Off the Record with Chaka Khan

Last Monday I had the pleasure of seeing Chaka Khan being interviewed by Rita Ora at the Recording Academy. I have been a member of Grammy U for about two years now, and I am really enjoying the advantages of being affiliated with this great company. This past year I have attended their events quite often, and they have always been very informative, and an all around great experience.

I RSVP'd for this event, to see Chaka Khan, the second I received the email, because I wanted to make sure I would be confirmed! I have been a fan of this true diva for a while. I love watching her old concerts, because there's always something to learn. I always wondered what she would be like in person...how she would carry herself... 

When I walked in the Recording Academy, a building I have become fairly familiar with, the lobby was full of people. Grammy U cater's to students in college, so there are usually a good amount of members there from various universities in the Los Angeles area. Once it was time to check in everyone got in a line, and we proceeded down the hall to take our seats. Once seated everyone mixed and mingled and patiently awaited the star to walk in the room. 

Rita Ora was chosen to interview Miss Chaka Khan, which I thought would be very entertaining. I first discovered Rita Ora when I kept hearing "Black Widow" by Iggy on the radio. She was featured on that song, and her hook surly became one of my favorite things to belt out when I turned on the radio! I was also eager to see this rising artist, because I love her voice and tone!

The interview lasted for about an hour, and it was packed with interview questions, audience questions, and Google+ Hangout questions. Rita Ora was very laid back and even humorous! Her British accent really came out, and it was quite funny how she pronounced some names. She appeared very relaxed, and was enjoying herself.

Chaka Khan reminded me of a cool auntie. She was so down to earth, and definitely kept it 100. She answered various questions, from having a long lasting career in the industry to the numerous people she worked with. She spoke of her take on record labels, and explained how she is enjoying being a free agent. She shared some words of wisdom, "The moment you stop being nervous is when you need to stop doing what you're doing, because being nervous means you care ." She shared her secret for handling studio nervousness: she always has her words written down.

It was a great event, and I left feeling more knowledgable about the great songstress. She shared some wise information, and I feel fortunate to have had the honor to sit in for that interview. There's always something to learn from the great singers who have become so successful! 

My First Studio Experience

Last week I had a pretty awesome experience of recording my first songs for this upcoming project. Not only was it another step closer to embarking on this master music plan I have, but it was also my first time recording solo in a legit recording studio. The facility was beyond amazing! I truly knew it was the one months ago, when I was shopping around for the perfect creative environment. Es Audio Recording Studios was the first on my list to meet with. 

When I walked in, there was a nice lobby with comfy couches to the right, and a desk to the left. The walls were decked out with art, music plaques, and more. There was a door that led in to the hallway, and the vibe I felt when i walked through was unexplainable. As I passed an office, production room, booth, and control rooms, I started to get extremely excited! Once past the front rooms, there was another small lobby with a comfy couch, snacks, and water! I was pretty sold when they told me they had complementary chocolate bars. LOL. The restroom facility was homey and clean! They had two studios, Studio A and Studio B, and I am just one person, so of course I was looking to record in the smaller studio, Studio B. However, I got to peek in to the large Studio A space during one of their sessions. 

Once I walked in Studio B, I was in L.O.V.E. There were candles lit, the lights were dim, the room was clean, and the vibe was perfect! The fact that they had a very cozy insulated booth boosted my eagerness to work with them. I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for, but I knew that the feeling I had meant I was in the right place. After discussing and listening to their previous work, I put them on a very high pedestal. No studio I visited after that amounted to much. So I made my choice!

On the day of my session I rested, and prepared. I had most beats ready, so I put them on my USB, packed my lap top and water, and drank my throat tea. Once I got there I set up in the booth. I took off dangling jewelry, set the mood by dimming the lights a little, and pulled up my pre-recorded songs on Garage Band, so I could reference certain harmonies and ad libs I have already discovered I wanted to use. I like being prepared, because I am not one to waste time. Fortunately, my creativity wasn't limited to the pre-recording, because I am very open to changes, and adding whatever is need to make the song complete. I had so much fun coming up with ad libs and harmonies to these songs I have been rehearsing for months! My session lasted a little over four hours, and I felt fatigued after recording two full songs. It was definitely hard work, but super enjoyable! I even sat through the mixing process, and I was surprised at how involved I was with effects and sounds. I am looking forward to my next session! 

Bananas Music Event

These past few weeks I have been discovering a lot of different music spots in LA! Last night was the most interesting by far! I love experiencing new music and art, and living in this wonderful city gives me tons of opportunities to do so!

