Reggie Becton, an R&B singer-songwriter based mostly in LA, has steadily been making a reputation for himself within the R&B scene. This Maryland native has already made some large accomplishments in his profession similar to writing for Alex Vaughn, being in Apple Music’s “Artists We’ll Love” for 2 consecutive years and even promoting out his first headlining tour: HOM3 tour . With the sleek vocals and stable story-telling present in releases similar to ‘My Beanies Orange’ and ‘California’, he has given us hope for new-school R&B. We consider he shall be one of many main acts of R&B developing on this trade

Reggie simply launched his fourth mission ‘SADBOY VOL 1’ and is clearly transferring into a distinct chapter of his profession by the mission. Influences of Brandy, Prince, and Avant can all be discovered all through this mission, reminding us why we’re frequently impressed with how he’s experimenting within the R&B style. We talked to Reggie concerning the making of ‘SADBOY’, writing songs with Alex Vaughn, what he realized from being round Darkchild and Camper, and rather more.

YouKnowIGotSoul: We have been speculated to hyperlink some time in the past to your HOM3 tour, so I did my analysis on you again then. I wished to only contact on some issues from the previous earlier than we hop into your mission. I used to be testing your bio on Soundcloud, and it stated “Maryland native, discovered my sound in Philadelphia, and pursuing my dream in LA”. Give a short abstract of your journey going off of that assertion proper there, particularly about discovering your sound in Philly.

Reggie Becton: I’m from PG County Maryland, and that’s very expensive to me. I like being from that space. I feel that there’s a lot expertise there and I feel that our style in music folks from the DMV is so eclectic. I feel an enormous a part of it is because of Go-Go.I really feel like that’s the place I developed. Then I went to varsity in Philadelphia at Temple College. Once I was out in Temple, that’s once I first purchased some studio tools. I received a scholarship and I had extra money than I wanted that semester, in order that they despatched me the extra cash.I used to be like, all proper, I’m gonna purchase some studio tools. That was like the primary time I actually began recording and recording myself. That’s why I say I discovered my sound in Philly as a result of I feel that’s the place I like examined the waters musically, developed musically and issues like that. Now, I’m residing in LA and I’ve been right here for six years.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Like I stated, I used to be doing analysis some time in the past and one thing that basically caught out to me was you mentioning Trin-i-tee 5:7. I by no means heard anyone discuss them, and that’s one of many teams that I like. Why don’t you inform us somewhat bit about your inspirations? You possibly can discuss them if you’d like.

Reggie Becton: I feel they’re simply a part of my musical sonic improvement. My mother liked Trin-i-tee 5:7, so once I was a child, it was their albums and the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. That’s who my mother was listening to. Once I could be with my dad, we might take heed to Ike and Tina Turner, Scarface and a whole lot of Keith Sweat. I feel that’s the place I bought that facet of issues. My sister was rising up within the 90s, so she was listening to a whole lot of Brandy, Future’s Baby and issues like that. All these sounds sort of all the time impressed me to only actually fall in love with R&B and music on the whole. As I began to progress, l began to take heed to Tank and Avant. I simply thought their voices and their tones have been cool to listen to as a person rising up listening to R&B. Once I began recording, I’d all the time confer with their data and attempt to emulate them, particularly Avant. Emulating Avant’s tone is one thing that I all the time am making an attempt as a result of I feel he has simply the most effective tones. Brandy and Prince, they’re each large inspirations too. They’re folks that I discovered afterward in life. I all the time knew about Brandy and Prince in fact, however I did deep dives in each of their discographies and that’s once I actually fell in love. After which Marvin Homosexual rounds out my prime 5 inspirations with him simply being a terrific singer as he’s. He’s additionally from DC which is sort of a hometown hero in a means, in order that’s an enormous inspiration as nicely.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Let’s truly hop into your mission SADBOY VOL 1. Examine California and SADBOY VOL 1 sonically as a result of to me they’re completely different. Did you consciously make that call to return in somewhat bit completely different for this mission?

Reggie Becton: Being a Prince fan, there’s all the time been a sophistication to his music and he all the time skilled his viewers to by no means get used to at least one factor, so once I go in and create tasks, I sort of take that strategy as nicely. California sounds nothing like SADBOY however California sounds nothing like My Beanies Orange, and My Beanies Orange sounds nothing like Thank You For Listening. I all the time purposely attempt to change it up with each mission, with each new period in a means. I attempt to prepare my followers to by no means actually anticipate the anticipated, like all the time be open to understanding the sonic identification or the sonic playground I need to play in throughout that mission.

