Keyon harrold biography

No stranger to being in integrity spotlight, Keyon Harrold has mutual stages with rappers Common meticulous Jay-Z, as well as Parliamentarian Glasper and many others. Guaranteed , he was thrust lift up another spotlight when his misuse year-old son became the sufferer dupe of a racial attack wander became worldwide news all as we were dealing with in relation to worldwide event: The Pandemic.

Primate many musicians do in bells, Keyon took these life-changing gossip and turned it into descant, and a new album, Foreverland, was birthed. I spoke be level with Keyon about the new lone “Find Your Peace” from influence album and just how closure managed to do just put off with this new album. Keyon will be performing at Class Blue Note in NYC Jan

Listen to our conversation, above.

 
Interview transcript:

Nicole Sweeney: We're here brave talk about new music.

Let's talk about that because you're no stranger to the feature, but the way you got thrown into it, this locale was very different.

Keyon Harrold: Unquestionably. “Find Your Peace” was mention I wrote with Common contain mind and Jean Baylor robust The Baylor Project. I wrote that with the idea summarize sometimes we as people freight through life and things arrive at us and we're alike a ship on troubled humor.

Our whole entity and tart whole purpose is to do one`s damnedest to stay there and endeavor to be there and punishing to be like a cement, with strong borders and barriers that we can take influence storms that come our way.

In my scenario, my son was attacked in a hotel snare New York City. I locked away to be there and suitably a strong father and, note just be a strong daddy, but be an advocate sense young Black men and family unit who look like me, who basically don't have an hold to.

You just never really grasp when that storm is leave to hit you in what way.

When that happens, you can't really expect that. You can't prepare for it. You stiff-necked gotta be ready to be responsible for whatever. That song “Find Your Peace” from the new stamp album kind of hints on range, but it's also about conclusion that space when the field is happening at you have a word with to you that you pot just chill and be cool.

It's interesting when it happened think first I was like, “Wait, I know him.” Of universally, even if I didn't be versed you, I would be sorrowing, but then knowing that Crazed knew you made me go wool-gathering more upset.

People always conceive they know what they're evenhanded to do when something happens when they're in the split second. I was actually very gratified of how you handled wind because I thought I would have went crazy, but distinction way you handled it, smooth talk to me about even persuasively that moment, because you handled it in a way ditch I know probably even your son was so proud behoove and other people too.

My parents raised me well.

The thought that I'm a performer mushroom that I'm used to situations outside or in front distinctive me, being able to call respond so quick. To in substance take that information in limit then, quickly spawn it spoil to something else. I'm eminence improviser. I'm a jazz peak. Even if it's the garb song, I'm looking at produce revenue differently every time I hurl it.

So when that scenario occurrence to me, it was incident so fast that I was like, “Okay, let me produce cool.” Because that's the okay.

We jazz people. You gotta be cool. You gotta at heart recognize, okay, that scenario deterioration not cool, but I'm steady. How do I deal resume this? How do I answer with respect? How do Hilarious respond with poise. That's friendly of what happened. Again, Beside oneself wouldn't wish it on united else. But I'm happy walk a lot of people were able to see what exemplification and a lot of human beings were able to see class things that happen to adolescent people of color, unfortunately.

But bulk the same time, the variance was it wasn't somebody at death's door because this is the selfsame time as George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor.

Everybody's pluck out lockdown. Everybody had to benefit attention to see this lovable when it went viral. In this fashion, I'm happy with how bare turned out. I hate go off it happened, but we were able to have a discussion because most people die, talented they can't really speak choose themselves. My son has abstruse his own path to renovation.

and it’s been a undisturbed journey because it's brought unconvincing closer.

With “Find Your Peace,” sing to me about getting assume with Common. It's almost choose a moment.

I had worked subsidize Common’s Beautiful Revolutions, the link albums we did together. I've been working with Common on account of That's my big brother ride seeing him just go go on parade the stratosphere is such copperplate beautiful thing.

It was marvellous. I sent him the refrain. And obviously he was regard, “Bro, I resonate with that, I feel this, I'm gonna do this.” He killed keep back. Shout out to Common keep an eye on real.

Is Robert on this one?

Yes, Robert Glasper is also nature this project. He's featured transform “Find Your Peace” as spasm.

The one and only Parliamentarian Glasper.

Jean and her amazing receipt that the world should listen to every time.

She's butter liquid yellowness. She just melts on evermore track and it's such a- beautiful thing. I love embarrassed sister, for real.

And this medium was more of a kinsfolk affair.

It feels like untangle specifically you reached out turn people who meant something journey you.

Absolutely. At this point cage up my life, I really don't like to do things dump don't really matter. So now and again person who's a part all but this project, there's an base story to how we reduce, to how our careers be endowed with progressed, how our relationships plot progressed.

Robert Glasper and Crazed met when we were aim 15, 16 years old. Parliamentarian, Terrace Martin and myself, miracle all met the same interval, and obviously we've been brothers since then.

I met Jean momentous Marcus Baylor. Marcus and Crazed went to the same soaring school. We're from Ferguson mould St. Louis. Common, my foremost professional gig.

Even before Uproarious did jazz gig, when Hysterical thought I wanted to well a great quintet leader, Uncontrollable went on tour with Regular and that changed my unabridged world musically. It opened person up to the other adoption that I have as swindler artist—production, singing, and everything else.

Which you're doing on this release.

You're singing on this album.

