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 2 – Behind the Curtain
Join us for Part 2 of our conversation with KJ Rose as she reveals her transformative journey, from signing to discovering her true calling in coaching. She shares with the guys her invaluable lessons learned from music industry giants like Clive Davis, and how these experiences shaped her passion for helping other artists find their unique strengths.
KJ Rose offers a deep dive into her personalized artist development strategies, including her impactful work with Lil Nas X. Learn how she tailors her coaching to each artist's narrative and strengths, ensuring they shine both in the studio and on stage. And hear about her collaborations with iconic figures like LL Cool J and Nas.
From directing performances to fostering brand collaborations, KJ's multifaceted role is crucial in an artist's career journey. Through high-profile campaigns and intimate coaching moments, KJ emphasizes the importance of continuous growth, constructive feedback, and creating supportive environments. Tune in to understand the intricate balance between artistry and branding and get inspired by KJ Rose's dedication to empowering artists at every stage of their careers.
"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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on this episode of Unglossy.
Speaker 2:And that's what I bring to artists like LL. I'm not toning down, but now I'm going in. You already got that part, but what if you actually went left on here and not left just physically, but left in how you described it? And what if you allowed this part to breathe, so that by the time, ha? We not even expecting that because you didn't start there. And then what if you actually told me the story, so that then there can actually be a peek in it, as opposed to you tapping out by the time you get to the first verse?
Speaker 1:From the top. Yeah, I'm Tom Frank.
Speaker 3:I'm Mickey Fax.
Speaker 4:And I'm Jeffrey Sledge.
Speaker 1:Welcome to Unglossy, the Conan 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 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. 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 Merit Creative and unlock your brand's potential. Learn more at meritcreativecom. And now part two of our conversation with KJ Rose. So you're having all this success as an artist and a recording, and what happened? When did you decide to transform from performing to coaching?
Speaker 2:The beginning of the transition into performance direction, I would say happened with Carolyn Williams, who was doing marketing at J Records at the time, and so they had artists over there. They had been to my shows, everyone liked my level of performance, but you know, it was just the music, I guess, wasn't, it wasn't hitting them the way it needed to, and so it was a. It was a tough call because I wanted. I wanted that call to be about you know me as an artist but it was really about coaching other artists and I had to have like a heart to heart and say you know, you're not. If you say yes, it's not that you're saying yes in lieu of something not working out, because then you're just bitter, you're a bitter coach. And I said maybe this is the natural progression. You know, this is this and this not, or this.
Speaker 2:And so once I started leaning into helping artists to really reintroduce them to themselves that was it and to help them excavate assets and understand what their kind of areas of strengths were and push them beyond their perceived capacity, I realized that that brought me more joy than being an artist, and even though so, while I was at Clive I left for a second, I did a little performance direction there, but then I still left, went back on the road with Janet and then I came off the road and then I went to work at Sundance channel it was channel, then now it's TV, and then that's when I really put out my album. So you utilize every department for my album marketing, you know strategy, whatever it was, and promotions and then put out my album called All Heart, no Regrets, and I did a radio tour on that. And then after that I felt like I had completed the task right and Dwayne Bastian giving me tracks and believing in me to a point where it it it wasn't translating into a body of work, and so I was like I gotta complete this task. And after I did that I was like, okay, now I'm going fully into performance direction.
Speaker 2:Artist development.
Speaker 4:I gotta go back, because what a lot of people don't understand is getting an assistant job for Clive Davis or Jimmy Iovine. These are hard fucking jobs to get. This ain't like just call the temp agency. You're working at such a high level and you're dealing with such high level people who are calling in and setting up music. So I want to talk a little bit about that. Um cause, obviously Clive is, you know, an iconic music um executive top three. I was, I would put it at top three. Some people say five. I was, I would say three of all time. So I want to talk a little bit more about that. Like, obviously I know you know the day-to-day duties were taking care of him. But what are some of the things that you saw? I know you talked about, you know asking questions about why you, you know, picked the single for Monica or Alicia or whatever. But what are a couple of things that you saw that were like eye-opening, I guess, and maybe you used for yourself.
