Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture
Welcome to "Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture," where we delve into the essence of branding beyond the surface sheen. A brand is more than just a logo or a slogan; it's a reflection of identity, values, and reputation that resonates within our cultural landscape. Enjoy as we peel back the layers to uncover the raw, authentic stories behind the people and products that shape our world.
This isn't your average corporate podcast. Join Tom Frank, partner and chief creative officer at Merrick Creative, Mickey Factz, Hip Hop Artist and Founder and CEO of Pendulum Ink, and Jeffrey Sledge, a seasoned music industry veteran, for "Unglossy" as they get to the heart of what truly drives individual and organizational brand . In a world where where image is carefully curated and narratives meticulously crafted, we're here to explore the moments of vulnerability, pivotal decisions, and creative sparks that fuel the relationship between brand and culture.
Get ready for a thought-provoking journey into the heart and soul of branding – the unscripted, unfiltered, and truly Unglossy truth. Tune in to "Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @UnglossyPod and join the conversation.
Unglossy is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios. Let your story take the mic. Learn more at https://merrick-studios.com
Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture
KJ Rose: Part 1 – Insights from the Stage
Join us as we explore the incredible journey of Kianna Henson, aka KJ Rose. From her roots in Southside Chicago to her academic achievements at Florida A&M, KJ's story is one of passion, perseverance, and profound success. You'll hear firsthand about her early days overcoming stage fright and then balancing a corporate job with session artist gigs and finally her evolution into a sought-after performance coach.
She has worked with massive stars like Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake, major brands such as Doritos, Adidas, and Amazon, and has an exciting newly published book, "The Rose Effect: Eight Steps to Delivering the Performance of your Life."
KJ’s storytelling is both inspiring and educational, offering valuable lessons from her experiences with industry giants such as Clive Davis. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for aspiring artists and anyone curious about the world behind superstar performances. Buckle up for a vibrant, energetic, and deeply inspiring conversation with KJ Rose.
"Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture," is produced and distributed by Merrick Creative and hosted by Merrick Chief Creative Officer, Tom Frank, hip hop artist and founder of Pendulum Ink, Mickey Factz, and music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to hear this thought-provoking discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @UnglossyPod to join the conversation and support the show at https://unglossypod.buzzsprout.com/.
Welcome to the "All About M.E. Podcast ," the podcast where music meets the...
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This week on Unglossy.
Speaker 2:I was like oh friend, it's soon. I was singing Phyllis Hyman, you know what I'm saying. So I've always had it, oh so, or, like Shirley Murdoch, as we lay, and so I never. I mean, I just had this love, but I didn't think that that would translate into a career.
Speaker 1:From the top. Yeah, I'm Tom Frank.
Speaker 3:I'm Mickey Fax.
Speaker 4:And I'm Jeffrey.
Speaker 1:Sledge. Welcome to Unglossy decoding brand and culture. I'm Tom Frank, partner and chief creative officer at Merit Creative. This is Mickey Fax, hip hop artist and founder and CEO of Pendulum Inc. And that is.
Speaker 1:Jeffrey Sledge, a seasoned music industry veteran who has worked with some of the biggest artists in the business. We're here to explore the moments of vulnerability, pivotal decisions and creative sparks that fuel the relationship between brand and culture. Get ready for a thought-provoking journey into the heart and soul of branding the unscripted, unfiltered and truly unglossy truth. Kj Rose Chicago. Kj Rose Chicago, that was fun. She comes with energy.
Speaker 4:Mad energy. She's a corporate speaker now. She also we didn't even get into that. Like she'll go to like the Amazon office and, like you know, talk to them about whatever's coming up and boost the staff up. She does all kinds of stuff. Man, I would invite her into this office.
Speaker 1:She does all kinds of stuff, man, I would invite her into this office. She would get everybody fired up. They'd all be running through the walls.
Speaker 4:She's really good at it.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you this though the one thing that just jumped out at me that, I think, is a lesson across all industries, not just music, not just everything. You got to say what you believe, whether you're a brand, whether you're a musician, whatever you are in, whatever aspect of life, say what you believe and that can take you a long way.