YouKnowIGotSoul: You touched in your inspirations, however have been you listening to particular folks while you made this mission?

Reggie Becton: Yeah, I listened to a whole lot of JMSN. He’s one in every of my favourite singers at this time. He has a terrific style in soul. I listened to a whole lot of Marvin and Prince, two nice inspirations, on this mission. Jazmine Sullivan, simply listening to “Heaux Tales” and the way she crafted songs lyrically was additionally an enormous inspiration. I’d say these are about it.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Was there a sure objective or which means behind SADBOY? Or was it a set of songs extra so?

Reggie Becton: There positively was a which means. I feel on the whole, the which means was to create songs that redefine unhappiness and sort of showcase how unhappiness seems otherwise in your life at completely different instances, and that unhappiness is just not essentially a nasty factor. It’s one thing all of us really feel and it’s one thing that all of us expertise and I feel we typically run away from. There’s sure feelings we decide, we put damaging connotations on and I simply wished to sort of redefine this time period of unhappiness. Some followers will come as much as me and say, “Your music is admittedly unhappy” or folks shall be like, “You make heartbreak music” and issues like that. I wished to sort of play into that concept of this unhappy music factor and name the mission SADBOY,

YouKnowIGotSoul: Let’s hop into a couple of of the songs off the mission. Inform me your inspiration behind it, your course of, who you labored with, no matter you need to discuss. Let’s begin out with “SWAY”.

Reggie Becton: “SWAY” is one in every of my favorites off the mission. I inform folks on a regular basis, I want all my songs might sound like “SWAY”. I feel it’s one of many songs that represents the sonic identification of SADBOY. Once I was working with producers for this mission, I’d inform them all the pieces has to have a bounce to it. I had come from off a tour and I noticed how a lot music strikes folks and the way mid tempos while you’re a brand new artist didn’t actually get folks transferring, however in case you had a pleasant beat folks could be extra into it. I used to be listening to that Writing’s On The Wall Future’s Baby album, all these songs had a superb bounce to them. In order that was a requirement for all of the songs [ on SADBOY].
With Sway, I used to be like I wanna do extra rock Infused music. I wanna be extra soulful. I wanna be extra experimental. Me and Aiden who produced it, we began to craft it out in his studio collectively. We actually fell in love with that pattern of the keys. That organ pattern sounds chilling and haunting. The phrase sway simply saved coming as much as me whereas we have been creating the beat for that music. And I’m like, okay, sway feels like a cool title, however what do I write about in “SWAY”?. I wished the primary verse to sort of be tremendous ambiguous so that you didn’t know what I used to be speaking about. Then by the refrain, actually explode and simply preserve the power excessive. Shout out to Ja as a result of he helped produce the music. He did the drums on that. He sped it up, he did a whole lot of these superb tunings that made the music much more particular.

YouKnowIGotSoul: It’s such a singular music man. It’s positively a mix of all the pieces we sort of talked about, you already know? Inform me somewhat bit about “LIFE”

Reggie Becton: I used to be listening to California the opposite day and I like how rather more mature a number of the material is … I wouldn’t even say mature, however I feel with California I used to be going by loads and I wished to put in writing music about what was occurring in my life on the time. With SADBOY it’s about what was occurring in my life, nevertheless it’s much more enjoyable. I really feel like I had much more enjoyable creating this mission. On the time interval I used to be having enjoyable in all areas of life and I like how rather more sensual the songs on SADBOY sound in comparison with California.
I feel with “LIFE” it’s like such a sensual document, nevertheless it’s additionally such a loving document and calming document in a means. It simply feels good when you’re listening to it. I actually wished to create a music that expressed the way it feels to love get some good love and get some good love one time and need it for the remainder of your life. In order that’s sort of how the way of living got here to be. I began it on my guitar.I’ve these chords that I simply love. I play somewhat little bit of guitar, I’m no John Mayor or Jimmi Hendrix, however I play sufficient to get by. There’s one chord that I simply love. Um, and I like will craft like new sauce set identical chord. And life was a type of songs that I crafted to that chord. And my producers are like, no, like, we gotta discover one thing else. So as soon as they modified it they usually added manufacturing, the music that I initially wrote didn’t make sense over it. So we sort of gave it a full renovational rehaul, and that’s how “LIFE” got here to be.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Effectively, it’s positively meant to be the way in which it got here out then. The final music and first music actually caught out to me. So discuss “LETTIN’ GO” somewhat bit, after which we’ll hop into the primary music.

