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Joe,
There is Nothing Like Him |
Joe's 6th album, "Ain't Nothing Like Me" is dropping Tuesday, April 24th. Empress had the opportunity to chat with Joe about, how it is being a veteran in the game, how he feels about new r&b artists on the scene and his new position as one of the judges on the new season of "Making of the Band".
Joe: I've been good, really busy you know. JM: Where have you been since the last time we heard you? Joe: Yeah, I've been behind the scenes doing a couple of things working with my clothing line liquor company, you know doing some outside deals. JM: I read that you have been in the industry since you were 19. Joe: Yeah since I've been 19. I signed my first deal at 19 which was a publishing deal and that was really how I kind of got on. JM: How did you get started did you know someone in the industry or did you just sing and audition? Joe: No, actually the way it started for me I was playing guitar for a church out in Jersey and at the same church was another base player and keyboard player they were connected with a producer in the industry. So they were basically hired to come in and work on some of the tracks he was working on. I came in to co-write and to play guitar and do background vocals. You know doing all of that I got to work with Babyface and Toni Braxton and a couple of gospel artists like Vanessa Armstrong. Singing on all the demos I had a chance to let people hear what I sounded like and I started working on my own 3 song demo and all 3 songs went on the first album I ever recorded in 1993. JM: Oh Ok. So "Ain't Nothing Like Me" will be your 5th album right? Joe: Nah actually it will be my 6th album. JM: Your 6th, sorry about that. Joe: I did my 6th one on Jive. JM: Ok so how do you think you have evolved since your first album back in '93'? Joe: I've matured a lot you know. I kind of learned from everything I went through in this industry. Sort of hands on experience I think which was the best learning situation for me to be in cause I am way more smarter now than I was first coming out. I didn't really understand what this whole industry business thing was all about but now I got a grip on it. So I think now when it comes to music, it's a lot more freedom and a lot of more fun back in it. It's a whole other level for me. JM: And what do you think has enabled you to stay so relevant while so many R&B artists come out with one hit and then you never hear from them again? Joe: One, I think for me I have songs that kind of lasted a long time like, "All the Things Your Man Won't Do" and "I Wanna Know" which are really classic records. So they would go 2 or 3 years and still be in play and at that time I would be touring a lot, still doing shows. But when I do a show I just don't do a show like it's just one night I am here. I do it like ok this might be the last time I'm here so I am going to give all that I got and it's with every show and I think just having that attitude and that character when it came to shows it was put into the recording too. I like competitiveness, on the market now I see all the new R&B cats that’s out its like iight cool, y'all talking a lot right now and I am about to drop it on you real quick. JM: How do you feel about the new R&B singers out like Ne-Yo and Trey Songz? Do you think singers like that have the staying ability you do? Joe: That remains to be seen for them you know. This is some of their first albums coming into number 2 so it still remains to be seen. This is Ne-Yo's second album, Chris Brown is working on his second album, and you know Omarion is coming back with his 2nd or 3rd or whatever but that all remains to be seen. For me it was a different time coming up, I came in and I did the 'New Jack Swing' and it remained consistent throughout the reign of hip-hop for the past 10, 15 years. Hip-hop really blew up and is still here with this new genre and new generation of singers. JM: Who in the game do you actually do you actually listen to and respect? Joe: You know that is funny. There used to be some people but nowadays there is really not too many. I like Ne-Yo's writing, Chris is a great dancer and so is Omarion. So there are not a whole lot of people coming across like that. I still like my dudes like R. Kelly. I like some of the new rappers like Rich Boy; I like Mims, a couple of those records. I think I am just down to certain records that is what I like. JM: Do you write all of your songs? Joe: Yeah, I've been writing my songs since day one. JM: So what inspires you because your lyrics are always good. I think that is one of your staying powers how your lyrics resignate with your listeners. So what inspires you? is it from real life or you just sit down and write something? How does the process work for you? Joe: A lot of that comes from personal experiences I just sit down and take that blank piece of paper and just start writing down different thoughts and different things that I've said or some way I might say it then I'll just come up with some music and start producing some music around it. It's really my influences, my inspirations just come from everyday life. Just dealing with girls dealing with business people, just everything kind of in a nutshell sort of what makes up my music because I got respect in the business and in personal life. JM: Now do you know what the next single that is going to come off your album? Joe: It's a toss up between "Ain't Nothing Like Me", which is the title cut off the album and a song called "If I Wanna". So it's a toss up between the two of those they are mid to up-tempo records so we still going to keep it in the clubs a little bit. JM: Do you have a favorite song or a song that is really special on the album?
JM: It sounds like you have been hurt. Was that a long time ago? Joe: About a couple years. JM: All your female fans want to know, are you single? In a relationship? Joe: Yeah that kind of forced me to go single. (Laugh) JM: So you've been single since? Joe: Yeah, I've been single ever since then. JM: A lot of critics are saying that the essence of R&B has changed. It’s got away from real R&B and more into hip-hop. How do you feel about that? Joe: Well I agree with that because I say the same thing. I think even me doing this 'Making the Band' looking for different talent, being one of the judges on the new season. So just looking for the talent that is out there, we are looking for male singers what I am seeing is that for some reason they lost their inspirations. They don't have anybody that they can look up to and say you know what, I want to sound and sing just like that. It's like the whole feel of R&B has just been put on the back burner and everybody wants to be rappers now. JM: Yeah I was just about to ask you about that.. Now some R&B singers are also rappers. How do you feel about that? Can we expect any rapping from you? Joe: Hell no. I'm going to stick to what I do. You not are going to see me on stage running around stage dancing like Chris Brown or Usher and all of them. I am going to let them do what they do. I'm from a different school cut from a different cloth rag. I'm like the Marvin Gaye's and Teddy P's. JM: Now you said you are filming "Making of the Band". How has that experience been? Joe: It's been real good, been a lot of fun working with MTV on the Making of the Band series, learning how TV rols sometimes you search for great talent but obviously you got to leave some room for TV. They may not be as good or I may not agree with the other judges but it might be good for TV. Y’all are going to have to see some of the things. JM: When is that going to air? Joe: I believe its going to start airing in late June. JM: In terms of your outside projects you mentioned liquor and a clothing company. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? Joe: Actually they are both in development right now. Just kind of getting everything going with the liquor company, doing wine as well and the clothing company is called J. Thomas right now, so we are doing a lot of revamping and developing. JM: When do you expect for those two ventures to launch? Joe: Well hopefully Spring '08. JM: What does the word Empress mean to you? Joe: Royal it means, I think it of an Emperor I think of grand, elegant, someone who is a leader. That is what I think of when I think of Empress. JM: Thanks Joe. Joe: Nice talking with you. end Press play to listen to Joe's interview. |
Visit Joe's website www.joescrib.com. Get a chance to win an autographed CD from Joe. Click Here. |
Joe:
I have a special song. One of my favorites is "Life of the
Party", a very personal song. I was in a relationship and
we broke up and the song was born. It talks about how I really
cared a lot about her and I really miss her and I think that is
one of the most personal songs I've ever written because I have
never been hurt before in life and this is one time it kind of
got me. |
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