is a celebration of each of us, and a message that she aspires to spread to the world. We talked about her Work of Art Global Project, how she recorded “I Am a Work of Art” in 20 different languages, and what drives her to make music.

Faith: Thanks for taking time out to talk with me today.

Haikaa: Thank you.

FW: I just wanted to start by talking about some of your projects, which are quite impressive. Tell me about the Work of Art Global Project.

Haikaa: That project was based on a song that I wrote called, “ A Work of Art”, which is basically a song about self-acceptance, and celebrating the diversity in the world that results from the uniqueness of every individual. I’ve always been a believer in diversity just because I was raised surrounded by so much diversity, and that was something that I wanted to share musically.

Once the song was ready I decided to see how many versions and in how many languages I could record the, song because it did feel like a very universal message to me. So, based on the mathematical concept of six degrees of separation, I started to contact my first degree contacts, and say, “Hey do you know someone who would be willing to write a version of my song in Mandarin?” From there it branched out, and in a period of about a year and a half I had finished and recorded 19 versions of the song, and counting, because I have more people working on different versions.

Daniel Levi Goans and The Creation of Brother Stranger

Faith W: I really enjoyed listening to Brother Stranger. This is your second album?

Daniel Levi Goans: Yes, m’aam , this is my second folk album. I was in a band before this and we had a couple records out. We formed in 2003, and it was more like an indie, rock/pop sound, and I was not the lead singer. So this folk stuff is what I’ve been doing for the last three and a half years or so.

FW: What led to the transition to folk music?

DLG: In the old band, the other guys were older than me, and they were married with kids and they were like, “We want to take a break.” And was writing a bunch of songs on my own and I just wasn’t really using them. It was just like an expression to myself.  A buddy of mine heard one of them, and said, “I think you’re a folk singer, and you need to start recording these songs.” He said he listened to that song 25 times in two weeks. This was about three and a half or four years ago, while everything with the band was winding down.

I’ve always liked folk music. It’s always been the music of story, and community. I’ve always been drawn to it. When I write, I like to tell stories. My father is a storyteller as well, so when I started writing it came out in that genre.

Interview with Steafan Hanvey Part 2

We continue with our interview of musician Steafan Hanvey. In this interview with The Lobes, he talks about the impact that location had on the making of his two albums, Steafan Hanvey and the Honeymoon Junkies, and Nuclear Family, due to be released in America in 2013.

Faith W:  Let’s talk about your albums.

Steafan Hanvey:  “Steafan Hanvey and the Honeymoon Junkies” is the album that has been released this fall in America. It was released here (in Ireland) back in 2006, and we’re getting the opportunity to release it in the U.S. I’ve been touring in the U.S. a few times in the last few years. Fuse on Demand has committed to airing two of my videos, one of which is from the Honeymoon Junkies. For all intents and purposes it’s a new album and video in America.

FW: There were quite a few years between the Honeymoon Junkies, which was released in 2006 and its debut in America.

SH: Yeah, 2006 was the release in Ireland and then I spent a few years touring, making friends and networking. And also, I started writing and recording material for Nuclear Family, which was three years in the making which I finished just about a year ago. I financed most of this myself. I wanted to take my time with it; I could have finished it in a couple of months. As I kind of went along the road of recording it, various opportunities presented themselves, like working with Tore Johansson (the producer of The Cardigans and Franz Ferdinand). We mixed the songs, basically, online. He would send an mp3 of a mix to me and the producer, who was in Paris and we’d have a listen and offer feedback, and we did that for six months before actually going over and meeting with Tore, and then we spent 5 days in Sweden, making some final tweaks & decisions.

Steafan Hanvey Makes His U.S. Debut With "Desperation"

When I interviewed Ireland’s Steafan Hanvey a few weeks ago, we came up with a short-lived plan to rob a bank to finance the promotion of his U.S. debut album, Steafan Hanvey and the Honeymoon Junkies. I was very excited, because I was going to be the getaway driver. Then I realized that if I drove the getaway car, we would probably only get a few blocks before I hit a fire hydrant and got both of us caught. It didn’t take long for us to scrap that idea.

