For any artist coming into the industry, getting a well-known name to see in you what you see in yourself is a difficult task to complete. Very seldom will you find an artist receive the credibility that they truly deserve if there isn’t a respectable and credible co-sign behind their name. Any fan can call an artist’s work great, but if it isn’t noticed by those who already have clout in the industry, the ladder to the top becomes more difficult to climb.
One artist who has conquered the task of having a reputable source to back up his talent is buzz-worthy singer/songwriter, Adrian Marcel. Backed by one of R&B’s most talented and inspirational legends, Raphael Saadiq, Marcel has started on the path to becoming one of the best sounding voices to grace the new generation of R&B.
Taking time out of his tedious schedule to speak with us, ThisIsRnB caught up with the emerging star to discuss how he linked up with Raphael Saadiq, his music and style, and what’s up next for his fans.
Get into the interview below:
How has it been working with Raphael Saadiq?
Oh man, he’s a legend so it’s definitely a blessing to work with someone like Raphael. He’s a musical genius and not to mention, he’s from my hometown – not just my hometown, but he’s from my same neighborhood. It’s kind of like a full circle type of thing. You grow up on his music and Tony! Toni! Tone!’s music and to be working with him so closely now, I’ve built that bond with him, so that’s just a full circle type thing. It’s definitely a blessing and I’ve learned so much from him. I’m just a sponge – I’m soaking it all up. It’s just keeping me on my toes and on my p’s and q’s. You know, I always say that the hardest thing to do is to try to get information out of someone who doesn’t want to give it to you. But Ray, he’s just an all around great dude.
How did you end up linking up with him?
My managers. They had been doing some business with him and they played my music for him. After he heard it, he flew me out to L.A. and we sat and chopped it up and just talked. That’s when we found out we were from the same neighborhood and everything, and our views were the same. We really just have a huge love for our city and respect for our city and it was instant chemistry. From that point on, we just started making music and the rest is ‘7 Days of Weak.’
Was there any advice that he gave you that you are taking with you going into the industry?
Absolutely. Me and Ray are always talking. I’m actually in L.A. right now and that’s who I’m with most of the time. One of the biggest things that he’s said to me is just to stay humble. Don’t try to stunt on anyone, don’t make it about anyone – do it for the love. You don’t have to take every opportunity because maybe every opportunity isn’t a great opportunity for you. It has to make sense for you. Even though I’m a new artist, I shouldn’t take everything and I shouldn’t settle for less or settle for just anything because you have to know your talent and believe in yourself and learn. You have to let your work ethic speak for itself. I mean, it’s so much that we talk about that, it’s almost like every word is golden. It’s almost like he doesn’t speak without it being important, you know? [laughs]
Definitely understood. Let’s talk about ‘7 Days of Weak.’ What was your thought process behind creating it and each song you put on there? It seems like they all tell a small story.
Absolutely, absolutely. I mean any project that I do, I want it to be some kind of story line. I like to think of my music as stories and me, myself as the storyteller. So, when we were recording all of the music, we didn’t really have the intent to have one sole project; we were just recording like “within these two months, we need to knock out 30 and then do another 30.” So you know, that was always our game plan. We were just recording and recording and feeding new material – kind of like a rapper type of mentality almost. I think that with all the songs, I just wanted to do a project that was full of emotion, but raw emotion though, I wanted it to be relatable. I didn’t want people to have to think too hard on it because it’s being the first offering from Adrian Marcel. I didn’t want it to just go over people’s head or feed ‘em with too much music. It was all about picking the right songs to help form the perfect suit. Even with the interludes and the voicemails, I feel like that was just the sugar & spice on top of it to create the whole project. With the songs like “Caught Up,” I felt like we had to have something on there that wasn’t just like I’m the victim because I mean I haven’t always been the victim. All of my music is very real and very honest. All of my stories are something that I’ve been through or someone close to me has been through. So you know, I try to just keep it as honest as I can, but I wanted to have something on there that shows the other side to me and my life and all things. All of them really just play an honest role in who Adrian Marcel really is. Like, I love love. I love relationships. I love the thought of love. So, it’s a little different now for a male artist to be coming out revealing stories of his pain and his love and his ability and things like that. I wear my emotions on my sleeve, so I wanted that to show through with this project and I feel that it did exactly what it was supposed to and people kind of appreciate what went into it in my opinion.
I think it was a very good compilation of sounds. One of my favorite tracks off of it is the song, “I’m Still.” When you created that song, was there something that prompted you to write it?