Speaker 2:No, that's a good question. I would say my greatest takeaways is watching him never rest on yesterday's success, never resting on his past laurels. You know, if you know, if Aretha was at number one on a Tuesday, he's going to keep working to maintain, you know, that level of dominance. You know, no matter what artist um is is in that spot, uh, so that was it Like. Now I'm just like I may have had a great Monday, but now we got to keep going Like I give myself a little bit of time to just say great job. I might go have some crab legs celebrate myself. You know, whenever there's a small or a big win, but I got to keep going Like it's it's, I am in the grind within the next few days, I would say. Additionally, it was you know his work ethic. You know he was there. He was the last one to leave the building, so I worked. There were two of us and it was Paula and myself, and then Dina worked for Charles Goldstock. So I went in between Clive Davis and Charles Goldstock and I only worked now.
Speaker 2:When I first started working there, I was just the receptionist and I was happy with that because it allowed me to record my music during the day and then work for Clive from five to nine my music during the day and then work for Clive from five to nine. And so you know, people were coming in, swizz and Alicia and Tyrese, and you know, mario, and I'm just, I want to sing my song but I'm like saying you got to stay focused. This is why you got hired. And within a few months, they said, would I work for Clive? And my initial thought was no.
Speaker 2:And then my sister, cj Cynthia Johnson, you know, was like yo, this is a great opportunity. And I realized that no area or expertise I had, this this would be invaluable information. And so then that's when I started working for him, and so I would say like between the work ethic, and then, lastly, he called everybody back. Now I saw who got the return calls quicker and it was the one that wasn't persistent. That was persistent but not, you know, kind of like unruly and exhausting, but it was like finding that great balance of of checking in and and you know, I saw the emails and so I think that, um, watching, that is why I'm so keen on making sure that I get back to people, whether they got something from me or not. Right, whether there's an even exchange or not, I still try to make sure I respond to everyone that that has an inquiry or that just um wants some advice or just wants to share.
Speaker 4:I got a little story about that getting back thing. So because I should get at dudes all the time would hit me with the yo I was gonna call you, but it's hectic. I used to tell this story. So when backstreet boys first got signed to jive, they got signed by this guy named dave mcpherson and dave um was a young anr guy. He didn't know clive at all but he was working on the record and he called, put a CD in.
Speaker 4:At that time a messenger to CD with a note to Clive. He didn't know him at all. He said look, these are like four or five of the songs that we recorded. He introduced himself and blah, blah, blah. He said you know, this record's coming out on Jive and I would. You know, I just would love to get your ear, like I just would love to get your ear, like I just would love to get you, you know, listen to it, let me know what you think. And he just put it in the thing and sent it Again. He didn't know Clive, from a can of paint, never met him.
Speaker 4:And about a week later maybe less, maybe less, maybe that later that week or whatever Clive messengered the CD back with a four-page letter breaking down each song, saying you know this one is the bridge isn't strong enough on this one or this one, the chorus breaking it down. And I used to tell people if Clive Davis can send a note back to a guy he doesn't know breaking down songs, there's no excuse. You got for me telling me you couldn't call me back. There's no excuse. You got for me telling me you couldn't call me back. There's no excuse, you just slack. You know to get to that level. You got to be so on point. Obviously, as he was still is actually Like you got to be on another level because you never know, sending that note back, what that turns into later down the road. And that always impressed me about him. He was able to do that. I didn't want to hijack it Back to you, kj.
Speaker 1:That's because KJ Rose wrote that letter.
Speaker 2:Wait, but here's the funny thing. Here's the funny thing. I did take a lot of dictation when I let him hear my record. Imagine him regurgitating those words that I would dictate to other people. Yeah, email back. I was like back to you you don't have to say this, and so you know his one. One of his lines was I know you appreciate my candor that was like that's how he opened it up you're like, I know you appreciate my candor.
Speaker 2:Not sure if this is done. So when he started I was like, oh my god, I could wrote this and so no, but it was um, but I really appreciated that he took the time to listen yeah and so um, those were some great, great like educational moments.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of education, though, you you had this real life education, but you also went and got a degree at business administration right From Florida A&M, so there was a bit of you. Yes, that kind of was already thinking about this path even back then, right?