Instead, I am going to just help Steafan the good old-fashioned way, and write about him. Here’s the first in a series of articles pieces about Steafan, and a preview of his video “Desperation (Failed in Loving You)”, which will be on Fuse on Demand starting October 24^th.
FW: What are your main musical influences?

Steafan: Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Wings, Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Brady, Nina Simone, Soundgarden, Kings X, Stevie Wonder.
FW: Whom do people say you sound like?

Steafan: Paul Simon, Wings, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Richard Thompson, Dylan.
Some people have said I write songs in a similar way to Roger Waters. Lyrically perhaps.

FW: Do you think that you sound like whoever people say you sound like?

Steafan: I never thought about it until they said it. I find that really interesting, that we are the sum of our experiences and what we've been exposed to. Makes sense. Something touches you, it enters your bloodstream. Though, sometimes, people will hit you with something you've never heard before. That's kind of strange.

FW: What's the most personal song you've ever written and what was it based on?

Steafan: All my songs are personal. I can’t write about what I don't know, or rather, doesn’t inspire me. But the song that first came to mind was a song from my new album, Nuclear Family, entitled 'Secrets & Lies', inspired partly by a family member & an ex-lover.
FW: If your life were a song, what song would it be?
Steafan: In my Life by The Beatles, or Old Friends by Simon & Garfunkel.
FW: Have you ever been inspired by an author or a book to write a song, if so, which one?

Steafan: 'The Road Less Traveled' by Scott Peck inspired me to write 'Love's a Decision' from my debut album.
I was down in Malaga several years ago, and my then girlfriend was sunbathing a lot. I was stuck inside (sensitive Irish skin) with the air conditioner, writing songs and reading. 'Love's a Decision' was written during that time.
Books are always inspiring me; a word here, a line there. I usually have about 10 books on the go at any one time. A bad habit, perhaps…Books, I love.
FW: If the color gray were a food, what would it be?
Steafan: Meat & two veg! The Irish/English dinner, which was, thanks to my mum, interspersed with curries, pasta dishes and various other world cuisines.

The Story Behind MonAnnLisa Wilde's Music

They say that every song tells a story and the first track released from MonAnnLisa Wilde’s new EP, “The Last Time I Saw You on Facebook,” is no different.

“I made friends with a guy who was to make the video clip. The very evening he had invited me for drinks with his mate, his mate got hit by a car just as he stepped his foot on the road. I went on Facebook to see what happens to a profile when someone moves on to the next life. What I found was they are not gone, they're still alive as the profiles are still alive as today, so I did edit the lyrics to include the situation.”

MonAnnLisa, who was born on the Ivory Coast, is greatly influenced by the music of many diverse artists, ranging from Nina Simone to Marilyn Manson, and her EP shows that influence, in a style that is a combination of hard-rock and dance.

Check out the video, “Lsst Time I Saw U on Facebook,” then check her out on Facebook.

An Interview With Musician Sheri Miller

Few people can say that they could set their lives to music, but it's a safe bet that New York musician Sheri Miller can.

The critically acclaimed singer/songwriter has written hundred of lyrics and dozens of songs, both as a solo artist, and in collaboration with musicians such as J.D. Souther, Jill Sobule, and Shawn Mullins.

Her sophomore album, "Winning Hand" is an extension of the music that is her life, produced by the renown Kevin Killen. Recently, The Lobes asked Sheri about the things that influence her songwriting:

The Lobes: How much has heartbreak contributed to your songwriting?

SM: A lot a lot a lot.  I had a long, painful break-up about a year ago, and I infuse much of my emotional torrential heart energy into my songs.  With this heartbreak, I had been writing, grieving, wondering, creating songs about being in and out love; well before the break-up.  I wonder about the nature of love.  How it connects us all.  How animals feel in love.  I think love is the seed of universe.

