State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
Page: 521
If the Academy of Country Music Awards were a game show, the music event of the year honor would be the bonus round.
Appearing in that category on the ballot can make a huge difference in the top nomination totals, and the 60th annual awards — slated to be presented May 8 in Frisco, Texas — are a prime example. Three of the top four nominees — Ella Langley, with eight nominations; Cody Johnson, with seven; and Morgan Wallen, also with seven — had their totals boosted as finalists for music event. That’s also true for seven of the top eight nominees.
In fact, the only artist among the top eight who’s absent from music event is seven-time nominee Lainey Wilson, whose ACM experiences were eventful each of the last two years.
“I think she has done her due diligence on music event,” ACM head of artist relations and awards Haley Montgomery says. “She won for ‘Save Me’ with Jelly Roll. She won for ‘wait in the truck’ with HARDY.So I think she’s just giving us a one-year break.”
Trending on Billboard
In another era, music event felt a little gimmicky. The category often contained songs that were non-singles or charted tracks that never made the upper reaches of the list. But in the current era, hit collaborations are more plentiful, in great part because there is a larger volume of titles from which voters can pick.
Collaborations “used to be a lot tougher to do,” recalls Brad Paisley, who won vocal event (as it was then called) with three titles: “Whiskey Lullaby,” with Alison Krauss, in 2004; “When I Get Where I’m Going,” with Dolly Parton, in 2005; and “Start a Band,” with Keith Urban, in 2008.”We used to scream at the top of our lungs to labels, ‘Please let us do these things.’ “
Now that streaming has expanded the ways in which music is consumed, former concerns about disturbing marketing plans for two or more acts at radio are far less an issue, Paisley reasons. So artists work together more. Backing Paisley’s point, he appears on Kane Brown‘s The High Road album and Post Malone‘sACM-nominated F-1 Trillion. He has at least two other collaborations in the works, and Chris Young sent him a song recently with hopes that Paisley would play guitar on it.
“Whether or not that ever comes out, I don’t know,” Paisley says. “But that’s what music should be.”
In some ways, the music event field represents the heart and soul of the current awards-show ideal. Producers of every televised awards ceremony look for artist matchups that they can promote as special events that may not happen anywhere else. Chris Stapleton‘s collaboration with Justin Timberlake at the 2015 Country Music Association Awards is perhaps the most impactful example.
“The audience just really loves seeing different artists collaborate together,” says Fusion Music founder Daniel Miller, who co-manages five-time ACM nominee Riley Green with Red Light artist manager Zach Sutton. “Certainly this category has been around for a long time, and some of the most historic songs come from that category. But I think more than ever, they just love the collaboration.”
The total impact of a collaboration goes beyond the music event category. Three of this year’s five music event nominees — Langley & Green’s “you look like you love me,” Post Malone & Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” and Johnson & Carrie Underwood‘s “I’m Gonna Love You” — scored additional nods for single, song and/or visual media of the year. In fact, four of Wallen and Post Malone’s nominations are tied to “I Had Some Help,” while six of Langley’s eight nods and all five of Riley’s derive from “you look like you love me.”
“Riley’s career was certainly taking off in a big way [already], and Ella was starting to be discovered,” Miller says, “but [the duet] was exponentially beneficial to both of them when you add them together.”
With that potential impact, aiming intentionally for a music event award might seem like a good strategy on the surface. But Paisley, Miller, Montgomery and Johnson all caution that collaborating for creative reasons is more likely to succeed than targeting trophies. Johnson, in fact, took issue when his team started sketching out a marketing plan for a possible collaboration with Wilson even before the song had been finalized.
“Everybody’s like, ‘Well, we need to get with her camp about when we’re going to release this,’ ” Johnson recalls. “I said, ‘Hey, I just want to record this. Let me record the song, and then y’all can do all that later.’ “
Landing a music event nomination has an extra bonus for artists who produce their own work at the ACMs, since the organization gives those acts separate trophies for the performance and the production. Carly Pearce, who co–produced her Stapleton collaboration “we don’t fight anymore,” and Kelsea Ballerini, who co-produced the Noah Kahan music event “Cowboys Cry Too,” both doubled up on nominations in the category. Not every awards show provides a second trophy for artist-producers.
