Entertainment

Q&A: John Legend on Race, Common, Sam Smith, ‘Blurred Lines’

Published

8 years ago

March 23, 2015

John Legend poses for a photograph during the SXSW Music Festival on Saturday, March 21, 2015 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)

Mesfin Fekadu, ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — John Legend says he’s concerned that the “Blurred Lines” verdict could set a scary precedent for artists creating music inspired by others.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, the Grammy winner said understands why people say 2013’s biggest hit song by Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke sounds like “Got to Give It Up,” Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit, adding: “I said that when I first heard it, too.”

But he said he doesn’t agree with the jury that determined the performers copied elements of Gaye’s work.

“You have to be careful when it comes to copyrights, whether just sounding like or feeling like something is enough to say you violated their copyrights,” the singer-songwriter told The Associated Press on Saturday before performing at the South by Southwest music festival. “Because there’s a lot of music out there, and there’s a lot of things that feel like other things that are influenced by other things. And you don’t want to get into that thing where all of us are suing each other all the time because this and that song feels like another song.”

Williams, with whom Legend has worked in the past, and Thicke also were ordered to pay nearly $7.4 million to three of Gaye’s children.

“I think we have to be careful about that, and I’m a little concerned that this verdict might be a slippery slope,” Legend said.

Legend also spoke about collaborating with Sam Smith, whose debut album earned him Grammys for song and record of the year last month; his collaborator Common’s recent comments about racism that sparked some backlash; and mentoring budding artists with for the AXE White Label.

Here are some highlights from the interview:

___

AP: Are you working on a new album?

Legend: A week from Monday I’ll start. I’m going on vacation next week because I need it (laughs) and then I’ll really jump in the studio to start writing again.

AP: “All of Me” was such a huge hit. Is there any pressure as you head into the next album?

Legend: The pressure I put on myself isn’t, ‘I have to make another ‘All of Me.” It’s just I have to write great songs. I want to make a better record than I made the last time. I want to grow. I want to discover new things about myself creatively.

AP: You and Common won an Oscar for “Glory” from (the movie) “Selma.” Where did you put it?

Legend: It’s sitting on my piano in New York at our apartment there.

AP: Common received some backlash for his comments about ending racism on “The Daily Show” last week. What are your thoughts?

Legend: Oh yeah, I heard a little bit about it and I understand what he’s saying because I do believe that part of us ending racism is us seeing each other’s humanity and learning to love each other, even if we look different or worship differently or live differently. But I think it’s not enough for us to extend the hand of love. I think it’s important that that goes both ways. It’s important also that we look at policies we need to change as well.

It’s important for us also to fight for certain changes that need to happen. And one of those issues that I really care about is education. But also another one is incarceration, which is what I talked about at the Oscars. And mass incarceration is a policy that’s kind of built up over the last four decades and it’s destroyed families and communities, and something we need to change. And it’s fallen disproportionally on black and brown communities, especially black communities, and it’s kind of a manifestation of structural racism. So when you think about that kind of thing, it’s not enough to say we need to love each other, you have to go behind that and say we need to change these policies, we need to fight, we need to protest, we need to agitate for change.

AP: What was it like working with Sam Smith on the charity single “Lay Me Down”?

Legend: It was great. I love Sam. I think he’s one of the most talented new artists out right now, and our voices work really well together. And we both love soul music and wanted to make a really powerful song together, and we were able to do that — and do it for a great cause. And I’m excited for all the traction the song has gotten; it hit No. 1, my first No. 1 in the U.K.

AP: Have you been to SXSW before?

Legend: I’ve performed here many times, just different types of events. There’s always something going on. The first time I played here was actually for Starbucks, outside of Starbucks in 2005 for my first album. I’ve come back for different purposes different years. I’ve done a show with Kanye here.

AP: What was it like mentoring budding musicians?

Legend: I love it. It’s something I’ve always done anyway. A lot of it has been informal; some of it is me signing artists like Estelle or executive producing artists like Stacy Barthe. It’s always been a part of what I like to do, and I benefited from it as well. Kanye signed me and has mentored me, Stevie Wonder has mentored me. All kinds of people have given me great advice over the years, so I like to pay it forward as well.

___

Online: http://www.johnlegend.com/us/
http://sxsw.com/
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

###

Related Topics:Blurred Lines lawsuit John Legend

Up Next

Twitter Users Attack ‘Sell-Out’ Black Celebrities

Don't Miss

Oakland East Bay Symphony Presents “Notes from Mexico”

Reporter II

Click to comment

Activism

Big Picture Living Day

Through their global network of nearly 300 schools, Big Picture Learning activates their core initiatives by encouraging 6 healthy habits of proper nutrition, movement, healthy relationships, managing stress, adequate sleep and avoiding substances of risks.