The Lobes: What are your main musical influences?

SM: You.  Me.   The conversation I overhear while ordering a coffee.  The Beatles.  John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  Bach.  The Beach Boys.  Etta James. Ella Fitzgerald and Rogers and Hart.  The Gershwins.  Otis Redding.  Joni Mitchell.  Nina Simone.  Bruce Springsteen.   My mother.

 The Lobes: What's your favorite iPod track this week?

SM: “I”ve Been Loving You Too Long.”  Otis Redding.

 The Lobes: Are you working on any music right now?

SM: Yes. I’m very lucky to be recording a new song, with some incredible musicians now.  The incredible Will Lee, Paul Shaffer, Steve Cropper and Shawn Pelton.  Keep an eye out for it on my website, sherimiller.com

The Lobes: If you could craft an all-star band, who would play in it?

SM: See question above.

The Lobes: Have you ever been inspired by an author or a book to write a song, and if so, which one?

SM: Absolutely.  Every song in a way is inspired by authors and books.  The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy inspired me.  Barbara Kingsolver inspires me.  Charles Bukowski I love too.

The Lobes: What keeps you awake at night?

SM: Mosquitoes.  I’ve been getting eaten up alive lately.  I think it’s that fragrance gardenia hand lotion I used one night.  I was almost suffocating, covering my face with a sheet as a faux net.  So I decided to spray an outdoor Deet spray over my bed. And oh boy.  I better air out my room.

Also worry keeps me up at night.  But there are good drugs for that.  Just kidding.

I do love to sleep.  Dreams are where the songs are.

Here is a song from Sheri Miller's "Winning Hand" album, entitled, "Spoons":

Purchase Winning Hand:

iTunes: http://bit.ly/iqqicN

Amazon: http://amzn.to/kljGLp

CD BABY: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sherimiller2

www.sherimiller.com

MC Lyte: The Lost Interview

A while ago, I had the privilege of interviewing rap icon MC Lyte soon after she became the Vice President of The DuBose Music Group. She was also working on a reality show for BET called "Hollywood Treatment" with singer Mary J. Blige. At the time I was having a lot of trouble with my recording equipment, causing me to have to end the call prematurely several times to make sure I didn't lose the recording. MC Lyte was gracious enough to allow me to call her back on three separate occasions and after 30 minutes of talk time I was able to get what I needed for the story. We talked about her show, the changes being made in BET’s programming, and the state of rap music. While I wasn't able to save all of my recordings, this is what I was able to save:

Faith W: Thanks for giving me the opportunity to call you back.

MC Lyte: I’m appreciative to do the interview.

FW: I’m glad to do it. I’ve been following your work since the late ‘80’s, early ‘90’s. I’m kind of dating myself –

Lyte: You and me both, it’s all good (laughs).

FW: You’ve got a lot of positive things in the works now. I wanted to talk to you about your reality show, “Hollywood Treatment”, right?

Lyte: Yeah. Well, that’s a tentative name. I’m not sure if that will change.

FW: Okay, but that’s the working title. Can you tell me about that?

Lyte: The show itself is wrapped around the concept of being able to give back. What happens is that young adults write in and say, “This is what I’m facing right now. This is where I am; this is where I’m trying to get to, and I don’t really know how to get from that space to the next space.” And then, at that point we search out a foundation that has been formed by a celebrity that best suits the needs of that particular person. I think with the show we’ll just be able to get into the community, and change lives, one by one.

FW: It sounds like a big turnaround for BET. There are people who have felt like BET’s programming has fallen short of it’s responsibility to represent African-Americans in a positive light. Do you feel that this show will change people’s opinions?

Lyte: There’s a huge change that has to take place within the infrastructure of any business for it to catch up; for people to notice that things have changed. Things have been changing at BET for a long time.