“Overall, it’s really important to recognize who we think are pivotal in the background of what caused these moments to happen,” Montgomery says. “And when you’re talking about a music event, bringing two people together, producing that collaboration — speaking as someone who does a very small scale of that, just trying to put together honors compilations or small performances at after-parties — it can be really complicated, so we see value in recognizing the subcredits of who made this magic moment happen.”
The right music event can certainly help an artist pile up nominations, but ideally the nomination isn’t the goal. It’s the result of a performance developed for creative, or collaborative, purposes.
“You could point to this category and say, ‘This is the reason awards shows are watched, because of music events,’” Montgomery says. “So it’s a really interesting one. I don’t see it going anywhere anytime soon.”
It was fitting that Miranda Lambert was on hand for Sunday night’s (May 4) “Iconic Women”-themed night. As the show’s top 10 competed for a spot in the top 8, Lambert was in the house for a killer performance of one of her breakthrough hits and to offer advice and encouragement to the singers, beginning with country crooner John Foster, who admitted that the singer was his “first crush.”
They clearly got along like old friends, with country gentleman Foster even taking off his cowboy hat in deference to Lambert, who counseled him to work the stage a bit as they did an impromptu duet on Bonnie Raitt’s “Something to Talk About.”
Lambert wasn’t done singing, though, as she had her own spotlight moment later in the show when she took the stage to perform her breakthrough 2005 hit single, “Kerosene,” which peaked at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Nov. 15 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song, which was the third single and title track of Lambert’s debut album, has lost none of its rocking vibe in the ensuing two decades.
Trending on Billboard
“Dusty roads ain’t made for walking/ Spinning tires ain’t made for stoppin’/ I’m giving up on love ’cause love’s given up on me,” Lambert sang over her band’s foot-stomping backing, as, following her own advice, she worked the stage in a rhinestone-studded black jumpsuit while the giant screen behind her featured the tune’s title in flaming letters.
Fellow country stars and Idol judges Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan clapped and bopped their heads to the song’s driving beat and gospel-flecked keyboards. Afterwards, host Ryan Seacrest asked Lambert how her mentoring run on the show has been going and she said, “I love them all so much. I’ve had such a blast getting to be part of this Idol family and getting to know these wonderful artists. It has been a real blessing for me.”
Lambert also plugged her new record label, Big Loud Texas, where she said she’s trying to keep the “outlaw movement going.”
Other top 10 performances on the episode included: Kolbi Jordan (Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”), Josh King (Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”), Breanna Nix (Adele’s “Water Under the Bridge”), Canaan James Hill (Carrie Underwood’s “Love Wins”), Thunderstorm Artis (Adele’s “When We Were Young”), Slater Nalley (Reba McEntire’s “Whoever’s In New England”), Jamal Roberts (Underwood’s “Undo It”), Mattie Pruitt (Lambert’s “The House That Built Me”) and Gabby Samone (Beyoncé’s “I Was Here”).
Idol winner Abi Carter also returned during the episode to sing her new ballad, “Burned.” By show’s end, the top 10 was cut down to the top eight, with Jordan and Hill eliminated. The next episode of Idol, the judge’s song contest, airs on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET, where America will vote for the top six and the judges will use their save to complete the top seven.
Watch Lambert perform “Kerosene” on American Idol below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Turkey Leg Hut, the popular Houston restaurant that attracted huge crowds and celebrity interest, is at the center of an ongoing scandal involving its former owner, Lynn Price. According to the FBI, pounds of marijuana were sold at Turkey Leg Hut and reportedly emblazoned with the company’s logo.
The Houston Chronicle reports that FBI special Agent Deborah Cline testified last week at a detention hearing for Lynn Price, 42, who owned the Turkey Leg Hut, which closed for good last year. Price was arrested last week in connection with a 2020 arson, alleging that he paid four men $1,400 to set fire to a bar situated across the street from his establishment.
