Why be cotton, when you can be leather?

by: Brandelyn Castine

It’s been three years since we’ve been graced with the soulful sounds of hit maker Carl Thomas. With the release of his latest project So Much Better, Carl Thomas has been through his own share of personal and professional changes that have shaped not only his new album but also his perspective on this thing he loves called music.

In 2004, while promoting his sophomore project, “Let’s Talk About It” Thomas lost his older brother Duranthony “Randy” Evans to a drive by shooting on Halloween. The tragedy ultimately caused Thomas to take a step back from music and focus on the healing process for himself and his family. “I lost my voice and will to sing,” he says, “I couldn’t hear tones or melodies and music just didn’t matter. So I put my career on hold to uplift my family.” However it was the words of his brother who was an Ordained Minister and Corrections Officer that inspired Thomas to pick up the pieces and get back down to what he truly loved, the music. “[My brother] told me years ago while we were driving one day, “See that field over there with all that grass? Well, GOD put every blade of grass where it’s supposed to be.”  The memory of that moment coupled with the push from long time friend Mike City inspired Thomas not only to get back into the studio but to also make necessary changes in his career. “My situation with my brother was just part of the refocusing; I guess I was kind of living life with the fog over my eyes, and that just kind of cleared things up for me.  My move from Bad Boy was just a point of growth.” Thomas maintains that ill feelings were not the cause of this departure from Bad Boy. “I really love Puff (Sean “Diddy” Combs) and everybody over there for what they’ve done to help me mature as an artist.  I watched them very closely and I learned a lot.  One thing I learned at Bad Boy is you get what you put into it.  That’s a hard line lesson that Puff pushed.  He taught that by example.  Puff didn’t’ sleep.  When a job needed to be done, the bottom line was that deadline… no matter what. [However] The point of this project was for me to be hands-on with all of the decision making.  It’s nice to be an artist [but] it’s better to be a businessman. ”

Whatever the case, listeners can be assured that this transition has not changed the integrity that makes Carl Thomas the artist that we have grown to love. Just when real music lovers were beginning feeling weighed down by flat tones and lifeless melodies, here he comes; ready to give us musical CPR with his interesting harmonies and head nodding beats with his latest release. So Much Better is the perfect to guide us through the transition from summer right on into fall. Lyrically, Thomas keeps it light often focusing on the day to day issues in relationships, letting us know that he truly is a believer in the ups and downs of love. “I’m inspired by LOVE, sounds real corny but it’s true, I love the whole thing. The Infatuation, anticipation, nervous energy, the collaboration, the climax, mental challenges, the mixed emotions, the uncertainty, the communication failure, and the eventual break –up, I’m loving it all.”

 Through it all Carl Thomas has come back strong with an album that is truly Carl Thomas. With an eclectic mix of feature artists such as Brandy and Lalah Hathaway and producers such as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Thomas has taken all of the changes the last three years has thrown his way and turned it into something that is So Much Better.

Chrisette Michele may be a new addition to today’s R&B roster, but she’s no stranger to the limelight. Before penning hooks for Jay-Z (“Lost Ones”) and providing vocals for Nas’ “Can’t Forget About You,” Chrisette Michele’s spent most of her childhood cultivating the natural performer which surfaced as early as age 4. The New York native’s debut album, I Am is a combination of rustic soul and modern flair that tells a story of womanhood without resorting to the common lyrical refuge of “don’t leave me” and “ooh baby.” Leather sat down with Def Jam’s newest siren to see where she’s at, where she’s going and where she’s been.

You have a very unique space in mainstream music; you’re spreading the gospel of the “good girl” in an industry where the “bad girl” reigns. How do you feel the audience has received you?

I decided to just be myself. If I was a bad girl, I might have made a song about a bad girl. If I become a bad girl in a year or two from now, I’ll probably write a song about it. So, I’m just going by what I’ve been through and I pull from people around me really. The public has been really really really receptive. The public had definitely been very kind so far. The word of mouth that the public has let me receive is what I appreciate most so far.

