The same crowd of people who religiously chant that R&B is dead most often times isn’t searching hard enough to find new quality artists that can fill the void they’ve been searching for. If it isn’t on the radio or a part of your favorite music platform algorithm (which is an entire discussion), then it’s as good as a tree falling in the woods, nobody heard it. Yet, people are missing out on their new favorites developing right before their eyes as a new wave of Hip-Hop, R&B, and Neo-Soul is mixing and mastering their skills before the bandwagons begin piling up.

That’s what led me to Blakk Soul‘s debut album, ‘Take Your Time’. Blakk Soul is managed by Rapper Big Pooh of Little Brother, and he’s been credited for his songwriting, background vocals, and co-production on work by industry heavyweights like Playboi Carti, Dr. Dre, Anderson .Paak, and Macklemore, Little Brother, and more. For this album, he was able to recruit features from Joell Ortiz of Slaughterhouse, Amaal, Cocoa Sarai, and Nana. Behind the boards he was able to bring on  Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum producers such as Wyldfyer, J. LBS, DrewsThatDude, and Symbolyc One.

In an exclusive interview for “The Alternative Road Podcast” Blakk Soul and I discussed the time that went into creating his album, how his Mom was a big influence on him singing in the church, and what it was like being in Dr. Dre’s Hot Seat:

This interview has been edited and condensed. You can listen, in totality, via the podcast link below.

Blakk Soul’s ‘Take Your Time’ album

What led you to name the album ‘Take Your Time’?

Blakk Soul: “Take Your Time, it just made the most sense. I actually didn’t name it until the very end, very end. Throughout the process, I was trying to think of a cool name for all the records and I just couldn’t think of one that I liked or that stuck with me. Right at the end, I was having a conversation with a homegirl of mine and she said this is the type of music for people that like to take their time. And I was like aha! It was like that epiphany moment I had, then I thought that’s perfect. It took me about a year to get everything done. You know, living with records for a little bit, getting rid of records, playing with the sequencing of it all, I was very hands-on with the project.”

Tacoma, Washington’s Blakk Soul

How was it for you growing up and singing in the church?

“To be honest, my first time singing in the church was a horrific experience…so my mom man, my mom is one of the most God-fearing women I know. She just loves anything that involves praising the Lord. So we had just moved into a new town and started attending a new church. And obviously the kids up there have rehearsed and know these songs, all she saw was kids singing and said yeah yeah, gone head up there with the kids.

She set you up bro!

Blakk Soul: Right! I said I don’t think this is how this works…mind you, my mom is from Ghana as well, she’s like yeah gone head up there with the kids. I’m like I don’t think this is how this works. So I’m up there kind of looking around confused, and people are looking at me confused, and then you know as a child, I just started to get quiet. I don’t start to say anything, I’m just looking around like why am I here? You know, that was my first introduction to having to get up there. Then eventually, she did the due process thing and they let me into the children’s choir and I learned a few of their songs.

https://tidal.com/browse/album/132707697

Can you talk to the people about what it was like working with Dr. Dre?

Blakk Soul: “…They introduced me as a writer to him and he was like, oh you write? I’m like yeah yeah I do a little writing, he was like cool we’ll see tonight and he just walks off…I had heard of the infamous hot seat from Kendrick interviews and 50 cent interviews and Bilal and what not and they all talk about being thrown into the seat and create something impromptu. Who would’ve thought that would’ve been my same experience that night.”

I’m sure there are some people that don’t understand what you mean, we need to know this story. Let the people know what happened that night!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ocscS0S2bScPibf2dmpHH

For more Blakk Soul & #TheAltWithMel news make sure to check RESPECT Magazine!

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