One of the four men, John Lee Price, said that he helped aid a covert marijuana operation using product shipped in from California and sold in bags bearing the Turkey Leg Hut logo. Price reportedly didn’t handle the day-to-day sales himself but is framed as a ringleader of the operation.
Lynn Price nor the men accused of setting fire to Bar 5105 have been accused of anything connected to the marijuana operation. Agent Cline said over 1,000 pounds of marijuana was kept on the premises of the restaurant, which was guarded around the clock.
—
Photo: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers / Getty
In many ways, country music tells the story of America. There is the celebration of rural life and the yearning to recapture a seemingly simpler time. There are murder ballads, cheating songs, tunes that herald Saturday night’s debauchery and Sunday morning’s redemption. There are bring-you-to-your knees, heartbreak songs and songs that embrace both fleeting and […]
After receiving a cease-and-desist from the owner of Las Vegas’ Sphere, Beyoncé has replaced the venue with another Nevada landmark in her Cowboy Carter Tour visuals.
Days after Billboard confirmed that Sphere Entertainment Co. CEO James Dolan’s attorneys had sent a letter to the superstar’s Parkwood Entertainment demanding that Bey remove a reference to the Sphere in a video that plays during one of her show’s interludes, fans at the tour’s third night in Los Angeles Sunday (May 4) were the first to see that she had done just that. In lieu of a ginormous Bey bending down to pick up the iconic spherical concert space — as was depicted in the original visual dubbed “Attack of the 400 Foot Cowboy” — she now reaches for Allegiant Stadium, seemingly edited overtop of where the Sphere was initially.
The following morning, Parkwood posted the updated footage on Instagram, writing, “What happens in Vegas starts with a BANG.”
Trending on Billboard
“Bey really said ‘you want petty? here’s petty,’” one fan commented on the post.
Another person wrote with a cry-laugh emoji, “Oh the shade.”
Sunday’s show came two nights after the New York Post first reported that Dolan’s company had sent Bey’s team the cease-and-desist, alleging that “the prominent appearance and manipulation of SEG’s Sphere™ venue in the video [had been] unauthorized.” In addition to accusing the 35-time Grammy winner of showcasing the Sphere without permission, the letter also reportedly criticized the visual for supposedly misleading fans by creating “significant speculation that Beyoncé will end her tour with a Sphere residency,” despite the fact that the Cowboy Carter trek is actually scheduled to end with two shows at Allegiant in July.
Billboard previously reached out to reps for Beyoncé and tour promoter Live Nation, but did not hear back.
Prior to the change, the Sphere had been just one of several global landmarks included in the visual. Featuring Bey modeling several glamorous looks and towering over various cities worldwide, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer also interacted with the Statue of Liberty in New York City, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., in the interlude.
Following two more nights at SoFi Stadium in L.A. this week, Bey is set to bring the tour supporting Billboard 200-topping album Cowboy Carter to Chicago and East Rutherford, N.J., before heading overseas for performances in London and Paris. In late June, she’ll circle back to the states for shows in Texas, Maryland and Georgia before closing out with her Nevada performances.
See Bey’s updated, Sphere-less tour visual below.
Big Loud Texas has added a publishing arm, Big Loud Texas Publishing, with Timothy Allen as the publishing company’s inaugural signee. Lizzy Rector will spearhead the new venture, having been hired as publishing director for the Austin-based Big Loud Texas Publishing.
The newly-formed division will work hand-in-hand with Big Loud Texas’ co-founders, three-time Grammy winner Miranda Lambert and producer/writer/musician Jon Randall.
Rockwall, Texas native Allen, whose work as a touring musician, producer and studio musician has included time spent with Shane Smith and the Saints, caught Randall’s attention while performing music from his solo project at Texas Music Revolution. Allen resides just outside of Dallas in Royse City and counts John Moreland and Sufjan Stevens among his influences.