Speaker 2:Well, I just figured, no matter what, I decided there would be a big element to it. So I wasn't. I think I took these baby steps. It was like there was an internship being offered at Pfizer in New York. I was like, okay, I kind of want to do music now, just because I probably sang the best out of my friends at school. I didn't think that constituted an entire career in New York, right. But I was like, but maybe I'll just work behind the scenes. I just knew that I needed to get to New York and I got an internship at Pfizer in corporate finance and um, and that's when you know, the funny thing is, after that I came back, I graduated and then my um good friend was is this when I met the guys? It might've been on this internship, because my good friend Shelly, she's my soror I pledged Delta and she was best friends with John Platt Anybody know John, big John and so he came to her graduation, where he runs publishing now, but at the point, at that time, he was at EMI.
Speaker 2:And so he came to our graduation and all of my friends was like we're like that's the singer, that's the music girl and you know, even at Jack the rapper. I shouldn't even been there. We just went one time same friends Cause we were in Florida I think this was in Tampa or something and big walk by and they were like sing for him. And I was like I'm not a clown, I'll just sing on the spot to you know, um big John being at her house and they were like sing for John. I was like I'm not a clown and I'll just sing on the spot. And he was like well, I'll leave tomorrow. And I was like yeah, I am. He put me with my first management team when I went out for that internship and so it helped me really cultivate this, this gift, and and at the same time, get you know, not dive feet first or head first into into the New York music industry, but just almost like tentatively tiptoe into it.
Speaker 1:So we got to dive into the Rose effect. Right, I mean, with the Rose effect right now, you are helping artists, you're writing books, you're doing it all right now, but before we get to the book, yes, so little Nas X, right? So he you got a. You got an amazing record behind you. Where did that come from? And I guess was that one of your first clients, or would you say it's one of your biggest ones?
Speaker 2:It was the first for the world. It was the biggest proof of concept. I had been doing it when I lived in New York before I moved to LA. While being records, uh, I worked with a lot of independent artists. I then was a coach on, uh, chasing destiny, which was Kelly Rowland show on BET. Uh, this is when I got to LA and maybe 2015. And so then from there, you know, this was me stalking, like Frank Gatson and um and Stephen Hill. I'm like I know you got a show, I read it, it's happening, I need to be on it. And then fast forward to being on an e-show called Revenge Body that Khloe Kardashian had, and they were looking for a performance coach. And so, you know, those were my kind of entry points into LA as a performance director. But I had also been good friends and my sorority, felicia Fant, was at Columbia Records. So when they got Lil Nas, he had no performance points on the board.
Speaker 2:It was this song took this meteoric rise, but now he needs to do a video. His next show was Stagecoach and then he was doing a Taco Bell commercial, all within a month, and so it was like how do you take someone that is brilliant, you know, and and then, but help them now create a story, that um, that is able to harness that brilliance, and then you can tell that story for 45 minutes to an hour on stage. And so she called me and we went to work just in the studio and helping him to really understand what that story and to build that story. So this was before you know, he was his truest self. Yeah, it came out.
Speaker 2:This was you know all about, like what is Old Town Road? Where are we going? Why you care, why should we care? You know all about, like what is Old Town Road? Where are we going? Why you care, why should we care? You know, like really digging into those hard questions and sometimes he's just like I don't know, but it was like it was the repeating of it all, like what is this? What is the messaging?
Speaker 2:And so, you know, my job is to help you find the light, find the story, and then push and access and then activate what that looks like long before the music comes. So I've I stripped people down from you know the rhythm, the, the, the um, the countenance, the, the movement, um, and sometimes the sound. Like what does this story look like? If there was no sound. What does it look like if the next few rows of people had? They were visually impaired and they only had sound. You know how do you make sure that everybody feels included. So, whatever their perceived capacity was, my job was to push them beyond that, help them re-champion their story, help them to show up for it. And then we had to figure out what is your force and then, in that, that's when we're able to seize the power of you telling a story that can't be negotiated or hijacked.
Speaker 4:Wow, now, did you come up with these concepts on your own? Is this something that you kind of studied from other people? It was a combination of the two, to kind of put this together.
