So much to write about this video. First, I had a concept that I shared with Shiv and the two of us fine tuned it into a treatment. I shopped it to some directors and when they told me how much they expected it to cost ($200K), I decided to direct it myself to give my staff an incredible learning experience. Two weeks into the planning and production process, I ran into Tyson Beckford at the G-star fashion show and invited him to direct the video with me. I could write a book about the production of this video – scripting, rehearsal, styling, filming, editing, sound design, color-correction… Instead, I’d like to focus on three themes:
1. You can do anything you decide to do as long as you have the resources and relationships to do it.
2. Don’t worry about your figure, outward appearance, or financial status with regards to your personal relationships. If someone loves you – they will love you as long as you are a good person on the inside. That goes for friends and lovers alike.
3. When you have something good, it’s inevitable that people will want what you have, and some will even try to (and succeed at) taking something you’ve worked hard to achieve. Your response? Achieve higher heights and greater success.
This is a big one for me. God bless and much love!
“How It Was Supposed To Be” is one of the most personal songs on my album and for my live performances, I arranged this guitar driven version to capture the angst and confusion that I was going through when I recorded it. The response was so crazy at my show in Chicago that we played the song twice in a row to an engaged, enthusiastic audience.
Based on this reaction, I decided to record this version and have Guillaume Doubet visually interpret it. Here is the gritty result with Brent Paschke on guitar, Eric Coomes on bass, and Brad Colton on drums.
This is the edit of the video that premiered on BET’s 106 & Park on Friday, April 4th, 2008. I had a huge vision for this video to feel like a live television performance that gave tribute to a James Brown piece I saw on the Ed Sullivan show.
I saved up my money and had the EXACT same stage built that James performed on. I then hired a band to cut the live version. After that, I worked with everyone on the stage to have that throwback vibe. I paid to shoot the performance on a blue screen with the intention of having the set of the Ed Sullivan show digitally recreated behind me. My label disagreed.
They felt that the live version felt too much like a remix.
They also felt that we needed to rush on the video so the final edit came back without the digital stage – just changed the blue to black and added some lights, and cutaway graphics of diamonds.
My original treatment called for the video to be set in the late 60’s just like James Brown’s performance. I wanted to have families huddled around the television watching this performance like they used to back then.
When I got to LA to shoot, the entire set was modern and a piece of me died. My vision was compromised. Rather than be an ungrateful artist, I stayed and gave my best performance.
The video that’s airing is really only a partial representation of my artistic vision.
Here are a few of the audio edits I’ve made that are featured in the vid that you’re seeing:
* First, I had someone come to the studio and say the following dialogue in French:
“Ryan. Wait for me. I’m not even ready! I can’t believe you’re gonna leave me here…You’re driving me crazy – I can’t do this anymore. Ryan – if you leave – we’re finished! YOU SPENT $3000 ON A DRESS – don’t you wanna see me in it?? Oh..ok – fine… GO! Amuse yourself with the girls at your show!! And if you think I’ll be here when you get back – THINK AGAIN!!”
* Second, I convinced Evan to do the voice-over of my manager.
* Third, I re-cut my dialogue from the beginning and added the sound of running water to enhance the vibe of our bathroom conversation.
* Fourth, I added the sound of the door opening before the video starts.
* Added a few horn stabs to parts of the performance when I’m gesturing to the band to “hit me”.
* Put some applause at the end of the performance scene.
* Added the sound of screaming girls, running feet, more screaming girls and the car door closing.
The lesson I learned here is that when you have a strong creative vision – do everything in your power to see it through. I am very thankful that I have a video on TV. Many artists are still striving for that milestone. Regardless, this experience encouraged me to shoot another video as well as an 11 minute short film based on “Diamond Girl”.
I’d been hearing about Kid Cudi for a while from my staff, and finally saw him in concert opening for Wale. He had the crowd going and his producer/rep Emile ran into me backstage. I knew his other rep Plain Pat from a prior session I’d done with Kanye West for Cassie. I respect the music and the hustle and had a good time in studio making this record. Besides Cudi, Emile, and Pat, you can see Dot (who produced “Day ‘N’ Night”) vibing with us in this clip:
One of my favorite songs from the album, “Shouldn’t Have To Wait” inspired a film project that we began shooting last fall. Here’s the last scene:
I never released the film – mostly because it was our first attempt and I felt it was very amateur. Regardless, I love the message in this scene: Don’t make your loved ones wait to see and hear how much you love them. Call or visit them now! I wrote this after losing someone close to me. I’d trade the song for the person any day.
When I arrived in New York in 2003, I moved into a one bedroom apartment in a brownstone in Harlem. NextSelection eventually spread out to occupy the entire brownstone and though I recently took up a residence in Hollywood, I’d always promised myself that I wouldn’t leave the apartment in Harlem until my album came out. Well it’s coming out in less than a month, and I have an amazing new place close to Central Park. It’s empty except for a special piece I’ve always wanted:
Steinway makes a great piano so when I decided to get one, I visited Steinway Hall on 57th street in NYC. Before I made my final selection, Evan got nervous filming, so we missed the beautiful Kewazinga Bubinga instrument I chose from the Crown Jewel collection. “Distinguished by its red color streaked with dark purple, and its conspicuous pores, Kewazinga Bubinga is highly valued for architectural and design woodwork, and fine cabinetry.” I’ll play for you sometime.
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