Trending on Billboard
Rector joins Big Loud Texas following a seven-year tenure at Big Machine Music Publishing, where she most recently served as creative manager. A Texas native and Belmont University alum, Rector will lead Big Loud Texas’ new publishing division, focusing on strengthening creative connections between Austin and Nashville.
Lizzy Rector
Chasity Posey
In partnership with Big Loud Records, Lambert and Randall founded Big Loud Texas in 2023, with the aim of promoting and cultivating Texas artists to global acclaim. They signed flagship artist Dylan Gossett along with Mercury Records and also added country neo-traditionalist Jake Worthington to the Big Loud Texas roster. Lambert and Randall, along with the Big Loud Records team, are involved with signing and developing artists for the Big Loud Texas roster, with Randall serving as president of A&R (as well as offering his producer expertise), and Brendon Anthony serving as vice president at Big Loud Texas.
“I grew up listening to incredible storytellers like Guy Clark and Emmylou Harris,” Lambert said in a statement. “Hearing their music made me realize I wanted to be an artist who poured my own truth into songs and said something meaningful through my writing. With Big Loud Texas Publishing, I’m proud to help nurture that same spirit in a new generation of writers, and I’m so excited to welcome Timothy Allen as our first signing.”
“I am so excited that we are announcing the publishing arm to Big Loud Texas,” Randall added. “Obviously songwriting is very close to our hearts. I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue growing the Big Loud Texas brand with Miranda, our partners and our team and giving songwriters a place to call home.”
“We are so grateful to have Lizzy in the Big Loud Texas family,” Anthony said in a statement. “Her experience in publishing and her vision for the company are already proving to be invaluable. Lizzy is a strong leader and a champion of songwriters. We could not have asked for a better person to take the reins.”
Randall said of signing Allen, “He is one of the most talented and musically versatile singer songwriters I’ve ever met. We so appreciate Tim entrusting us with his talent and craft and we are so proud to be a part of his musical a journey.”
(L-R): Timothy Allen, Brendon Anthony and Jon Randall
Jordan Pierce
Doja Cat heard from the fans, and she’s giving them a little Cinco De Mayo gift. There’s been demand for her to release a track titled “Crack” she previewed in 2022 on Instagram Live, and it’s finally available on her website for download on Monday (May 5). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news […]
She came — and she delivered one of the greatest shows at Rio de Janiero’s Copacabana Beach has ever seen on Saturday (May 3). At 10:10 p.m., with a 25-minute delay, Lady Gaga took the stage at Todo Mundo No Rio in Brazil and gave a performance lasting more than two hours — a display of excellence that moved the audience of 2 million-plus people and the artist herself. According to Riotur, the number was half a million more than expected. With this attendance, she became the female artist with the highest concert attendance, surpassing Madonna’s previous record of 1.6 million fans at Copacabana Beach in 2024.
The forecast was also right for the evening, and there wasn’t a trace of rain before or after Lady Gaga’s show. During the performance, the sky was clear with few clouds, and the ocean breeze kept the temperature pleasantly cool. While rain ponchos stayed tucked away, the real stars of the show were hand fans — used more as percussion instruments than for cooling off. Waved to the rhythm of the music to applaud the singer and even to complain about the delay, the sound of the fans (one of the top-selling accessories during Gaga’s visit to Brazil) became a defining feature of her Copacabana show.
Trending on Billboard
With fireworks, record-breaking numbers and tributes to Brazil, Lady Gaga made every minute of the 13-year wait since her last performance in the country worth it.
The Queen of Copa
Tributes to Brazil were plentiful throughout the show. The first came with the outfit revealed at the end of “Abracadabra,” during which Mother Monster appeared in green attire with blue and yellow stripes. During “How Bad Do U Want Me,” her dancers took the stage wearing CBF jerseys.
Gaga directed several messages to the Brazilian crowd. Before singing “Poker Face,” she addressed the audience: “Brazil! I missed you so much. Are you ready for tonight?”