You worked with some big name producers on I Am: Salaam Remi, John Legend and Will.i.am? How was it to work with them?

Salaam Remi got on my last nerve. He asked me a lot of questions about everything and got on my nerves the most, but I learned the most from him. He kept pulling and pulling and pulling from me, so much so that after he finished asking me all these questions, he threw me into the booth and said, “Now freestyle.” So I freestyled over “Good Girl” and “In This for You,” granted I had to go back in and rewrite some of the words. He pulled me so much that after I finished talking I was so full of what we were talking about that I just wrote from it. I learned an awful lot from him. He’s probably the main person who I want to work with again. Will.i.am was just a free spirit, we just laughed a lot and he said, “Do anything.” And if the sentence didn’t make sense he said sing it anyway. We did six songs together and we chose two for the album. Babyface and I did six songs together as well. He handled me a pencil and he pulled out his guitar. I just began to write and he began to play. I thought he was going to give me a bunch of songs to sing, but he just ended up having me write everything. With John Legend (smile), and you can see from the smile on my face, it was just a collaborative effort. Whereas, we just went back and forth. It was like Double Dutch. I was jumping in and he was turning the rope. It was real special.

“Your Joy,” that you recorded with Babyface is a very touching song, where was your head at when recording that?

Similar to Salaam Remi, I just asked Babyface a few questions and he told me that he loved his children. His kids were actually running around in the studio while we were recording and working. His love for his kids inspired me to write a song that that shows the love that my father has for me.

Is there anyone that you would really love to write for or work with?

I want to write for Solange Knowles. You wouldn’t believe, but she has this beautiful raspy neo-soul voice. I know that she’s already a very talented writer, but I would like to write for her. She’s amazing. I would love to work John Mayer, maybe Fall Out Boy and one day I would love to sit and chill out with Diane Ross to see how that goes.

How about your roots in the church? How do you feel they have influenced your music?

I’m a Christian; that’s my lifestyle. A lot of people are very religious. I just have a specific lifestyle and standard that I try to live by. So at the end of the day, I’m just living my lifestyle in the way that I was raised and the church is where I was raised.

I know you strive to be a role model through your music. Who have been some of your role models?

Oprah Winfrey.

Hold up, you know Oprah’s my queen. I’ve never understood why people don’t identify with her, considering her background.

It’s because we have such a defeated mentality. We’re so closed-minded. People don’t like to see other people be successful and she’s successful. She’s giving back in places that may not include the people who feel defeated by society. She overpassed it. She’s already been defeated herself so she tells those girls who have been defeated, I made it out so can you. I love her. Also Beyonce; her drive and her hustle drive me wild. I want to be as driven as her and of course, my mom.

What type of music did you grow up listening to?

Gospel, only gospel. There was nothing else being played in the house. Not because my parents said we couldn’t play it but just because we didn’t hear a lot of it. I don’t want to say I was sheltered, but I was in every dance class, competition and every other kind of activity that was going on so, I didn’t have time to be at parties and stuff like that. I finally got introduced to pop culture when was around me like 16-17 with school and Girls Scouts; so basically, church music and jazz.

What are you working on right now?

Well, I am officially a part of the William-Morris agency now. So, tomorrow I’ll be filming on Lincoln Heights . I’m excited to get my acting career started. It’s going to be short, sweet and small, but it’s going to build. I definitely want to get into acting but I’m just starting the music so I want to do something good there. I’m also writing a book called “All Stars Eat Fish” which is a parody on the lifestyle of celebrities.

Describe your personal style.

Right now at this particular moment, when I’m usually chilling I usually have on comfortable designer jeans and some cool tee shirt and shoes; that’s just my everyday. But I love dresses. I love love love dresses. I just went to a dress shop earlier this morning. I like glamour too: make up & nail polish. I like girly-girl stuff.

What other passions do you have besides music?