Eric Dawkins

R and B Money.

We are.

Thanks take vologized.

We are the authority on all things R.

And B, ladies and gentleman.

My name is Tank and this is the Army Money Podcast, the authority on all things R and B. Ah, My, my, my, my my on today. If you are struggling in your vocal dexterity, Uh, there's a man. You're singing from the wrong place. If you are singing from the wrong place, If your lyrics are malnourished and have no meaty depth to them, if your production needs spiced so that the masses can cater to that, what you do.

If you need a man to get you on a level.

Amen, whether it be gospel, whether it be R and B, whether it be.

Pop Katie pop, pop.

Poppa Diddy pop, pop rocks, whatever it is, We've got a man and his name as Eric.

Wow Wow talkings.

All I got to say is, I don't think I've ever in my fifty plus ears hurt somebody intro me like that. Ever, I know you, brother, Ever, I know you and uh you know we we we family, you know, you.

Know trenches.

Over and I'm talking like you know this this for me goes back, you know, to being a kid and listening to you and your brother Wow, you know what I mean, and studying.

And like what is that?

Who is that?

And studying that voice? You know what I mean?

And and then to to one day finally meet you, and and then for it to go even further to us to begin to have a working relationship with then the brotherhood.

It's been. It's been pretty awesome.

Bro.

I want you to know that, you know that is not taken for granted. You know, I always call you my sense you know what I'm saying, Like we we always used to get in there and shad and go vocal for vocal and then everybody everybody ain't able.

Yeah everybody.

Well, you know at my album release party, you you you definitely you know, you know, showed up as the teacher. You know what I'm saying. I mean, it's my album release. It's a backpack on show with a backroom. Man, I got this my album release.

I got more of my.

Back ye, nigga, I'm backpack. Keep it back. You know, the shine is supposed to be on me.

Some people keep a pistol, a bag of people, keep.

A vocal.

A bag of Keep listen when I say you kicked our ass that night.

It was so crazy because I think Jamie knew you could sing, but I don't think he knew that you were going to do all of that.

You know, some niggas take an injury.

He put his hamstring drunk.

Don't give me in like, I don't think, well, like this, Jamie pulled the hams drag everybody on that line.

It was like this, I don't, I don't know, I'm not doing another.

And it was just like it was one of those moments where I was just like, man, listen, I'm I'm humbled all the time. Like I don't think I've ever gotten used to people giving me that, you know what I'm saying, And that just comes from my upbringing. But and it's because singing is what I love to do, is my passion, It's my gift. And the definition of a gift is something that you give away. So me giving it like that, it is just like that's what I'm.

Giving these singers, these vocals business.

But no, it's that that's just you know, and then being being in I will say this and covenant with with people like you that that I know I can share with whenever we're together. It's the iron sharpens iron as long as it touches like we were that. So I appreciate you for being being who you are.

Yeah.

Absolutely. And this guy, you know, I I met Jay before I met all, y'all. I met him at the barber shop. Yeah, Kenny was cutting his hand like this is pretty nigga. We just waved and pretty on.

This nigga, don't nigga, ain't got no clippers though.

Set the sars out.

Her was ollive oil and glistening on man man. Kenny introduced us and and told me who he was. I'm like, that's what's up like, and we like from that moment, like we didn't see each other for a minute, but whenever we did reconnect, I went back to that moment.

It was like this was he was a real real down brother something. You know.

It was all from then and we've been family from day one. So plus yeah, we twenty plus that's crazy. I met you at the fred Hammer Concept con at Faithful Central when I was at the forum, like I was fanning out, like I didn't want to say nothing, like yo, that's tank, let's take right there.

I mean, we ended up meeting them like.

Let's take you take take it.

It's crazy.

The hints of time.

Well the first time, you know, I love this question. Somebody said to you, but you said to yourself, Oh I got some.

It was you know.

Me and Anson wrote and co wrote like three songs on Commission number seven.

No Way the.

First the first song on the album second Chance, and me and Anson wrote that song as we were driving.

Are getting on My Nerves?

No, literally we were now we were driving to act for a concert. I just worked out to the seventh album, maybe like two weeks ago. We were driving literally driving to Achering for Commission concert and we we had done the track. We've done the track, and I did the track and of course Fred you know he does his stuff on top of it.

That was my track, like.

And he he did his Fred Hammon things. Look yeah, oh my godness, I.

Was fucking question. Second you are crazy dead Seriously.

We wrote it on the way to achron like it was a two hour drive from where we lived, and wrote the lyrics and then the second song, the crazy part was answering used to be the lyric guy with me and like I would do the tracks, answer, We'll come up with the lyrics. Because that's just what he did. So we're going into the studio to do number seven with him, because we're singing on the whole thing, like background and everything. And I brought a track that they

I had.