Speaker 2:It is, having been a performance artist and the things that helped me get through that stage fright, and everybody gets something different right. So there is the core of the three verticals that I work from, which is show up, embrace your force, seize your power. But what I give to Polo G, I can't get a Nas, and what I get a Nas, I can't get an LL, and I can't get that to Sweetie. So everybody, then, we are building their own toolkit to be able to, um, you know, make sure they drop no moments, you know. And so I think one of the other kind of moments I could have retired I have two moments in one was working with LL and the other one was working with Nas, and he had never headlined a show on his own, and so last February he headlined at the Garden.
Speaker 1:Wow, Up until last February he had never headlined.
Speaker 2:He had been with, I think, Wu-Tang, and he had been, I think, with Lauren or Mary, but this was his first time ever headlining a show, himself not being a guest. And so, um, Dave, um, his, his, his manager brought me in and we went to work and so I listened, you know, to like all the songs top to bottom, and so I love that people allow me to just be as rogue as I can be, as because I love the music, Right, and I think you know I'm hip-hop, so you know, I was listening to the music and he was like, you know, you got some notes for me and I like took a scroll and I was like do I have notes for you, do I?
Speaker 2:And I was like you know. So for him, I think what happens is you are on tour for so long and you are telling these stories that you have written back in the 90s, and so how do you still tell it with the same vigor and a new inspiration and a new excitement? How do you make sure that you're not just saying lyrics based on routine, that we don't leave any lyrics behind? And so I was like yo, you're the only messenger we got and your job is not to just speak to the people that have grown with you, but you're trying to get some new ambassadors. Your job ain't to just speak to the people on the floor, but we're trying to shoot to the back of the building. So every lyric has its own pulse. You need to get up off this flow. You know what I mean. Like I'm not giving him no eight count, but I'm like if you brought the energy to you, know the lyrics and the phrases, then your body would move differently. One mic shouldn't look like if I rule the world, we telling different stories. So what are the stories? And so you know he was like hi, hi. And so I was like oh, I'm sorry, I came in. I know, I came in hot. I came in hot, and so my job was to make so that we told one story in the most powerful way.
Speaker 2:And so, you know, sometimes I would stop, like the band I don't know where I got this courage from, but they'd be going I'd be like we're going to have to stop, that we're going to stop. Can we? Can we just stop one second? And I was like, ooh, what did you do? And I was like yo, the drummer, just hit the coldest hit ever, and I don't feel like you acknowledged it. He was like, all right, and so the acknowledgement could be a pause. The acknowledgement could be, you know, moving with your body. The acknowledgement can be looking, but I'm only look. I need everybody to acknowledge what's happening on this stage. When you think it's cold, then the audience feels your energy and then we just stand across the building anyway.
Speaker 1:So is your job then? Just so I completely understand, you in essence are the director of the performance. Yes, so every piece of it. Yes, you are the one that you're. You guys are practicing endlessly before you would go on a tour and you're the behind the minute, every moment that is occurring. Is that a good way to portray it?
Speaker 2:great way to put it, and so it's funny when you said performance coach initially, when you said, is that factual? I was just going to let it be, because I gave myself a promotion, after working with little mouse and elton john, to be the performance director. Okay and so, but always looking for ways to communicate what I do, you know sometimes, you know, I think early on it was exhausting because people would be like, oh, you're a vocal coach. I'm like Nope. Oh, you're a choreographer, nope. So then I was like vocal coaches deal with the instrument, performance directors, performance coaches deal with the behavior, and then choreographers give you the eight count. But a performance coach will make the eight count count. Right, that's my job.
Speaker 2:So I always myself to a solid rocket booster. You know where. I help you course correct, I help you get in flight, and then, once we had figured out that strategy, I break away. And so I always run. I hope you get out of the blocks from a cold start. I always run the first leg of this race of an artist and then I pass the baton to whoever else is next. But it made no sense for Lil Nas to first be equipped with a choreographer when we ain't got a story yet you know what I mean. You just see moves. So the story is necessary, like the resolving of things that have brought you fear or caused you to be a little less than yourself or caused you to be disappointed. All those things are so necessary in being tapped into so that you can tell a story that has no, and being tapped into so that you can tell a story that has no. It is not, it's free. You can tell a story that shows your freedom and that makes you feel uninhibited.