But her most emotional moment came before performing the classic “Alejandro.” Standing on one of the stage structures, Lady Gaga unfurled a Brazilian flag and invited young interpreter Nicholas to help her deliver a heartfelt message. In a speech that lasted nearly five minutes, an emotional Gaga moved the crowd. “Tonight, we’re making history. But no one makes history alone,” she said. “Without you, the incredible people of Brazil, I wouldn’t be living this moment. Thank you for making history with me. Brazilians are the reason I can shine. You’re as vibrant and beautiful as the sun and moon rising over the ocean, right here on Copacabana Beach.”
From the Fans’ Perspective
None of the fans interviewed were disappointed with the show. During and after the performance, the crowd’s joy was undeniable — though some organizational issues were pointed out by the Little Monsters.
Carol, 28, Isabela, 25, and Julia, 29, traveled from Sorocaba to see Lady Gaga. They felt the discomfort of being in the middle of the crowd. “We were near the platform and almost got trampled. It was poorly organized,” Carol said. About the setlist, she added, “The show was amazing. I wish there had been more hits, but I get that it’s the album tour. Either way, it was an incredible performance.”
Gabriel, 23, came from Espírito Santo. Despite some initial hiccups, the fan had an unforgettable night. “It was crazy. I lost my friend, and there was chaos at first,” he shared. “But once I found a calmer spot, I sang, I cried — it was so special. The moment that hit me hardest was ‘Born This Way,’ a song that represents me. It was totally worth it.”
For public servant Camila, 35, and administrator Edvaldo, 36, the show was a great experience shared between longtime friends. “I thought it was better than her Coachella set. Loved her using Brazil’s colors,” Camila said.
“The fireworks were the perfect finale. We found a comfortable spot, not too far from the stage, and had a blast,” Edvaldo added.
A Letdown for Street Vendors
Many street vendors felt that Lady Gaga’s show didn’t bring significant sales, for various reasons.
Grill vendor Rafael Mourão, 37, managed decent sales, but only reached Avenida Atlântica around 7 p.m. “Sales were much lower than Madonna’s show,” he said. “I had trouble getting into the area because of police blockades. The city throws a party but makes it hard for the less fortunate to work.”
Thiago, a drinks seller, believed fans bringing their own supplies hurt sales. “It wasn’t a total loss, but sales were just OK,” he shared. “People are being cheap — bringing beer from home instead of supporting local workers.”
Luciene, 23, also struggled. “I didn’t sell well, and it seems most didn’t either. I got here at 9 a.m. and am going home with most of my stock,” said the vendor. “On New Year’s, I did great — today was really slow.”
Will Lady Gaga Return to Brazil Soon?
If it’s up to the Mother Monster, she won’t stay away for so long again. Beyond her many declarations of love for Brazil, she expressed her desire to return soon: “I want to come back soon, soon — I don’t want to wait so long next time.”
She also shared how at home she feels in the South American country. “In Brazil, I feel like part of a community, and that’s so pure. I feel how much music means to you — and it means everything to me too.”
Let’s wait for the Mother Monster’s next steps — and hope she doesn’t take another 13 years to return to Brazil!
This article was written by Lucas Vieria for Billboard Brasil.
This week’s crop of new music finds Luke Combs and Bailey Zimmerman pairing up on a hard-charging anthem about grit and determination. Elsewhere, Trisha Yearwood offers up new music, from her forthcoming first album in six years, while HARDY, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Jedd Hughes and Mason Via also issue meshes of country, rock, blues and/or bluegrass on new songs.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Bailey Zimmerman feat. Luke Combs, “Backup Plan”
Trending on Billboard
Zimmerman just logged a Billboard Hot 100 top 5 hit with his BigXThaPlug collaboration “All the Way,” and he quickly follows by teaming with fellow country hitmaker Luke Combs — this time on a hard-charging, motivational anthem about tuning out naysayers in favor for chasing one’s own ambitions. Combs’s full-bodied vocal is a natural for this type of commanding track, while Zimmerman cranks up the vocal energy to another level. The two filmed the video for “Backup Plan” live at Stagecoach Country Music Festival in California, when Zimmerman made a guest appearance during Combs’ Sunday evening set.
