Lateasha Lunceford Spills the Tea on Married 2 Medicine, New Business Ventures, and Age Gap Relationships
We sat down with Lateasha Lunceford to talk about her experience on Married 2 Medicine, New Business Ventures, and Age Gap Relationships. Check out the full interview here!
WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE WITH ANDY COHEN -- Episode 22029 -- Pictured: Lateasha Lunceford -- (Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images)
Lateasha “Sweet Tea” Lunceford, the fresh face-shaking things up on Married to Medicine, sat down with us, and she brought all the tea. This woman is busy. From navigating the sometimes-frosty reception of the veteran ladies (talk about a trial by fire!) to boldly owning her age-gap relationship, Lateasha is making her mark on the TV screens and in real life. We talked about her journey on the show, how she's building genuine connections with some of the women (Phaedra and Contessa, we see you!), and how she uses the support on her platform to remain motivated and inspired.
But that's not all, honey. Sweet Tea is also a serious entrepreneur! We got the exclusive on her new venture, Sweet Tea and Co., which is basically an empire in the making. From nonprofits to makeup lines to, yes, even her own tea brand (because duh!), this woman is doing it all. And because we're all about keeping it transparent, we talked about the real struggle of work-life balance, especially as a wife and with dreams of becoming a mother. Her honesty about leaning on her support system is something every Black woman can relate to. So, grab your cups and get ready to spill some tea with Sweet Tea herself!
Nuee Johnson: Thank you for taking the time to talk to the Black Excellence Society today. I'm excited to talk to you. I just finished the last episode and got a lot of questions, so I hope you can spill the tea. Our platform is about positive pop culture. There's a lot of negative stuff going around, and I feel like reality TV can be connotated with negativity. How has being on Married to Medicine influenced your decisions in your personal life or career in a positive way?
Lateasha Lunceford: I would say that whenever I get DMs from fans, it reminds me to keep going. Some people said they see themselves in me and can relate to me, so that keeps me motivated. Before, not that I was living my life off... I wasn't. But I feel like I have a lot more motivation. I think many newbies in this group have struggled, and I think I bring a lot to the table. Finally, to see a fresh face within this group, people see the progression that could possibly be within me being on the show. I think I bring a lot to the table, and my fans keep me motivated.
Nuee Johnson: I love that. Speaking of being a newbie, I remember when you first came in, they were saying you were the only one who didn't fit in. How do you feel that has grown since then, and who would you say has given you the most grace, or who have you built the best relationship with?
Lateasha Lunceford: What was the first question again?
Nuee Johnson: When you first came in, you were the youngest in the group. I remember when Heavenly said, "You're the only one that didn't fit in." How has the relationship with the women grown, and who have you become close to?
Lateasha Lunceford: Although they say I don't fit in, I'm still here. I may be the awkward puzzle piece, but I'm in there. They made me fit. Some of the OGs may try to say that to scare me away. But I don't run from conflict. I'm a Gemini, so I run toward conflict. I'm fitting in. I'm closest to Phaedra and Contessa. They make me feel comfortable and provide a safe space.
Nuee Johnson: Okay. So your speed dating event went really well. Congratulations. It's cool what you're doing, spreading awareness about dating and age gaps. Do you plan to continue doing more events like that? And what do you have to say to people who say when you're looking for older men, you're automatically looking for security and not love?
Lateasha Lunceford: Yes, I plan on doing more speed dating events here in Atlanta. I'm working on it and teaming up with people who have a huge network of older, established men. To the people who have something to say about me and age gap relationships and have preconceived notions, I say forget what they say. My relationship is real. We need to get back to the basics of what our mothers or grandmothers taught us. As Black women, we deserve to be taken care of. We deserve to be provided for. As Black women, I feel like they don't feel we deserve that type of treatment, and we do. I decided to date older because I want a man who is well established and ready to love. Young women are looking to get back to those places. They're looking for established men. Most women, I think that's what cultures teach you: go with the man who has things together, who's well established, ready to love, been through life, and can secure you. I don't feel bad about it. I'm here to encourage it.
Nuee Johnson: I agree. I think a lot of women are in denial that we really do want security, and it's kind of shunned for some reason. But it's like, no, please come with something to the table. Thank you. Tell me about Sweet Tea and Co. I'm excited to hear about it. How did it come about?