Speaker 3:I agree, yep, and, be honest, I agree 100%. Yeah, I enjoyed that episode. Just hearing from someone who's worked with so many different artists on so many different levels, I think people are going to really enjoy this episode and if they're watching it, they're going to enjoy the gun show.
Speaker 1:I gotta ask you this about the gun show would you have dare wear that shirt if we had LL Cool J on here?
Speaker 3:I would wear it with LL Cool J. He just got the cannons. Like your camera, I just got the guns. I just got the cannons, I got the, you know like, like your camera. You know what I'm saying I just got the guns I just got the regular guns.
Speaker 1:I'm doing this crazy right now wow oh man, I can't wait for people to listen to this, though, and watch it. It's a gun show. It's really good and I mean, wow, what an education she's had to lead her to where she is today, in both a traditional sense and just all the people she's worked with and all the people, all the great things she's done.
Speaker 1:She's had to lead her to where she is today, in both a traditional sense and just all the people she's worked with and all the great things she's done. She's amazing.
Speaker 3:I agree with that wholeheartedly.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So with that, let's dive into KJ Rose that's Mickey Unglossy is brought to you by Merrick Creative, Looking to skyrocket your business's visibility and drive growth. At Merrick Creative, we solve your brand and marketing woes With big ideas, decades of experience and innovative solutions. We'll draw in your target audience and keep them hooked. Remember, creativity is key to success. Partner with Merrick Creative and unlock your brand's potential. Learn more at MerrickCreativecom. And now back to the show.
Speaker 3:We missed a lot of great material.
Speaker 4:We did All right, here we go, here we go, here we go, here we go.
Speaker 1:All right, we all good now Kiana. Kiana.
Speaker 2:Kiana, kiana.
Speaker 1:Kiana.
Speaker 2:Good job.
Speaker 1:Kiana, I learned you just keep repeating the words the repetition of it all repetition. I've already read your book. I think it said that oh, there it is. I love the design of that, by the way.
Speaker 2:Thank you beautiful designer by the name of uh david and uh david anderson creative artwork. I have to remember that, okay okay.
Speaker 1:Today's guest is Kiana Henson, also known as KJ Rose. Kj is an artist performance coach, influencer, celebrated for transforming aspiring artists into superstars, earning her nickname, the Artist Whisperer. We're going to learn about that. She's got roots in Southside Chicago. She pursued a degree in business administration from Florida A&M and balanced a corporate job with night gigs as a session artist. Her career highlights include performing with icons like Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, justin Timberlake. Kj founded the Rose Effect LLC to help new artists flourish, with Lil Nas X being one of her notable successes. She has also worked with brands like Doritos, adidas and Amazon. Artists flourish, with Lil Nas X being one of her notable successes. She has also worked with brands like Doritos, adidas and Amazon. Recently, she published the Rose Effect Eight Steps to Delivering the Performance of your Life. Welcome to Unglossy KJ.
Speaker 2:Woo, Bam, bam, bam bam. I love it.
Speaker 3:I love it.
Speaker 1:Pretty good intro, though right.
Speaker 2:That was good.
Speaker 1:Was it factually accurate?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 4:I love it Pretty good intro, though. Right, that was good. Was it factually accurate? Yes, All right. Yeah, Well, I'm going to go first real quick, because I want to tell my story of how we met, because I think it's interesting. You know, KJ, you don't seem to quite remember. This is wild. So years ago I'm not going to age us, but years ago actually she looks exactly the same. She doesn't age like literally at all.
Speaker 1:You look a little older. She looks exactly the same.
Speaker 4:I look a little older. She looks literally the same is when I met her and it's been a minute, it's been quite a minute. Anyway, the Soul Train Awards year blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I decided I was going to throw an after party for the Soul Train Awards. So I got Jive I don't know how I did it, but I got Jive to give me the money to rent a mansion I guess it was the Beverly Hills or whatever and we put together this party and they had the DJ. I forget who DJed Shit, I forget who DJed, but whatever, we put together this party and it was dope and people forget who dj shit, I forget who dj, but whatever. Put together this party and it was dope and people came and it was rocking and it's before bt was, so soul train wars was the thing. So, um, uh, we have a mutual friend, cheryl um, and cheryl I I don't know shows at the party, but I think that's how we met initially.
