As people we have to realize that the actions we take are just as powerful as our words. We have to learn how to take control. In “Control,” which features Guapdad 4000, Billy shows us what it means to be in control. We had the pleasure of interviewing Billy, and here is what he had to say:
Q: Can you talk about your musical journey, who you worked with, and what you gained from each experience?
BILLY: My journey has been like a Steven Spielberg adventure movie. I was a young kid with big dreams. The odds of those dreams coming true were slim to none. Therefore, to look back over my life and realize I’ve accomplished far more than most people can accomplish is pretty amazing. I’ve had the pleasure of working with everyone from Travis Scott to AJ from the Backstreet Boys.
However, I honestly gained the most knowledge and wisdom from engineering, producing, and collaborating with people from my hometown. That’s where I learned most of what I know and what I believe sets me apart from most artists. I think the fact that I never really fit into the industry scene is what’s helped me to stand out and excel today.
Q: How did you get started?
BILLY: Honestly I don’t know if I ever had a starting point. Music was just a part of life in my family. Everyone sang and or played an instrument, but professionally I got started right out of high school. My first placement ended up on Nicki Minaj’s debut album and things kinda took off for me as a songwriter from there.
Q: What’s the relationship between funk and Alternative / Indie R&B?
BILLY: There is no alternative RnB, or even RnB as we know it, without funk. There’s no me without George Clinton or Bootsy Collins. A lot of what I do is rooted in practice, repetition, and mastery, but my world is ruled by feelings. And to understand or move based on feelings, you gotta pass through some stuff and you gotta study the greats and it doesn’t get any greater than funk. To me that’s where jazz, the blues, R&B, Soul, and dance intersect. It’s the musical equivalent of Umami.
Q: What is the story behind “Control”? What inspired the collaboration with Guapdad 4000?
BILLY: Control was originally a record I wrote for Christopher Williams, but we decided to reconstruct it and re-record it over one of my good friend E. Jones’s tracks to serve as a follow up record for our last project, Be Good. And Guapdad is one of our favorite artists.
His style and sound just seemed like it would fit the record and the concept. Control us a very cool record and nobody on this planet is cooler than Guapdad. Then from there it was Roslynn Alba Cobarrubias, my manager Dre Simmons, and business partner Courtney LeMarco that made it happen.
Q: Where were the hotbeds of innovation in terms of funk and R&B?
BILLY: I would say Detroit, Ohio, Minnesota, Chicago. The amount of talent that has come from the Midwest is unreal.
Q: I would like you to send a message to your fans.
BILLY: Thank you. You mean the world to me. I remember my life before you and it was dark and lonely. Thank you for believing in me, spending your money on me, promoting me, betting on me and supporting me & I promise to be a living breathing return on your investment.
Interviewed by Shertara Brazil
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