I might give answered a couple of ideas, but sitting down and pinning a verse or a hook that was my thing. I was like, let me just let me make the track hot, and so he put me in this room. I was scared out of my mind, like what am I gonna do? Studio A in Dearborn, Michigan. And so what I did because I was so afraid of it being not accepted. I didn't want to be rejected. They already loved the track, so I knew the track was gonna be whatever it was, and I can't.

I wrote like two different.

Versions of this song, and I said, let me sing them the one I feel like it is the dumbest, so they don't take it and just let answer do it.

I came out.

Here the lean I've been thinking about you and the way you make me feel inside, and that in that the moment feel that I can't a high.

That song turned out to be I Can't Live without You? Are you kidding me? Literally?

I can't live without you?

I can't live, I can't live.

I can't live y'all? Yeah, that was that was the song.

I was twenty I just turned twenty one, but the track was like, you know, I was on my Roger Troutman kidding and what gave me the inspiration? We used to fun fact come when we toured. The tour busses that they used were the Troutman's buses. It was too big, blue and this maroon bus and one of them had like some studio equipment on it whatever and fly busses back then.

M C.

Yeah. So yeah, me and Ansen we toured with Commission. Like when Fred heard our demo, he hired He literally hired us on the spot. We were at Fred's house in Detroit. Somebody took us over there and we played a demo that we had done and we were just like we just thought we was gonna do a record or whatever. He's like, I need y'all to be in the band, So he hired us, and this this might

Wow, yeah, we were on the road with him.

I had to have seen you because meantime, y'all, you used to come to evangel Church in in DC.

Yeah yeah, but yeah, we toured.

With them for like the better part of three years, and that gave us our start, like.

He was the first person to tell you, guys, he was.

That was That was where we we figured it out because we had a couple a couple of bands that we sang in locally in Ohio that they were they were cool with being local or even regional, but we had we had other other ideas. Our vision was a lot bigger than Ohio. So we killed those two groups. Was like, we'll just do it ourselves. And Fred actually wanted us to be a part of a four a four person group like two girls and two guys. And if you know what Fred's company is called face to face.

Girls and the company the group.

No, it was the name of the group.

First first we didn't have the company, so the group situation didn't really pan out, so it just ended up being me and answer. And so he took the names like she call y'all something else. And Fred actually the one that came up with Dawkins and Dawkins Wow, and it's stuck, like so Fred can he can be credited for discovering Dawkins and Dawkins like that is that is Fred is my sensey, Like I tell people all the time, Fred is that's who I studied. Fred put me on too,

You're in the band wood if you listening to every day.

Yeah, but that's when he has a weird gift to where he can just do not like him. No, you guys, y'all here, ya can recreate bro. I'm listening to Tyree's demos.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I know exactly.

Yeah yeah. And I'm literally looking at Tyr like I'm like, so when, so when are you not singing? Or when is Eric singing? Or so you can and He's like, I didn't see any of the Eric, and then so I would start listening really hard for for the cuts.

Yeah, in the movements.

That's that's the only way that's the difference, because you, I mean when you're when you're dead on him, you'll you'll you'll try to slide like.

Him a little bit. But you can't help. I can't help being. I can't help being.

You know what I'm saying. You can't help. You can't you can't help. You know what I'm saying. That's what you can't do that. It's crazy, He'll He'll tell you. I can say this. There's some records that are out right now that you you don't even know where. I'm still singing it. I can believe it. Yeah, just certain certain little things, certain little things.

Sauce job easier.

No, we're going to keep that, he says.

We do duets anyway, Like he tells, I have.

One duet with him.

You got one? Just I like him?

Girl. That's that.

Listen to do it. Put me on the tyres no lie like that joint. Yeah, that's that's one of that. When he came out with that record, I was like.

Yeah, yeah, think.

He's a guy who was on the motorcycles.

Okay, okay, y'all all the background here, y'all like this feature.

Said that those those experimental like voice moments are like really the collaborative voice moments. I think those those are really dope. That because even when you put sing on my wrap like I need talkings on there.

Yeah, you're just two.

We sung background together, we.

Was on even when we did when I did Birthday, you know what I'm saying. I said, you sound nice.

I was like no, because those vocals were from the demo, purely just the demo, us, just us writing and vibing out. And he's like, no, Chief, I'm keeping these. If it were like no, bro, let me sing that again.

It works if it were gonna mess up the vibe. But treat you like Puff. It's it's the energy Faan like you gotta love on you. It's the love on im like Puff. But that's out of scale. It don't matter.

Do you feel it frustrated? You feel bad about it? Is that frustrating you? When you hear something, you know what it is, you know?