Thank you, I really appreciate it. “I’m Still” is dear to me because it was the first song where we first learned that we could make a song and be completely honest. Out of all the songs you write, you try to keep as much honesty in there, but at the end of the day, you have to have some type of based on a true story type of thing or some type of fiction to it. It has to have something that takes people on a rollercoaster and maybe sometimes I flip it where it’s something that I wanted to happen or I flip it to where it’s something that should’ve happened or something like that. With “I’m Still”, it was the first song that was literally to the point. This is exactly what I went through. You know at the time, I had just moved to Atlanta – I was 6 months in, living in the basement, grinding it out and just recording and recording. It was like a boot camp and I just wrote all of my feelings down. That record really surprised me because I wasn’t really focused on “I’m Still” and we kind of just decided to do a video one morning and it kind of did it’s own thing and made it’s own little stamp. It’s definitely one of my favorites on the mixtape, but I definitely didn’t expect it to do what it’s doing.
You said it’s one of your favorites on the mixtape, but do you have a favorite song from this project?
That’s so hard. Every song brings back some kind of memory or some kind of feeling to me. Each song is like a smell – like when you can relate a smell to a memory. That’s how it kind of is when I hear music. So, they’re all dear to me. I think my favorite would have to be “My Life” because like I said, a lot of my music is about heartache and pain and I do play the victim a lot. I think that’s because it was an emotional time in my life that I went through that stuff and I think with “My Life” it was the most highest love that I had been through. I mean everyone can relate to having someone that holds them down or having someone that’s in their corner at any time and all the time. I just wanted to create something that could make people feel like they could fall in love again – it’s just the perfect song for that. I want my music to make you feel like you can go back down memory lane and “My Life” was just one of those ones that I knew it would touch people from jump because of the way it touched me.
Great way to put that. Speaking of love, are you currently in love now?
You know, it’s one of those things like, the good one got away. I wasn’t ready. In my love songs, the ones that are more about happy times, it is about certain people or a certain person. It’s just always that one that got away. Being a guy, we’re usually the one always doing the dumb stuff. I’m young so I’m just trying to focus on the music, but there was definitely somebody that I was in love with. But right now, it’s just the music.
Yeah, we always seem to lose that good one. Sometimes we get them back and sometimes we’re not so lucky.
Exactly. But if it’s meant to be, they’ll come back and if not, well that’s just what it is. But with that person, we’re still very good friends. You kind of feel like you could have done something better, but things went exactly the way they were supposed to go.
As unfortunate as that sounds, it’s very true. Switching gears to your track “Killa” which features Richie Rich and 8Ball, how was that working with 8Ball?
It was super dope. One thing about me, I love R&B – Rhythm and Blues is my thing. But I love all different genres of music and Rap is really some of the music that really catches me sometimes. You know, I’m from Oakland, so I still get turnt up [laughs]. You know, we like to have a good time. But I’ve always been a big fan of 8Ball. What I really wanted to do with “Killa” is – of course you know the sample from the Luniz is a stamp in Oakland, it’s like a theme song – so I definitely wanted to bring that back and pay homage to my city because I love my city. That’s who I do it for. I wanted to bring life back into Oakland. That’s where I learned the game from and that’s where I grew up at. I also wanted to have a certain feel of Atlanta as well because that’s where I had to go to get to the next level and evolve and utterly, get the deal. So, I feel like those two places are huge places in my life and most important in my life. To have Richie Rich on there, that was like the Oakland stamp and to have 8Ball on there, that was kind of like the Atlanta thing.
How would you say you differ from some of the veteran or up and coming artists that are out now?
I think I set myself apart by just the stories that I tell and I think the emotion that’s given in the stories that I tell. When I’m recording or performing live, whatever it could be, I have to give you my all – that’s exactly who I am. In my recordings, I think a lot of people like my fans who talk to me and let me know how they feel about the music, one of the things that comes up the most is that they love the intensity and the emotion in the songs that I’m singing. I work hard for that. I grew up listening to different artists like Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Prince and all of that and every one of those artists, when you listen to them sing it’s like there’s no way you don’t believe them. I feel like music – first of all, everybody in R&B has been holding it down. From Miguel, Frank Ocean, Chris Brown, Trey Songz…they’ve all been holding it down and definitely doing something for R&B. I feel like me personally, what I fell in love with when it comes to Rhythm and Blues, it was the blues side of it – you know, the heartbreak. There’s a lot of up-temponess right now, there’s a lot of talk about the club and the women and drinking and that’s cool, but that’s just not what I do every day. That’s not my every day lifestyle. I try to find a way to just separate myself without going above and beyond. You know, sometimes when you try to do too much to be different, then it’s just too different – it’s too left. I feel like if I just make my music simple enough for people to be able to connect quickly, then I’ll make it emotional enough for them to relate quickly.
Who would you say some of your influences have been over the years when it comes to your sound and wanting to dive into the R&B genre?
