The BV Q&A: John Legend
By Isoul H. Harris, Special to AOL BlackVoices
John Legend is the real thing. Underneath all of the hype and hoopla, and certainly beyond his Kanye West connections, lies a 26-year-old man in love with soul music and ecstatic that he's able to share his passion with the world. Fortunately for him, the world is equally as excited. His debut album, "Get Lifted," landed at the No. 1 position on the R&B/Hip-Hop Billboard charts and No. 7 on the Top 200 Pop Albums chart. However, contrary to appearances, the man born as John Stephens' success was hardly overnight.
After graduating from The University of Pennsylvania at 20, the singer-songwriter-musician moved to New York and worked the club circuit while selling thousands of copies of his three independent live albums (the last, 2003's "Live at SOB's," is available in many record stores). After a friend asked Lauryn Hill to check out one of his shows, Hill recruited the Ohio native to play on her hit "Everything is Everything" from her multi-platinum classic "The Mis-Education of Lauryn Hill." Fast forward a few years... After being turned down by every label he approached, Legend's roommate at the time, Devon Harris, introduced his cousin Kanye West to Legend and the rest is musical history. R&B may never be the same.
So, what were you doing when you found out that you had the No. 1 R&B album in the country?
I was in Europe for the holidays and I was getting calls from my manager about how great it was selling and it had reached over 100,000 records. When [the numbers] finally came in, I was just landing in Los Angeles to tape the TV show "American Dreams." My manager called me and I was floored. I had no idea that I would make it to the top 10 so quickly and it's been great since then.
What kind of connection do you think that you have made with people? From young to old, music lovers have really taken to your sound.
A lot of it is lyrical. Songs like "Ordinary People" relate to what people are going through. People tell me that when they hear it on the radio, they stop their car and listen. Musically, people have been starving for real soul music to choose from and whenever someone gives them that they respond to it. Hip-hop is dominating the airwaves right now, but a lot of the people that enjoy Jay-Z, Ludacris and even Kanye, also want to hear some good soul music, [but] they haven't had great choices. They were waiting for something like this.
In recent years, most of the R&B out there has been thugged out with R&B singers wanting to come across like rappers.
Yeah, I noticed that. I think a lot of [male] singers' flows are like rappers and their melodic approach, or lack thereof, is reminiscent of hip-hop. I love hip-hop, but I am a sucker for a good melody and R&B [has been] forsaking melody. One of the things that I wanted to do with my album is bring back melody.
What did you think of Vibe magazine rating your debut album a classic?
I have always believed in this album and I am proud of it. I appreciate the compliment, but it's a little premature to call a classic. I am definitely flattered to receive great reviews from The New York Times to Rolling Stone, but it's a little early on for it to be proclaimed a classic, only time will tell.
What has been the craziest thing to happen to you so far?
Oprah Winfrey called me on my cell phone and invited me to perform at a show that she is doing. The same day, Magic Johnson called me. It was a crazy day because these are two people that I have admired for a long time and for both of them to call and ask me to work with them is pretty amazing.
Does this whole experience seem surreal to you at times?
No, it doesn't actually. I am very grounded and I have been a part of the building process so it hasn't been an all-of-a-sudden thing, although it seems like that to other people. I was with Kanye as he rose to the top and I saw how that happened. I am taking it all in stride.
You are heading out on tour with Alicia Keys. How do you feel about critics labeling you the male Alicia?
Critics always want to compare you to somebody, but I think that I am my own artist. Obviously, we both play the piano and we have similarities in the style of music we play. She is a great artist and I take it as a compliment, really. People always want to categorize you and try to put [you] in a box. For me to be called the "male Alicia Keys" or the "next Stevie Wonder," whatever, it's cool because they are great artists. But I just want to be myself, and who knows where my next album will go.
March 11, 2005