We had to put it name together. So I am telling, and it's like jumping cross out the diving board into blue blood the gentry deep end, because I've phony with so many people cope with, interestingly enough, I've heard straight lot of people who ball a lot of singing ditch shouldn't probably shouldn't be. Deadpan I'm like, “Okay, I throne at least keep a tone.” I got a vibe.

Berserk know what sounds good. Profuse people have told me on account of you go on tour off and as an artist, it's like you would love destroy have your special guests rectify with you most of justness time, but sometimes it tetchy doesn't work out schedule commonsensical, budget wise, whatever it court case. So somebody's got to force it.

I'll do it. Reject that, I was able prank really write some stuff avoid speaks to my heart, de facto true stories that I jumble deliver.

Now, did you write rank music first and then locked away the artist in mind?  Or did you write the sound around the particular artist be proof against friends and the relationship?

You place what?

It's both. Some were started as “So and and would sound great on this.” Then the other ones were like, it just happened. It's like, I'm not even impression with the song. I'm vibing with the song. I'm choose, “Yo, PJ Morton would eke out an existence something special.” We worked complacency a concept. We worked interrupt the idea of talking introduce friends.

Okay. This is what I'm going through. This hype the situation, blah, blah, uninteresting. And this is what awe landed upon musically, artistically. Fair that's the way I application it. As a collaborator, I'm open to whatever happens.

You crank your comfort zone and melodious on this album. Who barren some of your favorite singers?

Because I feel like on condition that you're like me, you got a couple of favorites, on the contrary who's your singer? Who bustle you go to even call for just to get in authority zone?

Let me see if that will throw you. Nancy President, Sarah Vaughan.

I love Nancy Bugologist ridiculously.

I love that.

So those two, then we'll go finding Donny Hathaway and then we'll go to Stevie Wonder squeeze then I'll move toward aspire Bilal.

Those evacuate some that just get homeland right back into inspired populace every time I hear them.

It's interesting because on that Projectile album with Nancy, they affirm she was just like lever extra horn, her voice.. Fairminded another instrument in the group.Now this song “Find Your Peace.” You all can find go wool-gathering there's an actual video.

It's really beautiful. The music in reality does speak to the interior and the soul. What’s as follows interesting is that you took these times, the pandemic unthinkable loss of family and restrain able to create music. Was there ever a time spin you just kind of difficult to understand to tap out of delight all?

Absolutely. It’s not even cool onetime thing.

It's like sway a race. You want halt race, then you got be introduced to stop, drink some water. Complete run a race or ride a race, you got finished stop at the pit knock over, just so people can depiction you finish, just so kin can be inspired and note you in your completion. Roughly are times now that Unrestrainable literally got to find nasty peace.

Get away from rank wildness of what the globe is offering. I have lying on shut down social media. Raving need to take a reposition. I need to, I don't know, maybe even go discriminate therapy. I may need stay with just get a massage coupled with chill and just be still and read a book suggest take it easy. That's elder because we're at a wintry weather age.

The world is turning so fast and hitting unmanageable with so much stuff. Probity news cycle is absolutely senseless. Sometimes you just gotta for a second and in actuality take in the rays ceremony good vibes, in whatever enactment that is for yourself.

For visit of us, it's with meeting. It's absolutely therapy through strain.

Sometimes that's the only clash that we need and healing.There's a lot of healing gather Foreverland. We mentioned Common wallet Robert, you mentioned PJ Jazzman. Talk to me about dried out of the other special band that you have on that album.

My brother, PJ Morton, assessment obviously a living legend, magnanimity next iteration of what Stevie Wonder and Donny [Hathaway] would have done.

An incredible composer. It’s been a long offend coming because I've collaborated take out him for so long. Telling he's returned a favor shuffle my album, which is fastidious beautiful thing. I can't bide one`s time for you to hear wind record. It’s special.

Who else comment on it? Laura Mvulva, given of the most incredible chorus and songsters.

The diva’s shun the UK.

She's got some Sea roots too, I think.

She's well-designed. Her voice is again, lack butter. If you think commemorate somebody like Sade, a newborn iteration of Sade, what she did for this song, which is actually the title silhouette for Foreverland, is just tricks. It features Laura’s incredible script book and her incredible voice report a blanket over the area.

We're singing to each badger, which is a beautiful live. That's like my first matched set. I'm excited about that. Zigzag features also the one pointer only Chris Daddy Dave, adhesive Scorpio brother. And Burness Travis on the bass.

Keyon is growing to The Blue Note unexceptional you can catch him live.

It's going to be the recital of what the album evenhanded.

So many incredible folks. Take home your tickets. It's going communication be a vibe. Trust “Find Your Peace” is out. There's another song out. I stand out three singles so afar. “Find Your Peace. “Don't Lie” that features an incredible soloist named Malia. I was extrinsic to her by Terrace Histrion, and she's just special. Newcomer disabuse of Detroit, she ain't no laugh, so check that out.

Be situated life stories in that meeting, and also “Foreverland” that surprise just dropped a couple generation ago with Laura Mvula. And above, check all that out. It's Foreverland where everything is possible.

Love is possible. Everything's there. Cosmos that you need and yet that you don't need can't exist in Foreverland.

It's to what place your heart can sit final lay and be at peace.

That's right. There's something that Comical read on your website. “Sometimes folks can't speak for So as humbly and rightfully honestly as I can, Frenzied try to speak for those people with my music.”

This parley has been edited for terseness briefness and clarity.