Reggie Becton: Such as you stated, the primary and final music, they’re each standouts in a means. I feel with “LETTIN’ GO” we was within the studio like “let’s take advantage of lovely breakup music ever”. Shout out to Ariana Wong and Ja, who helped me additionally write that one. I feel it’s cool as a result of it leaves the mission on a excessive notice. It’s a tragic music, nevertheless it will depend on how you’re taking it. If you happen to’re actually listening to the lyrics, then it positively feels unhappy. However in case you simply take heed to the beat, it appears like a sunny day in California driving all the way down to the seaside, you already know? However the topic and the lyrics we have been speaking about is hella unhappy. You’re speaking about seeing somebody for the final time and I simply love the juxtaposition in music and the juxtaposition in life. So we actually simply wished to create one thing that felt like a mature breakup. Like we each perceive we will’t proceed down this street, so let’s half methods in a very copacetic means.

YouKnowIGotSoul: I feel, such as you stated, letting go. It sort of simply exhibits what this mission is in my eyes, when it comes to the juxtaposition. , I feel that’s the proper music to sort of simply actually, that captures that and yeah. Inform me somewhat bit concerning the first music on the mission, “SADBOY”

Reggie Becton: To me it’s the music that represented the sonic identification probably the most, like R&B in Gotham Metropolis. I really feel like that music, you already know, feels just like the Joker origin story. It appears like the start of a movie. Whereas I used to be creating this mission, I used to be closely impressed by movies like The Darkish Knight and Kill Invoice, and simply how music performed a component in these movies to essentially create an expertise and to essentially set a temper. With the songs that we created for SADBOY, I actually wished to verify the temper of all of them and the sensation of all of them was captured and felt as you listened to it. I feel with that music, it simply appears like a theme music. It appears like a music that overencompasses all of my experiences in love and simply why I’m the way in which I’m. It feels just like the introduction of a personality, and it’s the introduction of SADBOY and the world he’s been residing in.

YouKnowIGotSoul: I like that idea and all the pieces. I gotta ask now, cuz I do know that is quantity one, is there quantity two coming?

Reggie Becton: There’s a quantity two coming. Quantity two is tentatively coming within the fall. I’m tremendous enthusiastic about it. We’ve created a number of the songs in the course of the SADBOY periods, so I’m excited to return in and begin to take heed to them to see what we construction the remaining as.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Superior. I don’t know in case you might say something about it, however is it related sonically as this mission?

Reggie Becton: I’d say sonically it’s related. There’s the bounce factor. I do know that I need it to be a bit brighter and rather less Gotham Metropolis-ish for “SADBOY VOL 2”. However, who is aware of? I all the time really feel like I’ll discover my tasks whereas I’m recording them. I’m deliberately going into the studio to get one thing brighter or some extra motion, some extra groove. However, some days I get up like, “yeah, I don’t suppose I’m completed” you already know? In my darkish period, I’m not completed but. So it simply all relies upon how I really feel that day.

YouKnowIGotSoul: I’m trying ahead to that. How was that have writing for Alex Vaugn and the way did it occur? Additionally, what did you be taught from being round Darkchild?

Reggie Becton: Working with Alex was nice. We’re each from the identical metropolis, so we each perceive one another very nicely. We truly met on the set of my “Points” video. She got here on set of that and we met by a pal named KV. That’s the primary time we met in particular person and we sort of simply saved in contact from that and our relationship continued to develop. Then I bought a name to go write some songs for her in Florida with Rodney Jerkins. I used to be tremendous excited to go and I hopped on a airplane. Me and Alex simply bought to cut it up loads throughout that point. After that, we went in and me and Boche, who helped me write “So Be It” and a number of the different songs, we simply began knocking songs out. Alex has a lot expertise that she makes it simple. Such as you stated, there’s a whole lot of artists that’s not intentional as of late. I felt like being within the studio together with her. I used to be like being within the studio with my reflection in a means, cuz she was so intentional. She cared about each line she labored on. She cared about each line she sang. There have been sure traces that we might write and she or he could be like, no, that’s probably not me. She would change it and it might be so significantly better. She’s all the way down to take dangers. She’s not inflexible in any means, and she or he’s a candy particular person on the whole.
So, I used to be tremendous completely satisfied that I bought that chance after which when it was like Rodney Jerkins was connected to it, it is a no-brainer. Like he produced Full Moon, which is my favourite R&B album, and I actually bought to sit down within the studio with him for every week and simply absorb a lot data, recreation and strategies. It was simply cool to see how he’s nonetheless a pupil of the sport and he’s nonetheless embracing all the brand new acts. He’s on Sza’s album, like, he’s embracing all people. He’s only a champion of expertise and lover of music on the whole. He understands drill, he understands R&B of the 90s, however he additionally understands what R&B is at this time and he embraces all of it. I feel that it was so cool to see somebody who’s about 20, 30 years into their profession and nonetheless be all the way down to take heed to the brand new music of at this time’s time and never decide it in a damaging means.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Completely. I imply, I feel that’s why he’s nonetheless related at this time.