I’m an old school type of guy – I have an old soul. I grew up on Marvin Gaye and Frankie Lyman, Jackie Wilson, Maxwell, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway…just great vocalists. Even nowadays, I pulled some of my inspiration from Usher and the Ginuwine’s…more of my generation. Just great vocalists. Any artists that I feel lays it all on the line. What I love about music is that it impacts everybody. Music is apart of everybody’s life. You know, I just love an artist that gives it all every time. Artists like Marvin Gaye and artists like Maxwell…all of them put so much emotion into their music so for me, I feel like it’s only fair that I do the same since I have the opportunity to touch people the way they did. I feel like I owe it to my fans and anybody who supports me to give them exactly what I look for as a supporter and as a fan.
I think you’re doing a very good job at doing that. I know you opened up for Kelly Rowland and The-Dream on the Lights Out tour. How was that experience?
Oh my gosh, that was a super blessing. I mean number one, you have to love Kelly Rowland. I mean she’s beautiful; she’s gorgeous, so humble and sweet. And then The-Dream – one of the best male writers of my time – you have two Grammy-award winning artists and I get to open for them. That’s just a blessing for any new artist to come out on a tour such as that. I mean they’re both really cool. The-Dream is a super dope dude and just watching him and the way he works, I think it’s crazy. Even with Kelly, she goes so hard and she’s such a sweet person. She’s down to earth and there’s no Hollywood involved with her. She’s just very sweet. From the time I came on the tour, she was very open and talking with me and helping me get comfortable with every thing. So, you know, everybody was really cool. I had a great time and I was sad when it got cut short.
If you had the opportunity to work with any artist, who would it be and why?
I’d have to go back; I’d have to go old school. It would have to be like Marvin. I would love to be in studio with Marvin and just hear his project. You know, it’s one thing for people tell you how people did their thing, but to be in there and witness it – that’s something totally different. As a new artist, I feel like I have to grow into making those relationships and classics with different people. You know for me, there really is no rush. I’ve really just been trying to get people to understand and appreciate who I am as an artist myself before I involve too many other people. I want people to fully be aware of who I am and things like that and like I said, I have that time to work with people. I know whatever’s meant is going to happen. I feel I got here by just following God’s planning and just going with it and staying prayed up and humble and working hard. Out of all the people I have worked with so far, it was easy and it wasn’t forced or it wasn’t too much. I like things to happen naturally like they’re supposed to – just naturally and organically. So, whoever comes around and has the same passion that I do for their music, I’m down to work with them.
I know you released 7 Days of Weak back in April, so what are your plans for your next mixtape or album and when can we expect it?
We’re actually dropping the next mixtape at the end of this month. It’s definitely part two to 7 Days of Weak – it’s an extension. I don’t like people to feel like they just got shot a story and then got something totally new. 7 Days of Weak is great and it surprised me. It’s overwhelming just all the great responses we got and all the great feedback we’ve gotten on it and the way people felt about it. As I look at the comment and the stuff people are saying about it, it just seems like people immediately got close to an artist and learned a new artist instead of it moving so slow. That’s why I kind of put it out for free – I wanted to give a free offering. It’s great quality music so people could start getting accustomed to me. With this mixtape, it’s the same thing. We wanted to put it out for free so that people could know that if they could get this and get it for free, you can be sure that you’re going to get something even greater and even better that you’re going to have to pay for. I think that people are going to get more in depth of who A.M. actually is and my story. Of course, we’ve been working on an album, but I’ve been so focused on these two mixtapes that I haven’t really had the time to go there yet. But trust me, that album is going to be something to remember, I’m sure. Until then, the next mixtape I think people are going to enjoy it and really going to appreciate it even more than 7 Days of Weak.
I’m definitely looking forward to the upcoming mixtape and album. Are there any albums that you’re looking forward to hearing this year?
Kelly Rowalnd, Talk A Good Game – it’s a great album. Um, Wale’s album is super dope. I love that album – it’s super crazy. I’m so out of touch sometimes with what’s going on and I have to catch up. You just caught me at a time that I don’t even know what’s coming out. Maybe this was meant for us to talk – now I’m gonna start looking up new music and see what’s coming out [laughs].
With your past mixtape and the upcoming one, what do you want fans to take away from it?
I feel like right now I’m still in the stages of everyone truly getting to know me. I don’t want to rush out of that yet. I don’t want to jump too far from that and lose anyone. I feel like my fan base and my supporters are just so awesome and it’s just building everyday. Every day it’s just someone new and just connecting with it and getting something out of it. Everything that’s happened in my career has just been step by step, it hasn’t been this and then something all the way over there. It’s just been step by step by step and I appreciate that. It’s more organic and it’s stands more for longevity in my opinion. All of the artists that I’ve seen and the way that they’ve done it…I’m just excited that I’ve been given that kind of chance for people to give it a chance and believe in it the way they do and I don’t want to lose that yet. I just want to give people what they know and what they love right now – that’s the realness, the rawness and just in-depth vivid stories that people can take away from.
–Interview by Ni’Kesia Pannell
If you haven’t heard it yet, check out Adrian’s debut mixtape ‘7 Days of Weak‘ here.