And I had to learn this from Jay. Right, sometimes when it's wrong, it's right. It just it just I don't know why, but it is.

Yeah.

Puff called me in to do this vocal on Jamie and he's like, I just you know, just put him in the right space, right. And so when he turned the track on and I'm hearing the guy singing. I'm like, okay, I see where it's going. I said, but he's completely singing out of scale. In the right key, but completely out of scale. I was like, I mean, fix that because I don't want my boy Jamie out here and makes my ears hurt. Oh man, it makes me so I wanted to I want my boy to go out bad.

It's a major. He's singing. It seems singing in the minor. I'm saying.

I was like, I was like, he's it's a he said, he said, I hear you taking that, but you know, it's not like you're trying to make him sound like you like I need I need him to sound like just like play the original and the original came on and you know how like something when you really like you like, really danced it. He's like you feel that it's got to be that. And I'm listening like this, I'm like, you want that exactly said I want that. I just want Jamie on it, Like, just get Jamie

Throw up.

You never came back. And I don't know this story, but I knew he didn't. I knew he didn't go.

But I have a similar story. I didn't know how how to have coached that. I have a similar story. They called me in to do vocals for Cardi B. He called me in to do vocals on be careful with me. First of all, it was like one o'clock in the morning, so I'm trying to I'm trying to get her to sing as as good as she can.

Get her to sing that low, be my guest. But I don't know.

I don't know how to give you her singing that. And literally I just I did the same thing you did, Like I don't know what. I don't know what to do with this. I'm just gonna go I'm gonna let y'all have it. And I literally left the studio and didn't come back because literally I don't necessarily know how to operate my ear won't really do it.

We have people tell us that.

Our record save it from commit suicide. Just one of those stories makes everything we went through worth it. Like literally, like a guy out of San Francisco now San Francisco, San Diego said his roommate was going through a divorce, it lost his job and was just he just fell into this dark place and he locked hisself in his

Doing you know, some other stuff. I'd say that, but okay, yeah.

All right, all right, you know because use it.

It just would be the point where I ask, I'm a mom of business.

No it's not.

It's not everybody, but there are you know, there are some some gatekeepers that you know people talk about. I've never experienced anything, but just from what people say, there's.

They're not doing gospel business.

It's questionable. But you know, to each his own, we me and what.

They said about Big Reds books and the five Harties about his questionable practices.

Question, that's funny, the five heart beats reference. But no, we we just we really pride ourselves on being as authentic and just us as we can be. Like we're not we're not following the trends. We're not trying to listen to what's going on now and make a record that sounds like that. We've just always been like if

Uh.

Teddy Riley came came to the studio. I never met. Teddy Riley came to the studio. He's showing Dame is something on some new keyboard thing. And as he's coming off the elevator, I'm going out the door, and I'm like, oh, snap, yo, Teddy Riley's one of the moment.

It's like that.

And and I went to introduce myself, like I'm Eric Dakers.

He's like, oh, I know who you are. I was like, you know whoever?

Like yo, Me and my boys we listened to you and your brother and Commission and the winers on our tour bus all the time. That's all we listen to on tour. I literally like, oh, okay, I'm.

Gonna go home now. Nothing else.

If I'm good for life, I'm good like That was one of the biggest compliments, Like to know that cats like that listen to us and like he was a fan, like a for real fan, And me and Teddy are friends to this day from that moment, like like what do you mean? You know, like literally Dawkins and Dawkins Commission and the Winers was all they would listen to

Like like that's incredible, that's incredible.

To O Marion talking about, Yeah, my mom used to play y'all stuff when she be cleaning up the house like I've been. I've been a fan of y'alls for years, Like I was like baby, actual baby, Like that kind of stuff.

Hearing that they.

Realize how many how many people music touch and people in other other spaces and other genres of music.

Or not even the music. I heard this one blew my mind. Chante Moore a dear friend of mine, Now she was married before like years we were. She she would come hang out sometime when we come out here with commission. So she's hanging out with one time and her and her her former husband, they had a record store. They on the record store and she told me that

To give Blade.

That's why I said, what dude, Wesley Snipes? It was a Dawkins and Dawkins fan. You just never know, you never know, you never know. I don't even get I don't even get that when you know, when we don't get the accolades and all that kind of stuff.

And that was like we're moving in some areas in different spaces. Yeah, So.

Did you make the decision or did someone grab you from the R and B world that that put you into space where you know, you became this very sought after vocal producer, producer, and ultimately you know, king songwriter Like like like was it you know what I mean? Like you know you had already did your thing in gospel. You were all you know, you had, you had your footprint in gospel.

