November 22, 2006 @ 11:29 am

John Legend: The People's Singer

by: Coryn Brown

“[Reporters] take what I say out of context. They’ll put two things next to each other that I didn’t say in a row so they make it look like I’m using it as a cause and effect but they aren’t together.” John Stephens, aka John Legend, is tired. He sinks into a plush green sofa in the New York offices of Sony Music. Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra hover above his head in black and white prints. A media blitz stirs on the wake of a new album, Once Again, born of the ivy-league grad with a penchant for Brooks Brothers and ol’ school refrain. “I have to let it slide because I would sue every reporter and every magazine because they fuck something up every time,” says the University of Pennsylvania graduate. “But not you. No pressure.” It’s five o’clock. He reaches across the couch to pull the tape recorder close to his side. “So you don’t misquote me.” He just returned from TRL. Tapings of The View, David Letterman and Ellen would follow. Get Lifted, John’s 2004 debut, earned him three Grammys, critical idolatry and love from Oprah—a good two years. At home, the fridge in his two-bedroom Manhattan apartment is empty. Water and a couple of gift bottles of champagne survived a pre-tour gutting. Now the road beckons. He’ll see his apartment three times a month. He’d been up since five am. Outspoken, unabashed, moved by change, by political climates, John’s discontent with a few things. Radio. Politics. Three million albums sold. Vibe.com: You surprised us in the video for “Save Room” with the pectoral shots. John: [Chuckles] Yeah, why? You’ve been hiding it from people. John: I wasn’t hiding it. I didn’t have it for a minute! I had to get it right first. What are you bench-pressing? John: I don’t know my max. It’s probably in the 200’s, 250. I don’t bench one or two just to see how high I can go, I bench a lot of reps. I’ll do ten reps at like 220 or something…a little heavier than me. Is Once Again what you would call a sexy album? John: Well I think this album has a definite sensuality to it, a romance to it, sexiness to it, and it wasn’t something like, “Well, I got to do a sexier album.” With creativity, I just let it take me where it leads me and it just went that way. I must’ve just been in the mood for romance. How have you changed since Get Lifted and the Grammy wins? right John: I think personally I’m more confident in my artistic ability. As a writer, as a creator, as a producer, I feel more mature, more willing to step out and do different things. There’s a boldness that I didn’t have before. Also, I’m just happy. When you succeed at something you really love to do and you get to do it with people working around you that are great and everything’s together, it just makes you happier. When’s the last time you cried? John: Well I almost cried on the stage the other day. I had a little well up. When I sing this song, “Show Me,”-- it’s a prayer and it’s real heart felt-- there are times when I’m performing it where I’m either about to cry or I have a couple of tears. What’s the monologue? John: The monologue is saying I’m trying to figure out what’s going on in the world. It's kind of f-ed up right now. So show me the light, show me the way; show me that you’re listening. What’s wrong with the world from your perspective? John: The war in Iraq, the genocide in Darfur, the AIDS epidemic in Africa, the poverty in Africa, in Asia and all over the world…it just don’t look good. So you’re taking a political stand on the album. John: Yeah, I talk about it in [“Show Me”] a little bit, but also “Coming Home” is told from a soldier’s perspective about the war. Somebody needs to empathize with the soldiers that execute this policy that most of us don’t agree with. Do you yearn for the time when music wasn’t scared to get political? John: Yeah, I wasn’t even alive during that time. Most of that happened during the ‘60s and so a lot of the times I’ll listen to that music as inspiration. People like Bob Marley, Curtis Mayfield, The Beatles…people that had something to say. Some things are really a continuum. I think people look at these different eras and genres like they’re so separate, but when I look at music I feel like there are a lot of things in common, a lot more than people think. We’ve been kind of segregated and separated by radio and by marketing but music is music. I approached this album using influences no matter what it was. Another theme you touch on is infidelity. John: Sure. Which makes me wonder about this John Legend guy… John: He’s a good guy… One who’d written a number of songs on the subject. Are you writing from personal experience? John: Well it happens sometimes in life. It happens. Have you cheated before? John: Um, yeah… When was the last time? John: I’m not going to say when, but— After college? John: [Laughs] I’m not going to say when so my point is, it happens sometimes in relationships. I’m not the first and I won’t be the last to do it. I talk about all aspects of relationships on the album, but I’m not going to leave one of the major aspects out even if people don’t want to hear about it. The funny thing is, every time I start dating somebody new the girl will always say, “Why you write so much about cheating?” When people stop doing it, I’ll stop writing about it. Does it hinder your love life? John: It makes the trust issue just a little more difficult but the thing is, it’s already going to be difficult. My life is crazy. I’m on the road all the time, I meet a lot of other women so it’s like if you’re with me you got to be willing to accept all of that anyway and just have some trust. But I’m being a good boy these days. Are you dating someone? John: I am. How’s she keeping you monogamous? John: The thing is, it’s not really about the woman when a guy cheats. It’s the guy’s fault; it’s not her fault. A woman should not blame herself when a man cheats. What’s going on through your mind when you do it? John: It’s a lot of things. Chris Rock kind of said it best. Guys, we’re not used to turning it down and women are use to it. Women are used to it because ya’ll get thrown men all the time. We had to chase women our whole lives and when it comes to the point where women are thrown at us, we’re not use to turning it down so we don’t have that muscle developed in our body and so…[laughs] I guess that’s one theory you could use— John: I’m not making excuses! I’m just saying that… It’s a muscle that needs to be developed. John: Yeah, and I’ve gotten better. I’ve gotten better at it. I’ve developed that muscle. Can you explain to me why I’m not hearing Save Room on the radio? John: Ask [radio]. It’s playing all over VH1, BETJ and people love the song but radio is weird about it because they don’t think it fits the right format for what’s getting play. They want me to do a "Laffy Taffy" or something I guess. I knew it was a risk putting [“Save Room”] out. I knew “Ordinary People” was a risk putting it out because it’s different. It sounds different than other stuff. That’s the whole point. John Legend is going to be different no matter what. I’m not going to try to chase radio. I’m just trying to make songs that I think the people are going to actually love. We’re getting feedback all over the world that the people love the songs. But radio is scared to give it a chance. So we barely hear you on the FM dial. We see your videos on VH1 Soul. But still you’ve won three Grammys-- John: And three million records sold and the thing is, what it tells me is that these people that are filtering entertainment don’t really know what the people really want. And the people want something different. I think a lot of people are starving for something different. So are you content with where you are right now? John: I’ll be content after we’ve sold five million of these. So you’re a numbers guy? John: I already made the album and the creative part is done. So I’m numbers guy now [laughs]. Read more vibe.com online exclusives.

Article tags: Chris Rock, John Legend, Save Room 

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