Speaker 1:You're working with performers, but then we also mentioned in the very beginning about those collaborations with brands. Yes, how does that work? What's your portion or part of that Like when you're working with Doritos, adidas, amazon, some of these major brands that you've gotten to work with?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I think some of that is corporate too. So for Lil Nas, I coached him when he was doing the Taco Bell commercial and the Doritos commercial and then the Uber Eats commercial which then brought in Elton John. So a lot of times those brands are associated with the artist. But then Did you do Logitech with him?
Speaker 1:No, oh see, I did Logitech with him.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:For the Super Bowl. I was thinking we ran into each other at some point, but you weren't part of that. Okay, I was hoping you were.
Speaker 2:Yeah, do you work with Logitech?
Speaker 1:They are a past client of mine and at the time, you know, they chose Lil Nas X to be their ambassador for a series called Creators.
Speaker 1:And it was all about transitioning their brand to be less about the individual pieces of equipment like a mouse and a keyboard, but rather instruments for creators, yeah, and so he became a big part of that Superbowl ad, all the social media around it, and that was kind of an interesting time because that was a bit of a risk for Logitech. And it came right out with his next album, which I'm blanking on the name of it, but it was a little bit controversial. Say it again.
Speaker 2:The Jack Carlow industry, baby, and all those songs the monor um the call me by your name montero was the next second album, right, yeah yes, that was it
Speaker 1:montero, yeah, yeah so that was an interesting time. Logitech took a step and then I'm not sure if they thought it was a good one or not, because Cause you know, interesting mix of brands and and and and artists.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:So you know Nas Mickey definitely knows this Nas has been known as, like, not the best performer. So you had you're talking about, you had to pull a lot out of him and let him be free, Right, and I remember I didn't go to that garden show, but I heard a lot about it and I heard it was amazing. Because did his mom, somebody he was crying or something at the end of the show or something. It was his mom, or something. Anyway, that's not the point.
Speaker 2:Across the street from the garden.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, what happened across the street from the?
Speaker 2:door. People aren't the best performers. I just say people have not yet tapped into the fullness of what they can be. You know that's how I, how I go into this. So we, we tapped into the fullness per vibe magazine and some other magazines that night.
Speaker 4:They said that was one of his best performances I was gonna say real quick, on the other side, with somebody like ll who's mad energetic. He's been performing for literally probably 40 years now. Yeah, 85 was the first album, so it's been 40 years. I've seen him several times. He's mad energetic. You know he's doing the, the gear shift with the mic, stand and then take his shirt off, like all that. So how do you work with, how does that work with somebody who is already like super energetic and very animated as a performer? What are you?
Speaker 2:toning him down. Well, no, you know what?
Speaker 2:well, maybe because, um, I remember my friend uh nick and I went to his album release and shout out to Claudine for even thinking of me in this capacity. We went to this album release and he pretty much performed every song. My friend looks at me because I was working with him on Passion. The next day, my friend looks at me, the new song. It was a video shoot. She was like, well, he seems like a great performer. What do you think you're gonna do? And I was like, yeah, I hope they don't call and say that they're good. I was like it occurred to me and so I started digging. I was like what? Because even before that, like a week prior, I was with Claudine at the Four Seasons, with our friends Amber and DJ Kiss, and and and Elle walked in and, um, and then she started, he, she started telling us that you know he was working on this new album and buh-buh, and, um, she told him what I did and this really is how it happened. It was like a couple of weeks ago. And then he said, well, why don't you come upstairs, why don't everyone come upstairs and listen to the album? And so it was myself here and him literally across the table, like performing every song to me. He was like this was amazing.
Speaker 2:And what I realized I had to, and and and this happens a lot when you're like you never again rest on your past laurels you never get too comfortable. I'm always looking for ways to sharpen and to get better and to have more armor from my artist and I was like what are you going to do with him? And I watched everything and I realized that what I do for certain clients I akin to someone walking into the salon with long hair. They're not trying to change the length, they're just trying to get some dimension, get some layers and get some depth. And that's what I bring to artists like LL. I'm not toning down, but now I'm going in.
