I’ve had a great rapport with my distribution company on this album cycle. Phylicia Fant, who works in the publicity department at Universal set me up with this Esquire-sponsored gig performing at Mel Debarge’s birthday party in the penthouse of the Rivington:
The great mix of people (including my buddy Todd Moscowitz) and the backdrop of the city have me thinking about moving downtown to a loft where I can do this more often! I really had a blast and would love to give private concerts of songs-in-progress before I record my next album, which will be done in a classic 70’s rock style! The song I’m performing is called “Something That I Like”. The album version features Pusha T of the Clipse. This version features a great solo from Chris Morgan, a magnificent player and an equally great guy. Shout out to Evan for capturing this on our 5D Mark II, and to Shiv for playing DJ that night!
I’ll never forget the day that I first played “Nothing” for my sister, Joy. She had stopped by my brownstone in Harlem and she immediately responded to the record by saying, “That’s a great summer song – I can already hear it playing in the Park.” Consistent with her premonition, I knew that I had to play that song live when the got the news from Ed Woods that this Summer Stage gig was confirmed:
Central Park is an amazing venue. There were more than 5,000 people who actually made it into the performance area and another few thousand that were turned away. On my way into the park, I stopped for a small group that had been denied access, just to reach out to them and let them know I appreciate their continued support. As I hit the stage, I noticed an especially excited cheering squad in the front row, and had the honor of catching up with them (Chantel, Makila, Ayeshia, and Treminka) after the show. They were kind enough to share their responses to the performance. Thank you all for expecting greatness from me. I give you my word that I will always give everything I can possibly give…and thank you Joy for speaking this into existence!
As I boarded my plane home from Amsterdam Saturday morning, I was recognized for the first time by a staff member at an international airport. “Didn’t I see you on television yesterday?” my ticket agent asked. “Yes!” I replied:
Shout out to Doutzen Kroes for welcoming me to her hometown and bringing some great people to the show. Even more special to me is the fact that my grandfather (“Opa” in Dutch) lives in Amsterdam and thoroughly enjoys knowing that I’m pursuing my dream with vigor and passion and people are responding! Thanks to everyone who took pictures with me before the show. I’ll always remember my first European show with my band. Here’s to many many more!!
When everyone is sleeping on my tour bus and it’s 5:21am, it’s good to be able to send out a message and get a friendly response from someone else in the world who’s up. On my way into Chicago, I posted an update offering passes to my show and Britney Clark was the first to respond:
I appreciate Britney and everyone else who’s following my career as it unfolds. You make the journey that much more worth the while. Thank you!
I was on my tour bus when I heard the news that Michael Jackson had been rushed to the hospital. Almost immediately it seemed as though the world held its breath, hanging on the words of the media outlets they trusted to tell them he was going to pull through. I received a flurry of text messages and phone calls. I did my best to hold back tears when CNN finally confirmed his passing, and I honored his contribution to history with a moment of silence at my show in Atlanta that night:
The reverence I experienced in the room at that moment will stay with me for life.
The end of this clip shows me reverting back to my childhood for a moment during soundcheck. For a few seconds, I took off my cool and became the little boy that believed I could be just like him. I’m sure many of us can remember what came over us when we saw Michael perform. We wanted to dance like he did – to feel the exhilaration and pass on the electricity that we’d just experienced. I appreciate Michael’s contribution to my life. In many ways his music, videos, and live performances lit the spark in me to pursue the career path that I chose as a young teenager. His ability to bring people together in peace and celebration serves as a standard to which we as entertainers are all measured.
Dear Mom – I love and appreciate you for more reasons than I could ever write. I’m on tour now and though I’m not there to tell you face to face, I thought I’d send you this greeting with the help of my audience at Stony Brook University last night:
Thank you for your encouragement, your prayers, your tolerance of my sometimes wayward decisions and above all – your unconditional love. I’ll see you soon and I’m calling you right now!
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