Every third Tuesday of the month there is a music event called Bananas at the Kaos Network on the corner of Leimert Park. I have passed this venue often, but never paid much attention to it. Parking was easy and free, which is always a plus in the busy streets of LA. I'm so glad I got to experience the great atmosphere and positive vibes last night. Kyle "Verbs" Guy hosted the event, and each month they have a variety of underground artist sharing their art on the stage! Last night, nearly a dozen artists graced the stage: Vinny Virgo, Coresh, Shango Zeropoint, Go Semi, Chasity Londyn, Osbe, Weareskywalkers, God MC, Telsa, Hazmat, Conchance, Sevidemic. 

This opened my eyes to a new style of music. It was very new to me, and very fun to watch! The artists were rappers, but like rockers. They were very energetic,  jumping around, and getting the crowd in to the hype! Some artists had bands, and some had DJ's. It was a great variety of music, and unique sounds.

Besides the music portion, there were so many other activities going on! Outside of the venue there were a lot of people hanging out, and socializing. The energy was pretty awesome! With the chill, yet unique attire, relaxing vibes, great conversations, and the aroma of food and smoke, it was the perfect dynamic. There were food stands serving tasty and cheap meals, along with water for beverage. Wo'se Kofi ran the Patties Gourmet Vegan Food Stand, which got a lot of positive feedback last night. Apparently, partakers couldn't believe how flavorful Vegan food could be.

Overall, this music event was an eye opener to really cool people and artistic performers. The energy was calm, yet fun, depending on being inside or outside. People were very sociable, and I enjoyed meeting people from literally around the globe. I definitely plan on attending this event in the future, for another great night!

Critique- Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B

Like most, I grew up with the musical influence of Aaliyah. Her self-titled album is still one of my favorites today. Her music captivated me at a young age, because it was sweet and hard at the same time. It has that bumping hip-hop-filled beat, with her soft, beautiful tone breezing over it. Like the rest of the world, I was devistated when she passed. I remember seeing it come on TV, and being in shock. I didn't realize, at the time, how young she actually was, and now I'm older than she was when she passed. It's unfortunate that someone so young and full of life had to be taken from this world too soon. It is also unfortunate to lose such a humble and generous individual who possessed a beautiful gift. She wasn't just a singer, but an actress, dancer, and a woman with high dreams for herself. I envy that in her. I am motivated by her legacy.

Last night my timelines on all social media were filled with comments about the Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B movie, produced by Wendy Williams, and aired on Lifetime. WOW! There were SO many opinions... and most of them were negative. Well, here's mine. I don't really put much energy in to hating on things, but I will say a few critiques, both positive and negative. First of all, Alexandra Sharpp is a decent actor. I'm not a big actor critic, but I think she did fine. 

The singing, on the other hand is a different story. She is not Aaliyah, therefore, she isn't going to sound like Aaliyah. She sounded very musical theater to me, but she has a nice voice...it just was not fit to portray the great singer. But then again, that's what you get when you can't use the artists original music. They had to recreate it, and I guess that's the best they could do. Just be mindful, that Alexandra is not Aaliyah, so she's not going to be able to deliver the way Aaliyah did. 

I think there were flaws in the realness of the movie and how it portrayed Aaliyah's life. The actors did not resemble the actual stars, Timberland, Missy Elliot, R-Kelly, Damon Dash, etc. I can understand that this is just a movie, but... it wasn't that believable, especially for the actors portraying these great music celebrities. Body language is everything, and I definitely didn't buy it. 

Along with wishing there were less performance scenes, I also was hoping to see more in depth scenes of the creative process Aaliyah went through with different producers and artists she encountered throughout her career. I was hoping to learn something new...but that didn't really happen. Also, I did not like how the movie just ended.... it was just....over. Maybe, that was symbolic to the sudden death of Aaliyah. I don't know, but I was left thinking, "Wait?...that's it?!?" 

In conclusion, it was an ok movie. I had higher expectations, but then again, it's Lifetime. Even though I love watching Lifetime movies, I think taking on this kind of movie just wasn't a good move for the network. The critics are on fire! Everyone is throwing flames at the network and Wendy Williams. Welp, they tried. I do think Alexandra Sharpp is an exceptional actress though, and she should sing in musicals or on Disney. 


I wonder how Whitney Houston's movie will turn out....

