For
those who don't follow me on twitter (or haven't dedicated a marginal portion of their life to climbing in my windows and snatching my thoughts up)...[FIRST: what are you waiting for?!]...second: I am a avid lover of all things beautiful, inventive,
passion-filled, rousing music. I was first introduced to Rudy Currence by a member of my
“Auntie Team”, Irene (eye-rizz). She posted a video of his “You Bring MeDown” on her twitter page and I haven't looked back since. I listened to that song (edit: it wasn’t EVEN the entire song, just an
excerpt) at least 20 times a day for the next few weeks.
I
recently had the opportunity to attend my first Rudy Currence concert last
month at Marymount University. (TIP: If you live near a college, you NEED to get hip
to their events. They’re typically free, or very cheap, and terribly excellent… a la,
this show). After the show, I sat down with Rudy for a freestyled leisurely
interview.
Though
blaring, the coffee shop in which the concert was held, played a delightful mix
of neo-soul, appropriately accompanying the interview.
*”What
kind of man would I be?” – Mint Condition plays*
Juh: Awesome
performance. Incredible, Incredible. I really liked your combination of a
little bit of R&B with a little bit of gospel and classic rock. Is this
reflective of a typical set or were these adjustments made because of the
venue? (Marymount
is a Christian University)
[A
friend of Rudy’s interjects, introducing himself and taking a seat. The more
the merrier! I’d noticed a patch of harmony coming from his direction earlier
in the evening:
“I heard your harmonies
and I was like..”WHOAH who brought in the church?!”
Friend: Yea, that definitely was NOT me. I
have a terrible voice. Like very bad. I love karaoke but I do it as a joke. I
do ridiculous stuff like the Pussycat Dolls.]
-The
focus returns to Rudy-
Rudy:
Partially, yea. I always try to adapt my show to my audience to make sure I’m
connecting with what they’re in tune with while still doing my thing and
getting into my zone. Until I get an entire structured production of a show together, it
will continue to be that organic, free flowing mix of genres.
“Church members saying
‘He’s so talented. Why he wanna sing R&B music? Excuse me, what does Reverend Currence think about it?’ Since you wanna know, my dad is so
supportive. Since you wanna know, my momma’s in management.”
-
Excerpt
from “Zion”
I was surprised when you mentioned that you
were a PK (Preacher’s Kid). What has been that experience?
For
me, it was just important that I stayed true to myself. I grew up in south. So
a lot of people were asking why I wasn’t singing gospel. But my thing is: why
should we put God in a box? Many were concerned that I was moving towards
secular music. I think it’s important that you first have a relationship with
Christ. The relationship should be the focus. I
make sure I keep a maintain a level of positivity in my music but I don’t limit myself to
a single genre.
[Rudy's friend attests to power of Rudy’s
music] I'm not a very religious person. But [Rudy's] music provides a spiritual lifting that anyone could take away from the experience. I don’t go to church. But I think the positivity in the message is important. So it’s cool that I
can come to his shows and get a piece of that.
*”Do You Remember?” – Jill Scott comes on*
[That, in my opinion is
one of the greatest powers of music, the ability to rouse people emotionally, spiritually, psychologically. It’s one of the primary reasons many black
churches thrive.]
Are you on tour right
now?
I’m
spot dating. I’ll
be in North Carolina at UNC Pembrook. Then I’ll be at Michigan for a showcase
So
I'm doing a lots of spot dating all over the east coast and mid-west.
So you’ve recently
signed with a label? (And by recently what I REALLY meant was two years ago
-_-)
Yes,
I signed with DTP (Disturbing the Peace). It’s been a great learning
experience. I’ve received several opportunities and platforms. I did a song with Quincy Jones called "Soul Bossa Nostra" featuring Naturally 7. We performed it on The View. So far I’ve had three nationally-broadcasted performance opportunities.
Some artists lament their artistic transition from indie life to the major leagues. Do you find that being
signed has limited you creatively? Do you feel like you’ve been placed into a
box?
It’s
more political now. But, I think anytime you're dealing with such a transition, you have to balance both worlds. When you're independent you learn the business as opposed to being
plugged into a machine and just being told that all you have to do is sing. So I’m
thankful for my independent background. And I think one misconception is that once you
get signed, you don’t have to work anymore. And that simply is not so.
*Music
ends*
You’ve truly grown into
your gift. What has been the greatest moment since you’ve signed?
We
were shooting the video for Quincy Jones' single. We were in LA. He tells me about all of
his experiences. Mind you, this is the man that produced Michael Jackson and he
asked me to sing something for him. Once I finished he was like “Wow! You’re
special.” And for him to have said that, as someone that has worked with
Michael Jackson, that will stay with me forever.
What is the most
embarassing or craziest thing that’s happened to you? Have you been mobbed by
groupies or...
I don't know.
That’s hard. Life, in general, is CRAZY. People say some crazy things on Twitter
and Facebook. I’m always reading Youtube comments and Twitter mentions. People are
crazy! One girl asked me to "adorn” her. Lots of “Will you marry me?” requests. It’s all
crazy to me.
Five random questions. Here we go:
What is your favorite
midnight snack?
Whatever’s
around. I’m not picky. I’m always up late so im always eating late.
What color is your tooth
brush?
I think
it’s Blue. It might be blue. May be purple. Might be Blue and purple.
What was the first
cartoon you fell in love with?
Thundercats
Whose your favorite
powder puff girl?
The
blond one.
*upon further research, the CCB fact-checking agency confirmed that aforementioned "blond puff" was, indeed, Bubbles.*
What is at the foundation of your passion for music?
For
me, music is therapeutic. And though it’s secular, it’s still ministry for me.
It’s still a message. I've always had a heart for people so I always want people
to leave my shows encouraged and inspired. Life has a way of bringing us down sometimes and I just want to take away from my music a message of
positivity to spread around the world.
The seventh Episode of the "Kawai Kronicles" will debut December 3, 2012 on Rudy's Youtube Channel.
Download the FREE "Digital Analog" mixtape HERE
www.rudycurrenceonline.com/
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