It's this story goes back to when I lived in Detroit, Me and a friend of mine named Chaka black Man. Okay, he had he had a he used to do beats and stuff in Detroit, and so I met him through some mutual friends in Detroit. I think Marcus Divine introducers, Yeah, the heat Miser. He introduced us and Gerald hadn't like we were all we all ran together, Gerald Ditrich and they all from Detroit.

All from Detroit, Okay, so they they.

They have amazing singers, Yeah, amazing.

So they introduced me in Chaka and and they were doing stuff with Chaca. But Chaka he took a liking to me. Like we started collaborating on stuff, and one thing led to another.

We ended up he was doing R and B.

He wasn't doing no gospel. So I'm kind of literally like kind of sneaking doing this, like writing love songs that you write love songs, that's what you're doing. And so I tried my hand at it and it was like it it worked. So we ended up doing I think one of the first R and B groups that I worked with. You probably never heard the song was Brownstone. Brownstone and a group called Solo. They did this this wedding song that we wrote, So we ended up going

You know, you know, you know when you meet somebody and the other person that's like the introduce, the introducer or I don't even know.

That's the actual work makes the uh.

That's for people that don't know in this industry, when somebody's making an introduction, they're also giving off credits.

So it's like, oh yo, this is my god such and such, who did you.

Know what I'm saying even even if they're even even before if you don't hear them, or do hear them when they just know they ran off your credits.

Because that's absolutely what my guy Ken.

Kenny through Chocka though, because Ken you to cut his hair. That's how I knew Kenny. And so that whole connection, like from Christina, like her first the Christmas record, I did like five joints on the air and you beats singing on Angels we have heard on high on that record. And from there she wanted me to do all her vocals for the Stript Records, So I did every song that Scott Storch produced. I did the vocals for Christina. And that's that's what got me into the pop world.

What year did you start writing without it all?

It was two thousand, like two thousand and one. I believe it was the year that how Are You Gonna Act Like That? Came out?

That's when I you first got there.

Yeah, that was the first R and B song that I wrote, like that got.

That, that's your first R and B hit, first hit?

Yeah, oh wow after two thousand and two thousand and two.

Yeah, yeah, in two thousand and two.

But in two thousand and one, I was also on the next album after the album with I like them girls on it. They're not on the same album two thousand and one.

It was next.

This was the next album after that.

So no, no, it's interesting, man, because how all of our paths crossed through that, Like obviously we had met you know, you know before at the barbershop, and then you had met Tank through you know, Commissioner, we said, said having but obviously the way we truly connected and our and we really created our brotherhood amongst us three through the Underdogs.

Right, So the Underdog starts.

In ninety nine, Yeah, somewhere around in ninety eight, ninety nine, and obviously we all know it starts with Damon Harvey and myself. Interestingly enough, it turned into something later when I left the first time where it became this super team. When I came back and I meet you, I meet you. You know what I'm saying, It had become this like Voltron you know what I'm saying, and this, you know, this transformer of just amazingly talented guys that I could have never imagined.

That's what it was going to turn into, you know what I mean?

Because you know the the the initial startup was.

Dark Child. It was Rodney Freddie and Lashawn Damden. Harvey were Rodney and Freddy and I was Lashawn Daniels. You know what I'm saying, that's literally what the.

That's that's a great analogy.

I mean, because that's exactly what it was. You know what I'm saying, Like, because I mean, because you know, Harvey had come from Dark Child, so this is a because it was of his mind of what we were going into. Me and Damon were already working together. We were already working together, and this you know, when Harvey came to play basketball and then Damon stolen pretty much That's how I looked at it. I was like, Yo, he stole Harvey. Was like, I didn't even know Harvey did.

Know what I mean. Harvey came with the Dark Child sounds.

It's really great.

Yeah, yeah, now and now we was cracking.

You know what I'm saying because I like them girls? Is one a Dark Child.

Record, absolut that funny story. Before you finished, I walked into the studio Freddy and Lashawn were working on a record with Destiny's Child for this some soundtrack, and y'ah it's like, yo like them girls. That joint is sweet. Promise on everything.

We were at.

I know the whole movie switched.

And listen ready at this at the console. Now were boys like we family for years. They both looked like.

We didn't do that song, like sure did that's that's yah sound y' y'a didn't do that. They was like, no, we didn't do that. That's that Harvey Harvey and Damon. I was like, no, that sounded like dark Child.

I would being petty, like, no, that's dark Child all day.

It sounds like guitars, the drums, like the all the all has all the all the Dark Child elements. And they was they knew somebody didn't know. So I was like wow, because and I love the song like it was, didn't take away.

From it was very low key until it wasn't.