Trisha Yearwood, “Bringing the Angels”
Three-time Grammy winner Yearwood is set to return with her first album in six years with the July 18 release of The Mirror, which also features Yearwood as a writer on all of the set’s songs. She offers a stellar preview on that album with this bluesy-rock fueled number, as careening guitars and soulful gospel choir vocals aid in giving a vigorous reminder of Yearwood’s emotional and vocal firepower, as she calls on the support of a higher power as she rails against haters and doubters. Yearwood wrote “Bringing the Angels” with her sister Beth Bernard, as well as writers Leslie Satcher and Bridgette Tatum.
HARDY, “Girl With a Gun”
From his newly released EP Country! comes this ballad that finds HARDY singing about allaying the fears of a lover concerned that his night out with a group of friends could lead to infidelity–but he’s quick to bring a reminder of his undying devotion, plus, he’s aware his lover knows her way around a firearm and cheating could lead to deadly consequences. “You really think I’d teach you to shoot it/ If I was gonna be the reason you’d use it,” he sings, bringing a track that manages to be both the EP’s most tender — yet ominous — song, while also highlighting HARDY’s signature way with making a lyric both powerful and unexpected.
Rebecca Lynn Howard, “I’m Not Who You Think I Am”
The title track to Howard’s first album in 15 years, it showcases that her vocal prowess hasn’t diminished, and that her songwriting has only grown more nuanced and fearless. She delves into redemption (“A Good Place to Turn Around”), pleas for societal change (the twangy jamband track “Mess Down Here”), and offers boot-stomping declarations of a lover willing to fight (“Hoedown”), while elsewhere lending her voice to the full-throttle twang of “Flowerbed.” Howard is known for her powerful vocals on early hits such as the ballad “Forgive,” but on this set, she delivers an array of country-rock bangers, twangy bluegrass-tilted tracks and deeply introspective tunes with aplomb.
Jedd Hughes, “Kill My Blues”
Two decades ago, Hughes made his debut in Nashville circles with a polished, bluegrass-inflected project that demonstrated his skills as a triple threat singer-songwriter-guitarist. Since then, he’s proven an in-demand studio and touring musician and an ace artist in his own right. “Kill My Blues” is featured on Hughes’ new album Night Shades, and an older co-write with revered artist Guy Clark. The pristine production and layered instrumentals kick this bluesy-rocker up a notch, and proves Hughes’s expressive singing as well as his towering instrumental talents.
Mason Via feat. Ronnie Bowman and Junior Sisk, “Oh Lordy Me”
Via has forged several sterling stints in bluegrass and Americana circles, including work as the youngest member of Old Crow Medicine Show, and writing songs for Del McCoury Band’s album Almost Proud as well as Molly Tuttle’s City of Gold. Via continues etching his own musical path with his new project, which includes a stellar collaboration with bluegrass titans Ronnie Bowman and Junior Sisk on “Oh Lordy Me,” a piece that simultaneously nods to bluegrass tradition while feeling progressive and boundary-less. Fiddle, mandolin, banjo and the singers’ bright harmonies wrap around this celebration of rural living, from taking in the mountain air and lush scenery, to taking pride on one’s station in life, regardless of financial position.
As Godfather of Harlem returns for its fourth and final season on MGM+, the gritty television series about 1960s crime boss Bumpy Johnson — played by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker — closes out with one last original soundtrack curated by none other than Swizz Beatz. With nearly three decades of hitmaking under his belt, Swizz has served as executive music producer for all four seasons, enlisting an all-star lineup of veteran MCs and rising voices to match the show’s powerful storytelling.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The latest 10-track project features collaborations with the likes of Conway the Machine, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, and Jay Electronica, while the lead single “Danger Danger” pairs Swizz with Jadakiss and Pusha T. Additional contributions come from Cruel Youth, ScarLip, Sauce Walka, Tobe Nwigwe, Larry June, and more — proving that the series is going out with a bang.
Trending on Billboard
Billboard caught up with Swizz Beatz in New York City to talk about what first drew him to the series, how the music helps elevate its message, and what advice Bumpy Johnson might give to today’s generation of artists.