Lateasha Lunceford: I decided to start Sweet Tea and Co. last year when I was doing the show. I always liked the name Tiffany and Co., so I thought Sweet Tea and Co. because I want to do so many things. I started a nonprofit called No Mo: The National Outreach for Menstrual Optimism. Eventually, I want my own makeup line. I'm working on my teas right now because I'm the tea that's sweet, and everybody wants a sip! I also had the Sweet and Savory Collective, which is my age gap relationship group and the speed dating I'm doing. The name really fit me. It's the umbrella of things that will go under it.
Nuee Johnson: I love that. Do you have a special connection with tea, or is it just your name? What kind of tea is it going to be? Tell me something.
Lateasha Lunceford: The type of sweet tea I want to do... the name Sweet Tea came from my Instagram name back in college. My name is Leteasha, and a lot of people were spelling it wrong. I said, "It's Leteasha, tea that you drink." So I put "Sweet Tea" as my Instagram name. My husband sometimes called me Sweet Tea, and I slid into his DMs, so that's why he was calling me Sweet Tea. Everybody has always seen me as sweet. My sister moved to Taiwan, and when I visited her, I loved the tea culture there. Being from Texas, I've never actually liked sweet tea in Texas. When I went to Taiwan, I found out that you can make tea your own. You can have different fruit teas; it doesn't have to be all sugar. I thought this was a good avenue for me because I love tea.
Nuee Johnson: I hate the sweet tea that comes from churches in Miami. I love other types of teas. It looks like we have to wrap it up. My last question: you have so much going on. You said you have an umbrella of things you are about to launch. How do you plan to keep your work-life balance? You're working, you want to be a mother, a wife, a business owner. What is the tea with the work-life balance?
Lateasha Lunceford: I'm trying to figure it out. I'm running around trying to be Whitney Houston, "I'm every woman," and I'm trying to balance it all. I've delegated things to friends to help me. You have to lean on the people who support you and want to see you be successful. Then you give back, whether that's treating them to dinner or spending time with them. I'm trying to learn how to balance it all. I have a successful husband, so when we have that baby, I'll be calling on him. I might need a nanny. I've hired people to help me around the house, and it's amazing. I don't ever want to go back.
Nuee Johnson: That's good. It sounds like you have everything straight. Sometimes Black women find it hard to ask for and accept help, but it sounds like you're leaning on your support system and have a good group of people around you. Congratulations on everything. I can't wait to see what else you do. Thank you for stopping and chatting with me.
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Rechelle Dennis on Empowering Gen Z Women of Color Through Essence Girls United and the GU Summit
We sat down with Rechelle Dennis to talk about how GU is shaking up the scene, empowering the next generation, and what’s next for the platform as it continues to elevate young Black women across the globe. Check it out here!
Photo Credit: Essence GU
In 2019, Rechelle Dennis, alongside her sister Sophia, saw a major gap in the Essence brand—there wasn’t a platform speaking directly to the young, vibrant voices of Generation Z. Determined to create something that truly resonated with young people of color, they brought their vision to life by launching Essence Girls United (GU). What started as an idea within the Essence family has now grown into a dynamic community of 109,000 strong, where influencers, celebs, students, and trendsetters come together. I sat down with Rechelle to talk about how GU is shaking up the scene, empowering the next generation, and what’s next for the platform as it continues to elevate young Black women across the globe.
Nuee: Thank you so much for sitting down with us. Thank you for taking the time to tell your story and spill some positivity on 247 Live Culture Magazine. And that is one of the biggest things that we do. We amplify ourselves on being one of the upcoming and biggest platforms to highlight positive stories in pop culture. And your story is positive with everything that you're doing.
WE TALKED WITH RECHELLE DENNIS IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, CHECK IT OUT BELOW!
Rechelle: I love it. I love positivity.
Nuee: There's so much gossip and slander, but we need more outlets that can fill our cups up with positive stuff, make an impact on us, and inspire us to get out there and do what God has called us to do. So, thank you, Rachelle, for answering your call from God and for sitting down and talking to us. The first question that I wanted to ask was because we're going to be talking about the GU Summit, how big it has gotten, and how it has grown. What was the initial spark that led you and your sister to create Girls United within the Essence brand? And how would you say it has evolved over the past five years?
Rechelle: Yeah, I think to put it shortly, what has allowed us to evolve and why it was originally started was because of the lack of content catered and geared towards young women. You know as women we are trying and have all these aspirations. You know, I think a major conversation that has been happening, like you see on social media and everything, is the lack of spaces for young adults, you know, for girls that are just trying to figure out, you know, what their life path is. So, that's really what prompted it and understanding that we also, as a generation, deserve to have platforms like Essence speak to us. And so, that was what the, you know, what the main focus was and what the goal was. And it was all about a lot of the youth in the office coming together, a lot of people fresh out of college, a lot in the first year of their job, and just being like, okay, how do we speak to this audience? How do you cater to them? How do we make sure that Essence is speaking to them and meeting them where they're at? So, that's really how it came about and what was great. It was like a collaborative thing with a lot of youth in the office.