Speaker 4:But anyway, I see these girls come to the party. It was like a lot of them right, good-looking women. I'm like God damn, my shit lit right. And I remember they came in the party and the music was rocking and I looked and I kept hearing this girl. First of all, they were playing house music. They started playing house music and for those who don't know Chicago house music, people from Chicago love house music. So they go ham when you play house music. They all dance. So this girl's on the dance floor, she's dancing and she starts yelling Southside, southside and I was like who the hell is this girl? I mean, I was saying it in a good way, because she was setting it off. She was setting the party off. She kept going south side. She danced and danced, and danced and danced. I was like who are you? We started talking to ourselves. We found out we're both Libras. We created a rapport.
Speaker 4:Later on, back in New York, I worked with Jive. I heard the guy who was my assistant at the time worked very closely with Britney Spears and he told me that she was looking for background singers and I was like really, I said I think I got somebody for you B and he was like ah, send it down. So Keanu came to the office and did her one too. She did the audition and she became a background singer for Britney Spears. She was on Staying Alive. She toured with Britney like a real background singer, not some bullshit. She was really doing it. So I feel like, in a small, small way, I was a part of setting her career off to where she is now.
Speaker 2:Wow, In a tiny, tiny way. Wow, that was a great story.
Speaker 4:It's the true story, Is it not true? Well?
Speaker 2:there's some things I can go ahead and help you. Okay, go ahead, so I was actually singing for Carl Thomas that year of the Soul Train Awards.
Speaker 4:That's why we know Cheryll, because cheryl worked with carl. That's how I knew it was.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes cheryl had, uh, us all come to your party. And then when? Um so I didn't know aaron yet, I just knew you. So I was calling you every day, every other day, because I said I need to go on the road with Britney Spears, but you weren't ever available. I mean I know.
Speaker 3:Oh, I'm telling you.
Speaker 2:You said do you want to know the truth? No, I want to know, but not because you weren't trying to hang out with me, you were just a busy guy and it does not preclude you being a major factor in how I started with Brittany right, Because it was I don't want to say major, it was a little something. Let me. This is my story. God dog, did you tell yours?
Speaker 1:Let her tell her story. Jeffrey, we got to hear it.
Speaker 2:And so I was calling like every week like, hey, is Jeff available now? And Jeff, you know, was running the label, the department, maybe the label, the label is better in my story at the time. And so he was like he'll get back to you. And then I never was dismissive but I just never took a moment to just really find out how Aaron was doing. So I was like how's your day going, aaron? And he was like, well, what have you been trying to get to Jeff for? And I said I need to be on this next Britney Spears tour. And he said my friend Richard is the tour manager. Let me send your stuff to him, richard Channer. And then Richard sent it over to Skip Dorsey who was the music director. So it was all kind of. And then I missed the auditions because I was taking care of some family stuff in Chicago. But when I got back to New York I called Skip every day.
Speaker 2:Persistence is my superpower. I realized that very on and I said, hey, did you find what you were looking for? He was like, not quite, we're in Miami. Now Call you later. Like this happened for weeks. Like I would call him and just sing, or I would call him and say I was about to get on the train, just wanted to make sure you weren't going to call. He'd be like nope and I'd be like this over the phone. But based on your personality and your persistence, it is yours. So you started this train. Indeed, jeff, but that is how it all came to be. I had to go get it.
Speaker 1:Hey, there's a lot to be said about persistence.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:That's a good superpower to have.
Speaker 1:Sure is, I agree. Hey, so let's rewind. I want to hear about so you grew up in the south side of Chicago.
Speaker 2:Yes, and then we moved to Flossmoor, so I went to HF there, juice WRLD went to HF as well, and a lot of other really notable people, but also I went to Whitney Young, michelle Obama and a lot of other notable people.