Godfather of Harlem is such a captivating show. What initially drew you to get involved with it, and how did your role evolve over time?Godfather of Harlem is the gift that keeps on giving. I’ve always been a big fan of Forest Whitaker — and come to find out, he was a big fan of mine. When they were looking for an executive music producer, Forest was like, “No, we need somebody from New York who understands the streets — someone who comes from the streets — to give the show the real, the grit that it needs.”
I got a phone call from Forest and a call from the team. It was a simple conversation: “Yo, we’re working on this show based on Bumpy Johnson. It’s set in Harlem.” Most of my family still lives in Harlem. I’m from the Bronx, but it’s HBO — Harlem Bronx Only. That’s what we say. I was just like, “OK, let’s have fun.” Four seasons in, it’s been an amazing journey, and we’re just getting started.
The show explores themes of power, identity and culture in Harlem. In what ways do you think the music you created enhances those themes, and how do you balance staying true to the history while adding your own personal touch?
When I first started, I was just doing tracks. I was like, “Okay, this track sounds good, that track could sound good.” But the way that I really broke down the formula for the show was making the songs voices in the head. My voice is what Bumpy Johnson is thinking. Then you have other artists’ vocals, which are what Rome’s thinking, what Mimi’s thinking. Make the musicians characters themselves in the film. When you see the score and how it’s lined up, it’s coming from the mind of the actor or actress you’re seeing at that moment. I kind of scored the individual actors for the music, instead of just doing music and having them put it with the scene.
How did working on the show influence your approach to creating music? Did it spark any new ideas or projects you’re excited about?
Working on the show is different from a lot of other things, especially in TV. In TV, they really have strict direction of where they want to go. I’m not gonna lie, I had the freedom to do whatever on this show, which is cool because I was able to invite a lot of new artists to the project. I didn’t have to just get hit songs to make the project seem cool. When you listen to the music, you don’t care if it was made then or now, it fits the property of the show.
Chris Brodo and my whole team have been super supportive, just saying, “Listen, let Swizz do what he’s gonna do.” We have parties in the studio — when we’re shooting Godfather of Harlem, it’s a party. The artists are there, the actors are there, the producers are there, the production manager, the sound man… we keep an open-door policy of creativity, and that’s how we feed off the energy from season one to season four.
As someone who’s both a creative force in music and involved in the TV/film world, how do you balance those two worlds? And what advice would you give to others trying to expand their creative boundaries?
The balance of TV and any other part of music is using the same part of the brain, they all go together. They’re all brothers and sisters, photography and artists, brothers and sisters, art and music as brothers and sisters, cinema, photography — all of these are still under the umbrella of art. It’s not even a hard job to just switch your brain from the subject matter.
The advice I would give to anyone is just to be as original as possible. Just do something disruptive, stand on it, and not really follow what everybody’s doing.
If I were to follow the rules or follow what everybody’s doing for this series the music wouldn’t feel organic. I’d feel pressured to make a hit record and feel pressured to do something on the charts. I built and designed this for the viewers and the listeners, but the viewers first.
What’s one song from the soundtrack that you think defines the show?
I would say, ” Crown Don’t Make You King” — that’s Conway the Machine, featuring Cruel Youth. When you see this song in the show, it’s at such a pinnacle peak: You got the crown, but it takes many more things to be a king than just the crown that you’re wearing. It’s what’s under the crown that makes you the king. The way that Teddy Sinclair wrote the words to those vocals is just unbelievable. And then Conway the Machine, just giving his energy on it, it’s one of my favorites.
What’s one piece of advice that you think Bumpy would give to rappers in this day and age?
Bumpy was about building community. Although he had a bad rap for being a gangster, if you really look at what he was doing, it was basically like Robin Hood, he was investing back into his people. He was investing back into every major program — he would fund every major government program. Even his wife would fund them. He was a big philanthropic gangster. I think what he would tell people is to give more, double down more, get your education, and be smart about risking your life.