Nuee: I love that. I love that. It's inspiring to hear that a company like Essence, which has inspired and, you know, did so much for the Black community over so many years, that you guys are actually listening to what, you know, what your employees have to say and the people part of the company have to say and the gaps that they're going through to make sure that everything is being fulfilled on the content end, which is amazing. So, this year's summit is being described as bigger and bolder. What can attendees expect this year that's different from the previous years that they've attended?
Rechelle: Yeah, I mean, what's amazing about it is just seeing our audience grow. Like, our first summit in 2020 was virtual. 2021, you know, we were still kind of in COVID, trying to get out of COVID. It was that weird space. So, for a lot of it, you know, we were figuring out, like, where do we meet this audience? How do we bring them into what we're doing? Because in a lot of ways, this was new territory for Essence to go into. And so, you know, as we've been very focused on serving our audience as much as we can, as intensely as we can, you know, knowing what they like, what they don't like. Knowing who they're interested in, what are also some of the issues that they might be dealing with, especially being in the stage of life that they're in. And so, you know, with that, we've been able to use a lot of that insight to understand how to build a better Summit every year. And that has allowed us to get bigger and bigger and even bolder, you know, as we step into, you know, what our hashtag is for this year, our next era, our new era. So that's really what a lot of it has been, focusing on our audience as much as we can and just serving their needs as much as we can.
Nuee: I love that. That's amazing. And from what I've watched over the years, it's definitely doing that. So kudos to you. Earlier in our conversation, you mentioned that Girls United was born from the need to create a space for young people of color. How do you think that GU has impacted or shifted these conversations in spaces where they may have otherwise been overlooked?
Rechelle: Yeah, I think it's shifted the conversation. Also, we see where, you know, the state of journalism is right now. What we have been able to do is cater to this audience of even young writers, right? You know, having that and having, you know, these young writers come in right on our platforms and speak about the things that they're going through or the things that are happening on their college campuses or the things that are, you know, that are going on, you know, throughout. You know, I think that that has been very important for us, in making sure that they remain at that forefront. You know, making sure that we're catering to them. You know, also making sure that we're, even throughout the year, we're showing up for them. Like, we showed up at the festival and realized that a lot of this audience also wants to be creators and content creators. And they're so multifaceted that we wanted to make sure that we were speaking to them in, you know, at the biggest festival in the world, right, or in the country by per day attendance.
Right? A lot of those moms and aunts who are coming to Essence Festival are also bringing their daughters. So, you know, we were like, let's create something for them. Let's create a creator's house where they can create content, you know, listen to the music that they listen to, you know, be surrounded by the girls in the community that they need at this moment, at this pivotal moment. And, you know, again, it has just been focusing and seeing how we can serve them as they enter into their next era.
Nuee: I love that. I had the opportunity to cover Essence Fest this year, and I did stop by the creator’s house. Yeah, it was amazing. I enjoyed myself there and the conversations that we had on the panels and everything. Even though I'm a little older than, you know, the GU generation, it still resonates with me. Just coming from a family who just, you know, did entrepreneurship wasn't a big deal. It was more so go to school, get a job, you know what I mean? And we're doing something different.
Rechelle: Oh, I'm so happy. That's exactly, you know, what we want people to feel. And, you know, even with that, you know, what I think, you know, people forget about is that although there may be an age difference, there's a lot of things that we go through as Black women, as women, you know, that are no different, no matter what the age is.
Nuee: Yeah, I agree. I completely agree. One thing I can say about being at Essence Festival, I love the fact that there's something for every generation. Like there's something for everyone to do. The lineup for this year's kickbacks includes JT and Poor Minds. When you are curating this event, what do you look for when you're selecting the performers and the speakers?
Rechelle: Yeah, so I absolutely love that you asked that question. And the reason that I love that you asked that question is because any time we post our events, post Essence Festival, post-Girls United Summit, you're always seeing on Twitter or threads or whatever, the platform TikTok about people being upset that they weren't chosen as talent for our Summit or for, you know, whatever it is that we do. And, you know, I think what's very important is that we are a team and we try to do the best that we can. We're not always going to get it right. But we always try to do our best and we always try to make sure that whoever's on that stage is really a representative of what we want to convey. Or we feel like most importantly, brings value to our audience. And so, you know, with that, what we really look for is, first and foremost, there's so much talent that's out there.