Speaker 1:So where does the love of music and performing come from?
Speaker 2:I think I was born with it, but I had this kind of neighboring quality of having stage fright. I was great with the choir, I was great with the pom-pom squad, the cheerleading squad, but whenever asked to do something as a solo artist, as a solo speaker, orator, like I, just my body would have an adverse reaction. And so I just thought that I would be great in choirs. I sang in the Soul Children of Chicago, I sang at Trinity United Church of Christ, and so I was great. But I would say that one of my biggest arguments with my mom is when I was asked to sing a solo at church and my entire disposition looked like I did not want to be there but it was really a defense mechanism.
Speaker 2:So I've always loved music I grew up on. I mean, I'm going to say I was, I was, I was, I. Just I had an advanced palette. So I'm not going to say cause, these artists might date me, but anyway, anita Baker, tony Braxton, chaka, stephanie Mills, and so where everybody else was at the talent show was singing new edition, I was like, oh friend, I was singing Phyllis Hyman, you know what I'm saying. So I've always had it. Or like Shirley Murdoch, as we lay, and so I never. I mean, I just had this love, but I didn't think that that would translate into a career, because you know, it's a very pragmatic way of of moving. In Chicago, you go to grammar school, you go to high school, you go get your degree, you come back home and you work, and so the idea that I could make a living out of doing something that seemed like a hobby at the time, um was just, it was lost on me time.
Speaker 1:Um was just. It was lost on me, have you? So I got to imagine today you could get up on stage and you've, you've lost that, that fright right. I mean, you could absolutely get up there.
Speaker 2:That's why I teach it.
Speaker 1:That's why how did you overcome it though.
Speaker 2:Um, I personally overcame it, uh, with repetition, and then I jumped my butt on the Apollo, uh, so I'm always trying because I know it exists, and I'm always trying because I know it exists and I'm always trying to find ways to outrun it. I am, you know, I would get on the showtime at the Apollo. Anything that would shock my system I would try. And so at showtime at the Apollo, I won the first time. And then you know, shout out, I won the first time. And then you know, shout out to Erskine, isaac and and um and Dave Nelson, um, and so they were like, okay, let's get on showtime. And so I get on there, I win the first time. Then they bring back all the all-stars, and so this girl brought like I mean, I didn't get the memo that you should bring like a busload of people, but she did all the way from Maryland. And so I remember, like Bo Leggett Lou was the host that particular time, and so he was going down the line and everybody would get kind of the obligatory applause, and then I think I was seventh and the girl with the busload was eight by the time they got to me. Her whole party like booed me and then she won. But I knew why they booed me, but it was like the ultimate shock of the system that was needed.
Speaker 2:And then I would say, in addition to that, it was repetition. A lot of times we think artists are getting up there. No, some go from the top of the dome or it is just in their dna, um to ref and just to have no. No, but I wasn't born like that, so I knew that most of what I had to do in the studio was to write it all down, repeat it, rehearse it, so that I could always have something to pull from once I got on stage. And those same methods and modules are what I use for artists. You know whether they're legacy artists or whether they're new artists. You know there's something to be said about helping people to unleash and to excavate the assets of telling a story that is, that is like impenetrable and that is compelling, so that their story doesn't get hijacked. So I do it because I was where they are and I had to get out.
Speaker 1:That's cool, mickey. Where were you on the spectrum of being able to perform? I mean, do you ever have that kind of anxiety, or have you always been one that can just sit in front of everybody and perform?