Yeah yeah, because that record, that record, that record steam rolled the music business and not not this is before the record ever comes out. That record steam rolled the music business. Multiple people bought that record, multiple people sang that record, you know, and it was just it was one of those things where it went to the highest bidder. Tyres ended up being the highest bidder at the end

Yeah.

Yeah, we come from very different places.

Our mindsets were very different.

So it was a dark Child record with a very aggressive top line. If you listen to that record, I'm literally saying parking lot pimping, Like I say that, I say that on an R and B song, you know what I'm saying. So it's like, you know, I'm like, it's gonna be straight parking lot of pipping. So that in itself too, made it like, Yo, this is way more aggressive because Dark.

Child they were clean.

They were clean, and that's why they were so amazing too, because it was like, yo, they're getting it off. They are getting it off, and it can go in so many places because it's so clean.

This was aggressive you know what I mean.

I like them girls was aggressive and it just gave a different, you know, a different styling to loved it. But they were, you know what, they had already done love record. But we were absolutely stealing for sure. That's a I mean, but that's a dark Child record.

But I mean, no, ain't no. But it was definitely.

I'm in there dancing.

Child.

It was.

It was definitely the best has the best, but it was it was still a great song.

Like yeah, I know, people loved it. People loved it.

It's hard to like, stealing is one thing. Doing a good job is another's another. It's definitely another that. Yeah, I did a good job at that stealing.

It worked out.

It definitely worked out.

I got attracted to the movement with how You're Gonna Act Like That? A lot of people tell me that that's that's what That's what was part of me coming back. That's what brought me to the book. Like that How you Gonna Act Like That came out and me and my guys are sitting there listening to him, like who is that? He's like you think of Ciscoms, Like, nah, it ain't Cisco. He ain't that clean and it was like, it ain't a vun. I'm like, who is it? Somebody

Who are you working with? How do you get that?

The sound was so y'all had Tyresse is such a crazy space. Then I was like, because I've alread been, Terry said already, you know we had already you know, went back and forth with each other, had already.

Jumped on him. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.

I was like, I know what he can do, e Coal. He can't do this weird competition eat like me.

Though, but now he had just hit a game.

When he just hit how you gonna act like that?

It took him up. That's definitely. I was so mad. I was like, who did it?

Who did it?

And that was also the establishment of what that sound became. That was like that record established, Oh the Underdogs sounds different. Yeah, when you brought me fully out of retirement and you said, Jay, yeah you have to do the song with me at the awards, Yeah, it's like showed up, showed up to my house and my broke knee yeah, yeah, yeah, and he.

Was like, all right, Jay, go through it. A couple of times. I am here. I just needed you to say.

You're gonna be fine. Yeah, like pick your breathing spots.

You're good, like.

No, Bro, Thank you though, yeah, thank you though. Because you are, I should save you under confirmation. There is no seriously, bro, your confirmation for a lot of things and a lot of people than you. And I'm sure you don't always hear that.

I think that's the first time.

Well you've heard it today on today like it, So y'all better call him the confirmation.

So I'm doing it.

That's what you are, man.

Thank you.

That's what you are for for so many of us, in so many If it's a song somebody plays you, if it's the vocal that they think they're about to go up there and sing for somebody, if you say it's good, we're rolling, that's what's up.

So thank you, bro, that's what's up.

Thank you. Anytime you already know.

Do you like the piano that he's playing.

It's pretty stingy, pretty.

He is.

He as terrible as you were in London.

He's playing like you don't hear me talking.

It's not anywhere near the terrible.

I was like, don't you agree?

Yah?

He ate.

Showing up? Okay, Dame Dame, he's a day.

Time as a top five.

Mm hmm your top five? Oh, your top five.

Top five?

I gotta find my white man beer.

Yes, I can't. Got Eric Talkin's top Heavy Talkinstopper, seas.

So Joe top top top five, Rick Taucus.

Who you like?

Who are you like? Who you like already?

Who you like?

Who?

Your top five? Your top five? Top God?

Oh man, Wow, that's definitely not to put that inn put that in five.

That's my bottom.

The bottom ships.

Your top five R and B.

Song have to wipe his.

Man, that was funny. You made me sweat. I'm on past it. Yeah, I got here my pastor rag just in case, Just in case.

My top five R and B songs.

Yes, m we're going songs that we're gonna singers. Which songs in their Yeah, we're going songs the first time because everybody else gotta go singers first.

But you got songs.

You a man of the songs.

Top five R and B songs.

Past, present, and future, whenever you went your world future mind your uh, I'll go ribbon in the sky. Mm hmm.

You gotta stay in my old, my old school bag, song for you that you.

Have the way, Yeah, mm hmm, earth winding Fire, after the love is gone.