There are so many speakers and so many content creators. And because of that saturation, sometimes it's really hard for us to sort through and get through to who's going to bring the most value to our audience. And so that being said, right, I think it's one thing that we look for is, one, are you going to bring value to our audience? Is our audience going to receive you? Is our audience going to show out for you? Are you going to also make sure that our audience leaves with something valuable once you get off that stage? Two is we are a platform that's running throughout the year.
People sometimes hit us up the day before, I kid you not, to see if they could get on a panel or if they could speak. And so it's also about engaging with us throughout the year, right? Like some, so many girls are in our comments that we build relationships with.
We have these little events, like we have our GU holiday party. And, you know, all the girls in the city come out and, you know, they were able to build those personal relationships with them, those in real life relationships with them. And then they keep up with us, whether it be through email or, you know, sometimes we'll have these girls also that we meet at Summit write for us on our site.
We also reach out to them or they reach out to us. So I think it's also about just engaging with us, you know, throughout the year and not just during these big moments. Because it's also like, you know, we're working these crazy hours trying to pull these things off and, you know, things also get missed, right? So one, it's value. Two, it's also engaging with us throughout the year. Three is also making sure that this is something that we both are, you know, that we're both at that value exchange. There's been a lot of times when people come to us like we'll put them on stages, you know, we'll do the whole nine for them.
And then we will never hear from them again. For us, the way that we like to look at it, it's like we like to build those relationships. We also like to make sure that our audience can build a relationship with all the people that we put on the stage. So those are definitely some of the things. And again, because of the saturation, it's like there's a lot of content creators. So what's your unique point of view? So I would say that's also the third thing is your unique point of view and your unique perspective.
What are you bringing to the table? What sets you apart from the rest of the talent that's out there? Are you having a major moment right now? Are you building on a moment? Is this for your rollout? Are you announcing something? Are you announcing something with us? Because, you know, we also like exclusives too. So, you know, that's really what it's all about, as well as, you know, that unique perspective, you know, and that point of view. And also it's like, please don't go online getting mad at us because we didn't answer an email. We're sorry. We have so many things that are going on. But, you know, we'll get to it.
Nuee: I think that's something that these Gen Z content creators struggle with is entitlement. There's entitlement. But at the end of the day, especially as a Black media outlet, why wouldn't we want to build a relationship?
Photo Credit: Essence GU
Rachelle: Exactly. Support us. It's like we do these articles, and we do all these roundups. And we'll include all these girls in it or include people in it and then it's like you don't repost the article. You're not tagging the writer. You're not tagging the brand. You know, so, again, it goes both ways. And we're happy to build the relationship and keep that going throughout the year.
Nuee: Speaking of that, what are some challenges that you have faced while building the Girls United platform? And how have you overcome them to keep pushing the brand forward?
Rechelle: I mean, challenges are challenges anytime you're building anything, anytime you're building anything of value. Challenges are expected, right? Challenges are always going to be there. Building the Girls United platform, you know, and speaking from the place of you have a legacy publication that has been catering to an audience, a specific audience for a very long time. You also have people who have worked on that for a very long time as well and are used to catering to just specific audiences. So, you know, just some of the challenges are, you know, as you're building something that has a different point of view, has a different frame of reference.
There's always going to be that challenge of, okay, what is our unique voice? How do we make sure that we're continuing to serve our audience in the way that she needs us to serve her, not the way that somebody else needs us to serve her? And then it's always about, right, making sure that the brand is always advocated for in every single meeting. You also have to train people's minds to understand and listen, Gen Z is an audience that we cannot ignore. We have to make sure that we're keeping them top of mind, and we have to make sure that we're speaking to them.
And what this is, this is the next generation of potential essence readers. You know, we need to speak to her now, and if we don't speak to her now, nobody's going to speak to her. So just making sure, you know, that we are addressing that, addressing the fact that this is an audience that we cannot ignore. So, in every meeting, right, and you have people that have been at companies for a very long time like I said, very used to a unique point of view or perspective. And sometimes it's being strong enough, especially when you're young in your career, and you're building something, to be able to challenge that in a very respectful way. You know, taking into account that their experiences are shaped by the experiences that they've had in life or the work that they've been doing.
And being very respectful of that, but also being able to challenge that, and being able to push the brand forward, and push it through, and making sure that it stays top of mind, almost to the point where you're annoying. But you just have to constantly do it, because you're also reframing a lot of people's minds as well. And some people won't always join you on that journey, and that's okay. But, you know, you have to keep pushing forward, because at the end of the day, you know what the goals are, and you know what your mission is, and vision is in serving your audience. And what I always do is just keep them top of mind as I'm going into these meetings and have to overcome those challenges.
