Troy Taylor had an enormous 12 months in R&B. Together with govt producing Johnta Austin’s lengthy awaited “Love, Intercourse, & Faith” album, Troy additionally helped create data for rising R&B stars YK Osiris and Jacquees. His contributions meant lots to diehard R&B followers as he introduced again the essence of bridges and well-produced vocals to an period of R&B stuffed with lure and autotune. We speak to the Grammy award successful producer about his objective to deliver again R&B to the mainstream, his previous work with Trey Songz together with the traditional “Anticipation” venture in addition to some upcoming music they’re engaged on collectively. Troy additionally provides us some vocal suggestions that he makes use of when he’s working with R&B artists within the business.
YouKnowIGotSoul: You’ve been working with new artists like YK Osiris and Jacquees just lately. What made you need to work with new acts? I do know lots of our favourite 90’s producers solely work with 90’s artists.
Troy Taylor: I’m on a brand new marketing campaign. 2020 goes to be 30 years within the sport for me, so I’m on a brand new marketing campaign for mayor of R&B. That principally signifies that I’ll be inserting myself into the brand new age R&B as a result of that’s the one approach we are able to get it again to the musicality. If somebody like myself works with YK Osiris or Jacquees and do the R&B of my technology on them then hastily it’s mainstream once more. It’s not City AC or older, it simply takes a youthful particular person to do the correct sort of R&B music and as soon as we get that settled in, the youngsters are going to need to comply with swimsuit and try this.
YouKnowIGotSoul: It’s sort of an unfair that there’s a segregation between City AC and this younger crowd. This new technology loves conventional R&B however solely from artists of this period.
Troy Taylor: It’s actually my technology’s fault and older as a result of they’re the one which’s separating the 2. We’re the one style of music that does that. Nation doesn’t try this and neither does Pop. We’re the one ones that claims “That music is for my youngsters and I take heed to the old fashioned”. We’re the one ones that try this. Once you go to Japan, they take our music they usually play all of it. They don’t segregate or separate it. That’s what makes it tousled. If the radio stations simply play it, the youngsters will catch on. They’ve heard their dad and mom taking part in it, so that they’re going to love it. You’ll be able to’t simply gravitate in the direction of them since you’re not going to get extra listeners.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Once you go into the studio with these new artists and current them with conventional R&B data, how are they reacting to it?
Troy Taylor: See that’s the factor. Jacquees and YK Osiris extraordinarily love 90’s R&B. Even on Jacquees’ album, you’re probably not going to listen to an excessive amount of of the lure stuff. YK Osiris has a bit extra of the child’s R&B, however as a result of I just about oversaw the album and sequenced it, the R&B tracks I did had been extra conventional and blended in to have a very good mix. YK Osiris is barely youthful than Jacquees so it’s extra anticipated, however sitting within the studio and them asking to listen to tracks, if I performed that lure stuff they’d be like “Nah”. As quickly I as performed my R&B, they went loopy. Each of them are followers of Trey Songz, so that they know what they’re coming within the studio for.
YouKnowIGotSoul: You’ve labored with a number of the biggest R&B vocalists of our technology. One of many greatest complaints that we get from our readers is that these new acts aren’t as much as par vocally. How do you handle these expectations?
Troy Taylor: The factor is that they haven’t been raised on the correct music to sharpen their abilities. They’re raised on one another’s music. There’s no inspiration for them to feed off. There’s Chris Brown however he makes use of much more autotune than the typical, Tory Lanez as effectively. These are their vocal references which is barely not honest. No shade to Chris or Tory as a result of the autotune is the sauce now and it’s cool. I simply suppose the youngsters don’t have anybody to essentially respect and apply off of versus after I was rising up, I had Charlie Wilson, Stevie Surprise and Aretha Franklin to imitate and emulate. I believe the youngsters simply don’t have anyone to emulate. After I work with them, I give them extra of a reference of what R&B is meant to sound and I deliver out their pure tone. I assist them contact on the sweetness a part of their voice. As soon as they hear it, that’s the best way they need to sing. Inserting myself into the brand new age of R&B is the one approach we’re going to get this R&B into the place we find it irresistible once more.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Once we take heed to the songs you probably did with YK Osiris and Jacquees, you actually introduced feeling of their vocals. It is a bit distinction to the monotone vocals that we hear in R&B at the moment. What was the method when producing for them vocally?
Troy Taylor: You sit there and you actually sit with them. I’m nonetheless in regards to the artist growth and I’m nonetheless on that as a result of that’s the one approach we’re going to get stars once more. We sit there and have them sing issues in another way and in numerous tones. Once you discover out that they will change up their tone and also you make them sing in that tone, as soon as they hear it that’s after they notice “Wow I can sing that approach” and it turns into a problem for them they usually need to sing totally different. YK Osiris may be very captivated with his vocals and no, he is probably not the vocalist that everyone would suppose he can be, however neither was Trey to start with. I bear in mind when folks used to say “He seems like a broke down R Kelly” and I understood that. However I’ll inform you what, R Kelly used to sound like Aaron Corridor on objective, Aaron appeared like Charlie Wilson on objective and Charlie appeared like Stevie Surprise. If R Kelly can do it and switch into R Kelly and Trey can flip into Trey, then it’s all about discovering their private tone and getting them to faucet into it.