Original Song: "Stormy Weather"

Last month I had the pleasure of doing my very first show at The Viper Room in West Hollywood. Preparing for this show was super exciting for me! Since it was my first, I wanted to make sure the set list was perfect. I practiced for weeks, and decided on some of my favorite cover songs. I started with the recent acoustic version of "Latch" by Sam Smith, and ended with "Love on Top" by my favorite performer, Beyonce Knowles. I set this dynamic to draw in my audience, and then tell them, with a power house song, how much I appreciate their presence. In between those beautiful, soft, melodic, but yet upbeat and high belt songs, I sang my original song, "I Promise," "A Long Walk" by Jill Scott, and new original songs, "Affair" and "Stormy Weather." The new songs I performed will appear on my upcoming mixtape. I am very excited about this project, and it was such a pleasure to perform and introduce two very new songs! Rahkua and Mercy U also performed that night, and they were great! The also did a mixture of originals and covers, and had a strong delivery. I love watching other artists, because there is always something to take away from a sharing performance. I am looking forward to my next big show! I will keep you all posted. 

Here is a video of me performing my original song "Stormy Weather." I had SO much fun with this one! :D


"Stormy Weather" by Skyler Reed

Made In America Festival

This past weekend I had the honor of experiencing the Made in America Festival in LA! I went on Sunday, because I just had to see Kanye! It was an all day event with many vendors, food trucks, and stages! It was easier access than I anticipated, because people came throughout the day, so there wasn't a long line at all. They blocked off blocks for this huge event. Once I entered, I walked down a street, and passed some venders that were giving out free stuff! There was a bin full of American Eagle bags, and Uber had a table where people could sign up for a free ride and get sunglasses or an aluminum water bottle. From there, I roamed the grounds and observed everything there was to see. There was a whole street of porter potties, and they had water stations where people could refill their bottles. It was a very hot day, and no seats to sit.

Budweiser hosted the event, and they had their Signature Draught Biergarten, which was a large section blocked off for serving Budweiser beer. They required an ID check and wristband before entry. Inside the Biergarten people were laid out on the grass with their $9 cup of beer. There were long lines for the bar, and they had a Budweiser factory tour. I'm not a beer drinker, but I thought it would be interesting to see how beer was made, so I went on the ten-minute tour. After that experience, I continued exploring the grounds. On the corner of one street, there was a big-screen livestream showing the happenings at the Made In America Festival in Philly. Once I turned the corner I entered a mass of spicy, sweet, and inviting scents from a ton of food trucks, which served a variety of food. I ended up going to the Greek food truck and got a lamb gyro with fries. It was absolutely delicious! There was, of course, no place to sit down and eat, so people were just walking around or sitting on the curb as they munched.

There were several stages: the Marilyn Stage, the Dylan Stage, the James Dean Stage, and the Skate Stage. The stage I was mainly at was the Marilyn Stage, because that is where John Mayer and Kanye West performed. They were pretty much all I wanted to see. There were hundreds of people laid out on blankets on the grass or standing around. I even saw Jurnee Smollett (from Tyler Perry’s Temptation) chilling out, and later heard that Beyonce and Jay-Z were there as well. I got deep in to the crowd during Juanes’s set, which was very fun and energetic, and I enjoyed seeing everyone dancing and having a great time. There were forty-five minute blocks in between each performer at that stage, so I went to sit down with my family to get out of the hot, busy mix. The break was much needed, but once John Mayer came to the stage I was up on my feet again. His voice was extremely captivating. He opened with “Vultures” after a great intro of his deep tone and guitar skills. I enjoyed watching him perform so much, because he is truly talented. His voice is amazing and flexible, and watching him live was a great experience. My favorite moment of his set was when he performed his version of Beyonce’s XO. It is one of my favorite songs on Beyonce’s self titled album, and I think John Mayer’s version is beautiful and powerful. He also played the harmonica, which was a nice touch.

After a great time swaying to his tunes I got ready to turn up for Kanye! When Kanye hit the stage it got crazy! Someone passed out on the ground right next to me. It was a long day, and people were exhausted, but I still had energy for the hype-ness Kanye brought to my life for that hour. He took it back to his first album, College Drop Out, and then progressed to his music on the radio today. His set was full of “Flashing Lights,” and he was exuding so much eagerness on that big stage basically by himself. The video projection had a special effect, where he appeared bright and colorful. He changed in to a few different masks, which was interesting to see. He caught the crowd’s attention, he got us to chant, sing along, and even hold up the “Roc.” He didn’t need any props or extra bodies on the stage, because him alone was enough to deliver the message of each song. I loved his set, and every song choice. It was my favorite part of the day! This past weekend I had the honor of experiencing the Made in America Festival in LA!