Nuee: So you spoke about the legacy of Essence and it's always been deeply intergenerational. But how do you keep balance with the GU Innovative Initiative, and keep it fresh while also staying true to the legacy of Essence?
Rechelle: Yeah, I mean I think that's something that, you know, we fight every day. You know, and fight every day because this audience is so much different, right? We do things differently. We think differently. Even a lot of the challenges that we have are unique. The lens through which we see things is unique, whether it be on sexuality, whether it be on sex, whether it be on political views, climate change, you know, you name it. A conversation that happens a lot is, right, like what is the line between, you know, respectability, politics, you know, what and where do you draw the line? Especially because now everything seems so much more blurred. We have all these different platforms that are very fast-paced, very fast-moving. We have a generation of girls that also can be themselves, and are allowed to be themselves.
We have non-binary folks that are, you know, living their lives and living their truths. And that's something that, you know, I've always been a very big supporter of is letting people live life how they believe it or how they would want it to be or how they want it to be and being true to themselves. And so, you know, there's always that challenge and that's always going to be something that we always will struggle with. But I think what's great about it is that we have that tension, right? I think that's what also makes the best product. That's what makes Girls United the best that it can be: making sure that we are speaking to things that an Essence won't speak to. You know, catering to an audience that, you know, Essence is catering to now but maybe hasn't traditionally catered to in the past. I think that allows us to also just be very forward-thinking and allows us to also adapt to this world.
Photo Credit: Essence GU
Nuee: You spoke about just how everyone can be free in their sexuality. So I wanted to ask, how do you envision the next era of women, girls, and non-binary individuals that GU represents? What do you think sets them apart from the previous generations? Or do you think it's just like their freedom to be themselves overall?
Rechelle: Yeah, I think it's the freedom to be themselves overall. But I think most importantly, it's having the support to be themselves. And that's what Girls United is all about, right? It's giving you the tools, giving you the resources, giving you the community to be and live in your truth. And so that's what I see and what I envision, you know, in the next era. You know, the way that I like to think of it, the way that I live my life is not the way that somebody else lives their lives. They're shaped by their own set of experiences. And it's not for me to judge. It’s not for me to, you know, cast my thoughts or my opinions on it. And so that's kind of how, you know, I envision, I mean, everything in life.
Nuee: We would all be so much happier if everyone thought that way. I know, right? It's even over, you know, it's crazy. With over 3000 articles covering topics from politics to beauty. How do you prioritize which stories are most important for Girls United to amplify?
Rachelle: Yeah. So this is an interesting question. And the reason that I want to say that it's interesting is because this is something we always talk about in our meetings. You know, you see some of this conversation even on social media is right. At what point are people losing too much data or analytics to decide what to write or anything? The great thing about that, though, and the reason that I always encourage my team to use data and analytics is because, again, that's how you understand what your audience wants to see. And so, then there's a lot of surprises in that. There's a lot of times that I've been proven wrong and there's been a lot of times that the data has proven right.
That being as you look at what we're covering, right, like you said, 3000 articles, we can't cover everything that goes on in this world. And so, my focus is to cater to and write on and cover the topics that matter most to our audience based on what they're gravitating towards. And it's a combination of things, right? It's what they're looking at on social media, what they're looking at on our site. The data is usually an indicator of that. And from there, we're able to lean into that more and go even deeper to test what they like and understand, right? Like, what value are they taking away from this? Right. You know, again, everything that we do is to create value for our audience.
So it's been a focus of what they want to see? What are they getting the most value from? What are they walking away from? And that's really how we, you know, decide on the topics. Obviously, our audience is also very good at news and politics.
You know, understanding they want to understand the world around them or what's happening on their college campus. One of my favorite series is called Riot Pens and Riot Pens focuses on girls that are at these college campuses that are writing about whether it be, you know, protests, whether it be, you know, political movements, housing, you know, what's going on in their dorm. And from there, we're able to understand how they view life in a place such as a college campus where a lot of other young women are probably experiencing the same things. You know, it makes us be tapped into what's going on.
Nuee: That's amazing. You guys are doing such amazing work. And Essence, I have always been an avid, avid fan. Essence is one of the reasons why I became a journalist and aspiring host. So I thank you so much for your work. And like I said, answering your call, Rochelle, it is needed. It's making a positive impact, and we love to see it. I love it
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Kenneth Brown II Discusses His Musical Journey On The LA Jazz Scene
Kenneth Brown II discusses navigating the vibrant Los Angeles Jazz scene, his residency at the Miracle Theatre, debut album 'The Rise,' and scoring films in a exclusive interview! Check it out here!