You going there? Yeah, you're going there.

Oh my god, I gotta give these These are foundational, they are building blocks. They are cornerstones of all R and B today two more uh and this is probably it just had some sentimental value to me. Algebra after all, hm hmmm, after all. Yeah, I won't be the one. I don't be the one the hold you in my in my I just it's something about that record. It's nostalgic for me. So anytime I hear it, I literally

Ah my, hey yeah, hey, lift this off right now. Was she quite a cougar?

She was? She wasn't even she wasn't that much. She was probably she probably had me by like seven years, seven eight years, But I was. I was a teenager, So that's that's yeah, that's fine.

Yea, yeah, that's fine.

Did you have a car?

I did, but she did. As long as she did, you know.

She got more respected, you know, because guys had a car, come pick me up.

Yeah, I can do a guy. Yeah.

Yeah. For the world.

That the word for the world and everything.

You had a curl too, no, not to hang.

I had the curl on top of my commission days. It was curly on the top fade. Oh yeah, yeah, I was official. I got to see those photos. You got number five, number five, hm hmm. It's so hard because I love so many songs. But and and this this will be after preface this one. Get here if you can, Leader Adams.

Up ball.

That song is incredible.

I have a.

Story and she's not even the original one. Brenda Russell did that first. Alida covered it, but her version of it, just like Olida Adams called me her vocal mate.

Hmmm.

And it it changed. It changed my life to hear her say that to me, Like I did a song with her on this gospel record that she did called come and Walk with Me on the Water, And I'm singing on the song with her on her record and she called me her vocal mate. So yeah, wow. And I was a fan of verse from that Get here if you can, and so meeting her was one of those moments. But that song is it's another one that transports.

Like my daddy, take that.

Take that? Oh Joe mm hmm, love Joe, just clean.

Your kind of get mentioned enough.

Definitely Bestow.

When he go to the upper room too.

Oh it's lights out that he's singing in his natural naturally y.

Yeah. I was like, I was like, bro, are you really going to do right?

Are you going to do that tonight? He said, I gotta do it. Move like that.

That's it in full voice.

Bro.

Hate him?

Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, the real bad He's made it.

Man, listen you old man.

You're on my list. Thank you, brother, You're definitely on my list. Number five, she's not well, I mean, Brandy gotta be Brandy. I gotta put her in my top five.

It's Brandy as as as two young men who grew up in the church.

Is Brandy the closest thing to church?

And R and B for y'all, for y'all, no, no, because I feel like I'm gonna tell you who.

Okay, okay, okay, it's two of them. It's two fantasi for sure, and jazz them. Yep.

The closest thing to church, and it starts with Aretha Franklin. Definitely choice.

But there there today there descendants of their direct descendants of the Franklin.

They can do everything.

Because I feel like I feel like the church vocalists, the true church vocals. They always mentioned Brandy, She's always mentioned. Yeah, like even just in conversation, I forget our show, just in conversation that when when you start talking about the vocal that they will never.

Leave, say, Brandy is the RS.

She's the R and B version of Kim Barell.

Yeah, she started patting herself after Kim.

That's what she is.

So for anybody was listening to R and B, you had never heard Kim Barell before in your life, you didn't know where those patterns were coming from me, you know what I'm saying. So Brandy was where people were getting those undescribable, unrecognizable alien type patterns.

I heard Brandy before I heard Kim Barrell.

Yeah, okay, Brandy came out before I heard Kim Barrell, before I heard Kim Berrell trading. I heard Kimbrell first and then and then overlapped with Brandy, and I was like, so as I'm learning Kim Burrell learning how to do it down in that trinity, I'm looking at him like I'm like, oh, I said, you got it. I just listen to Brandy every day. Yeah, literally every definitely, yeah, I said, oh yeah. And then the production so the Crouches was on something. It was definitely on something was

What's over that?

Because it was one that was the scale was a little different the way she was singing against what he was playing.

So I didn't really I remember that was that was her my least all the funk on that album.

And some of the people and some of the peoples and fuzzy yeah arrest, so that thank.

You.

That was the old funk. When I talk about band work, it is still all of that.

I can see that.

Oh my god, it was her vocal mixed with that. Nobody was doing that.

So crazy, like if you hear her vocal on that, like when she's singing it live. I met Brandy when she was she was on tour Boys Men and Warren was playing. He was in the band, and he introduced me to Brandy. We were in Milwaukee. He was doing a play and here they were playing, like maybe two blocks away from where we were playing.

So I went over there.

D Lo was playing drums, Corne on bass, Dave forming on guitar.

This band was crazy.

They was done.

So took me over there.