Speaker 2:You already got that part, but what if you actually went left on here and not left just physically, but left in how you described it? And what if you allowed this part to breathe, so that by the time ha, we're even expect the map because you didn't start there? And then what if you actually told me the story, so that then there can actually be a peek in it, as opposed to you tapping out by the time you get to the first verse? And what if I'm watching you on screen and I really don't want to break away because you might do something different as opposed to the expected performance? That I can go do five errands and come back and know it won't change. So that became the conversation with us for the Force.
Speaker 4:That's good, dope, dope Wow.
Speaker 3:That's dope. I want to know that. What you got, Mick, I'm sitting here just in awe. I mean I think that you know, as an artist myself and someone who performs and just hearing this incredible story from KJ Rose, got to say the full name.
Speaker 1:Thank you, you know what I'm saying. We're tight. Now I can call her KJ.
Speaker 2:The only reason. So it's funny because a friend would be like no, say your whole name, but Rose is my middle name and if you read the book then you would also remember that Rosa is my paternal grandmother's name, Rose is my maternal grandmother's name and Rosa is my mama's middle name, so I can't leave off the Rose.
Speaker 3:You can't leave off the Rose, that's why, I show respect. She said it. She said it. You know what I'm saying. Like you got to listen to the black woman man, that's what I do you got?
Speaker 1:to listen to the black woman.
Speaker 2:You know, what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:I guess you say that a lot, but I'll say it now. You know what I'm saying. It's an ancestral thing, you know again, you know I'm inspired. You know, like I think that you know hearing these stories working with iconic legends. You know, in the, in the, in the music industry, and even you know new legends, right, lil Nas X and the things that he was able to accomplish, you know, with his first record and being able to transform seemingly Internet sensation, right Like this guy was. Just he was just posting stuff on whatever platform he was posting it on and next thing, you know, it just kind of catches fire and he becomes this global artist and being able to work with him.
Speaker 3:So you kind of worked with three to four generations of different artists across the gamut of music and just to hear how you're able to help somebody that is, you know, wet behind the ears like a Lil Nas X and somebody that's seasoned like an LL Cool J, and still come back with great feedback to improve, you know that just lets me know that there is still ways to elevate yourself as an artist or as a person in general.
Speaker 3:How do you become better than you were yesterday? And I think that's the power of what it is that you do and what it is that you do, and I'm just grateful for you to share these things not only with us here at Glossy, but also our listeners, because I think it's very important. I think that LL Cool J story is very, very important for people to hear. This guy is a legend. He's been doing this, like Jeff said, 39 years next year will be 40 years that he would have put out his first record and and he'll, that means he'll be what like 55, you know yeah, yeah, I'm gonna tell nobody's number something you know, I mean you know, but but how do you?
Speaker 3:but then you. But then you got to think like, how do you tell someone of that stature, that caliber of artist, how to improve? Like that is a when, when most of these, most of the time they have teams and they around yes, men and people that like to massage the ego you come along to help enhance what is already there. Right, even you just working with Janet because, like I know for a fact, you listen to Janet or watch Janet when you were a child. Like that, to me that is always going to be mind blowing. For someone such as myself, Amen, amen.
Speaker 2:I got to say that. You know, shout out to. I learned from every artist, whether it is, you know, erica Campbell or sweetie, or you know, ruby Rose, honey Baby. I learn from every artist and I don't judge the art. That's not my job. My job is to make sure that whatever they're saying, that they believe, and sometimes we've done things where it's like they didn't really believe in it. I'm like, what else are we going to say then?
Speaker 2:And so what I loved about working with artists and so you know what I loved about working with artists artists like Nas and LL is that they were open for the sharpening Right. And so I was like when I got on set you know it's again you just never know what the energy is like and how someone works and where I may come in and immediately pounce. That's not how people work all the time. And so I got to give love to the women at Def Jam. That created a space for me to be truly uninhibited, so that I could actually be my best self on that set, you know. So it was like, I think, that when I and then when I first got there, I said to Elle, I said, look, because I prayed. I was like, lord, how is this supposed to go? What do you want me to do? Because sometimes, when you're in the fullness of you, that could be a lot for people, right, and it doesn't mean that you change the core. It may mean that you got to give yourself in bits, right, but it's palatable, right. So I was like, all right, lord, tell me the best way to go about this. So when I got there, I said to l, I said what is the best way to serve you in the way that you work? And he said just contribute. If you see something, I'm open for your ideas and your contributions. And then they messed around and gave me a megaphone and I was like, I mean, so it was like it was.