YouKnowIGotSoul: What’s the method like whenever you’re vocally producing for an artist? Do you might have the artist standing or sitting down on the sales space?
Troy Taylor: I do each and I don’t like vocal cubicles. They sit or stand subsequent to me so I can watch their physique language. Sure notes, tones and vibes have lots to do together with your physique posture and the best way you’re transferring your physique. In the event you’re not transferring in any respect, it’s possible you’ll sound bland. You utilize your palms and fingers for sure notes and notes that can assist you faucet into it, it’s a full physique sort of movement similar to whenever you speak. Most individuals don’t simply sit there with the arms down, folks use their palms and their necks transfer. Singing is identical factor and if you happen to’re standing up flat footed, you’re going to be flat. In the event you’re going to fidgety, you’re going to be sharp. In the event you’re within the vocal sales space, I can’t see you so I can’t appropriate it as we go.
YouKnowIGotSoul: One other venture you labored on closely this 12 months was Johnta Austin’s “Love, Intercourse, & Faith” album. Discuss that venture a bit bit as a result of we waited over a decade for it.
Troy Taylor: That was extra enjoyable than something. Johnta has been wanting to place that album collectively and he simply by no means received the prospect to do it. He lastly did it and he requested me to supervise it as a result of he knew I’d be certain it was carried out professionally and blended effectively. That’s what music is all about to me. It’s about having enjoyable and being artistic.
YouKnowIGotSoul: We noticed you within the studio with Trey Songz just lately. You weren’t as concerned in his final album “Tremaine”, so what can we count on on this upcoming album?
Troy Taylor: The following one goes to be the Trey Songz everyone mentioned that they need. The harmonies, chords, bridges and the overall R&B Trey Songz really feel. Now we have lots of songs that return to that sound and really feel. I’m anxious for the world to listen to it as a result of they’re going to be pleased to listen to that Trey Songz once more. Additionally we shall be placing out the “Anticipation” mixtapes in January on streaming platforms in order that this new technology can hear these initiatives. It was extra of a rebellious venture primarily to indicate Atlantic we knew what we had been doing and we didn’t have to look to them to indicate us tips on how to make an album. It labored and we’re actually excited to place that out and let the world hear these initiatives.
YouKnowIGotSoul: I bear in mind when the primary “Anticipation” mixtape dropped again in 2009. That was in all probability the primary R&B mixtape to explode like that. Did you guys get in hassle for placing out that mixtape at no cost?
Troy Taylor: Yeah we did as a result of the label didn’t perceive it. They had been like “Solely rappers try this” and I used to be like “No matter”. The music was extra so my TTU camp, so it was in home so I didn’t have to fret about paying producers. We simply needed to place the great music and needed folks to listen to it. It was bizarre to the label they usually didn’t prefer it, however they couldn’t do something as a result of we put out arduous copies versus at the moment the place they’d simply take it down. We did it that approach in order that they couldn’t contact it. As soon as it unfold and received the place it wanted to go, they began seeing that we did know what we had been doing. It led as much as “Prepared” and it gave us lots of leeway to do what we needed to do and it labored!
YouKnowIGotSoul: A number of followers are ready on Dru Hill’s upcoming album. Do you might have any updates on that?
Troy Taylor: I believe they need to maintain the album off to return out across the time of the issues they’ve developing. I believe it’s extra so the setup and aligning issues up. The music is nice and I can’t anticipate folks to listen to it.
YouKnowIGotSoul: What else are you engaged on?
Troy Taylor: I did Elijah Blake’s Christmas album and that was enjoyable. It was supposed to return out in 2017 however we saved messing round. *Laughs* I’m working with a gaggle known as Subsequent City Down on RCA. They’ve that Day26 and Boyz II Males sound. A number of impartial stuff for simply doing nice music. This permits me to do it the best way I need to do it. I labored with Rome Flynn from “Tips on how to Get Away with Homicide”. I did 9 songs on Ye Ali’s subsequent venture. The followers are going to find it irresistible. I did a tune with Syd from The Web and he or she’s dope. I’m working with Devin Tradition however he’s on maintain till additional discover. We’re nonetheless doing music so far as that artistic half, however the political half I used to be informed to carry off. He’s dope and superior. I’ve my Pen Level Guard who’s one in all my proper hand writers. There’s additionally Trevon from Subsequent City Down. These are my two major writers. They’ve each been working with me on Trey. I’ve additionally labored with Queen Naija and I’ve a tune on her subsequent album. The title of the tune is known as “Punching The Air”. It’s a factor like whenever you’re mad and begin combating the air. That’s an unique for y’all!
YouKnowIGotSoul:What about Kevin Ross?
Troy Taylor: Kevin is my man! I truly vocally produced him on his single “Factor Known as Love”. I’m actually hoping that tune will get a real shot.
YouKnowIGotSoul:Something you’d like so as to add?
Troy Taylor: February 11th, 2020 shall be 30 years for me and I’m simply getting began.