Kenneth Brown II performing live.
“I really love Quincy Jones and Wynton Marsalis, I really dig the composition styles of Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard. I also really hold onto Duke Ellington and Count Basie; just to name a few and keep it concise on what my composition style and my music identify, it’s multifaceted from different genres of black American music as well as some hints of classical.”
By: Vince Wilson
We talk with Inglewood native Kenneth Brown II, an up-and-coming Jazz Musician on making his way through the Los Angeles Jazz Scene. We get into his residency at Miracle Theatre, his debut album The Rise, and what it’s like scoring a film.
Kenneth Brown III live creating music.
We talked with Kenneth Brown II in an exclusive interview, check it out below!
Vince: Kenneth Brown II.
Kenneth: Yes sir.
Vince: So when did you first start playing the trumpet?
Kenneth: I believe around 8 years old. I read this book called Trumpet of the Swan, I was kind of inspired by the plot, where this swan uses a trumpet to speak and communicate with the other swans- so I was like, let me play the trumpet real fast.
Vince: When you first started playing music was it a hobby or was it something you took very seriously initially?
Kenneth: I took it seriously from the jump. I started playing in Church when I was 10. Shoutout to Second Montgomery Baptist Church for allowing me to play. Growing up music was sort of an escape from reality. I was often bullied in elementary going into middle school, so I always listened to music. I’ve always practiced. Really growing up I didn’t have a music program in schools until I went to Hamilton in High school. My talent was stacked, I wasn’t the best in the class, more in the middle of the pack type, but I just kept getting better and better. My father always said to ‘focus on being the best me,’ and that’s what I did.
Vince: So you weren’t like a prodigy by any means, you really put the work in?
Kenneth: Yeah I put in the fundamental work, and I have perfect pitch. That doesn’t really mean everything, but my work ethic and my ear are definitely my biggest strengths.
Vince: So You’re an Inglewood Native?
Kenneth: Born and Raised.
Vince: What part of Inglewood?
Kenneth: Crenshaw and Florence area.
Vince: What do you feel about the changes in Inglewood lately?
Kenneth Brown II practicing his craft.
Kenneth: You know it’s been good and bad. The gentrification is the bad part, and you know a lot of people are starting to come through, which is it’s just the traffic and the housing prices, you know, it’s abysmal.
Vince: Yeah traffic is crazy. And staying in Inglewood, that’s how I got to discover you, through your residency at Miracle Theatre in downtown Inglewood. How did that come about?
Kenneth: Well it started in 2020 when I began doing Frontyard concerts and I used to livestream it. So a colleague of mine got wind of it, he was the executive director of the Miracle Theatre and he was putting together a backyard concert there during peak COVID, a very interesting time. About two years later, the owner, Owen Smith, hits me up and asks if I can do a show there at a specific time and date. I said yes, went well, he asked if I could do it the next month, and here we are 9, 10 shows later.
Vince: So you started out basically doing backyard and front yards, building in the community?
Kenneth: Yeah first my house and another friend’s house, then View Park, a couple of people in La Dera. And it was just a great experience for me not just as a musician but also learning to be a leader and how to manage things.
Vince: So you came out with an album in 2022, The Rise album, how did that happen?
Kenneth: It actually started with my friend in college Joshua Childress, he was like Yo we should record something together. A few months passed and finally, I was like okay but let’s put our all into it. So we had a meeting and drafted up some songs, I had one I had written and a couple I had co-written with Joshua. Someone else we recorded with also contributed a song which was Lone Monk and everything turned into a 7 album EP. So it was like a collaboration thing. When it came out I was like Okay cool, now it’s back to getting this degree.
Vince: How did you and Joshua meet?
Kenneth: We met at this Jazz festival in 2016 while in high school. Then I met him again in 2018 for a scholarship competition, and then like a year or so later we found each other on socials.
Vince: Since he plays the saxophone, he’s like the Shadow Henderson to your Bleek Gilliam?
Kenneth: (Chuckling) Yeah pretty much.
Vince: My favorite tracks on the album, Lone Monk like you just mentioned, Blue Magic, Canters Blues Take 2. Do you have any favorite tracks from the album?
Kenneth: Honestly it’s Footsteps, Set the tone, and Life. I put so much influence onto those tunes, I like to play Footsteps a lot at my residency, but besides that, all the tunes are really great and fun.