Published

23 hours ago

June 2, 2023

Oakland Post

By Carla Thomas

On Friday, June 2 Big Picture Lving Day will be celebrated with a series of virtual events designed to improve the life of participants. Through a virtual network of schools and organizations the event will feature speakers on health, wellness, mindfulness, exercise, and overcoming challenges.

Participants will practice Yoga & Mindfulness with Dawn M. Rivers.

Dr. Marsha-Gail Davis will discuss lifestyle medicine and healthy practices, and BPL alumni former advisor Chef Bree reunites with former principal Danique “Dr. DD” Dolly and a few of their former students will discuss health and lifestyle changes.

Big Picture Learning Day was created by

Big Picture Learning, an organization of progressive learning concepts centered around the belief that all students can and should live lives of their own design, supported by caring mentors and equitable opportunities to achieve their greatest potential.

Co-founded by Elliott Washor a veteran educational leader in Rhode Island, BPL grew out of a passion for students and improving the concept of learning.

“We just had this fierce desire to evolve our educational system to one that puts students at the center of their own learning with mentors, time immersed in the community and not evaluated solely on standardized tests,” said Washor.

“The entire Big Picture Learning experience is personalized to each student’s interests, talents and needs beyond mere academic work and involves looking at each student holistically.”

Former BPL principal, Danique Dolly says, “There are youth and adults in schools and organizations throughout the nation practicing the 6 healthy habits and speaking up on it. People have created rooms and spaces that focus on relaxation and meditation. Many adults and youth are taking steps towards wellness, a total lifestyle change and health and wellness are a part of students learning goals just as English and math are.”

“With BPLiving Day we invite all to get up, get out and get living and to do something around health and wellness,” said Dolly.

For students Jasmine Poirier and Angel Feliz and educator Andrew Coburn BPL has been life changing.

“Through collaborative physical movement, nutrition education and eating healthy together and various group activities for relaxation and mental health support, many are finding ways to live healthier and happier,” said Colburn. “For Big Picture Living Day we’re celebrating lifelong healthy habits for teens and the communities around them. BPL Day is a celebration of all the progress we have made.”

“Whether it is in my school campus or through a zoom call with people all across the world, BPLiving has an ability to bring people together to share wellness habits with each other,” said Feliz.

“Through spreading the principles of BPLiving into the everyday academic learning of my peers, I have seen them improve the quality of their lives physically, mentally and emotionally,” said Poirier. “By reestablishing sports culture with school-wide volleyball and capture the flag tournaments, students have been able to connect with each other across different grade levels, become more physically active and take a break from our everyday learning.”

In Oakland at MetWest, a BPL school in Oakland, the garden is run by parents and students. The garden serves as the foundation for nutritional learning and generational collaboration.

Today, Big Picture Learning network schools can be found in over 80 schools in 28 states, and hundreds more around the world.

For more information visit BigPicture.org

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 31 = June 6, 2023

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 31 = June 6, 2023

Published

1 day ago

June 2, 2023

Oakland Post

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 31 = June 6, 2023

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Bay Area

UniverSoul Circus Opens in Richmond

Described by show organizers as a highly interactive combination of circus arts and theatre that spans musical genres, UniverSoul Circus will feature flipping motorcycles, stilt dancers, Fire Limbo Benders, ancestral carnival characters, clowns, flamboyantly costumed dancers and more “in a celebration of energy.”

Published

5 days ago

May 29, 2023

Oakland Post

Clowns who perform with UniverSoul Circus. Photo courtesy UniverSoul Circus.

By Kathy Chouteau | The Richmond Standard

UniverSoul Circus kicked off its Bay Area run under the Big Top at Hilltop Mall last week with the performances continuing during various times through Sun., June 19.

The UniverSoul Circus is a single ring circus, established in 1994 by Cedric Walker and Calvin “Casual Cal” Dupree, an African American man who had a vision of creating a circus with a large percentage of people of color performing. He began searching for people from all around the world with incredible talents. Richmond police Chief Bisa French and City Manager Shasa Curl were set to be guest ringmasters for the opening night show.

“Get ready to be amazed and frightened at the terrifying, gravity- defying acrobats on the Wheel of Death or the bold, breathtaking daredevils on the High Wire,” said UniverSoul Circus in a statement about the show.

This season’s theme is, ‘We All Belong,’ according Walker, the circus founder and CEO. “We all belong to one human race. Everyone is coming together, different cultures, different people, a new transcultural fusion, a new generation inclusive and together in a UniverSoul Experience!”

Venue:
Hilltop Mall
2200 Hilltop Mall Rd, Richmond, CA 94806

Showtimes:
Thurs-Fri: 7:00 p.m.
Sat: 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
Sun: 11:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

Box Office Hours:
Tues: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wed-Fri: 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sat: 9:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Sun: 9:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Mon: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Memorial Day)

Tickets range from $27.50 to $60 depending on your seat and you can purchase them on Ticketmaster. Visit www.universoulcircus.com for more info.