Speaker 2:I am always learning, I'm always looking for the way to expand, um, and so, yeah, I had that opportunity to work on three of his videos. One comes out on Friday, proclivities with sweetie. And so I got a shout out to the women that I've worked with, you know, and so she's just a joy, and so that video shoot will come out on Friday and I'm just, I'm grateful that I get to serve people in this way, and I always tell them. I don't give anybody something they don't already possess. You know, my job is just to irritate and agitate areas of potential that they didn't realize they had or that was merely lying dormant, that's it. And so once people realize because I think a lot of times it's not the artist's idea for me to be there I'm talking about the younger ones, where the translation for them is something must be wrong because the label sends them in, and so where I pull in, I'm just glad that that nothing goes to waste, right.
Speaker 2:So, as an artist, knowing what it felt like to have everybody have an opinion on what I do, or to some someone to have a constructive critique, whatever it was, so I learned very quickly that my, in order to have a great session, I've got to disarm them in the beginning. You know, I'm not above them, I'm not below them, I see where you are, I am vulnerable. First, before I ask for their vulnerability, you know, I let them know that if you are in my presence, if you are and that's my own work that I got to do with, knowing I'm supposed to be in that room, right. So I've got to have a very impenetrable sense of confidence so that I say to them, if you were sent here, that means that they are ready to fully invest in you.
Speaker 3:Right, right.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't be here any other way. Like I don't play around with this, you know what I mean. So I think, once they see that, like I remember one artist came in and he was like look, I got to go in an hour and I'm like, but I got you for two, and he's like. I got to go, you know, get my clothes for the showcase tomorrow and I was like the showcase that is going to really declare whether they keep you as an artist.
Speaker 2:Is that the showcase we talk about. Talk about it. Look at me and I'm like I much rather you be ready for the performance and not have a belt than be looking good and not have a good performance you know, so it's like I think, and sometimes they'll understand like who I am.
Speaker 2:they're trying to figure out what generation I'm in because i'm'm you know, I'm always with my J's and I just, but then when I talk I sound like I could be their oldest sister. So it is like a level of of earned trust that has to happen and and a mere respect, and so, like one of my I know I'm talking now. Y'all got me excited, but here's one of my like favorite moments as a coach. There was Polo G Fonio and Lil TJ. Now I like to get there ahead of schedule so that I can dip into everybody's room and just let them know, because nobody wants to be corrected in front of other people.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:Yes, right. So I'm like all right, okay, I got to do this quick, I got to get in, but I had done a. This was during the pandemic. I had done a Zoom presentation for Sony executives like a workshop, and so I was a little behind. So anyway, I get there. They're already like kind of starting to do little pickups. And you know, I'm asking so-and-so's manager or whoever to like to, but they're not focused on that. I'm a small part, I'm the piece they don't know they need, but they will be happy that they have when I'm done, right. No, and I can't be frustrated and just be like you need, I'm just like that's okay, I'm going to have to move slow and I have to move strategically.
Speaker 2:So the first time they yelled cut, I went into Lil TJ and I said whose video is it? And he was like mine. I was like I can't tell. And then I backed up and so I always know when I walk away they're still looking at me. I'd be like I can't tell. So I'm like I need more, right. So then I come back.
Speaker 2:Then they yell cut again. I go up to Polo G. I was like yo, you know, we've been here before, like if, if I can't see you, nobody else can you know? I need you to have more eye contact with the audience. You know what I mean. Pick your head up and then I back off. And then, with Fabio, I came in. I was like yo, every time you give me this grunt of energy, I was like it is powerful but you don't really believe it and so it's not counting. I need you to make it count, right. So now I have gotten all of them individually right.
Speaker 2:So then the next time they yell, cut I can yell at all three, because I'm yelling in a way to just empower them. But they have each already had my wrath, my soft wrath. Now, as a unit, I'm like what are we doing Now? I didn't have a megaphone there, but Lil TJ posted if you ain't got no hype crew like this, no hype person like this, get rid of me. Your crew don't hype you up like this, get rid of them.