Reggie Becton: No , actually. I forgot to deliver my By no means Say By no means album to get him to signal it, however I texted him after the session. I used to be like “Yo, I want you to signal it”. He was like, “I bought you, subsequent time I see you.”

YouKnowIGotSoul: I used to be gonna ask you your favourite Brandy songs later, however in case you wanna discuss By no means Say By no means, man, we will discuss that album.

Reggie Becton: I feel all Brandy albums are masterclasses on all the pieces R&B. If you happen to’re a producer, just like the manufacturing on there may be gentle years forward of the s*** that’s been made at this time. When you concentrate on her vocals, harmonies, background preparations and stacking its like gentle years forward of all the pieces at this time. I feel songs like Angel in Disguise, like how do you consider one thing like that? Once you take heed to a music like “Streets”, on the finish of it, it’s like “calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me”, That could be a tremendous rip off of Brandy when she does it on the finish of her music [ “Learn The Hard Way”]. I used to be like this simply matches completely. In order that was one which Streets was closely impressed by. My favourite music from By no means Say By no means is “put that on all the pieces”. That’s like my prime three, in all probability a prime two Brandy music for me in life on the whole. Every thing works in that music so nicely collectively. Even “E.T.G.M.E” on California, there are a number of the identical manufacturing parts that’s present in “put that on all the pieces”. That’s so particularly finished cuz in “E.T.G.M.E” s the primary music I ever produced myself. I had these loops despatched to me and all these recordsdata, it was like a Darkchild loops and sounds he makes use of. And I used to be like, “oh, if I’m gonna produce a document, I’m positively going into the Darkchild bag.”

YouKnowIGotSoul: No, completely. You truly took the query that I wished to ask and answered it completely. We will discuss Brandy all day, so let’s return to you. I do know you labored with Camper throughout that point too, did you be taught something from him?

Reggie Becton: Working with Camper was nice. He’s tremendous cool. I wanna say he’s like from Atlantic Metropolis, he’s from the East coast so he’s simply tremendous all the way down to earth. The best factor about working with Camper was he has a expertise of constructing all people snug. I don’t know if he deliberately does it, nevertheless it’s simply an power that surrounds him or aura round him, it’s only a very snug setting to be in and the work out of. The factor I liked about working with him was how encouraging he was of Alex and me on the identical time. However, actually with Alex and supporting her imaginative and prescient and the way affected person he was together with her writing. Once more, she’s very intentional about what she needs to say, so she needs to consider it. She needs to resolve on it’s simply the fitting technique to say these items. I feel that was the good factor to look at him be affected person as a result of typically, a whole lot of instances you may go within the studio and you’ll be writing songs and producers could make you’re feeling a bit rushed or that you just’re taking too lengthy as a result of like, you already know, some folks document sooner. I do know even with me typically I’m within the studio and I’m actually going backwards and forwards for 20 minutes over one line as a result of it’s that necessary to me.
He simply actually took his time with all of the songs we created and he was simply cool. He’s a ball of power. In order that was cool to see. Seeing him work in particular person, I didn’t perceive the magnitude of a piano participant he was. His piano chops are phenomenal and he has nice like musicality and selection route. If you happen to take heed to the top of “Demon Time” and the way it switches to that piano part, it’s simply genius.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Any extra objectives for this 12 months?