Vince: So what’s your writing process like?
Kenneth: It starts with an idea, whether it’s a bass line, a melody, or a chord progression. I even asked some on scratch paper, like if I wanted to make a beat.
Jazz Thursdays @ The M Bar featuring Kenneth Brown II (Set I)
Vince: Where do you draw inspiration from?
Kenneth: It’s things in my life in particular but it’s also artists and people, so I really love Quincy Jones and Wynton Marsalis, I really dig the composition styles of Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard. I also really hold onto Duke Ellington and Count Basie, just to name a few, and keep it concise on what my composition style and my music identify, it’s multifaceted from different genres of Black American music as well as some hints of classical.
Vince: Speaking of Black American music, It’s the 50th year of Hip-Hop, what do you feel about Hip-Hop’s relationship with jazz?
Kenneth: It’s all connected, jazz is really the mother of all Black American music. For instance, with Kendrick Lamar and his relationship with Terrance Martin whos also a jazz musician as well as Thundercat or Kamasi Washington to Pimp a Butterfly, it’s connected with Nas sampling Ahmad Jamal and all that.
Vince: What do you feel about the Los Angeles jazz scene?
Kenneth: It’s thriving, but in my honest opinion there’s more emphasis on who knows who, and that’s great because you have to be out there, but there is a sense of complacency and mediocrity In terms of the whole music scene.
Vince: What city has the best jazz scene in your opinion?
Kenneth: New York hands down. New York or New Orleans. LA is more known for the studios, the big movies, and the big TV shows.
Vince: Speaking of TV and the movies, would you ever do film scoring?
Kenneth: Yeah I actually recently just did one that went well.
Vince: So do you watch the film and then you get inspiration to make the music?
Kenneth: Yeah I watch the film and I ask them, Hey is there a way for you to describe the scenes and give me any musical or personal adjectives off of that, They gave me that, I talked with my friend Derek Butler, and just got really into the process of writing it out. They loved the songs and everything, it’s set for a couple of film festivals so far.
Vince: So what are your musical plans for the future?
Kenneth: In terms of the artist side of things I do have a few more projects that I’m working on, and in terms of performing I’m just gonna keep expanding, doing this and that.
Right now I’m finishing my degree at UCLA for my masters. I just started an LLC, Kenneth Brown LLC, shot out to that, and continue to be the best musician I can be, and hopefully teach someday.
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Top Discusses Music, Growth, and LA's Rap Scene
Top discusses music, growth, and LA's rap scene, while shedding light on his unique approach and upcoming projects in an exclusive interview! Check it out here!
“96 the movement man, the homie Tru, the homie Money, we was all born in ‘96. We’re gonna show the world who we are, you feel what I’m saying. My brothers, we just trying to attack the world how we can.”
By: Vince Wilson
We talked with Los Angeles artist, Top, in an exclusive interview! Top dives into his musical journey and growth, offering insights into his distinctive approach to rap and his experiences in the vibrant Los Angeles music scene. From his beginnings in the industry to his therapeutic writing process, Top shares how he uses music to express himself. He discusses the motivation behind his album Don’t Love Me and his collaboration project Low Key Needed This. Additionally, Top reflects on the impact of his hometown, LA.
Top - ‘Don’t Love Me’ album
Top recently dropped his album ‘Don’t Love Me’ which he displays smooth and melodic vocal delivery, which he pairs with introspective lyrics that touch on personal experiences, relationships, and life's challenges. Some songs he showcased a laid-back yet impactful delivery, complemented by his ability to switch between melodic hooks and hard-hitting verses. His production is also topnotch where he created some soulful trap beats that enhance the emotional depth of his songs.
We talked with TOP in an exclusive interview, check it out below!
Alright Top thank you for joining me.
TOP: Yes sir, thank you for having me.
You’ve been working a lot, put out a project at the top of the year, ‘Don’t Love Me, also a collab project with Tru last September, ‘Low Key Needed This.’ We’ll get to that one later, why did you call the latest album ‘Don’t Love Me?’
TOP: Basically, if you listen to the songs and dig deep and really listen to what I’m saying, I’m just a toxic dude I guess. I don't know I fall in love, I fall in love a lot, not love, I think I like a lot of people, so I don't want you to get too invested in me.
So its like a statement ‘Don’t Love me.’
TOP: Yeah ‘Don’t Love Me,’ I don't wanna hurt no feelings.
Ok nice, you’re born and raised in Los Angeles?
TOP: Born and raised dog!
How was it growing up in La?