Speaker 3:No, it doesn't matter if it's like five people or it's. You know, the most people I've ever performed in front of was maybe 15,000 people opened up for Wiz Khalifa and Amherst, and you know it's anxiety every single time, no matter how many people. Yeah, I mean, but I personally believe in and maybe KJ Rose could agree with this you know, I believe that if you care, then you will have anxiety before you get on stage. If you care, then you will have anxiety before you get on stage. I think the moment that you just you know you don't have that care and concern for the art anymore, it probably becomes, you know, par for the course and it's just kind of like, ah, whatever, I'm just getting on stage, it is what it is. But if you actually care about what it is that you're doing, you always should probably get butterflies and nervousness.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I've found that replacing words that don't serve you with words that do have been have been like the game changer. So you know, anxiety, being anxious, always seems to lean towards negative. But you know what you were saying, mickey, in terms of caring. I've replaced that word with excitement. I'm excited to share what I got. I'm excited to be able to unleash what I do to the audience and to have them to leave this show in a better way than how they came in. So I am always with my clients. I'm like, whatever words they're using, whether it's nervousness, I'm like, but maybe you're just, and there's like an enchantment about what you do so I get them to replace words that can actually that's a great point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a great point.
Speaker 3:Yeah, words of power, so you have to be careful about that.
Speaker 4:Yep, before we move on, give us one quick positive I'm just going to keep it positive positive story about working with Brittany and one quick positive story about working with Justin Timberlake.
Speaker 2:One positive story, brittany, and one with Justin.
Speaker 2:I would say with Brittany she was so young, you know, and so she had no problems with allowing her background singers to be showcased.
Speaker 2:At the time, I remember, you know, I really she was a little nervous to sing on Oprah and I was like, wait, we're going to Chicago.
Speaker 2:We got to get this together Like that's my mother's, and so I, you know, truly encouraged her in that moment and then, additionally, you know, to be able to come from the background to the foreground, shout out to Johnny Wright, you know, for making sure that we always were like a present support for her and it was my it was probably my second major tour, but it definitely felt like family and even in that, like there was still some excitement to perform behind. You know, not in the forefront, but you know, being almost 20 feet from stardom is what every day gave me kind of like the inspiration to keep going. When you can keep these, the visualization of it all, to see what's happening in front of you and then to take that and then pour into your own career, was, was powerful, um, and I would say with justin I did, uh, promo dates with with justin timberlake, and and um, I think, let me say between justin and janet, because that you know, like, like, again they had this.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, Don't forget about Janet Jackson. I mean, I mean you know same birthday as me, by the way. I just want to point out.
Speaker 2:Look at your superstar. So with Justin it was, you know I got to perform with with friends, see your dance, and I look at all the people that were behind him at the time. Rob Stevenson, you know he. Now he then became his vocal coach and so I think you know I was able to learn from the other background singers that he had and you know, unfortunately I didn't get to go on a full tour where he had them doing choreography and so every time I see him I'm like one more tour full choreography as a back.
Speaker 2:But, janet, you know to grow up loving an artist and to then take those the choreography back to your pom pom squad for Rhythm Nation and for Pleasure Principal and now to be standing behind her. Sometimes it was very tough to focus when you know every move but you're not hired for that. Okay, you're not hired to sing. So she was always very gracious and it was after that, like if I could have retired, you know and I didn't know anything else was coming I'd have been okay.
Speaker 1:Wait a minute so as a backup singer with Janet Jackson and that music comes on. You're not allowed to. You're not dancing, you're just pure.
Speaker 2:Side to side because she got dancing. So everybody got to know. So I didn't get to. Da da, da, da ha da, no, I did not get to. It was tough to silo it, you know. And then I think you know, sometimes it would get me in trouble because I could not, I could not unsee, you know, all the themes, images, all the content and so. But I was just Kevin Antunes actually brought me onto that gig, so I was just grateful.
Speaker 2:I could have never imagined, you know, when I think about where I started, of having the stage fright and then growing up in Chicago, where, you know, I just thought I would have a nine to five. Because even with my first tour, when I called my mom, I was like yo got this opportunity, blah, blah, and she was like, what about your stock options, you know, what about your health care, which are all good things but great things. But at the time, you know, even in her conservative and pragmatic views, there was just a hunger in me. I was like I already got the degree, I can get another job. I vested we good, you know, healthcare, I mean it was so I was able to to kind of satisfy. You know both ways of thinking. And then she got to come to the show and I think once she saw it and she was in it. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:So you were balancing both of these. At one point, you were working at Pfizer and you were doing this at the same time.