Speaker 2:And that was a video he put on TikTok that went viral, and so it was like it's the moments that you can't read about. Like I can only understand because of maybe the last session I did Right. This ain't a no book. This comes from being booed at the Apollo. This comes from getting to have these video shooting, them saying ain't nothing for you to do in the video, and having to go back to New York after you in LA for the video shoot, only for Hev and his people to call you a week later and say can you do the remix of Big Daddy? Right? So then the, the un, mature me I'm not gonna say immature the, the one that has not matured yet, would have said I'm good, right, because I'm. I've been here before. I know how this works, y'all ain't going to play me again. But then the one that was a little wiser said but then they'll call somebody else, the same person. They don't know you well enough for this to be personal. Anyway, that's all I got.
Speaker 1:Ooh, I got three last things to say. Okay, Number one I think the best quote I saw from you and I loved it and I'm going to use it in some way. Okay, If you don't know your dopeness, we've got a problem. That is a great, great, great quote. I love that. My second thing for you yes.
Speaker 4:Great quote, I love that.
Speaker 1:My second thing for you yes, all these artists out here, if you had, if there was one artist that you're looking at and you say, if I could have that person for one hour, I could, I could, I could make them better, like who's that artist that you think that you, that you want to work with, that you haven't worked with? That's a tricky thing to say. It is a tricky thing to say. I might've not asked that the right way, but who is that artist, though, that you see so much potential with?
Speaker 2:Okay, I like that You'll edit that other part out.
Speaker 1:I'll edit that.
Speaker 2:Let's see the artist that I see so much potential with. Let me just say that if I can have an hour with the new generation of female MCs, I would. I would love to embolden them, empower them even more.
Speaker 1:I like that All right, and then we're going to end with this. Okay, since you're touching base with all these different people yeah, you got three of us on here that do this show.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Give us your tips. What are we doing wrong? What are we doing right?
Speaker 2:Well, I don't really work in the wrongs and rights, I work in the current. And then let's just go higher. The current, let's go higher. I would start with wanting to be able to see jeff for sure, because that's who brought me on, that's my homie. I want to see his face, um, but no, I let me just say that what you guys are doing is so necessary so that people don't forget the unglossy part. Right, they just see these machines running smoothly and they have no idea that what it takes in the team of people that are behind them, and then also the, the, the mindset and the tools that one must have to keep that machine going. So, just to expose that on this platform, and each of you bring something different, you know, in terms of your gifts and your talents, and, and so I'm grateful to be here, and so what I have witnessed thus far shows me you're on your way. Keep doing what you're doing KJ Rose.
Speaker 1:I think that says it all, Thank you. Thank you for coming on. Thank you for sharing so much wisdom I have it's been an absolute pleasure to hear your stories. I love it.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me continue success and I'll keep you posted on um. You know all the good things and the new, the new wins on my end.
Speaker 1:I can't wait to see all this stuff.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I have decided, you know cause? I've spoken at a lot of, a lot of um, different corporate events and um and music events, but I've never, you know, because I've spoken at a lot, of, a lot of different corporate events and and music events, but I've never, you know. And and in my own life, I have these power chants that help me to encourage myself when I'm like, ok, that was great, but it's, but OK, what's next? Right? And so I've decided to have my own signature event called Confidence Con. And so I've decided to have my own signature event called Confidence Con, and it is going to be September 13th.
Speaker 2:It is to awaken your personal star power. We were all born with it, but somehow along the way, we abandoned it. So my job is to help you re-champion that story, energize the story, help you remember all the greatness that is in you, help you to stop. And even in my own life, I feel like I was watching a Will Smith YouTube video and he was talking about how you can be at the highest point of good. Right, you're like the best at being good, but like I'm also trying to annihilate what great looks like. And so that's what the Confidence Con will be about. It will be your ultimate destination to delivering presence and confidence at peak performance. September 13th.
Speaker 1:People. You better be there that is KJ. Rose, the Rose Effect. I love it, thank you have a great day everybody alright, 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 1:Smicky, that was good.