TOP: Man, it was beneficial actually, feel like I learned a lot coming from where I come from, seeing what I seen. The culture, taking the bus to the beach, seeing palm trees, people visiting to see it, it's just regular to us. Just our culture, the way we talk the way we move. Then going to college in Alabama, seeing something different, once i branched off, I got to look at it from the outside, so that was a cool. I love the city, don't want to leave the city.
You said you went to school in Alabama, where did you go?
TOP: Tuskegee University, TU!
Nice, HBCU love.
TOP: Had to, had to.
So when did you first start rapping?
TOP: I first started rapping in 6th grade, I wasn't taking it seriously yet, I was just writing stuff down. Then there was a talent show we had, I made a little song, rapped it, and then after that I just left alone. Then during college time, I didn't talk that much you feel me, I was just in my head a lot, so I started writing stuff down and playing beats and it just became something I love. So now I just love to do it, something I just genuinely enjoy doing.
What do you feel about the rap scene in LA?
TOP: I feel like it's amazing, but we ain’t at our peak. Like worldly, we ain’t that poppin right now, but being from the city I love everything that's happening in LA, from Bino Rideaux to Blxst, like I love the music, but i feel like the world ain’t gravitating to it right now. There’s a lot more to do, a lot more we can accomplish.
What are some of your favorite LA rappers?
TOP: Nip, honesty, Nip is number 1 for me. I didn't really get into Nip until I was in college, I listened to him in high school, but his album ‘Victory Lap’ changed everything. I had to go back and listen to his old shit, he was really spittin’ gems, really talking that talk. Having that mindset and be able to teach people through your music and for them to really enjoy it, it's a certain type of skill only a few got, so you know I try to do that in my stuff, and that's because of Nip. So, honestly that's my favorite rapper from LA.
RIP NIP.
TOP: Yessir.
So this ‘Don’t Love Me’ project, man it's really good, you got a great flow you got great production, rare for an independent artist to put out a project with no skips. Who does your beats?
TOP: HowFly actually. That's my guy, he makes beats, he do engineering, he rap.
Did he produce the whole project?
TOP: He did yeah.
You guys definitely have a real good chemistry, I like how you stay in that lane throughout the project with vibes, beats and introspective rhymes, it's real different of what you would think of an LA MC.
TOP: Exactly.
Couple of my favorite tracks MWD, YSM, 96 flows. Do you have a favorite track or favorite tracks on the album?
TOP: I feel like the one that I really got deep with is Facts. I wasn't gonna put that on the tape at first, thinking it was too much, but I ended up putting on the tape, and that's my favorite. But I really like the whole album personally.
You said earlier you were in your head a lot, do you look at music as sort of a therapy type thing for you?
TOP: Most definitely, because I hold so much stuff in, its just a way to get it out, I don't know when I hear that beat, it just flows. It’s natural to. Me now, its therapeutic for me for sure.
What’s 96 the Movement?
TOP: 96 the movement man, the homie Tru, the homie Money, we was all born in ‘96. We’re gonna show the world who we are, you feel what I’m saying. My brothers, we just trying to attack the world how we can.
You mentioned Tru, you dropped a collab project with Tru last year, ‘Low Key Needed This,’ that has one of my favorite songs by you, ‘Too Much,’ how was making that project?
TOP: Man, me and my brother, to be honest, just in the crib, playing beats. We got in the stu, and basically freestyling, punching in, no writing, just feeling the vibes, that's how it came about, we just having fun and something good came out of it.
TOP X TRU - Diamonds (Official Music Video) Dir. by Malik Baker
Do you freestyle a lot of your songs, how does your writing process usually work?
TOP: Well if I’m not collabing, I’m usually writing, like i said its therapeutic, it feels good writing it down, that's how I really get deep into it. When I’m collabing that shit just all fun and vibes, I feed off the other person's energy and go off that.
Do you have a dream collab, anyone you want to work with?
TOP: That’s a good question man, but you know it has to be Drake, that man crazy dog. My favorite rapper for real, just like the things he do, he doing what I wanna do. I wanna be able to make trap, I wanna be able to make the slow shit, I wanna be able to make the cool shit hi, the shit you just vibe to at 2 o’clock in the morning. Yeah that would be my dream collab for real.
You got some new music coming?
TOP: Yeah I’m actually in the Stu right now, it's coming real soon. We working-me, Tru, and Money. So it's coming real soon, be on the look out by the end of the year around December.
Well we're gonna be looking forward to it, we appreciate taking time to talk to us and we're excited to be hearing more from you.
TOP: Thanks for having me.
Top x Tru