Speaker 2:I was working at Pfizer by date. Now I hadn't gone on tour at the time, so I would go over and record with Derek Angeletti for Biggs' album. So it was on a song called Play A Hater, and then Derek Angeletti brought me on to do wellrick angeletti um brought me on um to do what derrick angeletti to hire me for that and did. And then, uh, dio um brought me over to do heavy d and I sang a song called big daddy, and so that was great and so I was singing background. So I did something for capone noriega, for common um, for mace for, so I was singing background. So I did something for capone noriega, for common um, for mace for, so I was singing background on their on their album on all these wow.
Speaker 1:And so then you're showing up to work, you're sitting next to somebody else who probably went home and watched tv last night, and here you are singing with some of these amazing people and then sleeping in the bathroom the next day.
Speaker 3:So, when did you know, when was the moment when you said I'm done with the day to day.
Speaker 1:I'm going all in on this.
Speaker 2:But I got a call, this girl named Janae who was like you know, there's a tour I'm not going to say what tour, but anyway, it was a no way out tour I took an absence. Oh boy, I told my bosses that I just needed to handle something and I handled it for two months and I went on tour and then I came back and I was like, oh my God, okay, I still have a job I still did not have.
Speaker 4:Didn't let you come back after two months.
Speaker 2:It was a leave of absence. Okay, a family leave. Thank you, I had to handle family business, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:I mean, listen and the family, like it was a family situation.
Speaker 4:All right. Yeah, it was a family vacay, a family emergency.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, and so I came back and then, you know, I think I wasn't. I didn't have the courage at that point to leave totally because I was in New York by myself. I didn't know if I could sustain on just music alone. But I knew that I could create these moments in music. And so then I worked another two years at Pfizer and then I realized I was not giving any one thing a hundred percent. I had these. They wanted me to kind of excel and be promoted at Pfizer and I was like no. And then I was expecting all of these great wins in music but I wasn't giving 100% to it. And finally I was like I got to go. And that's when I took the leap. And I think, as soon as I stepped out on faith is when the opportunities started coming within the two-week notice period that I'd given them. Wow, and those opportunities started coming. And so another tour, yeah.
Speaker 3:Wow. So, uh, you know I gotta ask, you know I gotta ask about this, this tour that you went on, you know the blankety, blank tour and the family.
Speaker 2:any craziness happening on this tour? No, I was so young and green and just happy to be there that I think everybody started looking at me as their little sister, Like I just was not exposed. Good for you to a lot of things and then, you know, I think about, I look back on it and look at all the things that you know I was sheltered and protected you know from, and so I think it's the time when my naivete probably worked for me.
Speaker 3:Awesome, I'm happy to hear that you know, especially you know with all of the recent.
Speaker 1:In light of everything else In light of everything else you know.
Speaker 3:So it's good to hear um before you know. I know tom likes to get his questions in, but I got I just. You know what was it like working with the notorious big well, the unfortunate thing is that he wasn't there.
Speaker 2:Okay, but it was beyond motivational to have to be the first to hear the song.
Speaker 3:What song was this? What song was this?
Speaker 2:Play a Hater.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:Right, great.
Speaker 2:So it was really Derek Angeletti and myself, you know, and I think I think now, like if there had been more people, you know, who knows, I think it happened the way it was supposed to happen, if, when we talk about the sheltering of all things and so, but no, I really wish that I had been in the booth with with Big, but his genius and his energy resonated through those headphones in a way that made me feel like he was there.
Speaker 2:It was the energy, it was the tonality, it was having it right here and hearing the first kind of time he had recorded it, you know, before it made it out to the world. So it really set me on a path of like, oh, this is what I'm supposed to do, I can do this, and so, imagine, from Pfizer after work, you know, probably I didn't have a briefcase, but I'm sure I had like a backpack and, like you know, I was like business casual and I'm taking the shuttle from 42nd and whatever to, I think, second, over to 42nd and eighth to go to daddy's house. So it was an incredible experience.