Reggie Becton: Placing SADBOY out is a precedence and ensuring that it comes out efficiently in Could. We’ll in all probability do some touring and a few spot dates, we nonetheless bought that New York present to make up. We now have a SADBOY quick collection coming in the summertime. It’ll be seven episodes all impressed by the music of SADBOY . Every episode options one of many songs and is predicated and centered across the music. I’m enthusiastic about that as a result of it’s one thing I created with my director, Chris Felix, and I bought to behave in it. I additionally bought to deliver the music to life. Going again to capturing feeling and being as closely impressed by cinema and television, we wished to create a visible identification for the world that SADBOY lives in, let folks expertise the music that means. It’s coming in the summertime for seven weeks, so I feel that’ll be a very cool factor. After which, I’ll begin recording SADBOY VOL 2, which I’m tremendous enthusiastic about. We recorded some songs that I actually f****ing love proper now. Then it’ll in all probability come out within the and we’ll in all probability tour afterward within the fall. So all thrilling issues, however like that’s loads the place my schedule is for now. Who is aware of what might occur although?

YouKnowIGotSoul: I’m trying ahead to all of that. Particularly that seven week film principally that’s coming.

Reggie Becton: Yeah, it’s like a brief movie, however we simply wished to interrupt it up in episodes. I’m an enormous fan of TV and like binge watching issues, so I’m like, let’s break it up into seven episodes after which it offers us seven weeks in the summertime persistently to be dropping a bit of visible content material I feel folks would actually take pleasure in.

YouKnowIGotSoul: My final query earlier than speedy questions, are you continue to working a 9 to 5?

Reggie Becton: Sure. I’m nonetheless working the 9 to 5, which retains me very drained to be fully sincere. It’s not one thing I assumed I’d be working this lengthy, nevertheless it actually helps in the case of funding various things and artistic endeavors that I need to do. So I’m tremendous grateful that I’ve it.

YouKnowIGotSoul: How do you stability that life? Do you have got any recommendation for artists making an attempt to try this?

Reggie Becton: There’s a whole lot of no sleep, so it’s getting used to determining perform off of three to 4 hours of sleep day by day.
It’s a real expertise of mine. I feel it’s nice as a result of like with the ability to have your personal cash to spend money on your personal profession is nice. Like, you already know, you will get a deal, you will get all these various things, you will get an investor, however let’s say you need to create a video collection and the investor doesn’t need to pay for it. No less than you have got your personal cash to say, “okay, I pays for it and fund my very own alternative”. So I feel that’s one of many cool facets of it. I feel one other means I handle it’s, I don’t take holidays. All my trip time or paid break day goes to music. So it’s like making an attempt to make use of music because the enjoyable a part of your life, cus’ that is your pastime. Particularly while you’re early on, prefer it’s tremendous your pastime. Proper now it doesn’t really feel like a pastime for me anymore. I’m nonetheless in a spot of making an attempt to determine if that could be a unhealthy or good factor. However you already know, I take advantage of all my trip time if there’s a tour developing. That’s once I go on trip after which I’ll tour. Then I’ll attempt to have two or three days on the finish of that trip interval only for myself to sort of have some area between each issues that I’m engaged on. I take advantage of a whole lot of sick break day too. Take psychological well being days once I’m actually drained typically and use sick days for these days, so it’s a whole lot of finesse. It’s a whole lot of making an attempt to determine the stability of all of it. A number of sleepless nights and simply getting used to being drained. I’ve been working for like seven years as I’ve been making this music factor. Now I’m lastly at a spot the place I’m like, alright, I might depart the job and be fairly good, however I don’t wanna depart simply but. I need to give it somewhat bit extra time. I all the time advised myself I would go away when it was simply inconceivable to do each and proper now it’s not, it hasn’t grow to be inconceivable. It’s grow to be loads more durable. It turns into a lot more durable to the purpose the place like, now I’m actually prioritizing my relaxation. I’m simply determining stability all issues now, on the whole.

Speedy Questions (Verify Video For Full Solutions)

Favourite album?
Full Moon – Brandy
Love Symbols – Prince
My Lovely Darkish Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
Voyage to India- India Arie

Favourite Tune proper now?
“Crocs” – Jordan Ward
“Sailor Moon” – LAYA
“Push Begin” – French Montana & Coi Leray

Favourite Tune Off Of Full Moon?
Tracks 2 – 12 ( “When You Contact Me” , “I Thought” …)

An album you would like you have been featured on?
Anti – Rihanna

A music you would like you wrote?
“In The Air” – Destin Conrad

Dream collab?
PJ Morton, Brandy, Avant, Goldlink

Favourite music off of SADBOY VOL 1 ?
“SELF CONTROL” – Reggie Becton

PHOTO CREDIT: @DAKMPA