FW: Really?

Lyte: Yeah. In order for you to even see something like an “Uncut” missing (from programming), there had to be a whole lot happening on the back-end to make it to go away. I think you’re going to see a lot more changes that I’m already aware of that the public will be aware of, once those shows hit.

I’m happy for BET; I’m happy to be a part of BET and quite frankly, back in the day I was disgruntled with BET. But, I think here and there they’ve implimented changes at a slow pace. Their market is the 18 to 20-something age. You and I've become older, and we’re not as satiated by what teenagers are satisfied with, and we’ve expected them to grow with us, because we started with BET.

FW: Right.

Lyte: In fact, it’s kind of hard to split that demographic ; to say, “How can we satisfy both demos?” And I think with Centric, it makes them able to satisfy both demands.

FW: I’m glad to see that there are changes coming.

Lyte: Me too. It’s just a matter of them trying it to see that it works, and see that people are watching. Because the bottom line is that it’s all about ratings. If they can’t get people to watch a particular show, then they can’t pay for it. They have to get money from sponsors, and sponsors want shows that bring it a certain amount of viewership. It’s not about BET, or any network saying we don’t want to give (the viewer) positive stuff. We want to give them stuff that people are gonna watch, that are gonna bring the dollars in here, that will have this business stay up.

FW: It sounds like there are good things on the horizon.

Lyte: I think Deborah Lee is really prepared to make the changes. She inherited a beautiful job, but at the time it was hard to implement changes because there was an infrastructure there that she inherited. Now that she’s brought Loretha Jones on, and I ‘ve known her for a very long time. You'll see a change over time.

FW: Let's talk about music.There’s some talk about the direction that hip-hop is headed lyrically with regard to the dumbing down of the lyrics. There are artists who say that they don’t want to put out this kind of work, but their record label insists. How do you feel about that statement, as an artist and executive?

Lyte: As an artist, I think it’s meant for all types of hip hop to exist to make everyone happy. I think the need for balance is what throws everything off; when we’re just seeing one type of music being played on the radio, when we see one type of video getting all the airtime. I think more of a balance needs to be created.

Many people find themselves in a position where major labels are actually picking the music that they want to come out. You can create all of these great works, but labels do have a motive, and that motive is to sell records. If they feel like something is going to sell more than something else, then they are certainly going to go that route. I mean you’re on a major label, so you’ve been hired to sell records for a major company. You’re making music, which is something that you love to do, but you’re also in the business of selling music, and when you can’t, and don’t, you’ll be dropped. Then you won’t have a major record deal.

FW: Okay.

Lyte: It’s a really interesting game, but in the end it’s about making the music that you can feel proud of, whether you’re signed to a major company, or not. I happen to think it’s not one, or the other. There is a merger of the two that can happen where you can make smart music with lyrics that hide a message.

FW: I think that often when you’re a young artist it takes time to resign yourself to the business aspect of your work.

Lyte: I think that they can do both. It seems like a complicated task, but I don’t really think it is. It’s actually playing the game.

The Roy Ayers Project: Who Is Roy Ayers?

The Roy Ayers Project is a documentary focusing on the life and music of Roy Ayers. In the trailer for the Haylow Overby, Ariel Nuñez film, artists answer the question: Who is Roy Ayers?

The <a title="The Roy Ayers Project" href="http://royayersproject.com/" target="_blank">Roy Ayers Project online</a> is a creative mosaic, produced by individuals to express the influence of the music and philosophy of Roy Ayers in their work.  From RoyAyersProject.com:
<blockquote> It is driven by the his music of Roy Ayers, as well as his message, essence, and influences, while recognizing people of his ilk and the people who continue to innovate and create, just like Roy Ayers. The blog will expose you to many different forms of music, as well as keeping you up to date with all things involving the Roy Ayers Project.</blockquote>