Speaker 3:And you know, somebody said something to me Well, not to me, but I read something the other day. You know Biggie was, I think he died at like 24?
Speaker 4:24. And Pop was only 25. They were young.
Speaker 3:Right. So, like they were kids, young men creating classical music yeah, 24. And Pop was only 25. They were young, unprecedented, you know um. So you know. Salute to you for for even contributing to one of the greatest albums in hip-hop history. I think that's just admirable on so many different levels, kj that's one of the plaques that's one of the plaques.
Speaker 1:That's one of the plaques no, tell us more about these plaques. I'm seeing all these plaques behind her like record. I mean it's amazing.
Speaker 2:So one plaque is Life After Death. Do you want me to go over there and explain? Let me just go over there.
Speaker 3:Oh, let's go, let's take a tour. Take a tour here, folks.
Speaker 4:And she got the biggie shirt on too. I know how this goes.
Speaker 2:That's why I asked this is presented to KJ Rose Multiplatinum certification of 11 million copies of um the album life after death. And then this one is heavy's single is this, no, this is waterbed head so this is the album of waterbed head and this.
Speaker 4:Remember that album.
Speaker 2:And this is a publication of 500,000 copies of Uptown Records' Waterbed have album. And then this is the single Big Daddy Waterbed have for $500,000. And then this is Lil Nas O-Town Road, for we're going to get into that. This is a diamond, this is a platinum, no certified diamond and it is 10 million copies of O-Town Road featuring Billy Ray Cyrus.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, wait, so that's your highest one.
Speaker 2:No, biggie's high, the Biggie's one no biggie's high, the biggest high, okay, okay for 11 um, and I guess they weren't doing diamond then oh, because I was gonna say it's not a diamond, right well, and you know, the biggie one is is probably higher anyway, because that's the album, whereas little nas x was the single.
Speaker 3:Come on, I'm trying to help him out here. Kj Rose.
Speaker 1:No, it's impressive. That is very impressive.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 4:You were part of the Bad Boy family in a way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, where you going, where you going I mean I, you sung on a lot.
Speaker 4:You sung on May, that's what I mean. You were part of the bad boy family. You worked with a lot of artists, carl, that's what I mean not, not nothing.
Speaker 2:And they showed me love, you know, from mace to carl thomas. Um, you know, at the time dj rogers was doing a lot of writing 112, those are my boys, the locks, I mean, yes, it was, it was a family indeed, lil Kim.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you're having all this success as as an as as an artist, and a recording. And what happened? When did you decide to transform from performing to coaching?
Speaker 2:Well, so after I had gone on tour, I was like I cannot take all of the energy that I have and pour into other people without taking the chance on myself. So my last tour was with, I want to say, janet Jackson. And then I went to work for Clive Davis, as just really like letting them hear what I was doing, and nobody really liked my music, but that's OK, I just kept going. And so I understand how to truly maximize the moment, the current moment that I was in, truly maximize the moment, the current moment that I was in. And so I think that you know I asked for every glass of tea I had to pour, for every apple I had to cut.
Speaker 2:I was asking Clive, tell me why you chose this as a single. You know so I was making sure I got my information. You know what I mean. Like why did you sign this artist, what? Why did you, you know, choose this as the single for Alicia or for Monica or for Jennifer Hudson? You know so it was like I needed there to be an exchange, you know, internally, you know my own private exchange of. You know, because I wanted to, I'd just come off the road. So you know, to do like the smaller task. You know you want to break out and be like do you know who I am, you know what I was like, you know another level and this is where you know. This is the learning part of what you're doing, so you can understand the business and you know, just make it work for you.
Speaker 1:That was part one of our conversation with KJ Rose. Don't miss part two. All right, folks, that's our show. Tune in to Unglossy, the coding brand and culture, on Apple Podcasts, spotify or YouTube, and follow us on Instagram, at UnglossyPod, to join the conversation. Until next time, I'm Tom Frank.
Speaker 4:I'm Jeffrey Sledge.
Speaker 3:Smicky.
Speaker 1:That was good.
