Interview with R&B singer Brian McKnight. His album "Ten" is in stores now.


How are you enjoying your new label situation?
Brian McKnight-It's good. It's nice to feel like a priority again.

Did you ever consider going the independent route?
Brian McKnight-For about five seconds, yeah. It's kind of tough to turn down the kind of money they'll give you to be on a major. It's a little difficult. I'm sure you know what I mean.

Where do you do most of your recording when you're working on an album?
Brian McKnight-I have my own studio that's about twenty minutes from my house. That's where I record. I can't record at home because that's all I'd ever do so I actually have to go to work.

I remember I think it was '95, you did the song "I'll Take Her," with Ill Al Scratch.
Brian McKnight-It was 93.

I was in college. I know it was awhile ago. At the time it was kind of groundbreaking for hip-hop and R&B to merge on a single, but now that's the trend. Did you ever think it would be the way it is now?
Brian McKnight-I had no idea. I thought that hip-hop and R&B would be able to co-exist but I'm finding that it's nearly impossible. Hip-hop has truly taken over, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, fortunate for them. But when you sing R&B it makes it kind of tough when you don't have a rapper on your song.

For this album you have out now did you feel like you had to have a couple of songs with rappers or did you stay true to what you wanted to do?
Brian McKnight-The song kind of dictates that. I only have one song that has that; but that particular track feels like it needs it. The other ones….it wasn't really a conscious decision, but again I can't be something that I'm not. For me to go the whole route from smooth love singing man, I can't even think of a lyric…again it makes it difficult. Your mind tells you that you need to call Jay-Z, 50, for me it's hard. If I do that people say I'm not being true to myself. If I don't do that they say I'm not taking a chance.


Speaking of how the industry changed since you came out as an artist do you feel like you have to be more creative in terms of marketing yourself?
Brian McKnight-Absolutely. Now at the touch of a button people can access you so, so you have to think of new and creative ways to have yourself out there. At the click of a button they are off onto the next joker. You gotta figure out what sets you apart from them but at the same time you have to be enough like everyone else to be accepted. I don't recommend this business to anyone. It's not as easy as you think.

"Used To Be My Girl" audio wma format

What do you do in between albums?
Brian McKnight-I work. There is no such thing as in between. If you go away for five minutes they forget you. Do you know how many records come out every Tuesday?

Yes, because I review them.
Brian McKnight-Obviously, you know. But you have to stay out there. People are always like "You have another album, out didn't you just have an album out," "Yep," I gotta keep it moving.

I know that you came out around the same time Toni Braxton did and she's doing a long term show in Las Vegas. Have you ever considering a long term engagement?
Brian McKnight-Yes.We've been offered a lot of different things but I couldn't even sit still if I wanted to. That's a great opportunity. I know Prince is there and I've seen Celine's show a couple of times. It's nice work if you can get it but I've got so much going on.

Well what else do you have going on because I only know about the new album and the Tyler Perry Soundtrack.
Brian McKnight-Do you know what that entails? Not the soundtrack. I did the score for the whole movie. All of it. I just finished it last night. This is the very first one I've ever done.

Career wise are there still a lot of things that you would like to accomplish?
Brian McKnight-I think now it's just about sticking around. I mean how many people who were around when I first started doing this are still around doing this? For me, the greatest satisfaction I have is to be able to still do this and to still be viable and still be on television and people still want to hear these songs.

I saw something on IMDB, do you have a movie coming out?
Brian McKnight-No. I have a night time talk show I've been working on for two years. I used to work for Extra doing correspondent work there. I do a lot of stuff. I just became the new morning host for the smooth jazz station here in LA. I'm a very busy young man.

Has winning awards ever been important to you as an artist?
Brian McKnight-Not really. I think that the awards are there are over 100 million records that I have been apart of. The awards I have are great. The ones that the fans give you are important. To me they are the people who really make a difference. It's great to get the awards that your peers give you, but who are your peers anyway? When the audience and the fans vote for you that's the greatest.

Do you enjoy performing live?
Brian McKnight-Yes, I do. Performing live is fruition that the songs I have written have reached the audience because until then I don't really know. Unfortunately, I can't be there when they take the shrink wrap off CD's and see their reaction when they listen to it. You know people have bought it, you see Soundscan on Tuesday. But you get to the show and you play that new song, and it's not necessarily the single and they get it, man there's no feeling like that.

Since you have your own studio you probably have hundreds of songs that you have recorded that you have never released. Do you have any plans to ever release any of those songs?
Brian McKnight-No. Just for me. There are 1200 of them by the way.

Anything you want to tell me about the new album?
Brian McKnight-It's the work that I've done that is the combination of every record I've ever done. I think it's the best one that I've ever done.

Brian McKnight Ten IN STORES 12/5 Warner Bros. Records Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/brianmcknight