And you know, Brandy, she's a she's a singer junkie, like she loves somebody that could sing. So one was like, it's my boy air DWK. It's like he sings and stuff, and he's in this play down the street. She was like, for real, sing something. You know, she's young, Brandy, like she's all getting She she says, sing something. I sang a song for you. When I tell you, Brandy almost busted my lip.

Running at me like, oh my god, you're so dumb.

So from that moment we became like really close, Like she gave me her number. We would call and call each other. And she came to Detroit doing the State Fair, and so I went and hung out with her and stuff. So I went took her to her hotel to get something, and as we were walking down the hall, she was like, I need to do something. I need some different stuff. Give me something to sing on on the baby, Baby Baby.

It's like so one of the verses.

Like come to my mind.

Something something like that, like to change up the way she sings. And I kept singing it over and over to her. So literally, every time I would see her singing that song, like when she was on TV, she would do that part. And she'll tell you to this day. Whenever she sings it, she does those little things that I gave her back in ninety four ninety five. You got a little you got a little intricate detailing. It's just a little thing. It's a little thing that's changing

If you want to R and B singer.

Basically, I mean I I I didn't want to. I didn't want to say it, but since you said I could, I was gonna pick somebody else. But I would absolutely have to be the vocal.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can have an ego sometimes.

Listen, I ain't nobody saying nothing.

I mean, I don't even I don't call it ego. I just I'm really confident in what I do.

I feel like everything I got versus the same, on a versus note fight. That man got that man got tone to that man got patience.

He can sing a verse, he can.

Sing a verse.

All you great singers, you see what my finger just did doing all the foolishness.

Can't get through the verse. You gotta be able to get through the verse.

Story.

Talk to the story. He knows what's about the story.

And he ain't gonna miss and if he do miss, he gonna bring it back around like.

We almost recover.

I wanted to tell him he missed.

I wanted to tell him.

You missed right there. You are human, human, Absolutely get take the vocal. You understand I'm gonna take it.

Uh.

Performance style, performance style on stage mm hmm.

Usher mm hmm.

Yeah, I should be getting usher cutting a rug any roller skate yeah you can?

Can you sing and rollerskate?

Never never tried it, but every time I see it, I'm.

Like, fool up there, roller skating singing like it's nothing.

Getting busy though, like it's regular like getting busy.

Yeah, yeah, USh is great usher styling the drip. Let I just put that on for you styling.

Hm, it's.

Probably I'm so not a suit and tie type guy, but somebody that's clean every time they perform its.

Neo lell be flying flying suits, he getting busy.

Getting I like.

I like the way he I mean, he's so confident about everything that he does when he's I think when he looks like that, it's like his hat, his brim is right, and the suit he does.

Is very fly. Yeah, it's very Vegas.

It's very Vegas. It's very shell. It's very shell.

I like that. The passion of the artist heart regret mm hmm, you sweat mm hmm, or shall I shout hold on a few people coming to mind? And I guess because of how I feel her when she sings, it's Jasmine Sullivan like mm hm, oh yeah. The passion she sings with like you. You believe she's gone through everything that she's singing every ounce of it.

Since she's no.

You still yeah, she's I believe everything she sings. I love that.

Vout Trump, Yeah, I love that. That is.

My vote. Try that sword.

My piano player gotta get got it, you know what I mean? My organ is in st quiet an organ.

But I'm nervous. I'm saying no names, lady, no names. I'm saying no name, say no name, but you did. Don't say she no name, saying no.

Saying so beautiful, don't you?

You got themes on for every segment that is amazing. This guy's great man. You just take that on the road. This guy's great man. Oh sho oh man.

You know what that leads to the You know that I ain't saying no names part of the show, the portion of the show, the portion you know where the story can be funny, are fucked up?

You know what I mean?

Are funny and fucked up?

You hear me?

Yeah?

And your and it can be from your gospel day, it can be from the R and B day.

You got days, you got days? Okay, you could be from the soundtrack day, you got days. Maybe you got days for days. You got days for days.

The only ruling I can't say no, I can't say, well, let me know when you're read.

They leave that story out.

Mm hmmm.

Said who you was? We she can't say that that what you did.

I can't say no that.

If I said, you don't know who it is, I mean anybody, I don't know what it's called.

You ain't say no, no, you put no face with the case, so.

Saying you can get it off.

Let me know when you're ready, you let me.

Thank you.

You're the proper introduction.

Okay, you're ready. It's just this just be a funny one, okay.

Okay, So right now, this is Eric Dawkins of Dawkins and Dawkins. You know what, his brother might not like the story he gonna tell because he ain't had to do with it, because we ain't saying no names. But it's still Eric Dawkins of Dawkins and Dawkins, the underdog himself, here to tell us an amazing story.

But he does not say anything. He doesn't Eric Dawkins anyone.

So I used to be a part of a group, a group of guys, and we had this little game that we would play. First of all, you don't never want to be the first one to walk in the building when the group of us is together, because ultimately somebody's going to yell something out and hide behind the corner. So, oh whatever they say, it's all you when you come in the building. And normally it's the lobby is full

I'm just playing and playing.

So that kind of stuff just out of the out of the blue, just say something the craziest thing you was say or do something. So this particular time, we're at a show and I ain't gonna say no names, but one person who kind of self proclaimed as the king of the game, uh, was leaning over a balcony you could see over into the lobby of the venue. Lobby was feeling up cause it was almost sheltered. So he's leaning over his balcony and if you look up you can see him. So he was kind of not

Why would you.

I ran back to the guys like I am truly the king of this game from this day. For he walks in the room like you got me, you have the crown. Now you are to this day Like if I mentioned it, I'm the reigning king of the game with guys, and.

So you have to embarrass them. I had to.

You have to embarrass the person. A couple of guys were put out. They they took themselves out of the game because it was getting too bad for super embarrassing. I think answer was the first person that took himself out of the game. Were so this, uh, this one person took themselves out of the game. This one, this one guy took himself out of the game because we're in Minneapolis and we go into this restaurant, a famous restaurant in Minneapolis, and he's hungry.

So he's trying to like get.

Off the bus, I'm ready to eat, opens the door and walks in and somebody yells, hey, y'all, I'm hungry. Like there happened to be two police officers right there and they turn around, look and literally had the hands on it. Like he said, Okay, I'm I'm done. I'm done with the game. Don't don't play that with me. The second one, which was funny, we had a rest stop somewhere on the turnpike, and the way to get over to the rest area that the like the store

The turtlehead man.

So he there's these two older white people that are coming towards us, so he's in a hurry. He walks through the door and somebody else move out my way.

I got a doodo.

These two old people literally stopped and man.

He got back on the bus. I'm out the game.

The idea was to swell somebody so bad that they get out the game. So I think I was the last one to actually do. I was the one to swell the person who I won't say what name it is, and that kind of ended the game for that where ended. I came out on top trumpet. Good job, Eric, I ended the game. Name starting it around here. Yo. It's really funny though, like you're doing right. You're just so anxious to go into a building and you didn't. You

Familia, familia.

We thank you, man, absolutely, thank you man. You You know I can't I can't say enough good things about you. I don't have one bad thing to say about you ever, not a one.

I love y'all.

Cast man, brother. This is the way the way I was raised. Yeah, yeah, folks, they did a really good job. Amazing, amazing job. It's so funny. I told him one time. It's when I was getting a little, a little bold and on my own.

I'm grown.

I called my mom and dads like, you know what, y'all did a hell of a job raising me. I said that to the to the bishop wife, and it's like, well, wow, okay, yeah, thank you. They didn't know I responded that, but I meant it just like that. That's how I had to tell them, because you know, I'm out here in Cali. I'm doing my thing. I ain't in trouble with with nobody.

Yeah no, And why while we're here, man, I want to I want to say thank you to both of y'all.

For two things.

One making me better singer, and y'all know I you know, I'm like, I'm not the singer singer like I sing because I have a gift and I love to sing, but I'm not like a singer singer.

But being so, I don't sing a lot. I don't. You'll never just catch me walking down the street singing. It's not me.

But being around y'all, working with y'all, it made me perfect my craft. It made me to work on my craft and even care about it to be like, you know, these niggas are so good.

I got it.

You know that's a chopping So I thank y'all for that one and two for singing at my father's funeral. You you speaking at the funeral, You know what I'm saying, and that like obviously you know most people be like Bro, we brothers, and but that's still a thing man, where it's like you have to sit back and truly appreciate it and say thank you because it really meant a lot to me and my family.

And I appreciate y'all more than more than Welcome bro.

And thank you for coming and doing the podcast with us, and you know, anointing us. You know what I mean, we probably selling cuss words on here because we didn't cuss when I was here.

But I don't do R and B.

You do R and B.

You with us, y'all know I can't. I kept it fully clean. Well, Ike was here, but you do R and B. So you know you know I bout a cus't gonna do it.

You save, you saved. My name is Valentine and this is the Army Money podcast. Their hold all things R and B.

And this has been our brother man.

This has been one of the most amazing human beings to emigrade the universe. Man. And and that's how I'm gonna leave me, mister Aaron Thumpers.

Yeah, your favorite singer.

Yeah, R and B Money.

R and B Money is a production of the Black Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show, and you can connect with us on social media at jy Valentine and at the Real Tank. For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com, forward Slash, R and B Money